Recent weeks saw the passing of Kevin Conroy. It's a sad day for the voice acting community and comic fans alike. Though he certainly had plenty of other roles in his career, Conroy is widely regarded as the definitive voice for Batman.
Conroy lent his pipes to the Caped Crusader in numerous projects over thirty years. Whether it's in the 1990s animated series, the accompanying DC shows, various direct-to-video movies, the Arkham games, and or the Injustice titles, Conroy has left an enduring impact on the iconic character. His work with the Dark Knight will likely never be matched. To honor this prime portrayal, why not revisit some of the actor's most accomplished performances?
7 Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – Fisherman
Most characters in the first Jak & Daxter make up for their lack of screen time through sheer personality. The fisherman has that in ample supply. Rather than the quiet old-timer one would expect, this guy probably moonlights as a pirate.
The Fisherman's whole demeanor is akin to Long John Silver. From the hearty energy, gruff voice, and Irish accent, he's got all the hallmarks of a buccaneer. Conroy uses these aspects to be completely unrecognizable. With him shouting at the heroes, it really ramps up the pressure to catch the fish.
6 Justice League Action
A more comedic Batman usually falls to Diedrich Bader in works like The Brave and the Bold and Harley Quinn, but this ensemble show gives Conroy a chance to poke fun at himself. Here, he portrays a lighter side to his Dark Knight: that of curmudgeon who's constantly annoyed by his coworkers. At the same time, he himself sometimes stumbles in maintaining his "tough guy" image.
For this reason, Conroy doesn't change much on the surface, but context and nuance make all the difference. He adds a delightfully dry humor to every scene, his sarcastic retorts contrasting beautifully with the silliness. True, these one-liners sound weird coming from him, but that just makes them funnier.
5 Batman: Arkham Knight
The final Arkham entry may not have the tight script of its predecessors, but it remains engaging through a palpable sense of finality. Arkham Knight presents a Batman who's steadily losing everything, from his surrogate family to his very sanity. This gives him more emotional weight than previous entries.
Conroy ensures all these moments hit hard. Through his work, players hear a hero desperately trying to maintain his normal stoicism, but the cracks gradually form with bursts of anger and despair. In the process, he grants the tale infinitely more pathos than it would have otherwise had.
4 Batman: The Killing Joke
Here's another instance where the story is controversial, but that doesn't change the stellar performances at its center. In The Killing Joke, both Batman and the Joker are at the end of their ropes, riddled with uncertainty about the future. Viewers feel that in the delivery.
Conroy goes to a very existential place. His Batman is quieter and more contemplative than usual, yet no less effective. That said, it's not nearly as effective as his unhinged laughter in the final scene. The Dark Knight's enthusiastic chuckles sound downright alien. Frankly, it's unsettling, which is exactly how Batman's laugh should be.
3 Justice League
As evidenced by the title, Justice League (and its sequel, Justice League Unlimited) sees Batman as a regular member of a superhero team. That means he's now a public figure. He must not only interact with other established heroes (and their rogues), but consider how the public perceives them. This setup leads to conflicts crazier than ever before. One episode might involve a moral and ethical debate with an alternate version of himself while another might end with him singing a blues solo.
The show makes this all seem credible. Never once does it compromise who Batman is. The seasoned writers know how to challenge him in both thoughtful and funny ways. Moreover, Conroy knows exactly how to deliver these moments as natural growth rather than odd asides.
2 Batman Beyond
In this futuristic tale, Batman faces his greatest enemy: his own mortality. Too old to continue the fight, Bruce Wayne must train a new hero to take his mantle. The creators could have simply recast the character, but Conroy proves more than up to the task.
His elderly portrayal here is distinct from every other rendition. He adds some gravel to his voice to signify the age, yet loses none of the passion endemic to the hero. The result is a mentor with the wisdom and gravitas of experience.
1 Batman: The Animated Series
Conroy's original turn as Caped Crusader remains his best. This show is a consistently powerful take on Batman, delving deep into the hero's psyche and those of his adversaries. The resulting portrayal has tremendous variety and depth, capturing a human fallibility. The multifaceted brilliance doesn't stop there, though.
More than any version since, Conroy's performance here plays on the character's duality. As the Dark Knight, he gives his voice a shadowy whisper. As Bruce Wayne, however, he has the boisterous charm of a classic movie star. That vocal dimension is what endeared fans to his Batman, and that remains the case thirty years later.