If anyone has the right to claim “I’M BATMAN,” it’s Kevin Conroy. Forget Affleck, Bale, or Keaton, Conroy is the definitive Bruce Wayne, having voiced the character for 25 years. If you’ve ever watched Batman: The Animated Series (or any of its spinoffs) or played the Arkham video games, you’ve heard Conroy’s baritone assuring the citizens of Gotham they will be safe.
However, the mainstream chooses Christian Bale as their go-to Batman, thanks to Christopher Nolan’s wildly successful Dark Knight trilogy. So what happens when those two Batmans collide? Simple, you get one of the coolest 90 seconds of Batman ever. On the Alpha show Talkin’ Toons, Kevin Conroy and host Rob Paulsen (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Animaniacs) read the ending scene of The Dark Knight, in which Batman and Commissioner Gordon discuss the fate of Gotham.
The line “you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain” was the trilogy’s greatest line of dialogue, and maybe even the best line in any superhero film. Personally, I didn’t think it could get better, but hearing Conroy’s gravelly Bruce Wayne recite the words evokes the same feeling of wonder I felt seeing The Dark Knight in the theater. And Paulsen does a great job as the commissioner, subtly bringing out Gordon’s skepticism, fear, and respect for Batman in only a few lines.
What other iconic movie lines would you like to hear Kevin Conroy read? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter.
Image: Warner Bros., Rocksteady
