Who is the Best Batman?

After seeing The Dark Knight a few times, I got to thinking who, at least to me, is the best Batman. There have been several different portrayals of Batman over the years, all with good and bad points. So I decided to make a list of my favorites. And of course the best is...ADAM WEST!!!!!!!! Just kidding. This list does not include all versions of Batman, just the ones I have been exposed to. As a result, some that aren't included on this list include the old 1940s serials aren't included, nor are any of the radio plays. 8. ADAM WEST
The man who made Batman dance. Adam West was the first Batman I was ever exposed to and for a long time the only one. But as I grew up and got into comics more, I realized that, while good, it's not a very accurate representation of Batman. Or at least not Bat man for most of his history. The comics were changed to match the campy nature of the 60s TV show, but eventually he went back to being the Dark Knight.

There are some good points though. West's family and kid friendly Batman is the perfect starting point for young fans, which is the main reason every Batman up to The Animated Series was based on West's portrayal of the character. And it did give him a more human side. He may not have been the dark and brooding Caped Crusader, but as Millionaire Playboy Bruce Wayne, West was perhaps the best.

7. RINO ROMANO

The Dark Knight from The Batman cartoon that aired from 2004 to 2008. Rino's portrayal of Batman started out being more like Spider-man, cracking jokes and throwing out one-liners while fighting his enemies. Over time he became more like the Batman we all know and love, but that time spent taunting the bad guys like that hurts him in the rankings. There were some good points though. Outside of the comics there have been very few times when, on an ongoing basis, Batman wondered if he had done more harm the good when he put on the cowl, and that part of the character was played perfectly by Romano. As more time went by and he began being a mentor to Robin and Batgirl, he became more of a father figure to them, while still being the Dark Knight. The main problem Romano has is the fact that the show, or at least the character, didn't last longer (at least not so far. I've heard rumors that the upcoming "The Brave and The Bold" cartoon will be set in the same continuity and be the same Batman, but we will have to wait till it comes out to find out.)

6. GEORGE CLOONY

The Bat-suit that had nipples. Considered by most to be the worse Batman movie ever, "Batman and Robin" had some good points, and one of them was Cloony's portrayal of batman as a father figure for Robin and Batgirl. With a more cartoony feel then the 60s show, Cloony's Batman was the head of a super hero family, which didn't feel out of place in the movie.

5. VAL KILMER

Val Kilmer played Batman in Batman Forever. Try as I might I can't think of anything bad about his time in the cowl, but I can't think of anything good either. Which makes him the perfect person to be in the middle of this list.

4. KEVIN CONROY

The Caped Crusader That started the DCAU, Conroy played Batman from the start in Batman: The Animated Series until the end in Justice league Unlimited, meaning he played Batman for 12 years (1992-2004) Thats more time in the cowl then anyone else, including Adam west, who played (or voiced) Batman only occasionally after the end of the 60s series.

Conroy did a great job as Batman, creating a character that was both dark and brooding and also very human. The only part that hurt him was his time as Bruce Wayne. Conroy's Wayne seemed to be trying too hard to act differently from Batman, and it felt a bit forced until "Star Crossed, when he and the other League members had to reveal their identities to each other (one of the best and funniest moments in DCAU history) After that most of the people he interacted with as Bruce were League members so he didn't have to put on an act as much.

3. CHRISTIAN BALE
The newest to don the cape and cowl, Bale is the current Batman, playing the character in Batman Begins and Dark Knight. Like Romano's Batman, Bale's wonders if he has made things worse, but does a better job at it. His Bruce Wayne is believable as a separate character, but when he is alone he acts completely different, essentially creating three different characters. Not only that but he isn't afraid to fight out of costume when he has to, and his car crash save in Dark Knight worked perfectly. As Batman he is a very different character the Bruce, even sounding different, and he is the darkest Batman in any of the films, but that doesn't make him the best. 2. MICHEAL KEATON
The title of best Batman in the movies goes to Micheal Keaton, who played the Dark Knight in Batman and Batman Returns. He and Jack Nicholson's Joker are the reasons why the first movie did so great. His Bruce Wayne was absent minded, which was completely different, but also very effective. His Batman was dark, but not too dark, making him the perfect bridge to the 60s series and the current Dark Knight. He created two completely separate characters and did a great job as both. In fact he would be the best Batman if it weren't for one other version. 1. THE COMICS
The Batman that started it all, there was really no other option for the #1 spot. He has been as campy and cartoony as the 60s TV show, and darker then any version we have ever scene. Bruce and Batman act as costars, even though they are the same person, and yet knowing that they are the same it isn't that unbelievable. Nor does it feel odd when he does something out of character like laugh at one of Joker's jokes (in final panels of The Killing Joke).

And as dark and serious as the character normally is, he has shown moments of being purely human, as scene in the final pages of Identity Crisis 5 and the first few pages of Identity Crisis 6. Even knowing what would happen when I first read it, and even knowing what will happen now, those pages are some of the most emotional and hear wrenching moments I've ever read in a comic. In a hand full of pages he shows panic and desperation as they race to save Robin's dad, and sympathy and love as he tries to comfort Tim after they find his father dead.

The character varies from writer to writer, but in the end one thing is true. As pro wrestler Brett "The Hitman" Hart said, the Batman in the comics is "The Best There Is, The Best There Was, And The Best There Ever Will Be."