Max (née HBO Max), when they are not too busy tossing finished shows and movies in the can for a tax write-off, enjoys the status of being one of the best streaming services for a wide breadth of all types of animation. And with the libraries the streamer has access to, it’s no surprise that there is so much animated TV to enjoy. Boasting most of the offerings from Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and the Warner Bros. Animation archives, alongside their own animated originals, Max is the streamer to beat when it comes to a seemingly-endless supply of animation at your fingertips.
Max library is extensive, so this list is not exhaustive, but merely offers a glimpse at the animated delights the streamer has to offer. From classic cartoons to prestige animation, here are our picks for the best shows to stream on Max right now:
Young Justice
This show was so good, that three years after being cancelled, fan interest was still so high that Warner Bros. Animation announced it would be revived for a third season. The series is basically a spin on the Teen Titans format, following a team of young superheroes (a rotating cast that includes Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Beast Boy, Batgirl, Static, Superboy, Blue Beetle and Artemis) carving out their own path as heroes. The series was whip smart, and took its audience seriously, gaining as many adult admirers as kid fans along the way. With a new season in the works, it’s the perfect time to catch up. —Trent Moore
Rick and Morty
One of the most brilliant shows on television, Rick and Morty uses its nerdiness and intelligence not as a gimmick, but as a way to open the (literal) dimensions of creative possibility, whether the ideas are original (interdimensional cable, a sentient gas cloud named Fart) or tongue-in-cheek homage (to The Purge, Inception, even its own interdimensional cable episode). But behind the innovation is a Eugene O’Neill-ian dysfunction that probes the depths of familial unhappiness, and it’s when Rick and Morty leans into this (especially in episodes like “Total Rick-all” and “The Wedding Squanchers”) that it reaches its most sublime moments. Season 2, in particular, took protagonist Rick Sanchez into a profound depression matched only by BoJack Horseman among animated series aimed at adults. —Zach Blumenfeld
Fionna and Cake
Spinning off from a few episodes of Adventure Time which followed gender-swapped fanfiction versions of the main cast, Fionna and Cake is a more serialized, dramatic adventure from this colorful world. It’s not quite peak Adventure Time, but Fionna and Cake is a worthy continuation of the legendary cartoon. The animation’s as fun as ever, and the voice cast is a mix of reliable returning talent and a few welcome new voices (wait until you find out who’s the new voice for Lemongrab). The transition from semi-episodic quarter-hour episodes to hyper-serialized half-hour ones is a bit of an adjustment, and the story itself isn’t mind-bendingly original, but at its best, it feels as if it’s making good on the promise of the original series’ theme song: “The fun will never end.” —Reuben Baron
Samurai Jack
After wrapping up work on Dexter’s Lab, animator Genndy Tartakovsky set his sights on creating a cartoon that could emulate the cinematic feel of some of his favorite films, including Seven Samurai and Lawrence of Arabia. The result was Samurai Jack, a thrilling, atmospheric and shockingly cerebral play on the samurai films of yesteryear…but, you know, for kids. The series follows Jack, a young prince from feudal Japan whose home and family are destroyed by the demonic shapeshifter, Aku. After years of training, Jack returns to vanquish the demon, only to be sent forward in time before he can deliver the final blow. Trapped in a world controlled by Aku and his robotic flunkies, Jack must search for a way to return to the past and finish the job he started. Sadly, though well-received by the animation community and a devoted sect of fans, the series was cancelled before the central plotline could be resolved. Today, the show continues on in comic book form, but the legacy of its televised iteration remains strong in the hearts and minds of fans.—Mark Rozeman
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
For a certain type of TV watcher who was college-aged in the mid-aughts (me), Aqua Teen Hunger Force was a mainstay for humor and references among friend groups. The bizarre Adult Swim cartoon heralded a new kind of television comedy, one that leaned heavily into surrealism and pure silliness. Starring a trio of anthropomorphic beings—Frylock, Master Shake, and Meatwad—who are also roommates, the show has some vague allusions to crime-fighting superheroics and galactic unrest, but mainly it thrives on augmenting mundane daily routines into the ridiculously hilarious. (Let’s also never forget their neighbor Carl, a rare human on the show, whose one-liners remain the actual best.) The extremely long-running series reached its apex early on, and though its legacy is that of a time capsule for the jokes and comedy aesthetic of a network leaning into a new frontier of weirdness, it still holds up as one of the strangest, funniest series Adult Swim ever made. “Drivin’ in my car, livin’ like a star / Ice on my fingers and my toes and I’m a Taurus.” —Allison Keene
Scooby Doo, Where Are You!
