The Batman
Added 2022-11-12 01:29:56 +0000 UTCNot the type of thing I normally post, but I sketched this today when I got to my desk, and if it's going on Twitter you better believe it's going here first, so here we are.
Won't go on too much on this subject. There's a vibe I like to cultivate around this place, and "memorials" run counter to that vibe in a big way. But this one is my personal tribute to voice actor Kevin Conroy, who passed today. To me, this guy will always be what Batman's voice is supposed to sound like. The original Batman: The Animated Series was not only one of the best Batman productions, I'd argue it's one of the best animated projects to ever come out of America, period. Conroy's performance was inseparable from that success and quality. Before him, correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't think of another actor who even bothered doing different voices if he was talking as Bruce Wayne or Batman, or at least no one else pulled it off as well before him.
So how about it? Ever watched the old show? Did it have the impact on you and your creativity the way it did mine? Any particular Conroy line deliveries that you thought were great? I'd love to hear about them in the comments. I could talk about Batman Animated Series stuff all day.
Comments
I say "Somehow" not to be callous but seriously I can't remember the last time a celebrity death bummed me out this much. Something is different this time, I'm just unsure what.
Reinbach
2022-11-15 02:39:38 +0000 UTCYeah, it's a tough time for sure. Sad to lose him still, it's been days and it's still hanging over me somehow.
Reinbach
2022-11-15 02:36:36 +0000 UTCThis ain't even funny anymore man we are in the absolute WORST timeline. 66 years is too young to pass. He gave us the best portrayal of Batman and will be remembered for ever.
Kudos707
2022-11-14 08:20:23 +0000 UTCEspecially us nerds who follow sci-fi tv shows lol. Those pretty much always get cancelled without a proper finale. XD
Reinbach
2022-11-13 21:01:26 +0000 UTCI mean, it's in the middle of a big "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover, so you'd have even LESS context! Or something. Though really the only CW DC show I followed was Legends of Tomorrow, and I'm salty 'cause it got cancelled ON A CLIFFHANGER. Ah well, such is the life of a nerd.
A Guy
2022-11-13 15:15:06 +0000 UTCI suspect that over time the voice work was having a toll on his vocal cords. A lot of voice actors go through that. But I agree, it was never even remotely a deal-breaker for me -- he was just *that* good.
M V
2022-11-13 13:17:18 +0000 UTCSeconded!
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:15:49 +0000 UTCThat's fascinating! I don't know why I never considered before now that Mr. Conroy was far from the only Batman voice actor to play the role on that show. How was the German Batman voice?
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:15:37 +0000 UTCI think that's part of what made that era so great: the stories leaned towards timelessness. Other than the grainy animation stock, nothing about TAS really screams "early 90's" does it? It really seemed to exist in its own little pocket of history that makes it very easy to still watch today.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:11:18 +0000 UTCAgreed! I'm on a Batman bender now, having the cartoon on while I work and getting the urge to crack open the remasters of the Arkham games as well.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:09:34 +0000 UTCOh it wrecked my day for sure. Pretty telling of how great his influence was considering I never even met the guy.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:08:30 +0000 UTCI just watched that car chase part again last night and thought the same thing! XD As for lines I liked, I think my favorite is in the episode where Poison Ivy is turning rich people into trees. Captured Batman sees Alfred among them and loses his shit quietly. Ivy says "I have the patience of a redwood" to which Batman says "And the convictions of a fanatic!" Never heard him sound more pissed off and disgusted in the anythign else, ever. Loved it.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:07:57 +0000 UTCAbsolutely, I think a lot of us feel that way, and you can see the influence there in a lot of Batman/Joker dynamics since then.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:04:48 +0000 UTCI think Batman Beyond doesn't get enough credit, personally. It's not as legendary as its predecessor in the pantheon of animation, no, but it was pretty great for what it was. Oddly it felt like Batman was allowed to be not really for kids again since the star was technically a "kid" himself and that seemed to make the execs happy for a time.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:04:07 +0000 UTCTotally. I've seen clips but I would love to check out that episode. I think the only reason I haven't is because I fell behind on Arrow and couldn't bring myself to watch one episode out of order. XD
Reinbach
2022-11-13 05:02:10 +0000 UTCTotally, in fact if the series ever falters in quality, it's often clearly the result of clueless showrunners trying to MAKE it a kids show. XD
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:45:40 +0000 UTCIt’s sorta finished. It got canceled after season 7 and in typical VB fashion it ended with cliffhangers. There was gonna be a season 8 but now they’re working on finale movie coming out next year.
