Kevin Conroy: He Was Vengeance. He Was The Night. HE WAS BATMAN.

I write this with a heavy heart. We recently lost Kevin Conroy. To most, that name probably won’t mean much, but to my generation, this man became the gold standard to which all Batman performances are measured.

Conroy voiced the Dark Knight in Bruce Timm’s seminal Batman the Animated Series, showcasing not just the steadfast sense of justice that permeates Batman but also heart-breaking levels of pathos and empathy for those he saves and even the villains he fights.

It’s thanks to Conroy that the idea of Bruce Wayne being a mask and Batman being the true persona of a broken man fighting a never-ending war on crime became widespread.

It’s thanks in part to Conroy that the Arkham Games have become as beloved as they are. This man’s voice opened the door to a world of superheroes for a huge number of people (myself included) and defined the way a superhero should behave for over 30 years. This is the voice I hear when I read a Batman comic and it’s the performance that I believe will never have an equal live-action or animated.

Rather than focus on the sadness of his death, I’d like to discuss the best episodes of Batman related media Conroy voiced the character in.