Favorite Batman

I’ve seen a list on Vocal here asking the question, who was your favorite Dark Knight portrayal? So it got me thinking, who is my favorite portrayal of Batman? I’ve seen all the movies, I’ve watched all the cartoons, and I’ve played all the video games. So I have a vast knowledge of the Dark Knight and his kin. So who would I rank? It was a problem for me with this list but I think after a week, I’ve finally figured it out.

First some honorable mentions:

Kevin Conroy was one of the first voices of the Dark Knight many of you would would have been exposed to. He was the voice of Batman in the original Animated Series and has come back for several animated movies since. It isn’t surprising that he has been asked to voice Batman as many times as he has, he has the amazing voice for it, and the years of experience to back it all up. The only reason he doesn’t make the main list is because he doesn’t appear in physical form during the movies. He is just the voice, no matter how iconic that is.

Will Arnett voiced the Batman in one of the funniest movies that has come out with the Batman in it in the past decade. The Lego Movie. He was such a splash in it, that he was given his own movie. While he only had the three Lego movies, he still made a large impact in the role and it brought a light of humor to the Dark Knight that hadn’t been seen since the days of Adam West.

Troy Baker is the last one on my voice actors list and he makes the list only for the fact that he’s the only one who can say he’s voiced Batman AND the Joker. You’ll see him again when I make my list about the Joker, but for now he sits here as an honorable mention. You can hear his lovely voice in the Lego Batman games, and it’s a delight to play through them with full voice acting. I loved playing the second one and realizing one of my favorite voice actors of all time was staring in one of my favorite Lego series.

#6. George Clooney, he was a full on joke. His movies were laughed at for being unrealistic and he wasn’t taking the role seriously at all. I think it lost me when he pulled out the Bat Credit Card. As if the rest of the movie he was in needed to be ripped apart, I won’t bother doing it. George Clooney is a good actor, but he isn’t built for the comic book character role. He should stick to being in dramas, and leave the superheroes to others.

#5. Val Kilmer had the chops to be a good Bruce Wayne, but when it came to Batman he just fell short. He was trying way too hard to be something he was. He’d been in some amazing movies too, and I had been excited to see him try this, but sadly it just wasn’t the right fit. I wish the superhero movies had made a bigger splash earlier, maybe he would have found a better hero to be. But sadly he couldn’t be Batman.

#4. Ben Affleck. I know what people call him, but this man knew the material. He was a comic book fan who had been delighted to play the role. It was bad writing and direction that crushed it. I’ve seen the other cut of Dawn of Justice and Justice League and I’m telling you, Ben Affleck was an amazing Batman. He shinned in his role as Bruce Wayne, making him just shy of the playboy and serious enough that you didn’t bat an eye when he did something weird and out of character. As Batman the voice didn’t have to be gravel grinding on payment, which is why he sits so low. He tried too hard to be dark and brooding. If he had just been himself, he would have been just fine.

#3. Robert Pattinson, this guy got it. He went from sparkling vampire and hating every minute of it to landing the role of a lifetime. A role he was born to play and can age with, if the studio lets him. He didn’t have to alter his voice, didn’t have to alter his body, and didn’t have to do anything to himself. He was situated at the perfect time and in the perfect place in his career to be selected for this role. While I’ve only seen clips and trailers I know from only those that he’s one of the best that we’ve seen. Then again considering what’s come before him, that’s probably not saying much.

#2. Christian Bale had it all. As Bruce Wayne he made us believe that he was a real playboy who cared about nothing but drinking, partying and having a good time. But as Batman, he sacrificed himself and everything to make sure his city was safe. The voice we could have done without, but then again everyone thought his voice was too soft to be Batman. He tried, and that’s what mattered. When he finally let his real voice shine through, he made it all work. He balanced it all out in the end and it’s what makes him sit here. He only missed number one by a tiny bit.

#1. Michael Keaton, was my first Batman and is the reason he makes the number one spot on the list. I remember my dad being a huge fan of the movie and wanting to show it to me. He showed it to me and I was a bit confused by it all, but in the end I grew to love it. The voice, the look, the stance, all of it blended so well together. He was the perfect package. I wish he had come back sooner to play him, but I’m glad that we’re going to see him put the suit back on again for the Flashpoint movie. It’ll be interesting to see what he’ll do with the character after all this time.

Now I’m going to end this list by mentioning the number one, the first and only Batman everyone should know. Adam West. The TV show was iconic and long running and it opened the door for all of the movies these men played in. Without this man and his comic relief of a show, we never would have seen any Batman on the big screen. He was a joke sure, but you weren’t supposed to take any of it seriously. It was a time when people watched TV to get away from the drama of everyday life. Someday we’ll get something that matches with the wit and charm of Adam West’s Batman, but until that day comes: Let him be forever the Dark Knight.

Enjoying my lists, reviews, and stories? Check out the rest of my work, share it with your friends, or maybe leave me a small tip. Every little bit helps!

Thanks for reading!