Under my never ending diatribe that "the wrong people keep dying", I was saddened last week by the news that Kevin Conroy passed away at the age of 66.
Kevin's biggest and arguably best role was Batman.
In the great argument of who is the best Batman in TV and movies, most people will debate the merits of Adam West, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale and ad infinitum.
But true Bat-fans understand that at the top of the list of Batman performers was Kevin Conroy.
Kevin was the voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne on Batman: The Animated Series that debuted in 1992. Riding on the wave of Batmania that began with the 1989 Batman motion picture directed by Tim Burton, this animated series was notable for it's dark tone, mature writing and complex themes. And bringing this version of Batman to life was Kevin Conroy.
Kevin's Batman voice was low and rumbled like thunder but was clear and easily understood. (Yes, that's a dig at Christian Bale.) His Bruce Wayne voice was brighter, friendlier.
Kevin's voice work was so perfect for Batman, he continued to provide the voice for Batman in other DC animated projects like Justice League Unlimited and video games like Batman: Arkham and Injustice. Kevin also provided the voice for an older Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond.
Kevin Conroy portrayed Batman longer than any other actor.
Kevin Conroy was an out gay man. He wrote a story for DC Comics' 2022 Pride anthology, called "Finding Batman". It was a emotionally raw and powerful tale of his life and experiences as a gay man and how those experiences related to his approach to portraying Batman and Bruce Wayne.
Click here for Mark Evanier's post about Kevin which includes a link to a free edition of the DC Pride book including Kevin's story.
Kevin Conroy was a good man with an incredible talent who brought our childhood hero to life like no one else could .
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