The Best Batman

I just rented, "Batman: Gotham Knight," a collection of 6 different cartoons of different animation style featuring Batman. The stories are only somewhat (if at all) interconnected, but they feature (and I did not know this until I watched it) Kevin Conroy as the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne.

The current spate of DC cartoons (and I think interest in doing new Batman movies to return him to his grittier roots) got its start in the early 1990s with Batman: The Animated Series, starring Conroy, who I think does the best Wayne/Batman voices out there. The New Batman Adventures came after the Animated Series, but for all intents and purposes, it was the same show with the same voice actors. The TV shows and movies related to this post are:

Batman: The Animated Series

Batman and Mister Freeze: Subzero (movie)

The Batman/Superman Movie

Superman (The Animated Series)

Batman Beyond (TV series, featuring an elderly Bruce Wayne passing on the mantle)

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (movie)

The Zeta Project

Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (movie)

Static Shock (There have been various crossovers of Justice League heroes and Static between the various cartoon series)

Justice League/Justice League Unlimited

The Batman (a new series from a different studio with a new voice for Batman. Conroy guest-starred as the father of Dick Grayson, who became Robin)

Teen Titans (a series from a different studio than the rest that focused on Robin. Its relative because while it was on, The Batman could not introduce Robin as a character and so introduced Batgirl as his first sidekick)

The Legion of Superheroes - another new series from a different studio focusing on Superboy/Superman's adventures with the Legion in the far-flung future.

Justice League: The New Frontier - a DVD movie dealing with the Golden Age moving into the Silver Age of DC heroes.

Batman: Gotham Knight starred the following voice actors who had various roles in the six cartoons on the DVD. After Conroy, they're listed with what show(s) they had showed up on in the past. I'm very big on voice actors and can normally pick them out pretty well even when they star in live action productions, and it's interesting when I look them up to see what other projects they've worked on. For Gotham Knights, it seems they really tried to keep it, "in the family," so to speak, if the family is: an animated DC superhero show/movie.

Kevin Conroy - Batman/Bruce Wayne

Jason Marsden - portrayed the villain Firefly on The Batman, the villain Billy Numerous on Teen Titans, reporter Snapper Carr on the Justice League, Static's partner Gear on Static Shock, a one time character on Batman Beyond, the voice of the teenage Clark Kent on Superman, and a one time character on Batman: TAS.

Scott Menville - the voice of Robin on Teen Titans, the villain King on Justice League, and some one time characters on Superman.

George Newbern - the voice of Superman/Clark Kent in Justice League and guest starred on Static Shock and The Batman as Superman.

Crystal Scales - recurring role of Static and Gear's classmate, Daisy Watkins, on Static Shock.

Hyden Walch - Villain Harley Quinn on the Batman, Starfire on Teen Titans, Villain Ace on Justice League, one episode character on Static Shock

Corey Burton - Brainiac on Batman: TAS, Superman, Justice League, Legion of Superheroes, and Static Shock. Various voices on Batman Beyond and Batman: TAS. Abin Sur (the Green Lantern who gives his ring to Hal Jordan) on Justice League: The New Frontier

Jim Meskimen - one episode character on The Batman, Justice League, Superman.

Pat Musick - one episode characters on Batman Beyond, Superman, Batman : Mask of the Phantasm, Batman: TAS.

Rob Paulsen - One episode characters on The Batman, Teen Titans, Justice League, Batman: TAS. Among some of the other noteworth characters he's provided the voice for are: Pinky (Pinky and the Brain), Yakko Warner, and Arthur of The Tick.

Will Friedle - the new Batman from Batman Beyond. The character also appeared in Justice League, Zeta Project, and Static Shock. Villain Gearhead on The Batman. One episode voice on Teen Titans.

Kevin Michael Richardson - the Joker on The Batman. Various villains on Teen Titans. Recurring role of General Wells on Justice League. Mobster Carlton Duquesne on Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. Various voices on Static Shock. Batman Beyond, Batman: TAS, Superman. Is also well-known as Captain Gantu (giant bipedal shark alien) from the Stitch movies/TV show.

Brian George - Villain Parasite (and various voices) on Justice League. Various voices on Batman Beyond, Batman: TAS, and Superman.

David McCallum - Will be the voice of Zeus in the upcoming Wonder Woman cartoon movie.

Andrea Romano - Andrea has been the voice director (and often times a voice actor) for a lot of cartoons, most notably most if not all the shows/movies listed above as well as all the way back to the 1970s Superfriends cartoons.