DC Comics stands out as one of the richest, most entertaining and action-packed universes in comics. Through multimedia projects, heroes like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman have become treasured heroes of film, TV and games as well as comics, with a particular skill in animation. While Batman often headlines the company's best projects, there are many excellent DC animated projects that explore other characters from the universe.

DC boasts one of the best-animated profiles in Hollywood, thanks to legendary projects like Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League and various team-up movies. While Batman may be the face of DC Comics — both in print and on the screen — many of the franchise's best-animated movies don't focus on the Caped Crusader. From ensemble team-up stories to solo adventures and origin stories, plenty of great DC animated films shift focus to the universe's best heroes outside of Gotham.

10 Justice Society: World War II Follows DC's First Superhero Team

Justice Society: World War II begins when Barry Allen is transported back in time to World War II, where he joins the skeptical Justice Society in a mission behind enemy lines. Allying with a mysterious war correspondent later revealed to be Clark Kent, the team (led by Wonder Woman) travels to Atlantis, where they cross paths with the treacherous Orm.

Justice Society: World War II is a fun look at DC's Golden Age, and combines WWII espionage with war as Barry and the JSA save the world from Nazi victory and Atlantean invasion. As a film that focuses on the JSA, the movie is something of a rarity, casting an often-overlooked team in the spotlight.

9 Wonder Woman Received a Fun Animated Movie in the Late 2000s

2009's Wonder Woman follows Diana Prince's journey to man's world after meeting Steve Trevor, when he crashes on the shore of Themyscira. Not content with her life on Paradise Island, she eagerly accompanies the war hero to New York where, mirroring the plot of the 2017 live-action movie, they begin a quest to defeat Ares.

Wonder Woman's 2009 movie closely mirrors both her comic book and live-action origin and explores the story of the invisible plane and the heroine's rivalry with Ares. As she grows accustomed to life in man's world, Diana and Steve prepare to defend the United States from Ares and his army, culminating in an epic battle.

8 Superman: Red Son Adapts a Classic Elseworlds Tale

Based on the Elseworlds comic by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson and Andrew Robinson, Superman: Red Son takes place in an alternate reality where Kal-El crashed in the Soviet Union, rather than Kansas. When his superpowers manifest, he is trained into the ultimate weapon of the USSR, a bulwark against American strength under President Lex Luthor.

Superman: Red Son is a great story of alternate history that, while it does include a Soviet Batman, plays up the threat that could be posed by Superman without American values. The film culminates in DC's Trinity heroes, reimagined for a world of Soviet dominance, fighting one another — all while Luthor grows increasingly unstable.

7 The Death of Superman Sees Superman Make the Ultimate Sacrifice

The Death of Superman was one of the biggest events of '90s comics, telling the story of the arrival of Doomsday on Earth. The animated movie is a great adaptation of the comic, highlighting the terror of Doomsday as he tears his way through America on his path of destruction that leads to Metropolis. The film

The Death of Superman is a great adaptation of the original comic, finally doing the story justice after Superman: Doomsday turned in only a lackluster version of the event. True to the original comic, the film features a variety of Justice Leaguers joining the battle for Metropolis, with Superman forced to make the ultimate sacrifice.

6 Reign of the Supermen Explores the Legacy of Clark Kent

The follow-up to Death of Superman, Reign of the Supermen takes place in the aftermath of Kal-El's death, and explores the arrival of a slew of heroes purporting to be Metropolis' new Superman. The group includes; the Eradicator, a Kryptonian android modeled after Superman; Cyborg Superman, who is actually Hank Henshaw, a widower who blames Superman for the death of his wife; and Connor Kent, a young clone of Superman.

Reign of the Supermen explores the possible successors to Superman's legacy while also setting the stage for the latest invasion of Darkseid's armies. When the Justice League are trapped by the villainous New God, Lois Lane rushes to find a way to bring back the one true Superman.

5 Superman: Man of Tomorrow Is a Metropolis All-Star Story

Superman: Man of Tomorrow begins with the life of a young Clark Kent and his upbringing with Ma and Pa Kent in Smallville. It then cuts to the hero, now a young man, in the early days of his career as a superhero in Metropolis. After being targeted by Lobo, Superman is forced to contend with Parasite who, in this story, is a tragically altered LexCorp employee forced to consume the energy of other beings to survive. With Martian Manhunter surfacing to help, the Man of Steel allies with J'onn and Lobo to save Metropolis from the monster.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow is a fun look at Superman's adventures, including several of his classic allies and enemies, as well as one of the few animated projects that does Lobo justice. For fans of the Action Comics corner of DC, Man of Tomorrow is a great tour of Metropolis and a reintroduction of a younger, more amateur Superman.

4 Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay Sends Task Force X on a Road Trip

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay follows Task Force X as they are deployed by Amanda Waller on a personal mission: she's got a terminal disease and wants an artifact that guarantees her a spot in Heaven. The team takes to the road to hunt down the card, leading them to Vandal Savage, who's had it implanted within him.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay combines the gritty action of Task Force X with a road trip-style adventure, sending the team out to take on a slew of villains also interested in the 'Get Out of Hell Free' card. The movie's line-up includes Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Bronze Tiger, Captain Boomerang, Copperhead and Killer Frost, showing the team at its best.

3 All-Star Superman Adapts a Treasured Man of Steel Story

Few stories can claim to be the definitive Superman story as Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman. After being informed that he's dying from excessive exposure to the Sun's radiation, Superman undertakes a series of tasks for the betterment of the planet, while also making the best of his time with Lois.

All-Star Superman shows the Man of Tomorrow at his best, sharing his power with Lois, saving fellow Kryptonians, sharing his powers with Lois and saving the world from Luthor one last time. The film is the perfect entry point to Superman for new fans, showing everything that makes the hero great, from his selfless nature to the uncompromising value of human life.

2 Green Lantern: First Flight Reimagines Hal Jordan's Debut

After the successful revival of Hal Jordan Green Lantern in DC Comics, his success translated into movies, beginning with Green Lantern: First Flight. The movie follows Hal's origin as a Lantern, finding a dying Abin Sur, taking his ring and slowly learning to master the power of will. He teams up with Sinestro, who is investigating the murder of Sur, which leads him to Kanjar Roe and the yellow element: fear. However, Hal and the other Lanterns soon learn that they've been betrayed by the veteran hero.

Green Lantern: First Flight is a great set-up for the Green Lantern mythos, explaining Hal's backstory and how Sinestro turned evil. When compared with the 2011 live-action movie, it becomes a master class in setting up the franchise and remains one of the best pieces of Green Lantern media available.

1 Justice League: New Frontier Retells the Justice League's Origin