I have already become less regular in blogging. So, breaking a rule I had initially made to force myself to write a variety of types of posts loses its steam. With that...welcome to a third edition of "Into the Fray." This is where I set criteria to pick contenders, a somewhat overlapping set to grade them, a brief write-up and score for each of those, and declare a winner based on an overall score. For a better idea, the first two editions on sequels and trilogies are available here and here, respectively.

Into the Fray: Batman

Batman. I imagine that word conjures up wildly different images for different people depending on a multitude of factors. Beginning with a theatrical serial of fifteen chapters starring Lewis Wilson in the titular role only four years after the character's 1939 comic debut, Batman's adventures off the pages are a rich if not somewhat checkered history. It is these portrayals that are the subject today. Before many of you say, "Christian Bale, right?" let's not be so hasty. Since I just counted and came up with eleven different Batman actors with barely any effort, I am automatically disqualifying any portrayal outside film and television, so no video games or audio dramas. The depiction must have occurred in a significant franchise (for which I will also present reasoning as we go), and this last one makes the choice of contenders easy, at least in my mind. Since it applies to at least two of them, one more thing before grading criteria: We are only concerned with what we will call the primary portrayal, which I will name as we go so there is no question. Grading criteria is as follows: definition of Batman- how much of the traits that are inseparable from the character such as detective, excellent fighter, anti-crime, ability to get results, and protection of his identity; fit with setting- how well does Batman correspond with the world in which he operates; consistency in actions- how similar Batman's actions are in like situations, accounting for logical character development; and finally, mirror image of his Joker- a mirror is a perfect reflection but fully opposite, and it's an important thing to note that Joker be chaos (with a wide world of interpretation) and Batman be the order to set it right again. This last category is not meant to be a review of portrayals of Joker, per se, but there is an inevitable sprinkling of one. Into the fray!

Adam West [Batman (1966-1968), Batman (1966, aka Batman: The Movie)]: This continuity is considered significant because of its vast popularity, a legacy that contributed to high demand for and eventual home release of the series despite widely-known licensing disputes almost fifty years after its debut. Definition: Adam West's Batman is a world-class detective, solving clues in ways that make little sense to anyone else at times, always wins every fight in the end, is so anti-crime he and Robin are duly deputized officers of the law, and his track record speaks for itself. Most characters find it laughable he would ever disclose his identity as millionaire Bruce Wayne. 5/5. Setting: Adam West has been referred to as the "Bright Knight." A large percentage of the show and film takes place during the day even during superhero activities (his costume would do little good at night for stealth), the general air is light, and West flourishes in it all. 5/5. Consistency: There is such a high level of uniformity to West's Batman's approach that some may even find the show to be too formulaic. The only tiny exception to the formula is the creators took advantage of the theatrical release, PG rating and length of the film a bit. 5/5. Mirror: Cesar Romero manages find the way for his The Joker to both exist in 1960s campy Gotham and still come off as insane which could be deemed as such in literally any environment. He does this so well, in fact, that this is the chink in the Bright Knight's armor, because many of the other villain actors use a similar clown-like approach only with a different theme. Also, Mr. West's Batman does not appear any more rattled with The Joker than any other villain either as I feel he should be. 3/5. Overall Score: 4.5/5.

Michael Keaton [Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992)]: As difficult as it is to imagine, without the 1989 film, the character of Batman might have slipped into obscurity. But, it is actually Frank Miller's 1986 limited series, The Dark Knight Returns, that is responsible for that film's existence and subjectively, its success with its dark tone. In my opinion, the sequel is actually a bit better. Definition: Pieces of the research Michael Keaton's Batman uses to solve both movies' primary cases are seen, he is willing to kill (like it or not) to get a win for the greater good, and prevents the villain's goal of mass murder in each story via commitment to see it through and innovation. Keaton has a slightly differing voice inflection between Wayne and Batman with the addition of a slight goofy mannerism out of the Batsuit. Still, the "no kill" rule has come to define the character due to its establishing a separation between Batman being a heroic vigilante and the criminals themselves. 4/5. Setting: Both films strike a balance between a gritty and grim reality and the fantasy that is only found in the pages of comic books. Keaton's comedy background and an acting talent seemingly hidden beforehand strikes that balance as the Batman and Bruce Wayne of Tim Burton's Gotham City. The exploration of the duality of the character can make for an interesting part of the story, but Keaton reminds us that he is one and the same man while still fully embracing his differences in and out of costume. 5/5. Consistency: For Mr. Keaton's Batman, this is a bit difficult to assess because he is seemingly at the beginning of his activities in '89 and has three more years of experience in Returns. However, he uses the shadows and stealth in some scenarios and goes in for full frontal assault in others in both films, confirming he gauges each for best approach, albeit offscreen. 5/5. Mirror: Hollywood villainy aside, Jack Nicholson seems a natural choice to play the Joker, especially considering his origin is part of the story, so it is important to show he is already off-kilter from the offset. Normally, I would count off for the age difference, but by interweaving his origin with Batman's, he is the criminal element Batman is fighting against, literally personified. 5/5. Overall Score: 4.75/5.

