There are some actors who encompass a character so completely that their voice is the one you imagine whenever you think of that character. Kevin Conroy is that for Batman and has lent his voice to some of the greatest Batman stories of all time.
To be honest, this is mostly going to be a best of the best of Conroy’s Batman as he was the voice of the character for 30 years, starting with Batman: The Animated Series (BTAS), going through the rest of the DC Animated Universe, into the Batman: Arkham Games, the Injustice Games, and many other cartoons and movies since. He devoted his life to the character and it shows.
So, let’s shine the Batsignal on some of these greatest moments of this Caped Crusader’s career.
Honorable Mentions:
Non-Batman Work:
Unfortunately, it’s hard to find footage of Conroy’s pre-Batman live-action work. Much like Mark Hamill, Conroy spent a large portion of his career in a recording studio. But here are some delightful clips from Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tour of Duty, and Rachel Gunn. R. N.
Batman: Arkham Knight
While not a show or movie, the range that Conroy gives Batman in this game should not be understated as it is Bruce/Batman at some of his most vulnerable moments. The whole Arkham series has some amazing scenes, but Bruce saying goodbye to his allies as he prepares for the end feels like the closest thing to a true ending the character will ever have.
Justice League Action
This series skews a little younger than some of the other animated series, allowing Conroy some more comedic moments, especially when interacting with some of the more light-hearted heroes. It may not be the thought-provoking masterpiece that some episodes/movies are, but it is still delightful.
Crisis on Infinite Earths
While fans have mixed reactions to this version of Batman/Bruce Wayne as a cynical old man who killed Superman, this is the only time Conroy was able to play the Caped Crusader in live-action and I want to highlight it for that reason. While getting him as a more traditional hero would have been a gift, using a darker, more antagonistic version to contrast with Kate was very compelling.
The Greatest of the Greats
7. Batman: The Killing Joke
While the actual quality of the movie is questionable due to the baffling decisions made with Batgirl / Barbara Gordon, Conroy still manages a great performance, especially in the actual adaptation part.
6. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
This movie is unique because Conroy puts in a double performance as both the younger Batman we know from The Animated Series and the older Mentor Bruce Wayne, desperate to not fail Terry as he failed Tim.
5. Batman Beyond – “Out of the Past”
One of the most fascinating parts of Batman Beyond is how it shows the inevitability of age and how it affects heroes. Bruce is a man defined by his stubbornness and refusal to quit so when he is given the chance to regain his youth and potentially become Batman again he jumps at the chance. But he and Terry ultimately realize that dodging death and aging has a cost and it is best to let nature take its course.
4. Batman: The Animated Series – “Perchance to Dream”
To be honest, a lot of the best Batman: The Animated Series episodes are more about the other characters than they are about Batman. “Mad Love,” “Harley and Ivy,” “Two-Face,” “Heart of Ice,” “Almost Got ‘Im” are all more about the iconic villains than they are about Batman. But “Perchance to Dream” is an episode that asks the question: what if Bruce was relieved of the burden and didn’t have to be Batman anymore? Much like the plot line to the classic Superman story “The Man who has Everything,” it shows us what happens when the hero gets everything they want. This was a theme the showrunners would revisit it in a longer form in Mask of the Phantasm.
3. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
“I didn’t count on being happy.” The greatest tragedy of Batman is that his crusade depends on Bruce being ‘unhappy’ or at least being unable to move on from the tragedy of his parents’ deaths. Mask of the Phantasm shows “what might’ve been” by contrasting pre- and post-Batman Bruce with his love-interest Andrea Beaumont, another orphan with an axe-to-grind against the criminal elements of Gotham.
2. Justice League – “The Justice Lords”
What happens when Batman must confront not his enemies, but his dark self who has created a crime-free Gotham at the cost of everyone’s personal freedoms? He manages to redeem his dark doppelgänger by reminding him of the reason for his crime-fighting: his parents, who would never want their son to oppress others.
1. Justice League Unlimited – “Epilogue”
This episode is ultimately more about Terry McGinnis coming to terms with his parentage than it is about Bruce, but like Return of the Joker, it features Conroy getting to voice both the younger Dark Knight and the older grumpy mentor/father to Terry (both a more Machiavellian version from Terry’s imagination and a sincere old man who loves his son). It also highlights the empathy of Batman and how above all else, he is a hero who will stop everything to comfort a child.
What’s your favorite Kevin Conroy movie or show? What’s your favorite DC Animated Universe episode or movie?
