They’ve Got Bats In Their Belfry!
The World’s Greatest Detective is a character mired in tragedy, darkness and general awesomeness. Throughout countless comic book pages, television shows and video games, Batman has established himself as a larger than life symbol, one always willing to give everything and anything to protect his city from villainy. He’s had many incarnations over the years, and just as many many actors to take up his mantle, each bringing their own quirks, charm and emotional weight to the role.
While many still debate their preferences over the likes of the Dark Knight’s live-action counterparts, for now we’ll be looking at those that brought Batman to the small screen, and in many ways cemented everything great about the character. Our ideal picks just happen to fall to these three particular caped crusaders!
#3: Troy Baker
We’re struggling to think of a member of the Bat Family that this guy hasn’t voiced yet! While hie take on a younger Joker was met with critical acclaim, we still think his interpretation of both Bruce Wayne and Batman inches ahead. Throughout Telltale’s episodic game series, Troy gave us a man struggling to balance both the hardships of the Wayne legacy as well as the responsibility that comes with the cowl. It not only humanised this larger than life icon, but also showed us just how essential Bruce Wayne is. And yes, his version of Lego Batman is also hilarious.
#2: Bruce Greenwood
His appearances throughout Young Justice certainly made for awesome cameos, but where this actor really shined was in Under the Red Hood. As one of the most powerful and emotional DC animated features to date, it gave us a Batman faced with a threat that tested every last shred of his morality, and yet in-spite of it all still managed to stay resolute in his beliefs of justice and mercy. The final encounter between the Dark Knight, his former protege and his greatest enemy isn’t only emotionally shattering, but it also solidifies Batman’s character as one who will never succumb to revenge, not even for the ones he loves. Mr Greenwood’s performance is just the icing on the cake!
#1: Kevin Conroy
In Batman: The Animated Series, he introduced a whole generation to the Caped Crusader who fought against evil from the shadows. Throughout the Justice League franchise, he stood shoulder to shoulder with gods and monsters, never once faltering or losing in faith who he was. Finally, he took the character’s darkness to a whole other level as he confronted the most vicious forms of his greatest foes in the Arkham video game series. There will always be other Dark Knights that we look up to, but in our mind Kevin Conroy’s numerous performances will forever remain the definitive take on Batman. Here’s hoping he never retires!
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Awesome Batman Facts!
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