Ranking Batman
#3 Kevin Conroy - Batman: The Animated Series - 1992 - 98
By Alex Burns
After Adam West last time round, Kevin Conroy takes the third spot on our list. Conroy may have never played the character in live-action, but when you consider that his take on the caped crusader has spanned over two decades and literally dozens of films and tv shows, there's no doubt that he is a worthy addition to this list.
The man behind the mask |
A few of the many different looks to Conroy's Bat career. |
I've got to be honest, this was my first exposure to the Batman character, so for me it kind of trumps nearly all other things related to the Caped Crusader, and a lot of that can be attributed to Kevin Conroy's performance. When I was growing up, I'd watch the show every week and then read a whole bunch of Batman comics always hearing Conroy's voice in my head, giving life to the written word on the page. Conroy just encapsulated the character completely. I'm definitely not alone in this mind-set with many fans eager to name Conroy as the definitive version of the DC hereo. It's not altogether surprising then, that as the Batman films got a little way laid during the 90's, this animated version of The Dark Knight, voiced by Conroy, went from strength to strength.
The awesome theatrical poster for "Phantasm" |
After the lengthy run of the animated series finished, Conory continued his work as Batman in a new and exciting way as he played an ageing and retired Bruce Wayne in "Batman Beyond". The show put a futuristic spin on the Batman mythos and saw Conroy's Wayne as a dogged mentor to a new hero, Terry Mcginnis, played by Will Friedle. It was great to watch as Conroy altered his performance to suit the age of his role and also make an old dude in a Saturday morning cartoon a cool character you care about.
The "Beyond" series showed Wayne mentor a new hi-tech Batman |
Mark Hamill's Joker was the perfect adversary to Conroy's Batman |
"Justice League" ran for several successful seasons |
Conroy is voicing Batman in the conclusive Arkham game |
We'll have our next pick for the Best Batman up soon so make sure you keep it locked here at Cape and Cowl.
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