Top 10 Batmen (REUPLOADED)

Ever since leaping onto the screen in the 1940’s, the cape and cowl of Batman has been donned by many an actor, his voice growling its way through many a speaker. There are too many media versions of this character to count, from films, to television, to video games, but some are more interesting than others, ultimately.

So enough of this foolery! Throw on a mask, set your vocal range to maximum snarl, and get your bat-o-rangs ready, ladies, gentlemen, and geeks alike! Let’s begin!

10. Adam West, from the 60’s series.

If you threw Will Shatner into a Batsuit, this is probably the result you’d get. As Batman, West was intense, constantly fidgeting and visibly thinking (partly due to how itchy his costume was, but that’s another story). He was a complete and utter gentleman, virtuous to a fault; preaching healthy living even as he punched the daylights out of some thug. With heated dialogue and a heart of gold, he left a big impact. West sank completely into the role, relished the absurdity of it, and, in a way, it’s hard to imagine him OUTSIDE the role of billionaire Bruce Wayne. He IS Batman - or, at least, he is HIS Batman - and I don’t think anyone can argue that. West would later reprise his role in some of the Filmation and Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the 1970's and 80's, and then again in the films "Return of the Caped Crusaders" and "Batman vs. Two-Face" - animated pictures set in the 60s universe. As lauded as these reprisals all have been, it seems his unique Batman won't be forgotten anytime soon.

9. Troy Baker, from Batman: The Telltale Series

Baker had voiced Batman before in the LEGO series, but this is/was his first serious take on the Dark Knight. And, while only the first episode has been released so far (at least as I write this), in my opinion, he nails it. What’s great about Baker’s Batman is that, being a Telltale Game, the player can choose what “type” of Batman they want to be. Want to play it a little corny and strange? Well, you can’t go too far, but there’s fun to be had! Want to play it with the grim cruelty of Frank Miller’s Bat? Break as many arms as you please. Like it somewhere in the middle? That’s the easiest way to play! This not only reflects on the quality of the game, but the quality of Baker’s performance, as he has to try and capture every aspect of the Dark Knight’s personality while still keeping it all in-character for the story and setting of this series, itself a whole new take on the universe of Gotham City. For this reason alone, Baker’s work here should be lauded.

8. Diedrich Bader, from Batman: The Brave & the Bold

If you mixed Kevin Conroy and Adam West in a blender, I think the end result would be this version of Batman. The Brave & the Bold painted this Batman as something of a hero’s hero - a character every superhero seemed to look up to, for one reason or another, more of a myth than a man. With a deadpan and cynical sense of humor, Bader’s gravelly Caped Crusader harkened back to the goofier era of the Silver Age, with a vast array of wild gadgets, stories that teetered between the epic and the absurd, and a costume that was decidedly brighter and flashier than most, yet also had the militant and world-weary edge of a more modern Dark Knight, with a streak of inky darkness in his heart that was highlighted in several episodes. While Val Kilmer ATTEMPTED to update the campier style of the 60’s, Bader’s Batman SUCCEEDED.

7. Anthony Ruivivar, from Beware the Batman!

If you don’t remember this series...you aren’t alone. Despite only recently finishing its tragically short run, this show slipped under the radar of most people, largely due to its premise. Much like “The Brave & the Bold” did at first, this show emphasized more attention on lesser-known DC Characters; Katana, not Robin nor Batgirl, was Batman’s mighty sidekick. Alfred Pennyworth was transformed into a musclebound bodyguard as well as a butler. The villains Anarky and Professor Pyg were the major enemies of the show. But, while Brave & the Bold treated these characters with a sense of ironic humor, and added an edge to the kid-friendly silliness, with bright colors and an in-your-face sort of style, “Beware the Batman!” chose to take itself completely seriously, with CGI animation and a slightly darker tone, more reminiscent of the popular Nolan series. Perhaps it was both the similarities and the differences from “Brave & the Bold” that led to its eventual demise. Ruivivar’s Batman was a ninja of the night; much more thin and agile than most previous incarnations, a stealthy nocturnal predator. He played Bruce Wayne very “straight” and simple, so to speak, and for all the lore-based liberties this series took, he was still very much the Batman we all know and love. A tragically overlooked performance that will hopefully make a comeback in the future.

6. Rino Romano, from The Batman

Made by the same team responsible for “Jackie Chan Adventures,” The Batman attempted to show a younger, more action-oriented Batman, still fine-tuning his skills as the Dark Knight Detective, as the series allowed us to watch him grow as he faced villain after villain, and met hero after hero. The show tended to be hit-or-miss, in my opinion, but when it hit, it hit things right out of the black-caped ballpark. Romano also brought a sincerity and sense of humor to Bruce Wayne, still learning the ropes of his own company, and it was hard to tell where the playboy philanthropist ended and the Batman himself began; the two “sides” of the character were so vastly different, yet the transition was totally seamless. Whether he was trading blows with the Joker, outsmarting the Riddler, or challenging science and superstition alike against Count Dracula himself, this was a pretty fun Bat-boy to grow up with, and to watch him grow with us was a treat.