Adler No
2022-11-13 04:44:27 +0000 UTCSame. I didn't even know he was sick, so this really came out of nowhere. It's funny, I think Batman shone even brighter on Justice League since he wasn't the sole focus. Every time he showed up in a scene with that voice, it felt like a guest star had arrived. :)
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:43:34 +0000 UTCAnd for each of those actors, they're to some degree a twist on the core character. Christian Bale is "what if Batman but he was DARK and EDGY?". Ben Affleck is "what if Batman but he was DARK and Edgy?" Michael Keaton is "what if Batman but he was DARK and EDGY?" With the exception of Keaton, the Batman they're being contrasted against isn't the comics, even if we pretend it is—it's the one in TAS.
omegazette
2022-11-13 04:41:25 +0000 UTCOh yeah he was funny as hell on that show. I really need to watch through it again. I fell out of it during one of their five-year hiatuses or whatever it was, but I understand the show is finished now?
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:40:52 +0000 UTCI agree, makes me wish I'd had a chance to meet him too. I also agree that I noticed the voice shifting over time. Even as early on as the Arkham games, I noticed his Batman voice wasn't quite as gravely as it was in the show. Hardly a dealbreaker, just a nitpick. XD
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:39:44 +0000 UTCOh yeah, outside of Heath Ledger's take on the role, it seemed for years that anyone voicing Joker was just doing their best Mark Hamil impression.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:38:12 +0000 UTCI honestly think so. Some performances have been fairly iconic. Love or hate the cookie monster voice, Christian Bale was quite the landmark actor in the role. Michael Keaton was great too, for the time. My point is others have been good, great even, but no one else had the consistency or put in nearly the legwork into this character over the decades like Conroy did. Most of these guys played Batman once or twice and were done.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:37:00 +0000 UTCAgreed! :(
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:34:38 +0000 UTCFor sure, that Heart of Glass episode won awards at the time, if memory serves. Not something you normally saw from a kids cartoon back then.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:34:18 +0000 UTCOh yeah, I remember seeing in a gaming magazine (That sentence makes me feel old lol) the announcement that TAS actors were returning for the upcoming first Arkham game. My hype was through the roof.
Reinbach
2022-11-13 04:32:57 +0000 UTCRest in Peace, Mr. Conroy :(
Zarggg
2022-11-13 02:24:56 +0000 UTCGrew up with the old show, but, as I am German, and was a child back then, didn't consider there was any other dub that German. Years later, after I found the internet, I also figured out that there are other languages for series, and so I watched a little t of my old cartoons in English. Kevin Conroy will always be my favourite Batman VA, as will be Mark Hamill with the Joker.
Kherbellos
2022-11-12 21:01:54 +0000 UTCI wasn't there to watch the BTAS when it first ran but I remember watching Batman Beyond and Justice League when it was first airing. Those were my "must watch shows" as a kid.
Will M
2022-11-12 15:38:06 +0000 UTCFinding out this news really sucked. As many have said, his is the voice I hear when I think of batman. I grew up watching the animated series and it was an instant buy when I stumbled across the complete box set a few years back. Looks like it's time to rewatch them all again. Rest in peace, you will be missed.
kaldonis
2022-11-12 09:39:03 +0000 UTCHadn't heard about this yet. Awful news
llCDll
2022-11-12 09:02:51 +0000 UTCAgree! To me, Kevin Conroy IS Batman! But I also feel his is the best Bruce Wayne as well! I love that the Arkham series of game used him as the voice actor, though I think the Animated Series is where his work really shines, especially the first two seasons. I love the episode where he meets Selina Kyle for the first time, they are in a car chase with a bad guy that Bruce recognizes and he inadvertently lets his "Batman" voice slip out as Bruce..Classic!
