I like Superman, and I'm a huge fan of DC. I've seen every animated and live action DC movie there is, and a large part of the shows, including all of Smallville. With this background, I found Superman: The Animated Series to be a bit lacking, and doesn't quite favor well when held up to other DC animated shows. I know some might not say that it's fair to compare STAS to a show like BTAS, but I think its more than fair, and I would imagine that longtime Superman fans would've seen the same issues I did. The biggest one for me is the character of Superman/Clark Kent in this show; it is noticeably absent. Superman has no real goals, character arcs, and the villains don't challenge him in interesting ways. The two most recurring villains in this show are Lex Luthor and Metallo, both of which are pretty bare bones villains. Metallo is only a threat due him having kryptonite, and Lex just hates aliens with power. These are the main motivations for the majority of villains, and the same amount of effort was put into Superman's motivations as a hero.
To better illustrate what this show is desperately missing, Batman: The Animated Series has all of the things I mentioned plus more, which is probably why that show is regarded as not only one of the best DC shows, but best shows of all time in general. Each villain there challenges Batman in a different way, making each episode unique and interesting (Joker promotes chaos when Batman promotes order, Scarecrow instills fear in Batman when Batman usually instills fear in his enemies, etc.) Not to mention how Batman goes about defeating his villains, which is usually in an interesting and often ironic way, making each encounter memorable. Also, Bruce Wayne is given much more attention than Clark Kent was, really rounding off a complete and relatable character. Superman is SUPPOSED to be a relatable character, but they never bring any attention to what makes him relatable, thus he's just another superhero punching bad guys. Final comparison to BTAS, the supporting characters like Jimmy and Lois do almost nothing for Superman/Clark. Robin and Alfred constantly were anchors for Batman/Bruce, keeping him thinking straight on certain matters, and if they weren't in the show it would be noticeable and worse off. I can't say the same for Jimmy and Lois.
I think it says something when the best(highest rated) episodes of this show are the ones with Batman in them. Not to say there weren't other episodes without Batman that I enjoyed, because there were, but it isn't nearly enough out of the 52 here to recommend this show to anyone, especially DC fans.
In conclusion, Superman: The Animated Series, in my opinion, is disappointing for its lack of interesting villains, a deep/relatable/dynamic Superman, borderline useless supporting characters, and overall generic and forgettable plots episode to episode. I did like the show, but they definitely missed the mark here. You can find better interpretations of all these characters elsewhere, which I think makes the show even worse in my eyes.
To better illustrate what this show is desperately missing, Batman: The Animated Series has all of the things I mentioned plus more, which is probably why that show is regarded as not only one of the best DC shows, but best shows of all time in general. Each villain there challenges Batman in a different way, making each episode unique and interesting (Joker promotes chaos when Batman promotes order, Scarecrow instills fear in Batman when Batman usually instills fear in his enemies, etc.) Not to mention how Batman goes about defeating his villains, which is usually in an interesting and often ironic way, making each encounter memorable. Also, Bruce Wayne is given much more attention than Clark Kent was, really rounding off a complete and relatable character. Superman is SUPPOSED to be a relatable character, but they never bring any attention to what makes him relatable, thus he's just another superhero punching bad guys. Final comparison to BTAS, the supporting characters like Jimmy and Lois do almost nothing for Superman/Clark. Robin and Alfred constantly were anchors for Batman/Bruce, keeping him thinking straight on certain matters, and if they weren't in the show it would be noticeable and worse off. I can't say the same for Jimmy and Lois.
I think it says something when the best(highest rated) episodes of this show are the ones with Batman in them. Not to say there weren't other episodes without Batman that I enjoyed, because there were, but it isn't nearly enough out of the 52 here to recommend this show to anyone, especially DC fans.
In conclusion, Superman: The Animated Series, in my opinion, is disappointing for its lack of interesting villains, a deep/relatable/dynamic Superman, borderline useless supporting characters, and overall generic and forgettable plots episode to episode. I did like the show, but they definitely missed the mark here. You can find better interpretations of all these characters elsewhere, which I think makes the show even worse in my eyes.