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When it comes to heroes who are cloaked in darkness and use fear and intimidation to spook their enemies, Batman leads the charge. After all, the Dark Knight has been protecting Gotham City for almost 90 years and has more than established himself as one of the world's most popular superheroes in that time. However, Batman wasn't the first hero to boast the aforementioned hallmarks -- and some folks might argue that he ripped off the pulp hero known as The Shadow, aka the man who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.

The Shadow began life as a radio host in 1930, providing the voiceovers for a program called "Detective Story Hour." However, the mysterious character proved to be more popular than the stories being told on the air, so the bosses at publisher Street & Smith hired William B. Gibson...

Batman, a character with a rich history in comics, has been portrayed by numerous actors across various mediums, from live-action films to animated projects. Some actors have had brief appearances as the Caped Crusader, while others have portrayed him for years.

Now, DC fans have taken it upon themselves to rank these actors, setting aside box office and critical success. This fan-made list, compiled on Ranker, is for fans by fans.

24. Anthony Ruivivar (2353 Votes)

Anthony Ruivivar voiced Batman in the animated series “Beware the Batman” for 26 episodes, although he never portrayed the Dark Knight in live-action.

23. Jimmy Kimmel (3359 Votes)

Jimmy Kimmel provided the voice of Batman in ‘Teen Titans Go!’. He reportedly took on roles in movies primarily because his children were fans of the source material.

22. Robert Lowery (3694 Votes)

Robert Lowery played Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 1949 film serial ‘Batman and Robin.’ As a result, his portrayal featured a...

The Joker is one of comics’ most popular villains, appearing in countless Batman pieces of media across mediums. Gotham's Clown Prince of Crime has been blessed with diverse and riveting portrayals by talented actors in both film and television, but he also has a long and storied history in animation.

Many animated portrayals of Batman's greatest nemesis have been just as iconic as their film counterparts, if not more so. Unfortunately, not every animated Joker has lived up to the same standard. Sometimes an animated Joker is only as good or bad as the Batman show he is in. Other times, a cartoon Joker stands out as the best, or worst, member of his cast.

Update: 2025/02/08 19:20 Est By Brian Cronin

I have updated this fun look at the best takes on the Joker in Batman animated shows and featured to add five more notable Joker animated appearances.

RelatedEvery Batman Cartoon,...

Welcome to the 176th edition of Adventure(s) Time, where we examine beloved animated series and their comic cousins. This week, the protean menace of the animated Scarecrow, and the obscure comic that might've inspired two of his schemes. If you have any suggestions for the future, let me hear them. Just contact me on Twitter.

A classic Batman foe that dates all the way back to September 1941's World's Finest Comics #3, Scarecrow can count none other than Bat-dads Bill Finger and Bob Kane as his creators. Inspired by The Legend of Sleepy Hollow's Ichabod Crane, the lanky villain appeared only twice in the Golden Age before being resurrected by Gardner Fox and Sheldon Moldoff in February 1967's Batman #189. Scarecrow never made an appearance on the live-action Adam West series, oddly enough, even though he was reintroduced at the height of '60s "Bat-mania." But he did later show...

The Batman franchise has seen its fair share of adaptations over the years. The Dark Knight has appeared on-screen in movies, TV shows, and numerous animated depictions. Every depiction captured a wide range of genres. There was the action hero Ben Affleck from Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), the mystery lead Robert Pattinson from The Batman (2022), and the comedian Will Arnett from The Lego Batman (2017). All of those clashing portrayals came within six years of each other, and each revealed a different side of Gotham's determined protector.

The Batman movies and shows did not begin with the DC Extended Universe, of course. The character was first adapted from the comics in a radio drama in 1945, but he has since debuted in a variety of other mediums. In animation, he has been portrayed by Olan Soule (The Adventures of Batman), Kevin Conroy (Batman Beyond), Diedrich Bader (Batman: The Brave and the Bold...

Every Batman animated series explores a different side of the character, and some of the best Batman stories have been told in animation form. Over the years, Batman has been front and center in ten solo animated series from 1968 to 2014. This does not include other DC animated shows Batman was part of, such as Justice League or Young Justice. With the release of a new Batman series in 2024, animated productions still represent a huge part of the Dark Knights legacy.

