Batman: 5 Best Things About The Timm/Dini Animated DC Universe

2. Voice Talent

Every generation has its Batman. For those growing up in the 60's it is Adam West. For those in the late 80's/early 90's it was Michael Keaton. And for those growing up today, it is clearly Christian Bale. For anyone growing up in the late 90's though, it was clearly Kevin Conroy. One could even argue that this feat is much greater since he had to portray a character merely through the sound of his voice. Reports are that after several failed auditions by other actors, the second that Conroy opened his mouth in the recording booth, the part was his. The level of talent did not end with Batman either. Initially brought on to play a business man, the one and only Mark Hamill lent his talents to change the way we saw the Joker. Most people knew him for his role as Luke Skywalker of course, but his turn as the Joker allowed us to see someone else other than the definitive Jack Nicholson in the role far before Heath Ledger blew us away in The Dark Knight. Hamill's voice is unrecognizable and finds the perfect blend of lunacy an sadness. If you have ever heard him speak about it, he has a near encyclopedic knowledge of voice acting and comics that he brought to the table in his respect for the material. Most importantly though, the Timm/Dini verse went from seeking out performers to needing to beat them off with a stick. Actors such as Jeremy Piven, Neil Patrick Harris, and Ron Perlman all went on to voice characters. Most of the credit here goes to Andrea Romano for taking her job as voice casting director serious enough to earn the respect she deserves.