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DC animated universe

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Promotional image for Justice League Unlimited.

The DC animated universe (often abbreviated as DCAU) is the term used to identify the continuity in which the various animated series based on DC comic characters exist in, beginning with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. The universe is also commonly referred to as the Timmverse or Diniverse, after co-creators Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. However, generally speaking, "Timmverse" is a more appropriate term as Bruce Timm has been more consistently involved in the various DCAU series.

Contents

In DCAU Continuity

It should be noted that although there have been many cartoons created from DC properties, only cartoons that have spun off from Batman: The Animated Series count in the universe. Thus, shows like Super Friends and The Batman are not, but Static Shock and Superman: The Animated Series are.

Television

Films

As well as the various Warner Bros. Animation television series, four feature films were created as a part of the DCAU:

Webtoons

Warner Bros. Animation also created a couple of web series, set in the DCAU.

Comic Books

Although the DCAU has a considerable amount of comic books that spawned from the various series, they are not explicitly in continuity. Rather, they borrow the continuity of the series in question and uses its characters, but does not actually affect the series. In some cases the also use characters unavailable to the DCAU, like Blue Beetle.

  • Batman Adventures
  • Batman and Robin Adventures
  • Gotham Adventures
  • Superman Adventures
  • Adventures in the DCAU
  • Batman Beyond Adventures
  • Justice League Adventures
  • Justice League Unlimited

This listing does not count the various one-shots, miniseries and other short lived series which deal with the DCAU.

Questionable Continuity

Although the above mentioned series are definitively in the DCAU, there are several theories which attempt to tie other DC cartoons into the universe. The two series which most notably have this question regarding continuity are as follows:

Krypto the Superdog

Krypto's ties to the DCAU continuity are fairly weak and are tied to the brief appearance of Superman in the series. However, because of conflict with Lex Luthor's place in the universe, it's more likely that, like the various comic books published based on the DCAU, the continuity of Superman/JL was borrowed for Krypto but Krpyto doesn't affect the continuity of the DCAU.

Teen Titans

Teen Titans' continuity is tricky. Although it was stated that Teen Titans is in a separate universe from the other DCAU series by various members of the crew, it was left ambiguous in the series itself.

The most common theory is that Teen Titans is a prequel to Batman: The Animated Series, as Batman takes place during Dick Grayson's college years. They never actually come out and say it, but there are several hints that Robin is, in fact, Dick Grayson. For instance, Robin's extra-dimensional self, Larry, is named Nosyarg Kcid ("Dick Grayson" backwards). His relationship with Starfire is indicative of Dick's comic book relationship and, most notably, he becomes Nightwing in the future. There is nothing in either Teen Titans or the DCAU that particularly wrecks this idea, aside from an offhand comment made by Batman in a Static Shock episode about Robin being "with the Titans." Nightwing has shown up in both The New Batman Adventures and, as a silhouette cameo, in Grudge Match.

In the last season of Teen Titans, Kid Flash (the Wally West version, not the Bart Allen version) appears in two different episodes. The character shares the same voice actor, Michael Rosenbaum, and has a similar character design and manner as the normal Flash who appears in both Superman and Justice League. In the Justice League Unlimited episode Patriot Act, Speedy makes a cameo appearance, also using the same character design and voice actor. Both of these cases support the idea that Teen Titans takes place in the past.

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