Batman has been DC Comics flagship character for a while now, which is why the Caped Crusader has starred in more animated series than any other DC hero. That is not to mention the several DC Animated Universe movies that have featured Batman in some capacity. Here is every Batman animated show, ranked from worst to best.

The Adventures Of Batman (1968 - 1969) 17 Episodes

The Filmation cartoons are an important part of DCs animation history,...

Colin Farrell is far from the first person to make his mark playing famous Batman rogue The Penguin in HBO’s aptly named new series “The Penguin.”

Of all the superheroes, Batman’s villains are the most recognizable. Among them The Penguin stands as possibly the most recognizable behind only the Joker. That’s led to quite a number of actors getting a crack at the character over the years beginning way back in the mid-60s.

There have been a few one-off performances in TV or animated movies where people lent their voice, but these 10 performers made their mark on the character especially felt. Before you get too deep into “The Penguin,” go back and appreciate the long history of the Batman villain on the big and small screen.

Burgess Meredith

“Batman” (1966-1968)

Burgess Meredith was the first actor to put his mark on the Batman villain. He hammed...

There's no doubt that Batman is DC's most profitable and iconic character. Similarly, it's no coincidence that Detective Comics became the company's name and initials. Batman's popularity transcended the comic book medium, becoming a major part of entertainment for decades and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

Batman has also been the star of several animated shows, many of which have touched the hearts of multiple generations. By taking a look at each of the Batman animated series in order of release, viewers can explore the Caped Crusader's dynamic history in chronological form, allowing them to understand the character's gradual evolution.

Updated on August 7, 2024, by Benjamin Vieira: With the release of Batman: The Caped Crusader, it continues the long history of animated shows for one of, if not, the most popular characters in all of comic book history. Batman has had and taken part in numerous shows over the years,...

Superman: The Animated Series (1995) is one of the best Superman animated shows, showcasing a perfect balance between the "symbol of hope" and "action hero" aspects of the character. The Fleischer Superman cartoons from 1940 were groundbreaking and set the stage for future animated series, with impressive animation and memorable moments. Other great animated Superman series include My Adventures With Superman (2023), a love letter to the character and previous Superman shows, and the unique Legion of Superheroes.

Every Superman animated series brought something different into the DC Universe, from Silver Age adaptations to modern stories. While DC released several Superman animated shows in the 20th century, some of which were just compilations of previous cartoons, the Man of Steel didnt receive many animated series in the 2000s. To put things in perspective, Batman starred in five animated solo shows from 1993 to 2013, while Superman only received two solo animated shows from 1995 to 2023.

The...

Batman is one of the most adapted characters in the history of the comics. From various live-action movies to animated projects, there are quite a few names that have been attached to the role.

Some actors showed up only briefly, while some have been embodying the character for years, and DC fans, finally got around to ranking them all. Forget about box office and critical success, this list was made by fans for fans on Ranker.

24. Anthony Ruivivar

Anthony Ruivivar never played the Dark Knight in live-action but he did voice him in ‘Beware the Batman’ for 26 episodes.

23. Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel voiced Batman in ‘Teen Titans Go!,’ he apparently took roles in movies only because his children were fans of the source material.

22. Robert Lowery

Robert Lowery portrayed Batman/Bruce Wayne in the 1949 film serial ‘Batman and Robin.’ This is why his costume and fighting skills are a lot...

Batman's animated TV series history is just as successful and diverse as his big-screen ventures. From campy to dark and brooding, there's a Batman animated show for every taste over the decades. With more DC animated shows and movies on the horizon, The Dark Knight's TV legacy continues to thrive.

Batman may be one of DC's most successful and prolific superheroes on the big screen, but the Caped Crusader has an equally - if not more - successful history in animated television series. While the character has been the star of acclaimed films such as The Dark Knight trilogy, many children grew up watching Bruce Wayne take on a wide range of foes one 30-minute segment at a time. Moreover, with Batman animated series running largely without pause since the 1960s, enjoying The Caped Crusader on TV is a multigenerational delight.

More impressive yet is the diversity that Batman's...

Batman has had a strong influence in animation thanks to many cartoons and movies. The classic show's success relied on a key Batman component that has been lost over the years. Batman: Caped Crusader could be the key to returning Batman to the status quo and having him retake the lead in animation.

