Beginning with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, the DC Animated Universe was a revolution in the way that animation and storytelling was done, the DCAU would later expand to include Superman and in time the entire Justice League, covering nearly every character in DC comics. The original Batman series ran for three years and consisted of eighty-five episodes lasting twenty minutes. 
 
Unlike the previous cartoons, Batman: TAS had actual guns, actual violence and actual blood, which gave a darker feel which had never really been seen before, the characters were made more real and that had a very big impact on the stories, which for the most part were written by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, who also re-designed and even re-defined most of the characters for the new generation. Where other cartoons would patronise the audience with unnecessary dialogue, this cartoon didn't, the characters were allowed to be expressive and have back stories, suddenly characters like Mr Freeze went from a mad scientist to a tragic figure, the Joker became both hysterical and homicidal and the creation and development of Harley Quinn has made her so popular that DC actually put her into the comics. Even characters that weren't that well known were given new life, characters like the Clock King and the Mad Hatter.
 
Another innovation was that the voice actors actually got to record their lines together, something which made conversations more fluidic and realistic. Even the voice actors themselves were practically perfect for their roles, the show has even had cameos from well known actors like Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamil, Frank Welker, Ron Pearlman, Helen Slater, Ed Begley Jr, Kate Mulgrew, John Glover, Peter Scolari, Michael York, Tim Curry, Rene Auberjonois, John De Lancie and previous Batman actor Adam West.
 
Batman: The Animated series has won two Emmys in 1993: "Robin's Reckoning" for Most Outstanding Half Hour or Less Program  and "Heart of Ice"  for Most Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program, it has been described as the second best cartoon ever, losing only to the Simpsons and has gone on to set the benchmark for all superhero cartoons, even introducing some of them, without Batman: The Animated Series, there would be no DC Animated Universe and the people inspired by it would probably have ended up liking Twilight. 
 
Unfortunately someone at Warner Brothers found out that every episode of Batman: The Animated Series could be found on YouTube and decided to make a DMCA claim on everyone... so here is a clip of the greatest moment in cartoon history: