‘Finding Batman’, written by voice actor Kevin Conroy who recently died at the age of 66 from cancer. (Capital F, FUCK cancer!).
The short comic was published in DC Pride 2022 and it details “Conroy’s tragic childhood and experience as a gay actor. It details how he missed many acting opportunities due to his sexuality or times when others in the industry casually threw homophobic slurs at him. In addition to being a gay man in a time when Hollywood was less accepting of homosexuality, he also came from a broken home. His father was an alcoholic who attempted suicide, his parents divorced, and his brother struggled with mental illness. Not only did he have to “mask” his sexuality from others, but also “mask” his own personal pain….Conroy elaborated that all of these experiences allowed him to connect with the character of Batman, one that he previously knew little about, in a highly profound way.” (Source)
I didn’t watch much television around 1992 when Batman: The Animated Series started airing but, for some reason, I took time to watch this version of Batman (a character I hadn’t given much attention. In fact, I didn’t give DC Comics much attention until Vertigo started in 1993). I don’t remember why I started watching B:TAS, it was probably the animation style that initially caught my attention, but the show itself was interesting enough to hook me. I kept watching right up until the show was cancelled in 1995. I give primary credit here to Conroy’s performance as Batman (and Bruce Wayne) which brought an unexpected nuance and maturity to an animated character that really helped elevate the show into something enduring (noting other additions of the shows legacy like the revamping of Mr. Freeze, the introduction of the character Harley Quinn, Mark Hamill’s portrayal of the Joker, etc.)
Whenever I think of Batman, it’s Conroy’s version of Batman that comes to mind. Conroy IS Batman. Conroy defined the voice and sentiment of Batman having played the character longer than any other actor. It was Conroy who first used two distinctive voices for Bruce Wayne and Batman, a method every subsequent actor who as portrayed the character of Batman has replicated. It was Conroy’s voice acting that helped make the Rocksteady Studios ‘Arkham’ games so much fun to play. Conroy’s Batman is the best Batman.
Oh, I lifted the comic from here.
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