the interrogation scene nails what batman is all about.
first you see bats talking to gordon '...he'll talk to me' a very gruff voice but there is no menace it
then you the dirty cop upside down and there is batman in the alcove
'WHERE WERE THE OTHER DRUGS GOING!!!!'
I was like

OH. MY. GOSH!
THAT is batman
well I thought that exact thing when I saw the return of joker
THAT is joker
and at no time watching nicholson did I feel that, he wasn't menacing, he wasn't scary and I was a kid at the time for petes sake therefore (for me) he wasn't joker.