This is why I'll never vote. Basically it's a biased choice (no matter who you vote for or who wins).
I like West and that whole goofy, do-gooder, badge wearing deputy of the law persona. I think it suits the show well. I think people that write off the show and the Batman character because of the camp are missing out. There's this wit to it.
I'm a young guy and didn't grow up with it, so I shouldn't even appreciate West or the show, but I do. West's deadpan Batman is enjoyable for what it is.
The campy Batman isn't my Batman but I can still appreciate it for what it is without writing it off as nonsense.
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Other than TDKReturns/Miller Batman, Keaton was basically the face of Batman in the 80s. That classic, dark and brooding Batman. You don't ____ with any of the Batmen (even Adam West) but the Keaton interpretation you especially didn't piss off. They gave it that whole psychological template that wasn't there previously for the live action character. There was an edginess to him, a force that gave Batman multiple layers instead of just the typical "superhero". The guy is basically ____ed up and uses this illness as an outlet to eradicate crime. Is this not what people wanted? It met and surpassed standards and even set a few for the superhero film genre and blockbuster films in general. Sure, it's glossed over now and taken for granted (film are a lot more complex now a days) but it was pretty heavy-duty stuff back in the day. People expected a silly, short, balding funny Batman and got the exact opposite. It could have been disastrous with camp (it almost was) and Keaton could have winged it, but he didn't. This Batman gave the character some much needed depth. It was pretty much the Ledger/Joker scenario back in 1988 but a lot of people seem to forget that.
Plus he boffed a young Kim Basinger and owned the Batmobile. Keaton Batman was that dude.
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The Animated Series took what was great about the Burton films and comics and revitalized the character. The Conroy Batman is pretty much the perfect interpretation of the character in nearly any form. The character is dark and brooding, clever, calculating, a great detective and actually has this soul. The episodes won Emmy's. Nearly every episode had a tragic villain, that by the end, Batman could relate to be it Baby Doll or Mr. Freeze. It was rich and absolutely got what Batman was all about. I like Keaton's Batman voice, but for me, Conroy's voice takes the cake.
Not bad for a
cartoon character.
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The Christian Bale Batman is special for the simple fact that we got to see the actual process of becoming a fully realized Batman. With the other interpretations like the '89 Batman and Animated Series Batman the character was always at his peek. Yeah we got glimpses of how or why he came to be, but we never had a story dedicated to it. We get to see him as a scared kid, an angry young man and then a mature hero.
Bruce Wayne is really the focal point for me, especially from Batman Begins.
They all have their flaws though. Sometimes the animation of the animated series isn't the greatest, Bale's voice is absolutely terrible and over the top
most of the time and Keaton is hindered by dated effects (restrictive suit, time) but they're all pretty good to me.
They're all of their time. What one lacks in qualities, the other makes up for. This is especially true with Keaton and Bale. If you could somehow combine them you'd pretty much have the perfect live action Batman. Basically what the Animated Series Batman would be if he wasn't animated.