Crack open a cold soda, flip on the fan and sit back as Amelia Emberwing helps us beat the summer heat with her ideal animated movie marathon.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
It just feels appropriate to start with the feature that kicked it all off. Spun off from the ever-incredible Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm shows us a different side of Gotham’s caped crusader. At least in the beginning.
Love is a complicated emotion, and a young Bruce Wayne was happily willing to give up a life of crimefighting to be with the intrepid Andrea Beauxmont when he was younger. Thankfully for Gotham, fate had other plans for the lovebirds. When Andrea suddenly leaves town, Bruce has a new moment of clarity. By the time she finally returns years later, he’s already been the Batman for some time.
With Andrea’s return comes a complex new villain—the Phantasm—who has taken it upon themselves to kill all the big bads in Gotham City. Both sides of Bruce’s identity get shoved into overtime as he tries to stop the masked murderer and deal with his lost love. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is complicated and layered and rocks the gorgeous animation that the animated series was known for. Truly the gold standard for animated DC films.
Which movies would you include in an animated movie marathon? Let us know in the comments! 
13 Likes
How about a nice Superman marathon? (In comic-accurate order, of course.)
- The Death of Superman
- Reign of the Supermen
- Superman vs. the Elite
- Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
- Superman Unbound
11 Likes
The Dark Knight Returns Part 2.
The Dark Knight Returns Part 1.
Justice League vs Fatal Five
Justice League Gods and Monsters
Batman Under the Red Hood
Reign of the Supermen
7 Likes
If we’re limiting it to 6, then in no particular order:
- Mask of the Phantasm
- Under the Red Hood
- Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
- The Dark Knight Returns (deluxe edition as 1 long movie)
- Assault on Arkham
- The Lego Batman Movie
Honorable mentions: New Frontier, Red Son, Gotham by Gaslight, JL vs. Fatal Five, Public Enemies
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No Scooby Doo and Batman The Brave and the Bold? I thought you would pick the one with Detective Chimp in it.
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I think the problem with Amelia’s list is the same problem with the animated films in general - no variety, they grimly hit the same notes in the same manner each time. Limiting it to non-theatrical movies, I’d opt for
Justice League: New Frontier
Batman Sub-Zero
Teen Titans Go! vs. Teen Titans
Batman: Under the Red Hood
Lego DC Comics: Cosmic Clash
Green Lantern First Flight
Justice League Apokolips War
Batman Beyond Return of the Joker
4 Likes
Hell’s yeah!!!
After all it is a marathon.
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Gotham by Gaslight
JL: Gods & Monsters
JL: The Flashpoint Paradox
Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
Superman vs The Elite
Lego DC Comics Super Heroes Justice League: Cosmic Clash
7 Likes
