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Who is YOUR Batman?


Capt.S.G.Wiseman

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When I watched a featurette about the Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, Alan Burnett had stated that seeing Neal Adams style Batman voiced by Adam West was his Batman. Ever since then, I've always watched what other peoples opinions are on who is their Batman.

So who is YOUR Batman? Mine will always be Kevin Conroy voiced to Bruce Timm's drawings. From there on, it's just a matter of who I liked over the other.

 

1. Kevin Conroy, nuff said.

 

2. Christian Bale has very quickly become one of my favorite actors to see in any movie. He plays Bruce Wayne better than anyone. The only reason he is not #1 for me is his Batman voice.

 

3. Adam West. He was the original in my book. When you hear that voice, all you can think of is that 60s theme song. He deserves a lot more recognition than he gets now-a-days.

 

4. Michael Keaton. Unexpectedly, he showed the balance between Batman and Bruce Wayne. He pulled it off beautifully.

 

5. A very distant fifth would be Val Kilmer. He gave it a good effort, but Joel Shoemaker screwed it up.

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When I watched a featurette about the Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, Alan Burnett had stated that seeing Neal Adams style Batman voiced by Adam West was his Batman. Ever since then, I've always watched what other peoples opinions are on who is their Batman.

So who is YOUR Batman? Mine will always be Kevin Conroy voiced to Bruce Timm's drawings. From there on, it's just a matter of who I liked over the other.

 

1. Kevin Conroy, nuff said.

 

2. Christian Bale has very quickly become one of my favorite actors to see in any movie. He plays Bruce Wayne better than anyone. The only reason he is not #1 for me is his Batman voice.

 

3. Adam West. He was the original in my book. When you hear that voice, all you can think of is that 60s theme song. He deserves a lot more recognition than he gets now-a-days.

 

4. Michael Keaton. Unexpectedly, he showed the balance between Batman and Bruce Wayne. He pulled it off beautifully.

 

5. A very distant fifth would be Val Kilmer. He gave it a good effort, but Joel Shoemaker screwed it up.

 

Outside of comics, I'd have to agree with you completely, even in your Hierachy of Coolness. But like Calvin and Hobbes, Batman is one of those characters that I'll always like best in his original medium. My favorite Comic Book Batman is the one in DKR and Year One (not to be confused with the crap Frank Miller has inflicted on the fans since then, mind you). And in my head, his voice sounds more like the scary one they used in that old TAS episode with the kids telling stories about Batman where they each cast themselves as Robin.

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Bartram is often overlooked, but he's played Batman more than some of the names that people list.

I feel that, frame for frame, Batman: Dead End is the purest cinematic interpretation of Batman. Conroy's voice work set the personality of Batman in the animated series, but he was never actually in front of a camera, in costume playing the role.

That my quibble on the issue, because Conroy really has defined Batman for getting close to 20 years now, so he's definitely very high on the list.

Bartram though, under Collora's directiion, just hits upon so many of the things that make Batman cool in those short fan flics.

They are not perfect, but damn.............are they close.

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I think theres been posts on here befor like this. Not tryin to be a d bag just sayin. Ok here goes adam west ya ok from the time he was the man but lets move on. srry adam..

 

keaton would have been all time great for me if he was taller. he carried the brooding bruce wayne ( sometimes a lil to brooding ) to a T. And was super as the bat.

 

bale- i love the whole voice change thing its a new twist. Some people are very memreable for there voice. ever had an ex call out of the blue u know who it is right away. And that wouldnt be good for the bat.and hes taller and more defined which i like. and also yes he carried the loss of his parents well but bales batman really wants to see the city he loves be what it once was and thats admerable to me. It wasnt all my parents are dead blah blah like keatons kinda was.

 

i dont know who does the cartoon voice but to me its spot on for that animated touch.

 

then kilmer take away the nipples on the bat suit and no robin i think it could have been better as a movie on the whole.

 

clooney well he was just a face to make another one nothing stands out about him or the movie.

