My childhood hero died this weekend.
I don’t think I knew his name was Kevin Conroy until I was an adult, but Conroy’s defining role was a highlight of my childhood and has remained a consistent, joyful presence in my life ever since. For an entire generation of fans, Conroy’s work on Batman: The Animated Series was the definitive take on Batman, the platonic ideal of who Batman is supposed to be, the voice we hear in our heads any time we read a Batman comic. Keaton? Bale? Pattinson? I’m sorry, but no single actor has had a bigger impact on Batman as a character as Kevin Conroy did. The man was a legend.
Sure, the 1966 Batman series starring Adam West was my first exposure to the character (And West’s death devastated me as well — you never stop loving your first Batman), but if Batman 66 is the reason I fell in love with superheroes and comic books in the first place, Batman: The Animated Series (and it’s many spin-offs, sequels, and sister series) is what cultivated that love and kept it alive as I grew up. It’s a series that treats its characters and viewers with respect. I learned so much from its tragic tales, from episodes that didn’t end with neat, happy endings. Its heroes and villains largely felt like real people, complex and nuanced, and as its star, Kevin Conroy lead the charge and set the tone in this regard.
Conroy was largely unfamiliar with Batman when he auditioned, instead fashioning his take more on classic literary heroes like Hamlet. His background was in theater rather than voice acting, yet he wielded his voice like a perfect tool, crafting distinct voices for both of Batman’s dual identities without resorting to cartoony growls or rasps; he instinctively tapped into the then radical idea that Bruce Wayne was the mask that Batman wore. Conroy played a Batman filled with pain and pathos, lending true gravitas to the character and the series. He was perhaps never better than in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, where a young Bruce Wayne begs to the memory of his parents to be set free of the vow he made to them, shocked that he’s actually feeling happiness for the first time since he was a child. It’s absolutely heartbreaking work.
But Conroy’s Batman wasn’t just sad. He was warm. He was terrifying. He was, at times, incredibly funny. It’s such a well rounded, fully fleshed out performance. It’s the kind of performance that becomes iconic, timeless, definitive.
The world created in Batman: The Animated Series eventually expanded into Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Static Shock, The Zeta Project, Justice League, and Justice League: Unlimited, and Conroy’s Batman became the centerpiece of this animated universe, a star or recurring guest in every series. When these titles came to a close DC launched a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies that brought in several new voice actors to play Batman, but the fan demand for more Kevin Conroy was so great that he was eventually brought back to reprise his most famous role in at least half a dozen entries, and continued to do so in the Arkham series of video games and the Justice League: Action series, a more comedic take on DC’s heroes that, nonetheless, found Conroy dropping more absolutely iconic line readings.
In 2019 Conroy made his first and only live action appearance as Bruce Wayne/Batman in an episode of Batwoman on the CW, as part of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event. In an event stuffed to the brim with cameos and guest appearances from famous DC actors, Conroy’s appearance still managed to be perhaps the most hyped of all.
By all accounts, Conroy also appears to have been a stand up guy outside of the voice booth; he was a fixture of fan conventions, and frequently seen volunteering, including helping care for the victims of the 9/11 attacks, who were thrilled to have Batman cooking their meals. He was the only Batman actor to show up to the dedication of “Bill Finger Way,” a road dedicated to Bill Finger, the Batman co-creator who was largely cheated out of his contributions to the character throughout his lifetime and died in obscurity.
He also had an incredible singing voice, which Justice League: Unlimited eventually let him show off:
Though this only became common knowledge in the last few years, Conroy was also gay. In retrospect, Conroy brought lived experience to Batman’s dual identities, a facet of superhero stories that’s resonated with and attracted queer fans for decades. Knowing that my childhood hero was also gay like me brings a feeling of kinship and understanding that’s hard to articulate, but that brings me so much joy.
Earlier this year, Conroy wrote a 9 page story called “Finding Batman” that was released in the DC Pride 2022 special. The story details Conroy’s life as a closeted gay actor throughout the 70s and the 80s leading up to his winning the role of Batman, the way the role gave him an outlet for decades of repressed anger, pain, and trauma, and the way a lifetime spent wearing a public and a private mask prepared him for the role. It’s a genuinely heartbreaking, moving story that I would love for every single reader of mine to check out. Seriously, even if you don’t give a flying fuck about Batman, you should read this story.
It’s devastating to lose Kevin Conroy, especially at only 66 years of age, but I’m so glad he was able to leave behind “Finding Batman” as one final piece of his legacy, so that his fans could know the person behind the definitive Batman that much better. What a blessing.
I’ve spent this weekend re-watching Batman: The Animated Series in Conroy’s memory, and it’s sparked ideas for a few quick newsletters I hope to get out this week (and/or next). They aren’t necessarily about Conroy’s performance specifically, but any discussion of B:TAS helps to keep Conroy’s memory alive. As a wise man once said, “people die when they are forgotten”; so as long as we’re still talking about Batman, in a way, Kevin Conroy will live on forever.
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“Do You Know What I Love the Most?” is a newsletter from Spencer Irwin about his relationship with the stories he loves. Spencer is an enthusiast and writer from Newark, Delaware, who likes punk rock, comic books, working out, breakfast, and most of all, stories. His previous work appeared on Retcon Punch, One Week One Band, and Crisis on Infinite Chords, and he can be found on Twitter at @ThatSpenceGuy. If you like this newsletter, please subscribe and share with your friends!