In our popular culture, there might not be another group of characters as timeless as Scooby Doo and his band of meddling kids. In their first appearance on the now-iconic Scooby Doo, Where Are You!, jock Fred (Frank Welker), original “it girl” Daphne (Stefanianna Christopherson), brainiac Velma (Nicole Jaffe), hippie Shaggy (Casey Casum), and their dog Scooby Doo (Don Messick) travel around in their blue and green Mystery Machine van, solving seemingly supernatural mysteries. Scooby Doo, Where Are You!’s formulaic episodic structure and archetypal characters may have made the series memorable, but it also had a pattern that simply could not be replicated—though not for a lack of trying from Scooby Doo-studio Hanna-Barbera. Jabberjaw, Clue Club, Goober and the Ghost Chasers, Speed Buggy, and many more “4 kids and a pet—or sentient car—solving mysteries” cartoons were made by the studio in an attempt to replicate the runaway success of Scooby Doo, but lighting only struck once. Now with countless films and shows having been produced around the Scooby Gang, Scooby Doo, Where Are You! laid the groundwork for what would become a pop-culture empire. (And if you’re looking for more Scooby to watch, Max has numerous other worthwhile series, including What’s New, Scooby Doo and Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated). —Anna Govert
Steven Universe
Steven Universe was the best show on Cartoon Network for quite some time. Like Pixar’s great films, it transcends its “target” audience of children by distilling nuanced, powerful emotions into a universally comprehensible form without losing any of its intellect. Here’s an incomplete list of the themes the show traded in: abusive love, Marxism, unmitigated bereavement, depression, self-hatred, PTSD, matricide. Such a cheerful show, right? Actually, yes: The core of Steven Universe, despite its unbelievably heavy subject material, is love—not only of every creature on Earth, good or bad, but of life itself, regardless of the terrible circumstances it hurls your way. Sure, that’s an aspirational message, but Steven is essentially the Chance the Rapper of animated television: He’ll make you believe in his infectious, hard-nosed optimism. —Zach Blumenfeld
Teen Titans
Having returned in cutesier chibi form as Teen Titans Go!, the original Teen Titans ran on Cartoon Network for five seasons from 2003 to 2006 and remains one of the most critically beloved series in the network’s history. Adapted from the 1980s run of Teen Titans comics by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, the series follows the adventures of a team of West Coast-based teenage superheroes who live together in Titans Tower: self-serious gadget kid Robin (Scott Menville), weirdo magic alien Starfire (Hynden Walch), tech wiz Cyborg (Khary Payton), psionic-powered goth girl Raven (Tara Strong), and goofball shapeshifter Beast Boy (Greg Cipes). In between arguing over chores, obsessing over percolating romances, and working together through the growing pains of becoming adults, they occasionally also fight some bad guys. Having had five seasons through which to explore these characters, Teen Titans was able to go deeper than a lot of live-action superhero series ever get to (ahem, Disney+). And while that might have made the series’ eventual cancellation all the bitterer, the stories it did get to tell are worth celebrating. —Alexis Gunderson
Adventure Time
There is a world where the Adventure Time creative team is content with rehashing its brand of surreal, candy-infused tomfoolery ad nauseam. Luckily, this is not the world we live in. Indeed, Pendleton Ward and Co. have spent the latter half of this magnificent and groundbreaking series’ run not only stretching the bounds of the show’s weirdass sandbox, but actively working to push the characters forward. More than anything, Adventure Time realizes that to avoid change is to become tired and stagnant. Thus, rather than adhering to the typical “floating timeline” structure of most animated programs, the show has allowed its characters (be it a human child, a stretchy dog, a peppermint butler, or a bubblegum princess) to grow and develop, often in ways that are more heartbreaking and dramatically potent than anything a prestige cable drama could throw out. Never was this sensibility more apparent than in Stakes, the eight-part miniseries that went a long way towards exploring the backstory of vampire Marceline, one of Adventure Time’s most beloved, mysterious, and tragic characters. Throughout its run, Adventure Time remains the strange, yet endlessly innovative little gem that fans know and love. —Mark Rozeman and Allison Keene
Harley Quinn
Ever since her introduction in Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn has been a pop culture phenomenon, so it’s about time that she got her own show. Kicking off with a break-up of epic proportions, Max’s adult animated series Harley Quinn follows the titular villain (voiced by Kaley Cuoco) as she navigates life of crime in Gotham without the Joker (Alan Tudyk) holding her back. Surrounded by new friends, like classic DC Comics characters Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) and King Shark (Ron Funches), Harley strives to prove that her patchwork supervillain group can be the baddest in Gotham. Filled with shock-humor and a surprising amount of heart, the series allows Harley to finally be the center of attention, and to incredible results. It’s chaotic, it’s messy, and most importantly, it’s hilariously human, everything a show about one of DC’s most interesting and beloved characters should strive to be. —Anna Govert
My Adventures With Superman
After years of countless adaptations across film, television, and various literary mediums, one could argue that, just maybe, there are no more Superman stories left to tell. However, Adult Swim’s My Adventures With Superman is the perfect counterargument to that belief. The series, from executive producer Brendan Clogher, stars Jack Quaid as the titular Superman, also known as Clark Kent, as he begins his new internship at the Daily Planet with his best friend Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid). There, he meets a daring and plucky fellow intern Lois Lane (Alice Lee), who immediately decides that they are going to do everything in their power to break the biggest stories in Metropolis to become real reporters, and impress their boss Perry White. Meanwhile, after a boatload of mysterious and dangerous weapons and robots are turned loose on the city, Clark decides it’s time to put his powers to use and become the hero Metropolis needs. Bolstered by a swoon-worthy relationship between Clark and Lois, this series has it all—from a hopeful and original take on the Man of Steel and his mythos, to a compelling visual style. Over 80 years since the creation of this iconic character, it is a testament to the strength and flexibility of Superman and his mythos that he is still able to be molded and shaped in new and exciting ways, and My Adventures With Superman does just that—and is a hell of a good time to boot. —Anna Govert
The Venture Bros.