Batman has long been a staple in animated movies and on TV, and Batman: Caped Crusader can bring it back to glory. He and his various allies and enemies have made their names fighting through an animated Gotham as they risk their lives in a never-ending war. At times, he teams up with the Justice League. At times, he and Robin fight alone. Sometimes, Batman is all alone and desperately trying to survive the onslaught of villains like Red Hood, Joker, and Harley Quinn. Though Batman was born in comic books, he has been dominating TV and movies for decades.

Just when it looked like the Dark Knight was about to have his serialized animation return purged by Warner Bros. Discovery, Gotham's protector will return in an all-new animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader. Gotham's brooding hero has been the subject of more than a few animated adaptations over the years, starting all the way back in the 1960s with The Adventures of Batman. Since then there have been many shows that brought Bruce Wayne's story into animation form, but none are more iconic and popular than Batman: The Animated Series. The co-creation of animation legend Bruce Timm, Batman: The Animated Series isn't just consistently praised as the best Batman show ever made; it even gives the live-action feature films a run for their money as the best adaptation of the Batman ever conceived. You know a show is good when it gets a theatrical film entry, which Batman: The Animated Series...

"Batman: The Animated Series" is one of the crowning achievements of American animation. To this day, it's remembered for its atmospheric art design (homaging Fleischer Studios' Superman cartoons) and mature storytelling — even if it never forgot its young target audience along the way. The series' star, the late, legendary Kevin Conroy, is the definitive voice of the Dark Knight for a generation, while Harley Quinn, who was created for the series, has become the most successful DC Comics character who didn't originate in the comics.

The series' success meant its creative team shaped Batman in animation for the next decade. In 1993, the series led to the theatrical film, "Mask of the Phantasm," which took everything great about the series and pushed it further. While "Batman: The Animated Series" ended in 1995, it became only the first installment in the DC Animated Universe, which culminated wiith "Justice League Unlimited," which ran from...

Filmation caught lightning in a bottle. In 1965 or so, with no real money or track record, they bamboozled DC Comics into licensing Superman for animated fare. Just as the Man of Steel flew to his Broadway debut and Batmania was sweeping the country, they gave us Superman cartoons, followed by Aqualand and friends. Finally, in 1968, six months after the live-action series left ABC, CBS Saturday Morning welcomed The Batman/Superman Hour, mixing the 1966 super-doings with brand new 12-minute Bat-capades.

All 34 capers are now packaged in remastered form as The Adventures of Batman, a two-disc set from Warner Home Entertainment. At 10, I was delighted by these, even if some of the equipment and villains didn’t look quite on model, and even at that tender age, I recognized how many shots were reused to stretch the animation budget.

They played it straight and in animated form, worked without the camp element...

30 years after its premiere, "Batman: The Animated Series" still undoubtedly serves as the blueprint for adapting the Caped Crusader. Created by Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm, the show took the source material seriously to deliver a Batman that wrestled with his unrelenting search for vengeance. A neo-noir aesthetic filled every frame to the brim with dramatic undertones befitting of the Dark Knight. In contrast to other cartoons, "Batman: The Animated Series" drenched Batman and his enemies in high-contrast lighting to emphasize the darker nature of the project. In fact, it was an art style that proved to be initially overwhelming for the voice actor under the cowl.

It's no secret that the late Kevin Conroy, whose legacy at the Dark Knight stretches far past "The Animated Series," has become the definitive voice of Batman across all mediums. Many have tried their hand at voicing the character, but the legendary performer remains the unparalleled favorite.

Mad Men and The Social Dilemma actor Vincent Kartheiser has joined the cast of HBO Max’s Titans and is set to take on Jonathan Crane, a.k.a. Scarecrow in season three.

Kartheiser’s Jonathan Crane is an inmate at Arkham Asylum who used to terrorize Gotham City using toxins to exploit his enemies’ phobias. While Kartheiser will make his debut as the DC villain in the series’ upcoming third season, Scarecrow has already appeared in a number of DC titles including The Adventures of Batman, Harley Quinn and even The Lego Batman Movie. Charlie Tahan previously portrayed the villain on Gotham and Cillian Murphy played Crane for Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.

