Favourite Batman.

[The Romulan Republic]

Simple (or not so simple) question: who is your favourite Batman, and why?

For me- Characterization- DCAU Batman, or Nolan/Bale Batman. Performance: Ben Afflect/DCCU Batman.

The former two avoid being too ridiculously grimdark while still being fairly serious. Plus Nolan is a good director, and he makes good films. The latter- I don't know, I thought that Affleck just nailed it, and also probably exceeded my expectations.

[Crazedwraith]

Terry McGinnis. He's Batman, only Spider-Man as well. Basically an actually new take on the character which is something I like it a reboot/reimagining.


I've also no idea why Batfleck is so well liked. He's scowly and does Frank Miller Batman acceptably. But there's nothing brilliant about is acting or characterisation. He's not bad. He's not as brilliant as people seem to think.

[Tribble]

Well whenever I think of Batman, the DCAU version is always the first one that springs to mind. IMO a lot of that has to do with him being on screen for so long - Batman TAS started in 1992, while Justice League Unlimited finished in 2006. That's a good 14 years worth of storylines and character development, which is far more than other versions in T.V. and Film. You pretty much get to see Batman's entire career, including his eventual retirement and training / assisting his replacement. Of course, that in itself doesn't explain DCAU Batman's success- it was the quality of the storytelling and the animation that really drew people in. Plus, the voice work was simply phenomenal; when I read the comics, I usually imagine Batman's voice as Kevin Conroy's, the Joker's as Mark Hamill's etc. Yes, yes, the comics have been around much longer, but when it comes to bringing the comics to life so to speak, for an entire generation this was the Batman they grew up with.

Plus, IMO, the Mask of the Phantasm is still the definitive Batman movie (though the Dark Knight and the 1989 Batman gives it a run for its money).

[phred]

Timmverse Batman all the way. It was well done, and given the room to continue being well done. I also like Keaton's Batman. They were fun movies/

I've also no idea why Batfleck is so well liked. He's scowly and does Frank Miller Batman acceptably. But there's nothing brilliant about is acting or characterisation. He's not bad. He's not as brilliant as people seem to think.

People went in with severely low expectations, and he was good in the role as both Bruce and the bat. so he gets a pass i think

[The Romulan Republic]

Wow. I seriously was not expecting this kind of landslide for the DCAU.

[Batman]

DCAU all the way. They got modern me down pat. I HATE the goofy Adam West series. Batman's supposed to be somewhat grimdark and the Timmverse got the dosage just right. Plus they had the penultimate Joker in Mark Hamill. Keaton was good in 'Batman' and 'Returns' but the latter was a patently stupid movie. The Nolan/Bale trilogy was pretty awesome too but to me the ultimate me will always be Kevin Conroy. The man got the voice change between Bruce/Batman exactly right (something the Nolan trilogy tried and messed up horribly). Batfleck was 'meh' at best.

[U.P. Cinnabar]

DCAU all the way. They got modern me down pat. I HATE the goofy Adam West series. Batman's supposed to be somewhat grimdark and the Timmverse got the dosage just right. Plus they had the penultimate Joker in Mark Hamill. Keaton was good in 'Batman' and 'Returns' but the latter was a patently stupid movie. The Nolan/Bale trilogy was pretty awesome too but to me the ultimate me will always be Kevin Conroy. The man got the voice change between Bruce/Batman exactly right (something the Nolan trilogy tried and messed up horribly). Batfleck was 'meh' at best.

This. Timm and company took the Batman of the early comics and the Silver Age, and just plain made him better, without haring off into Miller territory(telling Robin he could live off the rats in the Batcave?! Fucking seriously?!).

Fourteen solid years of great storylines, excellent character development, and great villainous foils to reflect Batman's own inner nature back at himself and us. Definitely the best Bat.

(also, Rom, I gather, by the average age of the members in here, that DCAU Batman is the one everyone's most familiar with)

[RogueIce]

Wow. I seriously was not expecting this kind of landslide for the DCAU.

Eh, Tribble explains it pretty well:

Well whenever I think of Batman, the DCAU version is always the first one that springs to mind. IMO a lot of that has to do with him being on screen for so long - Batman TAS started in 1992, while Justice League Unlimited finished in 2006. That's a good 14 years worth of storylines and character development, which is far more than other versions in T.V. and Film. You pretty much get to see Batman's entire career, including his eventual retirement and training / assisting his replacement.