 

so i guess imma go with bale but keaton is a very close second to me

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For animation, I have to go with Conroy. There's just nothing that I can even put in the same league. I kinda like Rino Romano (The Batman), but he's just not quite there for me. I love the voice acting work that Diedrich Bader has done, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings to Batman in 'Brave and the Bold'.

 

Bale is my favorite among the live-action, but it's kind of a default for me. Clooney was awful, Kilmer didn't convince me at all, and Keaton was playing 'Burton's Batman'... who is not MY Batman. Adam West is fun, but way too cheesy- that's not my Batman either.

 

bale- i love the whole voice change thing its a new twist.

Not really. Conroy has done it for the DCAU Batman for years. There is a distinct difference in tone and pitch when the animated Wayne puts on the cowl. IMO, it's a more convincing change, not like Bale's "talking through a throat full of gravel" approach.

 

Additionally, Keaton does try to deepen his voice while wearing the suit. It's not always convincing/apparent, but it's there.

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Conroy IS Batman, no question. the guys running around in bat PJ's on camera can't hold a candle to him.

 

I wouldn't go as far as saying the other guys don't hold a candle to Conroy, ultimately Batman goes further

than his mere voice which based off many of the responses people only judging their favorite Batman by. Doing

voice over is one thing, it a whole different thing to actually put on a costume and personify a character such as

Batman and his alter ego, which I think both Bale and Keaton did extremely well. Now in the animated medium

I think Conroy rules that particular turf. I just think that saying Conroy IS Batman when there are other variables

to consider is a bit much.

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I wouldn't go as far as saying the other guys don't hold a candle to Conroy, ultimately Batman goes further

than his mere voice which based off many of the responses people only judging their favorite Batman by. Doing

voice over is one thing, it a whole different thing to actually put on a costume and personify a character such as

Batman and his alter ego, which I think both Bale and Keaton did extremely well. Now in the animated medium

I think Conroy rules that particular turf. I just think that saying Conroy IS Batman when there are other variables

to consider is a bit much.

 

well i'm of the firm belief that Batman should always stay out of the real world, no matter how good an actor or even how good a film a man in a bat suit dodging bullets and saving the day in real life just looks stupid, so to me the voice is everything

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I don't have a certain Batman. I've pretty much liked them all, and I think they've all done the character justice as far as what was expected (West and Clooney were supposed to be campy, Conroy, Keaton, and Bale were supposed to be serious, etc.). I'm looking forward to Diedrich Bader doing the Brave and the Bold, too, as I think he'll really fit the role.

 

In short, there's room for all kinds of Batmen in my Batworld.

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I wouldn't go as far as saying the other guys don't hold a candle to Conroy, ultimately Batman goes further

than his mere voice which based off many of the responses people only judging their favorite Batman by. Doing

voice over is one thing, it a whole different thing to actually put on a costume and personify a character such as

Batman and his alter ego, which I think both Bale and Keaton did extremely well. Now in the animated medium

I think Conroy rules that particular turf. I just think that saying Conroy IS Batman when there are other variables

to consider is a bit much.

 

well i'm of the firm belief that Batman should always stay out of the real world, no matter how good an actor or even how good a film a man in a bat suit dodging bullets and saving the day in real life just looks stupid, so to me the voice is everything

 

Well then in that case the voice would have to be the only thing that matters, so therefore is safe to assume that you're

preference with Batman lies purely in the animated medium as oppose to the film medium. You must only watch films grounded

in reality as oppose to films that requires you to have a suspension of disbelief.

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Conroy to me is the ultimate batman, I too agree that the voice is what sells the character.

 

Bale and Keaton are very close seconds, more Keaton due to his balance of the charaters were on the money!

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Personally I believe Keaton played Batman better than he played Bruce Wayne.

and Bale pretty much is balanced as both Wayne and Batman. For me its not the voice

alone that sells a cinematic interpretation of Batman but also the entire demeanor as well, Conroy

has it easy when you compare him to film versions of the character, so I judge them accordingly.