Kartheiser joins the Titans cast which stars Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter and Conor Leslie, who teased the big bad’s appearance at DC FanDome 2020. Titans is produced by Weed Road Pictures and Berlanti Productions,...

Burbank, CA – A mysterious villain puppeteering Gotham’s most dangerous forces leads the Dark Knight into uncharted waters in Batman: Hush, the next entry in the popular series of DC Universe Movies. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, the feature-length animated film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting July 20, 2019, and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, , Blu-ray Combo Pack and the DC Universe streaming service on August 13, 2019.

Batman: Hush will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack ($39.99 Srp) and Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98 Srp) as well as on Digital ($19.99 HD). The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with Hdr and a Blu-ray disc featuring the film; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the film in hi-definition. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a digital version of the film.

An adaptation of the seminal DC classic tale, Batman: Hush...

Now that the likes of Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke and Under the Red Hood are out of the way, it’s long overdue that Batman: Hush be adapted as an animated film. Not only does the source material remain my favorite comic book story arc to feature the Caped Crusader, but it also serves as a perfect jumping on point because it includes so many essential characters.

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait much longer for it to arrive, as the flick will be made available digitally beginning on July 2oth, with 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack releases set to follow on August 13th. Additionally, it’ll also hit the DC Universe streaming service on the latter date given.

When it comes to the voice cast, Jason O’Mara returns for yet another adventure as the Dark Knight himself. Jennifer Morrison,...

Batman fans have long enjoyed a rich tradition of video games to accompany their favorite DC Comics hero in his exploits. The tradition of Batman games harkens back to the original Nintendo in the 1980s and has remained a staple in gameplay ever since. In today's world gamers have a number of options outside of console games, from online games to online casino games. You can find a lot of these by scowering search engines and while you're at it you can check the top offers of the internet betting operators from this link. There are no shortage of popular games that have spawned from the Batman franchise, even long before the Arkham series came along. We'll examine a few for you below.

The Batman Lego video games offer some of the funnest gameplay, while also serving up a ton of easter eggs for the fans. The first time we...

Chris Freiberg Sep 28, 2016

Many of us know the Super Nintendo classics, but do you remember all of the console's most underappreciated games?

This year marks 25 years since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was released; a momentous occasion for video game fans growing up in the 90s. Even though the Big N has released four more consoles since, many Nintendo fans would say the Snes is still the best console that the House of Mario has ever released.

A lot of the console's success has to do its with roster of games. From third-party titles to Nintendo's own franchises, this was an era that showcased the platform's total dominance over the industry, even as the Sega Genesis proved to be a strong competitor. It’s not difficult to see why: just looking at Nintendo's own IPs, it's easy to argue that Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and The Legend Of Zelda...

The Adventures of Batman DVD Review

Own this on DVD today!

Synopsis: The Adventures of Batman is an American animated television series produced by Lou Schiemer's Filmation Studios, which first broadcast as part of The Batman/Superman Hour in 1968. Each of the 34 shorts features over-the-top characters and catchy dramatic music cues, giving this version of Batman a realistic look and feel—by cartoon standards of the day. The film’s colors are vibrant, exciting and truly exemplify the character of these original films.

Review: Batman is one of the most popular comic book heroes in the world, so you would assume that all of the animated incarnations were already released on DVD, but that just isn't the case. Now, with this release, we get a step closer to completion! This is the first true Batman cartoon. It was produced by the legendary Filmation studios. This single DVD represents the complete series,...

Street Date: 6/3/14

Synopsis: The Adventures of Batman was an American animated television series produced by Lou Schiemer's Filmation studios. The shorts were broadcast as part of The Batman/Superman Hour in 1967. Over-the-top characters and catchy dramatic music cues gave this version of Batman a realistic look and feel—by cartoon standards of the day.

Episodes:01 “How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow?”/ “A Bird Out of Hand”

02 “The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze”/ “The Joke's on Robin”

03 “Bubi, Bubi, Who’s Got The Ruby?” / “Opera Buffa”

04 “The Nine Lives of Batman”/ “In Again, Out Again Penguin”

05 “The Big Birthday Caper”/ “Long John Joker”

06 “The Crime Computer”/ “1001 Faces of the Riddler”

07 “Partners in Peril”/ “Two Penguins Too Many”

08 “Hizzoner The Joker” / “The Underworld, Underground Caper”

09 “Will The Real Robin Please Stand Up” / “Freeze’s Frozen Vikings”

10 “Simon the Pieman”/ “The Great Scarecrow Scare”

11 “My Crime is Your Crime”/ “Beware of Living Dolls”

12 “From...

