The Night Needs a Hero

A movement of shadows. A rush of adrenaline under the midnight storm. No longer were the criminals safe. His name is a legend. Like the urban legends.

The Batman.

Even the city like Gotham couldn’t be devoid of crimes. The night seems a haven for those criminals. They cheat, steal and kill--their cruel faces flood the Gotham scene.

The Batman tries to keep the peace on the streets. His answers are violent. He holds an iron fist over the troubled city.

Created by Bob Kane during the 1930s, on the hindsight of the popular Superman comics, he was set on doing something different. A darker version of the legendary boy scout hero. The stories would be placed at night. The hero would be a tragic one. His parents were taken from him by a common criminal.

So he declares war on the everlasting night. For the sake of his parents. And for the sake of his own sanity. Just barely.

The Batman comes in many different versions. Comics, TV shows and movies. He also comes in another artistic variety: animation.

Two DVD sets came out last Tuesday March 21 as further spotlight on the dark knight: “Justice League” and “Batman Beyond.” They are currently in retail stores.

The cartoon show style, and its direction, follow on the wake of a much darker knight, hovering over the unlit city, reflecting the stories of Alan Moore and especially Frank Miller during the mid-eighties. It owes some to the 1989 Tim Burton film.

This Batman is far more dangerous. On the brink of darkness. He lives in a psychological nightmare.

The 1990s cartoons began with the Batman on his own. They remained faithful to the old comics. Yet the shows have their own distinctive style. Some of it can be contributed to the voice of Kevin Conroy…

a sound like crushed glass, very low, flooded with numbed anger his voice of Batman remains familiar for well over seven seasons.

Throughout the 1990s there is further cartoon development for the Batman character.
His character is carried over in “Justice League” where he teams up with six other superheroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman. However Batman is the only one who doesn’t have powers. So he relies on his detective skills and physical prowess. The episode “The Injustice League” deals with Batman’s reality of having no powers.

Another favorite is “The Enemy Below” with some excellent cartoon drawings. This time the superhero team, along with Batman, stops a coup from an assassination attempt.

Because of being one-hour shows, more time is focused on all major characters. So that none would steal the spotlight. Batman seems to hide more in the background, coming out when they need him most. He is like a dark guardian.

It’s good, solid entertainment. Best of all: the consistent use of Kevin Conroy’s voice remains a cornerstone of animation.

Another version is “Batman Beyond.” It gives the character an added dimension. The Batman is much older. He is no longer living in youthful eternity. He is mortal. He is eighty years old. Age has caught up with him and he is trapped in his elderly years.

So bitter he is that he gives up the cape and cowl for good. Until a much younger man picks up the suit.

The original Batman has a more limited role here. He sits in the background as he plays mentor. Kevin Conroy again reprises his voice for the older, wiser Batman. His grainy, angry voice continues to enthrall.

In many ways, Kevin Conroy is the Batman.

Now find out the enormous contributions this voice actor has made to both cartoon series. It is one of the best continuity histories of any cartoons: the long use of his voice so identified with the Batman character. And beware that the night is defended.