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Conroy is the best Batman voice in my mind, followed actually by Adam West.

 

I think Keaton played the best Batman, but he wasn't as good at Bruce Wayne.

 

 

I like Bale as Bruce, but I HATE HATE HATE his Batman voice.

 

 

Clooney and Kilmer were jokes.

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For me it will always be Michael Keaton.

It's hard to debate who has the best voice or who had the best performance because everyone will just be expressing who they are more favored in and can never get to an agreement. Heck, there's even still fans that like Clark Bartram in Batman: Dead End which I thought was cool at first and soon realized it's just overrated.

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Heck, there's even still fans that like Clark Bartram in Batman: Dead End which I thought was cool at first and soon realized it's just overrated.

 

Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way.

 

I remember hearing for years and years about how great Batman: Dead End was. I was expecting a work of cinematic genius that should influence the big studio films when I finally watched it online. And I was totally underwhelmed.

 

It's not that big of a deal to me that Batman didn't need a rubber suit to show his muscle, and that seems to be a major reason why people like it. It didn't matter, either, that he wore the black and gray instead of all-black outfit. I also thought the Joker was terrible (acting and makeup included). Their costumes were impressive (Batman's cowl, Predator and Alien suits), but other than that it just looked like an above-average fan film.

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I would have to Say Kevin Conroy for a great voice who made Batman the animated series and Justice league very popular. Well, I loved it. I just cant imagine hearing anyone else play him. It doesn't sound right.

 

Christian Bale is becoming a very good "Live" batman. I am anxious to see where he takes it.

 

Although we have mention from adam west to Bale but I see no mention of Clooney and Kilmer? Don't feel the love for them? :D

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I see no mention of Clooney and Kilmer? Don't feel the love for them? :D

I thought Kilmer did a commendable job. I think Clooney lacked some direction, so his part came across as shallow. Bottom line when it comes to these two, Joel Shoemaker(no, I don't care to spell his name correctly) screwed up the Batman movie franchise so bad, that neither one of these guys could have saved it. I was embarrassed to be a Batman fan when I walked out of Batman & Robin. (Bat-nipples, Bat-crotch. Jerk off on your own time, Shoemaker @grumpy@ )

 

...Sorry, I still get pissed when I think about it.

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I think Kilmer and Clooney are both great actors who were doing what they were directed to do. It's not like Tim Burton directed the Batman movies they starred in. It was Joel friggin' Schumacher, who obviously had his own idea about what a Batman movie should be.

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Heck, there's even still fans that like Clark Bartram in Batman: Dead End which I thought was cool at first and soon realized it's just overrated.

 

Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way.

 

I remember hearing for years and years about how great Batman: Dead End was. I was expecting a work of cinematic genius that should influence the big studio films when I finally watched it online. And I was totally underwhelmed.

 

It's not that big of a deal to me that Batman didn't need a rubber suit to show his muscle, and that seems to be a major reason why people like it. It didn't matter, either, that he wore the black and gray instead of all-black outfit. I also thought the Joker was terrible (acting and makeup included). Their costumes were impressive (Batman's cowl, Predator and Alien suits), but other than that it just looked like an above-average fan film.

 

For me, its not as much the performance, as the way the character was handled in the short.

The lighting, staging, actions etc.......were all exceptional. Sure, Bartram is clearly not an actor of the same chops as Keaton or Bale, but Collora's depiction/direction of the characters was bang-on.

The shot in the rain, with the cape, is quintessential "Batman", and yet no other Batman film employs imagery that is even close to that kind of shot.

The other aspect is the kitting up sequence in the opening scenes, something based upon a Alex Ross sequence in a comic ( iirc)--which is a literal cinematic translation of the kind of material Ross has done for Batman.

The film is not intended to tell a story beyond a vignette, as its sole intent as a portfolio reel for Collora's directorial ambitions ( he has launched into a career as a director).

As such it work extremely well, and is meant to be taken in that light.

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