Kevin Conroy [Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) and every release in the same continuity including four films and four additional television series that he is a main character]: The market for a darker Batman animated series opened after the success of the 1989 live-action film. Some of the best storytelling in Batman (and DC) history occurs within this continuity, including a Batman film easily in my top five, Mask of the Phantasm (1993). With a total runtime of many, many minutes (Batman: The Complete Animated Series on Blu-ray boasts a gargantuan 2,391 of them alone excluding the two "bonus" film discs), Conroy's voicing of the character has a large opportunity to excel in all categories, but this could also magnify imperfections. Definition: Some stories are straight-up mysteries like the aforementioned film, Mask..., and Mystery of the Batwoman (2003) and Ra's al Ghul simply refers to him as "Detective". His commitment to his skills as a fighter are shown through some flashbacks, he clearly displays the "no kill" policy as he wants to save everyone, and he even solved a case while blind at a greater than usual personal risk to self. With only his voice, Kevin Conroy virtually made Bruce Wayne and Batman separate people/characters (influencing most future incarnations), which goes a long way to keeping his secret safe. 5/5. Setting: Animation may very well be the perfect medium to make comic panels come to life. It is much easier to suspend reality so that the asynchronous time setting of this Gotham can harmonize with blurring lines of science-fiction and the supernatural. It might be said Conroy has the easiest time in this, but I am inclined to think it is in fact the most difficult. For him to match the animated "actor" so well is the same level of the joining together of David Prowse and James Earl Jones to create the near flawless performance of Darth Vader in the Star Wars Original Trilogy. 5/5. Consistency: This is another tricky assessment because the span of time with Bruce operating as Batman is at least a decade, a conservative estimate. However, he always values the lives of those around him, protects his team(s) at nearly all costs, and is much deeper emotionally than his exterior ever reveals initially. 5/5. Mirror: I have no statistics to support this, but I am certain it is a fair estimate that the overwhelming majority of opinions for best Joker performance consists of two actors, and one of those is Mark Hamill. He somehow finds that sweet spot of mixing clown prince and psychopath. More evident in Mask of the Phantasm, it is clear Batman considers Joker's threat with the proper respect. It is difficult to see the full effect of mirroring, though...until the flashbacks in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker when it becomes more personal. 5/5. Overall Score: 5/5.

Christian Bale [The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012)]: The year was 1997, and Batman & Robin did kill; killed a franchise. A fifth film in that "continuity" was canceled, and it would be eight years before a new Batman film was released. And release one did. Batman Begins influenced the immediate(ish) direction of Batman and DC in film and has continued to do so to date with its dark tone and a take on the character that is rooted in reality. Definition: Christian Bale's Batman is shown to use modern forensic science, Begins delves into the acquiring of intense fighting techniques, escapes a brutal commitment to avoid killing a stranger, and is so concerned with results, refuses to let Harvey Dent's "White Knight" image be tarnished in exchange for his own reputation. While a bit more realistic than no one figuring it out, he virtually tells both Rachel Dawes and James Gordon his identity. 4/5. Setting: Mr. Bale's Gotham City is very much a city of today, and his Batman fits this realism with the indicator that nearly all his equipment had a previous intention now adapted to his purpose: the Batsuit, the cape and the Tumbler. 5/5. Consistency: As is common among the contenders, the gauging of Bale's Batman's consistency is somewhat difficult, since each film is a different stage: beginning/first case, around a year later, and return after retirement of around eight years. However, he has a methodical and analytical approach to each situation, even in the chaos of the events of The Dark Knight. The only exception to this is when he attempts to face Bane the first time after the years of being out of practice. But, Alfred's reaction all but confirms it is result of his continued depression after the death of Rachel, which I cannot count against him. 5/5. Mirror: The other Joker performance that I presume makes up the vast majority of opinions as the best one is Heath Ledger's. To properly assess this criterion, it is important to note the theme of each film: Begins is fear, Dark Knight is chaos, and Rises is pain (although I think both the previous themes are present in the final film as well). Occasionally, a film will have a quote that sums up a point perfectly. In discussion about Joker, Bruce attempts to make sense of his actions, to which Alfred replies, "...Some men just want to watch the world burn." 5/5. Overall Score: 4.75/5.

The winner for the best Batman performance is...the late great Kevin Conroy! Nearly perfect, his Batman checks off each defining trait of the character, he fits the often dark setting without compromising the tone appropriate for a wide audience, he mostly has a consistent approach with room for both character development and a few surprises that are still oddly consistent, and he mirrors Mark Hamill's Joker, although more evident at certain times than others. In another close contest (after Into the Fray: Sequels), the runners-up in rank order are a tie between Michael Keaton and Christian Bale, with Adam West scoring just a bit less than them. As always, it is important to what it is as to what this "Into the Fray" is not. It is not meant to take away from any of the performances of the actors listed or even actors not in contention due to not meeting the "significant franchise" criterion for various reasons. These include Rino Romano (The Batman, 2004-2008), Ben Affleck (DCEU, 2016-2023), and Robert Pattinson (The Batman, 2022-?). It is instead nearly as much a testament to the portrayal of the character as it is to the world created for them to operate. The wide range from Adam West to Christian Bale with the other two falling somewhere in between also says how truly versatile the character is.

Next up...Review of the Star Wars Original Trilogy!