Top 5 Batmans

Hello, it's been quite a while since I did one of these so I thought I'd start off with a serious topic. Who are the greatest actors to have portrayed the dark knight on cinematic and televisual screens? The furor over Ben Affleck's selection to play the caped crusader in Superman vs Batman got me thinking about this. To be honest the competiton isn't huge and I reckon Affleck could be pretty good.

It was a close run thing at the top as Adam West provided me with my introduction to the adventures of the Batman and I still have enormous fondness for that sixties TV series. I did subsequently come to love the comics and realise The Batman in those was darker and more serious but I think film makers since have struggled to balance the dark side of the character with an element of fun that all big screen heroes need.

The Christian Bale movies are a little too violent in places for me (this may be a sign I'm getting older, I didn't like Casino Royale either - too noisy!) but I have to recognise they're also the closest to the very best Batman comics. Keaton sneaks third due to the genius of Tim Burton (especially in Batman Returns which is possibly still my favourite Batman film). Lowery & Wilson sweep up the minor places due to their heartfelt attempts to play a costumed detective in a time of low fidelity technical options.

Let's never talk about Kilmer or Clooney again.

1. Adam West (1966-1968)

2. Christian Bale (2005-2012)

3. Micheal Keaton (1989-1992)

4. Robert Lowery (1949)

5. Lewis Wilson (1943)

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