5. Christian Bale, from the Christopher Nolan Trilogy

I am already expecting tons of people to debate this choice, on some level or another.

I think Bale made a much better Bruce Wayne than a Batman. Don’t get me wrong, his Dark Knight wasn’t too bad...for the first two films anyway. Yes, we all love to make fun of that over-the-top roar of his he used in the part, but he tried his hardest to separate the two vocally and physically, even if it didn’t always turn out the way we all wanted. But it was as Bruce Wayne he really shined. Once the mask came off, it never really felt like it did, if that makes sense; Bale latched on to the idea that Wayne is the true facade, and the real person is Batman, through and through...and, even after apparent years of crippled retirement in the third film, that dark side still holds strong. In Batman Begins, we saw his journey from a scared little boy to a defender of justice and order; throughout the series, he faced madness, fear, and boundless corruption, in a suit of leather-like armor and with a rough style of combat and weaponry; Bale, you might say, was the Batman of the streets. And, when the mask came off, he still carried the looming shadows of the past. You could see why people wanted to be with him, but there was always something a bit “off” about him; like it was all a game of make-believe. Once he got back to the Batcave, he was in his element; eager and action-ready, his brain spinning with ways to solve a crime or catch a criminal, trying to fathom the way his enemies worked and predict their next move. And fans reacted to him in a throng; he was the Batman many people felt they needed, and just as many people felt they deserved. What more can I say?

4. Benjamin McKenzie, from Batman: Year One

Based on the prequel to Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns,” McKenzie (who is currently playing Commissioner Gordon in the series “Gotham”) is essentially everything I loved about Christian Bale, but with two key exceptions: one, he’s animated. That doesn’t really affect anything here, but it’s still an obvious difference. Reason number two: his voice. Bale’s performance was great, but, like I said before, EVERYONE loves to make fun of his easily identifiable Batman voice. Essentially, Bale’s problem was that he tried to hard to be intimidating and monstrous as the big, black Bat; it wasn’t TOO bad in the first movie, but that was largely because, if you watch that movie closely, Batman (as Batman, specifically) isn’t even in the picture for that long, and he speaks fairly little. In the second film, “The Dark Knight,” people REALLY began to notice the voice, but it still wasn’t too much of a problem; you could understand what he was saying. But the THIRD movie, “The Dark Knight Rises”? I couldn’t wait for the DVD to come out, because, by God, at least then I could add subtitles to know what the heck he was saying! McKenzie’s voice, between Wayne and Batman, barely changes; just a slightly lower, more “hissing” quality as the Cowled Crusader differentiates the two. But, my God, he didn’t NEED much else...that was all it took, and it was definitely intimidating. I’m honestly surprised that I don’t hear much about this performance, or even this movie...perhaps people will disagree, but, personally, I thought both were expertly done. Let’s move on.

3. Bruce Greenwood, from Various

One word comes to my mind when I think of this portrayal: militant. I truly wish Greenwood had been asked to reprise his role as Batman in the animated film version of “The Dark Knight Returns,” because when I saw this movie, the dialogue he was given, and the delivery Greenwood added to it, immediately made me think of that movie. He acts less like a detective, or even a “superhero” (think Adam West, and you’ll know what I mean by that), and more like...well...a soldier. This especially served him well in his appearances, since both “Under the Red Hood” and “Young Justice” deal, so to speak, with “heroes in training,” albeit in different ways. And this Batman felt like the perfect drill sergeant to whip these would-be crimefighters into shape. He controlled and intimidated through sheer force of his will, and treated everything like a mission of war. He didn’t always follow the rules, but he stood for order when Gotham needed it most. Recently, in "Gotham By Gaslight," Greenwood reprised the role as a Victorian-age Batman who faces perhaps his most sinister foe: Jack the Ripper, himself. This version was interesting largely because, while Greenwood still carried that militant edge in the cape and the cowl, he actually got a bit more time out of the costume than before. As Bruce Wayne, Greenwood proves to be charming and affable in public, but there's a deep-seated sadness to him at all times. In private - perhaps befitting the Victorian period - he proves to be very much like Sherlock Holmes, to the point where there are several quotes and references to the stories contained in both his dialogue and his actions. Whether you lie him as a soldier, or like him as a detective, Greenwood proves to be an excellent take on the Caped Crusader in any time period.