The longevity of DCAU Batman is definitely key, and of course the continually high quality associated with that longevity just puts it over the top. I loved the Nolan trilogies but I can't put the Bale-Bat over Conroy because I got to see far more of Conroy in a whole variety of situations. For example:



Nolan's Batman never really got an "Ace Moment" - and this is hardly the only example the DCAU gave, the ending of "Harley's Holiday" from the original TAS is also one that springs immediately to mind - and it was moments like these that really elevate this version of Batman over others. Yes, he's grim and brooding and dark, but he also has tremendous heart and is capable of great sympathy, at times.

I think Batfleck could get up there, though. He hasn't had a lot yet, but I've seen signs of this. First of all, Affleck's performance as the Dark Knight has been pretty incredible. Affleck is quite a good actor and what we've seen so far shows great potential; I have a feeling when his standalone movie comes out it'll really elevate his performance of Batman to be right up there with the best.

Most of all though, and what gives me the greatest confidence? Recall how he took in Deathstroke during the "Suicide Squad" movie. He encounters him on the street, with his daughter, and rather than go for the classic Batman beatdown, he talks him into custody because he didn't want Deathstroke's daughter to see it go down hard. While not quite up there with JLU's Ace Moment, it really shows that this version of Batman does have that same capacity for compassion and not to be an utter dick, and that to me is important for the character of Batman.

So while at the moment DCAU easily holds the top spot, the DCCU stands a very good chance of taking that second place away from The Dark Knight Trilogy if they do it right.

[The Romulan Republic]

Its funny what you say about Affleck, because in Batman v Superman, he is perhaps the darkest, most brutal take on Batman that I've ever seen for much of the film. But even that is, ultimately, arguably a product of that heart, at least in part. He is what he is because he's been worn down, tired of seeing people get hurt and being unable to stop it.

Batman v Superman is ultimately his redemption story as much as anything. It'll be interesting to see where he goes in subsequent films, though Suicide Squad has already given us a glimpse of that.

[RogueIce]

Its funny what you say about Affleck, because in Batman v Superman, he is perhaps the darkest, most brutal take on Batman that I've ever seen for much of the film. But even that is, ultimately, arguably a product of that heart, at least in part. He is what he is because he's been worn down, tired of seeing people get hurt and being unable to stop it.

Batman v Superman is ultimately his redemption story as much as anything. It'll be interesting to see where he goes in subsequent films, though Suicide Squad has already given us a glimpse of that.

Indeed. Even his whole thing with Superman, it started out because as Bruce Wayne he was risking everything to save the people who worked for him, and even with the ex-employee who went nuts we found out Wayne was trying to help him out, and everyone else who was hurt.

So yeah, I agree fully, and that's why I feel DCCU Batman has great potential, and Affleck certainly has the acting chops to pull it off. I don't know how much of these story beats come from him directly, but I feel like they'll still be in there and explored with subsequent movies. Only time will tell, though.

[U.P. Cinnabar]

the ending of "Harley's Holiday" from the original TAS is also one that springs immediately to mind - and it was moments like these that really elevate this version of Batman over others. Yes, he's grim and brooding and dark, but he also has tremendous heart and is capable of great sympathy, at times.

Also, this scene, from the near the end of BTAS' "Heart Of Ice:"



which happens to be my personal favorite.

[Napoleon the Clown]

Timmverse. He was a guy who obviously had some serious issues that he had never dealt with in a healthy way, yet you could tell that he was very much interested in protecting the helpless, too. He could pretty much simultaneously be a complete hardass while still being a total softie to someone who, quite honestly, needed someone to show they cared. A hero, even if he wasn't exactly a happy person and didn't always follow the rules.

His desire to protect the innocent and helpless is a lot like we saw out of Superman. Instead of some incarnations where he's a nutcase that dresses up like a bat and runs around trying to "clean up" his city. Timmverse Batman wants to make it so there are no more Little Bruce Waynes more than a lot of the more grimdark incarnations.

[FaxModem1]

Timmverse, as others have said, he is MY Batman. Unlike a lot of incarnations of the character, he DOES care, and he does work to help others. It's hard to imagine Christian Bale Batman doing charity work or improving the city, or Michael Keaton's. Adam West would, but there's really nothing that bad in that version of Gotham.

Michael Keaton's is a killer, straight up, because Tim Burton thinks that's where Batman should go as a character. Val Kilmer seems like someone trying to embrace his past, and make peace with himself. George Clooney just didn't seem to care.

One of the biggest things that always bugged me about the Dark Knight trilogy, Bruce Wayne never rebuilt his father's train. It was as if rebuilding Gotham was never a priority to him.

And, of course, the art deco of the world was just magical and made Gotham seem like a world out of time.

[Zeropoint]

I am not at all surprised to see Objectively Best Batman winning the poll, but it IS a bit of a pleasant surprise to see how much he's winning by.