- Batman: The Animated Series is pretty episodic/anthology-based so I took a ton of liberties with it. It's very much a custom order based on the idea that the series begins very grounded and slowly introduces more and more fantastical elements and characters as it progresses.
- The Adventures Of Batman And Robin was pretty straightforward. I have most of it taking place after BTAS. According to the original DVDs, there are only ten episodes of this series. Two of the episodes actually take place during and episode of BTAS, which is interesting.
- I have Superman: The Animated Series as a single season, picking up after BTAS and during Batman And Robin. It follows production order.
- The New Superman Adventures aired alongside The New Batman Adventures, so I count them as separate shows from anything previous. Superman plays out in production order with a few exceptions. TNBA seems to be another anthology format, as the series was def. not produced in chronological order. For example, the pilot features Tim Drake as Robin, but he's not introduced until the second episode. Clayface also appears in the pilot, but is re-introduced in a later episode that's supposed to be his first appearance since BTAS. So once again I took a few liberties with TNBA. I first grouped up the solo Batman episodes and placed them in production order as the first few episodes. Then I grouped the episodes featuring only Batgirl and Batman and did the same. Finally, when both Tim Drake and Dick Grayson are introduced in the second episode produced, I placed the Bat-family episodes in production order, with a couple exceptions. Luckily, the series is pretty episodic so it can be watched in pretty much any order. I saved the episode "Legends Of The Dark Knight" for last because it seems to be a fitting finale. The hardest part was figuring out how both series inter-twined with eachother. But I think I figured it out. Update: I recently decided that the Superman episode "The Demon Reborn" kind of un-officially serves as the series finale to the packaged show "The New Superman/Batman so I made sure to wrap up TNBA before that episode.
- Gotham Girls is simply in production order soon after TNBA.
- The single hardest show of this thing to figure out was Static Shock. Seriously, screw that series and it's lack of any sort of internal chronology (and I'm someone who enjoys it - especially the crossover episodes). Production order be damned for this show. I had to break production order, stretch, squeeze, pull, push, nip and tuck to make the series fit and work in context with it's surrounding shows. I think I did it, but again, no matter which way you choose to slice that one, it's a total mess. Figuring out what grade Virgil is in any given episode wasn't easy either. It seems like the creatives just had no clue how to fit the series into the larger DCAU, so they just guessed and let the fans fight over the details.
- Justice League and JLU are simply in production order for the most part. I moved the episodes set in the distance future where they chronologically end. Because of this, the final five episodes of the DCAU are some of the biggest stakes. Basically the Endgame for the franchise. You go from the time travelling fun and crossover of Once And Future Thing to the massive reveals in Epilogue and then cap off the franchise with the DCAU's Death Of Superman equivalent - Hereafter, which makes for an incredible journey's end. It all just works so well.
- Lastly, Batman: Beyond and The Zeta Project weren't easy to place without breaking production order, but I think I figured out the absolute best way and it still isn't entirely ideal. I believe there are at least two different ways to place The Zeta Project, but either way has it's problems, so I chose the one with the least amount of issues. Update: I actually amended this. The Batman/Zeta saga goes like this...
Batman: Beyond – 2.15: "Zeta" Introduces the character. Batman let's Zeta escape.
Batman: Beyond – 2.20: "Plague" - Features Agent Bennet, who Terry already met in "Zeta".
The Zeta Project – 1.01: "The Accomplice" - Follows up with Zeta an unspecified amount of time after it's first appearance in "Zeta".
The Zeta Project – 1.02: "His Maker's Name" - Officially begins Zee and Ro's quest to find Zeta's creator and must be set before "Countdown".
The Zeta Project – 1.08: "Shadows" - Batman recognizes Zeta's "Zee" identity and asks Bruce Wayne to verify it's him. This would seemingly place the episode after "Countdown". He then claims it's his own fault for Zeta running around loose because Zeta promised to not kill anymore (a callback to "Zeta") and that he let him go (another callback to "Zeta", but could be applied to "Countdown" as well). Ro does seem familiar with Batman in a general sense, which would again place this episode after "Countdown". Batman does seem more familiar with Zeta than he does Ro here. The major problem with this episode is that Wayne-Powers is referenced when it should be Wayne-Enterprises by this point due to the previous evidence. That would put this episode before "King's Ransom". Note that this episode aired before "Countdown". This episode does feel more like a direct follow up to "Zeta" than it does "Countdown". Batman is far more aggressive with Zeta in this episode and doesn't seem too friendly, where in "Countdown" he's far more of an ally to both Ro and Zeta. Update: I ended up placing this episode before "Countdown" as a follow up to "Zeta". If we can ignore Batman and Ro's general familiarity with one another, it works just fine.
Batman: Beyond – 3.02: "King's Ransom" - Paxton Power's arrest leaves a power vacuum at the top of Wayne-Powers, which allows Bruce Wayne to re-establish control of the company at some unspecified point in the future prior to the events of "Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker".
Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker - Bruce Wayne returns to his company as CEO and Chairman Of The Board whereupon it was recently renamed back to Wayne Enterprises.
Batman: Beyond – 3.12: "Countdown" - Zee and Ro continue their search for Eli Selig, placing this episode after "His Maker's Name". Ro seemingly meets Batman for the first time here. Zee refers to Batman as "an old friend". Ro seems surprised Zeta has been to Gotham City and has the connection with Batman. Batman sees Zeta's "Zee" hologram/identity by the end and helps him evade capture and escape Gotham City. Note that this episode aired after "Shadows", so it's possible it was always intended to take place after that episode. Also,
The Zeta Project – 1.10: "Taffy Time" - When Zeta saved her life from the bounty hunter Krick, Agent Lee's attitude towards him was shaken. The next time Zeta crossed paths with the NSA ("Ro's Reunion"), Lee was not seen among the agents trying to subdue him. This would place this episode after "Countdown", where Lee is still present with the NSA going after Zeta.
The Zeta Project – 1.13: "Absolute Zero" - A couple small details place this episode after "Countdown". When Agent Bennet runs down the locations where Eli Selig has been seen, he refers to the Gotham Symposium from "Countdown". Also, this the episode where NSA agent Lee resigns.