2. Michael Keaton, from Tim Burton’s Batman AND Batman Returns

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I think that, over time, Keaton’s Batman has lost popularity. People have complained about several things they find wrong with his Dark Knight - first, the fact his costume didn’t allow him to turn his head, and fit him rather snugly, creating this rather unnatural way of moving around. Second, his Batman was a ruthless vigilante; he killed criminals, and didn’t care a bit about it, and many people believe that Batman shouldn’t kill. The third point people have brought up, incidentally, is also a point that people worried about when these films came out. Michael Keaton is a funny guy, and when you look at him, I don’t think “Batman” is the first thing that would come to mind. Heck, after seeing his performance in “Beetlejuice,” most people would probably think he’d make a better Joker! I shall respond to these points in reverse order.

First of all, regarding his...well...being Michael Keaton, THAT’S WHAT MADE HIM SO GREAT! As fantastic as Val Kilmer and Christian Bale were at playing Bruce Wayne, if you told someone from their world’s that they were Batman, I think their immediate reaction would be, “Yeah, I always thought he was hiding something.” With Keaton, his Wayne is so unassuming, in both appearance and personality, you would NEVER guess he was stalking the city at night taking out criminals one by one. And, much like with McKenzie, his voice barely changes, but it changes JUST enough to create an intimidating, and even slightly psychotic edge that works perfectly. Batman and Bruce Wayne feel like two totally different people, which, in this case, is a good thing. Second of all, regarding the whole “Batman does not kill” thing...yeah, I have to admit, I’m sort of on that bandwagon as well, but this Batman was specifically based on versions that DID kill, and given the more dangerous edge Burton and Keaton both injected into the character, it works. Plus, he never killed anyone outright; he just sort of let things fall into place, and if they died, they died. In a way, some might argue, that’s even worse, but I think it adds a gray area to his portrayal’s morality that’s pretty interesting. Third and finally, regarding the “unnatural” way he had to move, I’d say that worked in his favor; it made him have to stand straighter, and move more stiffly; it made Batman feel like he WAS unnatural, not entirely human - like a stone gargoyle that came to life and fought crime-hold on...DISNEY, YOU FIENDS!!!

Ah, well. Popularity drop or not, Michael Keaton is still an iconic take on Batman. But there’s one actor who might top the bill…

1. Kevin Conroy

Yes, I’m sure you all saw this coming. Ultimately, I think there are two things that pulled Conroy to the top: one, his amount of time. As I’ve said before, it doesn’t really matter to me how much time a performer gets as a character, as long as they use that time wisely, but playing Batman in several different incarnations for about as long as Mark Hamill has played the Joker still definitely gives him an edge over some others on this list. The second thing that puts him over Keaton, in particular, is that he has NO limitations: as a voice actor, the only limitations of movement and power his Batman has are what the animators choose to put to him. But this only explains why he’s over Keaton...what made him win out over all the rest? Well, frankly, Conroy’s Batman - particularly in the classic DCAU version - is, for me at least, every great Batman there is sort of rolled into one. There’s the menacing night stalker, the crafty detective, the flamboyant superhero, and the tragic, near-operatic hero of the streets somewhere in his performance, his animation, and his stories, all rolled into one. And, in future takes, he’s gotten a chance to explore separate parts of the Dark Knight - the Arkham games and “Injustice: Gods Among Us” definitely have a grittier, more “streetwise” side that Conroy’s able to pull off, while the DC Universe Online version has more of a militant and investigative edge, and the version from, say, “Batman/Superman: Public Enemies” is, at least to me, definitely more in the vein of a towering hero than anything else. And no Batman has had to face so many different versions of villains like the Scarecrow and Harley Quinn than him. There’s an old saying that characters like this “always work” - if you handle them just right, you can make them fit into just about any setting, with any tone, be it comical and ludicrous or dark and gloomy. I think the same goes for Conroy’s voice as the Caped Crusader; he can adjust his knowledge of the character by this point to fit just about any situation Batman might find himself in. And his portrayals of Bruce Wayne are just as varied - from the more lighthearted, vaguely Adam West-ish version from “Batman: The Animated Series,” to the more mysterious version found in the Arkham games, he can work the pretty-boy just as easily as the caped crimefighter.

And why? Because he is Vengeance...he is the night...HE! IS! BATMAN!

Honorable Mentions Include…

Roger Craig Smith, from Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman Unlimited

Ben Affleck, from Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Various, from the LEGO Batman franchise (focus on Will Arnett)

William Baldwin, from Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths

Do you agree? (Probably not.) Disagree? (VERY likely.) Any versions of good ol’ Batsy you think I left out? (Oh, tons of ‘em.) Go ahead and leave a comment...but be nice, please! Thanks for reading.