Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

The second Robin, Jason Todd, is dead. A dour Batman (voiced by Bruce Greenwood) shuns any other partners, including the original Robin, now called Nightwing (voiced by Neil Patrick Harris). A mysterious and most peculiar masked man, the Red Hood (voiced by Jensen Ackles), appears on the scene. He takes over Gotham City's drug business from a kingpin called the Black Mask, and offers the dealers a higher cut, but under the condition that no drugs are sold to children. Meanwhile, the Black Mask enlists the aid of the Joker (voiced by John DiMaggio) to stop him. Batman soon discovers the Red Hood's secret identity, making his battle much more personal. Can he stop the Black Mask, the Red Hood, and the Joker, all in one fell swoop?

Like the best superhero stories, this one focuses on characters and character history; each of the main characters has a pre-existing relationship with one another, making their meetings emotionally resonant. There's more here than just chases and explosions. Additionally, the filmmakers create an appropriately dark and mysterious atmosphere, bringing back some of Batman's mythic dimensions as a "dark knight" and a loner detective. In all, it's one of the stronger entries in the direct-to-video animated superhero genre.