Chris Davis
2022-11-12 07:33:59 +0000 UTCTHE definitive voice of Batman in any media, period. And I mean any. Even if I read the comics, I hear his voice. I can’t think of any particular line that really stands out, other than some of the obvious ones.
rah
2022-11-12 03:30:23 +0000 UTCTAS was what made me love the Batman/Joker relationship so much. The Conroy/Hamill connection.
Crimson03
2022-11-12 02:54:35 +0000 UTCThe one that always sticks out to me, that boils down and sums up all that Batman is, comes from Batman Beyond. Early days, Terry is whining about how his Batman duties are interfering with his social life, and asking for a night off to placate his girlfriend. He says something to the effect of, "It's one night, what difference is it gonna make?" and Bruce grabs him by the shirt like "One night ALWAYS makes the difference!"
Senoj Nai
2022-11-12 02:48:16 +0000 UTCMan, on a porno webcomic patreon is a weird place to hash out feelings about Batman, but ... yeah. Conroy was absolutely the best. Also, if you haven't watched it yet, track down the episode of Arrow (I think it's on Netflix) where he plays an alternate universe live-action Batman (albeit a rather ... jaded one). Just an absolute delight to see him playing the role in person, for once.
A Guy
2022-11-12 02:46:48 +0000 UTCBTAS was one of my must see shows growing up. A couple friends and I actually went back and watched some of it and had a great time. It has held up extremely well and, more importantly for us, it simply felt like a great show instead of a "kid's show" even though that was the primary audience.
TheFirstSword
2022-11-12 02:26:44 +0000 UTCI adore the DCAU. It might've peaked with Justice League but BTAS has a special place in my heart. I love the animation, the style, the way it could mix tones, and the amazing music. But it was Kevin Conroy as Batman who outshine an already stellar voice cast. He conveyed everything about that character with just the nuances in his voice. An amazing actor whom I still can't believe is gone
Marty
2022-11-12 01:45:16 +0000 UTCThis is kind of Batman related but I loved him as Captain Sunshine in Venture Bros. I knew him as THE voice of Batman so that was like the total opposite of what he’s known for
Adler No
2022-11-12 01:44:53 +0000 UTCThis series was and will always be my favorite. I have so many good memories of watching and re-watching the episodes. Conroy is always the Bruce/Batman voice I hear when I see images or comics of the character. He just put so much gravitas into the role that it brought the character more "to life" than ever before. Sadly, once the series shifted into the "New Adventures" later on, Conroy didn't alter his voice between Bruce and Batman as often, just using the Batman voice for both pretty much (but that was still above and beyond anything else). From what I know, he was a joy to work with and a decent guy to meet at shows. The world feels a little less full without him.
M V
2022-11-12 01:42:56 +0000 UTCIt was a fantastic series and Kevin Conroy was great as Batman. The duo of Conroy and Hamill as Batman and Joker is a legend.
Walter L.
2022-11-12 01:40:07 +0000 UTCKevin Conroy is the Batman against which all other Batmen are to be measured.
omegazette
2022-11-12 01:35:20 +0000 UTCMay he rest in peace.
Slaughterbug
2022-11-12 01:34:44 +0000 UTCConroy redefined what Batman and Bruce sounded like.. he will always be the bar for the character, Much like Hamill will always be the joker .. TAS also redefined a lot of the Batman universe, changing how villains were treated in the comics. I mean, before TAS Mr Freeze was a throwaway villain with no real story. Then Dini made him a tragic character
Bradley Gass
2022-11-12 01:32:58 +0000 UTCIt just that series. He’s done almost ALL of the Batman voices since that series of it wasn’t live action. Including th Arkham Games. They way he and Mark Hamill’s joker played off one another is what made me love Batman so much. He will be very sorely missed.
logan schade
2022-11-12 01:32:40 +0000 UTC