Among my peers, I am the Batman fan. A lot of the time, however, I am also the only Batman fan (or comic book fan in general). So taking things to the Internet instead of driving my friends crazy allows for great discussions to occur with other Gothamites – though, unfortunately, there’s no escaping the venomous conversations there, either. Batman fans can quickly become mama bear if and/or when their perceived notion of Batman is challenged. Take the casting of Ben Affleck as precedence, and how the news quickly rose to the top of the Twittersphere.

It doesn’t end with Ben Affleck, of course – there are lots of notions that Batman fans tend to get antsy about. Here are the top 10 most sensitive Batman-related arguments amongst Batman purists, many of which a lot of fans seem to have got totally and utterly wrong…

10. Batman Voice Acting

Firstly,...

Batman Beyond, Season 1, episode 1: “Rebirth Part 1“

Directed by Curt Geda

Written by Alan Burnett and PAul Dini

Originally aired, January 10th, 1999

It’s a delicate balancing act to create a pilot that both delves into a story as well as be as thoroughly entertaining as possible. It’s even harder to delve in to an established universe with brand new characters and stories while not altering the source material, and Batman Beyond did that in spades; establishing new and exciting characters within a world where many of largest stories have already happened, when also creating a one of the darkest, more adult themed kids cartoon shows ever produced. That darkness was ever present with the first episodes “Rebirth” and “Rebirth Part 2”.

A dark, gripping saga for a new hero.

In the first frames, we meet our old familiar hero Bruce Wayne (voiced by Kevin Conroy in his finest of...

Beginning today, Voices From Krypton.net is launching a twice-weekly feature that will chronicle the entire run of the show, featuring interviews with the primary cast members from Justice League and behind the scenes comments from various writer/producers, including Bruce Timm and James Tucker. What follows is an excerpt from the first installment: When Batman The Animated Series made its debut in 1991, it was viewed as innovative, ground-breaking and unlike any other animated show to have been aired in the television medium’s history. Not surprisingly, the show spawned a number of spin-offs (among them The Adventures of Batman and Robin and Gotham Knights), and its success paved the way for Superman The Animated Series and Batman Beyond, which took place 50 years in the future and chronicled the efforts of an elderly Bruce Wayne to train his successor. All told, an impressive track record for everyone involved, among them executive producer Bruce Timm.

Welcome back to our weekly look at the new podcasts available at our “partners in podcast crime” the GeekCast Radio Network. As usual here’s our weekly look at the podcasts from Gcrn, This Week in Geek and the latest toy review videos from Baltmatrix, with descriptions and links to each and every podcast for your audio/visual pleasure!

Attf v2.0 – Episode 29 – Tf Prime’s Speculation

Steve, Mike and PecanCT Michael sit down and talk Transformers Prime and All Things Transformers in this Hour long discussion. Stay tuned for the next episode coming soon. Transform and Roll Out!

Legends of the Dark Knight – Episode 17

We return once more to Gotham for the Legends of the Dark Knight! In this Episode Steve and Mike glide the skies of Gotham City to delve into The Adventures of Batman and Robin! This time they discuss, “Second Chance”, “Harley’s Holiday”, “Lock-Up”, “Make ’em...

Welcome back to our weekly look at the new podcasts available at our “partners in podcast crime” the GeekCast Radio Network. As usual here’s our weekly look at the podcasts from Gcrn, This Week in Geek and the latest toy review videos from Baltmatrix, with descriptions and links to each and every podcast for your audio/visual pleasure!

Gcr – Episode 39 – All Things Batman

In Episode 39 we talk about the comic character that has been around for the last 73 years. Batman! Everyone in their life has had exposure to Batman in some form or another. Whether that be comics, television, video games, cartoons, films, and anything else Batman has been in. So sit back, relax, grab your bat popcorn, and listen up as we give our opinions and tell the history on The Goddamn Batman.

Interviews – Josh Keaton

In this Toon Beyond Interview, PecanCtmichael joins TFG1Mike to talk with Josh Keaton.