Your defintive BatWorld

[CJ]

The Batman world has had many incarnations. Bob Kane, Frank Miller, Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan and others have given their own interpertation of the Batman world.

What is your defintive Batman character/vehicle/whatever?

Definitive Bruce Wayne/Batman- Kevin Conroy. He IS Batman.

Definitive Joker- Mine was always Hamill as a kid. But Ledger.. man, he really nailed the Joker without that ridiculously large chin and teeth and downright stupid 'chemical scarring' origin. Could've used a haircut though.
I liked the way he looked in the Empire magazine cover. His hair wasn't so long, but wasn't too short either.

Defintive Batmobile- The one used in Burton films. The Tumbler just seems too generic and bulky. You wouldn't think of it as a Batmobile at first glance. You'd just think it was some tank-like device the Army invented.
Burton's Batmobile had style, and fit the character. The only problem is its length. It's like a limo, making it difficult to be used in car-chases.

Definitive Gordon - Gary Oldman.

Definitive Two-Face - I'm gonna say the Animated Series one. The Two-Face in Batman Forever acted like The Joker. Eckhart did a good job as Harvey Dent, but not Two-Face. I never really saw Two-Face in The Dark Knight, just a really pissed off Harvey Dent who went through complete hell and lost it.

Definitive Robin - Chris O'Donnell. Sure, Batman and Robin was awful, but Batman Forever was a decent (though flawed) film. The Robin protrayed in Forever made much more sense than having some little kid fight alongside Batman as he battles muggers, murderers, mobsters and drug dealers. I can't imagine Bruce Wayne/Batman endangering a child's life like that.

Definitive Alfred - Michael Caine

Definitive Catwoman- Michelle Phiffer. I really hate the Catwoman character. She feels very 1-dimensional to me. Just some sex-appeal character who flirts with Batman and robs people. I dunno why, but Phiffer made me really like the character. He costume was great too. No stupid goggles on. The stitches all over her costume made it seem dark and goth-like.

Definitive Batsuit- This is a close-one. It's a toss-up between the Burton suit and TDK suit. The Dark Knight suit was great, because it wasn't rubber. There was real armor on his suit. I didn't care for his head though. Way too big. As for the Burton one, I liked the Yellow Bat-symbol on the chest. Though, that's basically a big target for any enemy that comes his way.

Definitive Batman TV series- The Batman. Just kidding. Batman:TAS.

Batman Movie Director- Christoper Nolan

 

[maveholic31]

i agree with you on most

... but I think the biggest change I would make is if you take out Chris O'Donnell and insert TAS Robin/Dick Grayson. Come on, If you're gonna put Conroy on that list you'd have to put DG on that list as well. Not only was 'Robin's Reckoning' one of the best Robin stories ever told it was also one of the best TAS episodes ever, up there with 'Heart of Ice' and 'Two Face' imo.
PLUS he later went on to become Nightwing a la the comics, which no other series has captured (The Batman excluded) and the imbalanced relationship between Bruce and Dick was perfectly portrayed in the series.

Chris O'Donnell? Just a whiny brat who was tolerable in 'Forever'.. I also wouldn't call the Tumbler "generic" lol. The Begins suit imo is the best and most intimidating (though Keaton's 89' suit looked great with dark lighting... other times made him look like a kid and the Returns' suit looked crappy other than the cowl/cape)

 

[tomstoyz2]

I gotta agree with Maveholic31 on this. All your choices are great, but I would change the Robin to the BTAS version. Also, my favorite Batmobile is the one from the 1966 TV Show. But as far as movies go, yes, the 1989 car rocks!

 

[Boom]

Realistic Joker: I loved damn near everything about Heath Ledger's Joker, but I too would have prefered if his hair was slightly shorter and brushed back (as it is in the Empire photo). Not a big fan of the long-haired, comb-over look for The Joker. His hair could have also used just a bit more green dye.

Comic-Book style Joker:
This http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/6420/joker3.jpg
Played by Jim Carrey

 

[ultrasuperduckman]

The Animated Series...on just about everything.

 

[Hound55]

Definitive Bruce Wayne/Batman- Kevin Conroy.
Definitive Joker- I was always a Jack Nicholson guy... he stomped through the 89 Batman movie... But I think I'll have to go with Hamill...
Defintive Batmobile- I'm going with the one from the Adam West OS TV series... the one the 89 Batman movie TRIED to emulate, besides you've got to have SOMETHING to represent that time, the Batmobile's about the least camp thing you could pick...
Definitive Gordon - Gary Oldman.
Definitive Two-Face - This is going to sound obscure, but when I think of Two Face I think of the version that pops up in Batman: Cataclysm... particularly the crazy trial scene. If we're going with a motion picture version I'll go with BTAS as well...
Definitive Robin - Frank Miller's AllStar Batman and Robin... kid needs a dark side like that series portrays for Bats to trust him enough to have him by his side without thinking that he's endangering the child.
Definitive Alfred - The Dark Knight Returns Alfred Pennysworth... it needs representation here, Alfred had the right feel and wit to him IMO in TDKR.
Definitive Catwoman- Michelle Phiffer.
Definitive Batsuit- The Dark Knight Returns Batsuit... allows mobility and explains the yellow target with a kevlar breastplate. Honourable mention to BTAS. Its not an easy thing to get right logistically, which is why it works better in the comics and an animated series, but if I had to pick one from a movie... I liked the Batman Begins suit... I think it just looked a little odd at times because of the weight Bale was trying to stack back on after The Machinist.
Definitive Batman TV series- Batman:TAS.
Batman Movie Director- Christoper Nolan

