Every Batfan has an opinion of what are the best Batman movies of all time and those same people usually tend to agree on what the worst Batman movies are, as well. However, there is a decent handful of films (many of which are also among the best animated DC movies) that are not regarded as highly as I believe they should be, or which barely get much attention at all.
Batman Day — a national holiday on which comic book fans celebrate Gotham City’s protector — is the one time each year that I choose to shine the Batsignal on some of the more underrated Batman movies. See if you can say you have already seen any of the the following movies about the Dark Knight that are available to stream on HBO Max or to rent on Amazon — starting with a few classics starring Kevin Conroy.
SubZero (1998)
Desperate to find an organ donor for his terminally ill wife, Mr. Freeze (Michael Ansara) kidnaps Barbara Gordon (Mary Kay Bergman) after learning she is a match, leaving Batman (Kevin Conroy) and Robin (Loren Lester, giving one of the best performances as the Boy Wonder) desperate to find her.
Why it’s an underrated Batman movie worth checking out: While it is not the most popular feature-length spin-off of Batman: The Animated Series (i.e. 1992’s Batman: Mask of the Phantasm) nor the most iconic animated Mr. Freeze story (the Emmy-winning BTAS episode, “Heart of Ice”), SubZero is easily the best movie featuring the cold-hearted DC villain as the main antagonist, considering the only other option is Batman & Robin.
Stream SubZero on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy SubZero on Amazon.
Batman: Mystery Of The Batwoman (2003)
Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) struggles to uncover the identity of a new female vigilante crusading in Gotham City who also dresses like a bat by night.
Why it’s an underrated Batman movie worth checking out: Years before Kate Kane got her own TV show, even before she was introduced in DC Comics, another superhero bearing her alter ego namesake was introduced into the DC Animated Universe in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman — a thrilling cat-and-mouse story (or should I say “bat-and-bat" story?) in which Conroy returns to voice the Dark Knight alongside a star-studded cast, including Kyra Sedgwick and Kelly Ripa.
Stream Batman: Mystery Of The Batwoman on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Batman: Mystery Of The Batwoman on Amazon.
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
A group of young skaters swapping stories of when they claim to have seen the Batman, a local Cardinal being abducted Killer Croc, and a face-off against an infamous assassin threatening Jim Gordon’s life describe just three of the thrilling tales in this DC Comics-inspired anthology.
Why it’s an underrated Batman movie worth checking out: While marketed as a bridge between the events of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, producer Christopher Nolan’s Batman: Gotham Knight is really a collection of (very) loosely connected stories presented in beautiful Japanese anime-style that all feature Kevin Conroy in the title role.
Stream Batman: Gotham Knight on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Batman: Gotham Knight on Amazon.
Batman Ninja (2018)
When a strange machine accidentally transports him, many of his allies, and many of his enemies, too, to feudal Japan, Bruce Wayne (Roger Craig Smith, in the English-language dub) must rely on his most basic skills and adopt a new fighting style in order to save a local village and figure out how to return the present.
Why it’s an underrated Batman movie worth checking out: Another film that depicts the Dark Knight in an even more unique Japanese anime style is Batman Ninja, which could be off-putting to some die-hard fans due to the irreverent portrayal of some of DC's characters (including Harley Quinn), but is still a highly entertaining breath of fresh air unlike any other Batman movie you have ever seen.
Stream Batman Ninja on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Batman Ninja on Amazon.
Batman: Soul Of The Dragon (2021)
When they discover that the martial arts master who trained each of them has gone missing, Bruce Wayne (David Guintoli), Richard Dragon (Mark Decascos), Lady Shiva (X2 star Kelly Hu), and Ben “Bronze Tiger” Turner (Michael Jae White) team up to solve the mystery.
Why it’s an underrated Batman movie worth checking out: Another recent animated Batman movie inspired by Asian culture (specifically 1970s kung fu movies) is Batman: Soul of the Dragon, which is also yet another Batman movie unlike anything else you may have seen — the fact that it actually takes place in 1970s notwithstanding.
Stream Batman: Soul Of The Dragon on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Batman: Soul Of The Dragon on Amazon.
The Batman Vs. Dracula (2005)
Strange things are afoot in Gotham City and Bruce Wayne (Rino Romano) suspects that it has something to do with a cultural anthropologist calling himself “Dr. Alucard” (Peter Stormare).
Why it’s an underrated Batman movie worth checking out: While the Dark Knight had faced off against Bram Stoker’s iconic bloodsucker in the comics before, this spin-off of one of the more underrated Batman TV shows sounds too on-the-nose and too ridiculous to work, but The Batman vs. Dracula is a surprisingly sophisticated and thoroughly fun horror story, especially with Day Shift cast member Stormare’s devilish performance as the Count.
Stream The Batman Vs. Dracula on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Batman Vs. Dracula on Amazon.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
After Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) discovers a powerful teenage girl (Summer Glau) with familial connections to his friend, Clark Kent (Tim Daly), they team up and call upon the help of Wonder Woman (Susan Eisenberg) to protect her from the extra-dimensional tyrant, Darkseid (Andre Braugher).
Why it’s an underrated Batman movie worth checking out: Also serving as a decent animated companion to Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is a cool gem of a DC crossover flick with some truly epic action sequences — especially one set in Themyscira — that I personally prefer over its 2009 predecessor, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
Stream Superman/Batman: Apocalypse on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Superman/Batman: Apocalypse on Amazon.
Batman: Assault On Arkham (2014)
A group of bad people (including Neal McDonough as Deadshot and Hynden Walch as Harley Quinn) are forced into doing some "good" by Amanda Waller (CCH Pounder) when top secret information is hidden by The Riddler (Matthew Gray Gubler) somewhere in Arkham Asylum, where they cross paths with the Caped Crusader (Kevin Conroy) as he searches for a bomb hidden by the Joker (Troy Baker).
Why it’s an underrated Batman movie worth checking out: A DC flick that serves as a decent animated companion to the Suicide Squad movies is Batman: Assault on Arkham, because — while Bruce Wayne’s alter ego may have the title role — this is actually a story about Task Force X, and a really fun one at that.
Stream Batman: Assault On Arkham on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Batman: Assault On Arkham on Amazon.
A true Batfan goes out of their way to consume as much Batman-related content as possible and if any of these titles have flown under your radar, I’d say you are in for one good day should you choose to watch them.