The Venture Bros. has had a long, long life. The iconic animated series, which premiered on Adult Swim in 2003, ran for seven total seasons (and one final wrap-up movie), while remaining in constant production for 15 years. The series follows the action-packed adventures of the Venture family: Dr. Rusty Venture (James Urbaniak), his two sons, and their bodyguard, Brock Samson (Patrick Warburton). Taking the characters from the pages of Johnny Quest comics and reimaging them, The Venture Bros. was continually hailed for its mix of comedic highs and dramatic lows, turning the series into a classic for fans of Adult Swim, animation, and beyond. —Anna Govert
Primal
It’s so easy to think of the anachronistic caveman-dinosaur relationship as one between a boy and his dog. Chuck Jones’ first Daffy Duck cartoon introduced Casper and Fido, while Alley Oop has been riding his dinosaur since the ‘30s. Even Winsor McCay’s landmark animated character Gertie the Dinosaur was domesticated.
This collected cultural idea, from McCay’s pioneering personality work to the ubiquitous partnership between man and beast, is what Genndy Tartakovsky channels in his life-or-death Adult Swim show Primal. Lovely animation and heightened action only serve to illuminate the show’s grounded central premise: life is hard and it’s better together. Even if it takes stretching history millions of years, Primal finds an innate truth buried deep in the fossil record.
The beloved animator behind Samurai Jack and Clone Wars returned to TV after some scattered pilots and a Hotel Transylvania trilogy. What he brought with him is everything fans have come to expect from a creator whose legacy is filled with spartan storytelling and aesthetic elegance. Despite Primal’s Slipknot-but-if-cavemen font, its most pressing use of its title isn’t raw, base, animal violence, but instinctual facets of life. Things like survival, purpose, and companionship. How best to get at that than silent animation, where slapstick and gore hold equal weight? —Jacob Oller
Scavengers Reign
Scavengers Reign arrived on Max with little fanfare—no existing IP other than a 2016 short film, no famous showrunners, and not a single animated character voiced by Chris Pratt. But what a delightfully weird animated sci-fi show to somehow make it onto David Zaslov’s streaming service! (I guess they spent too little on it to shelve it as a tax right-off.) The premise is simple: centuries in the future, corporate pressure leads to a catastrophic accident on a spaceship and the crew must seek shelter on a nearby planet, knowing that their bosses don’t value their lives enough for a rescue mission. But the nearby planet turns out to be the star of this imaginative show, inhabited by an array of flora and fauna that is as beautiful as it is menacing in what becomes a meditative horror survival story that makes James Cameron’s Pandora look like a ride at Disney. Kudos to creators Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner for giving us the strangest of new worlds to tell their engaging stories in. —Josh Jackson
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is a triumph of artistic design, source material appropriation and impeccable casting. The mixture of brooding gothic and grandiose art deco architecture has forever come to dominate the visual conception that fans have of Gotham City, just as surely as Kevin Conroy is the voice you think of in your head when someone says “Batman,” even if you don’t know the actor’s name. I needn’t even get into Mark Hamill’s legendary role as The Joker—appreciation for his vast voice acting talents has only grown in recent years as fans revisit Batman: The Animated Series and the Arkham Asylum series of games. On some level, you can even thank this show for the Suicide Squad film, given that it introduced audiences to Harley Quinn for the first time, before she made the jump to the pages of the comic. In terms of specific episodes, it’s hard to go wrong. There’s a surprising amount of evolution over the course of the two shows—Dick Grayson in particular grows into a young adult, sheds the cape and cowl of Robin and leaves the role after coming into conflict with Batman, reemerging as the hero Nightwing. It’s a very satisfying transformation, in a show that pretty easily surpasses all other animated superhero tales. —Jim Vorel
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