 

[Jochimus]

Definitive Bruce Wayne/Batman- DCAU (Kevin Conroy). IMO none of the live-action actors have really hit the mark with BOTH of the character's identities like Conroy has - for me Keaton was the best Batman but Bale was the best Bruce Wayne.
Definitive Joker- Jack Nicholson. He's the one who's come the closest to portraying the classic version of the Joker who comes up with all sorts of mirthful, colorful, delightful ways of killing as many people as possible.
Defintive Batmobile- 1989 movie version. This is probably the most bad@$$ version I've seen so far. The Tumbler comes pretty close, but for me, its resemblance to a tank gets distracting after a while.
Definitive Gordon- Gary Oldman. The first person to portray Gordon as a competent, committed police officer who ISN'T a senior citizen and who turns to Batman when he has no other alternative.
Definitive Two-Face- DCAU (TNBA design). He was monstrous and tragic all at the same time.
Definitive Robin- TT animated version. This is probably the only version of Robin I've seen so far that I can tolerate.
Definitive Alfred- Michael Caine. I like the fact that he has all the charm and dedication of the classic version of Alfred, but is also not afraid to voice his concerns and even stand up to his boss when they don't see eye-to-eye.
Definitive Catwoman- Michelle Pfeiffer. She had all the sex appeal you'd expect out of Catwoman and was also IMO far and away the most interesting of all the love interests in the movies.
Definitive Batsuit- JL/JLU design. I've always like the pouched utility belts, but what really makes me like this one is the way the ears jut out slightly as in the original Bob Kane drawings.
Definitive Batman TV series-B:TAS.
Batman Movie Director-Christopher Nolan

 

[Two-Face]

The Animated Series...on just about everything.

This.

 

[The Joker]

- Batman: Kevin Conroy's Batman in BTAS. Sheer perfection.
- Joker: Heath Ledger's Joker is my all time favourite. Creepy, funny, psychotic, murderous, and a total agent of chaos.
- Batmobile: The Burton movies' Batmobile.
- Jim Gordon: Easily Gary Oldman. The man is perfect in the role.
- Two Face: BTAS Two Face. They nailed him. Both the evil and tragic side of the character.
- Robin: Loren Lester's Robin in BTAS.
- Alfred: Michael Gough. I think he really captured that old english gentleman, who supplies warmth, affection, and some stern words to Batman when he needs them.
- Catwoman: Michelle Pfeiffer. She was amazing.
- Batsuit: Batman Returns suit.
- Batman TV series: BTAS easily.
- Batman movie director: Christopher Nolan

 

[batpawn]

I'm trying to be a 'bit' more creative.

Definitive Batman:
Style: I'm lurking in the shadows and you barely see anything but my sheer fabulous silhouette'.
Voice: Jeremy Sisto
I really don't know why, but I loved Sisto's voicework in new frontier and thought that it is, almost criminally underrated.

Definitive Joker:
Style: Gotham Noir
Voice: Mike Patton
I think he has the ability to pull it off, I really do. I would love to listen to him, one day, presenting his Joker interpretation.

Batmobile:
Style: The 90's comicbook Batmobile designed by J. H. Williams III
I just love it. It's dark, it's gothic, it's industrial, it's... so much Batman.

James Gordon:
Style: Year One
Voice: Ted Levine
Like Mike Patton, I would love to hear him doing a Gordon interpretation.

Two-Face:
Style: The Long Halloween
Voice: Henry Rollins
Yeah, I admit it, it's a VERY strange pick. But just think about it! Listen to that guys voice and his ability to juggly calm, as well as enraged tones. I think this would be pretty interesting.

Robin:
Style: Carrie Kelly
Voice: Juliet Landau
I don't know what to say... I LOVE Carrie Kelly, and I LOVE the idea that Robin's a girl. And Juliet Landau is ALWAYS a win-win situation.

Alfred:
Style: Animated Season 1 - 3
Voice: Animated
This was and still IS in my opinion the definition of how Alfred has to look and sound like. He was perfectly portrayed in the sense that he didn't just work as a father-figure perfectly, but also as a friend.

Catwoman:
Style: Ed Brubaker / Darwyn Cooke (but with long hair like in New Frontier
Voice: Lauren Graham
You have to admit, this would be quite interesting.

Batsuit:
Style: Troika
Any questions?

Batman TV-Series:
Look at what I've written above.

Batman Movie Director:
Christopher Nolan

 

[mothy]

well, i like my bat world dark.

comic books are no longer "kid's entertainment" and that's why people react. the best comics are mature stories. it goes without saying that comics have lost much of their innocence.

batman is really not a kid's comic book any more. it's violent, extremely dark. the comic book batman is often much more violent and/or disturbing than its film counterpart. that batman is what the fans hold on to and consider the finest vision of the superhero (i'm one of them).

so going back to camp and garishness of the kid's batman seems like backpedaling.