Which version of Batman is the best?

This is a question that really can't be answered definitively.  I can't just say, "Michael Keaton's Batman was the best", and that's that; it doesn't work that way.  The answer is completely subjective, but it's fun to think about.  So, today, let's take a closer look at the various versions of Batman through the years.

It was announced earlier today that an animated movie based on the 1966 TV show starring Adam West and Burt Ward will be coming out next year (2016).  Great!  I don't know about you, but when I watch reruns of that show on IFC, I'm hit with waves of nostalgia.  I'm instantly taken back to my Grandma's couch with my Uncle watching reruns when I was a little kid (some 20 plus years ago, ugh).

Adam West's Batman was fun and campy and a great show for kids to come home from school and tune in for.  Same Bat time, same Bat channel.  It also worked alongside the comic book version at the time, which was also cartoony.  As much fun as this show was it actually pushed Batman into a rut for some time.  By rut, I mean, the Caped Crusader's depiction in comic books and cartoons remained relatively the same.  He was drawn and shown in the same campy way he was in the 1966 TV show up until the 1980's when new writers joined the staff at DC comics. 

Frank Miller is the man responsible for bringing Batman into the modern era.  In 1986, Miller wrote and co-illustrated what has become known as arguably the greatest graphic novel ever written in The Dark Knight Returns.

This version introduced us to the Batman we know today.  In this miniseries we meet an older and retired Batman who leaves retirement to take back his city from the criminals that now rule.  Miller's Dark Knight faces the Joker for the last time, trains a new female Robin, defeats a younger and stronger gang leader, retrains former gang members for a new army he builds, AND goes toe to toe with Superman!  It is my person favorite Batman story and version of the character.

Because of the success of the Dark Knight Returns, movie studios took notice to the possibilities of the character on the big screen and brought us Tim Burton's 1989 BATMAN starring Michael Keaton.

When this movie premiered, non-comic book fans got a look at the new version of an already beloved character.  Fans went crazy when it was announced that Michael Keaton would take the role; believing that because he was mostly known for comedies, Keaton would be a terrible Batman.  They were wrong, as Michael Keaton is still widely regarded as the BEST LIVE ACTION BATMAN ever.  He would go on to return as Batman in Batman Returns, but that would be his last time in the cape and cowl.

Both Batman and Batman Returns were very successful and led to two more sequels.

Batman Forever starring Val Kilmer as Batman and Chris O'Donnell as Robin, kept the dark theme of the character, but also brought back a little bit of the 1966 TV show's campiness.  Bright neon colors, over the top villains, another redesigned Batmobile, and dumbed down writing was the new norm for Batman movies now.  Batman Forever was still very successful, so of course, another sequel needed to happen.  Since Batman Forever worked, Joel Schumacher (the director) moved forward with (in my opinion) the worst version of Batman we have ever seen and will ever see!  This:

2 words sum up George Clooney's Batman in 1997's Batman & Robin:  Bat Nipples.  If you thought Adam West's Batman was campy and silly, then check this one out.  Clooney's Batman showed no difference between the Bruce Wayne and Batman personalities (a major difference from previous movies and comic books).  This was the most poorly written, and poorly acted Batman movie yet and is the reason Batman would not return to the big screen until 2005.

Batman Begins starring Christian Bale as the Dark Knight and directed by Christopher Nolan has become arguably the best version of Batman yet.  I say arguably because it has become an argument of generations.  Older fans of the character say Keaton was the best, while younger fans born after 1989 say Bale is the best.

Meanwhile, in between 1989's Batman and 2005's Batman Begins, true fans found another version of Batman that many people say is the best. 

In 1992, Batman: The Animated Series debuted on Fox.  This version of Batman was dark and although it was an animated cartoon, it didn't feel like previous Batman cartoons.  Batman was a very serious character and the voice acting of Kevin Conroy really made the character come to life.  Conroy would go on to voice Batman in award winning video games as well as animated movies.  To this day, fans regard Conroy as the best Batman.

There is one other animated Batman worth mentioning that was not voiced by Conroy.  Diedrich Bader took over the character in yet another version of the Dark Knight in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Adult fans without kids probably aren't familiar with this series.  I have only recently watched it and I have to say, aside from the family friendly feel of the show, it is a solid representation of the character.  Watching episodes made me feel like a kid again.  By the end of the series, the writers made you feel that Batman would always be there to protect you; a feeling that didn't come with previous or future versions of the character.

While the animated Batman can be found in animated movies, or on Netflix these days, we've also been given a more violent version in the video game series.  All of these games are so much fun to play and offer a fantastic version of Batman.  We get the violence of facing the goons working for the big bad guys, the detective work in solving crimes, the ninja skills, and the incredible gritty writing and character protrayal.  Again, voiced by Kevin Conroy, the video games could also be argued for best version of the character.  The video games also offer fans an opportunity to act out their fantasy of being Batman.  With these games you get a level of interaction that is beyond the movies and TV shows.

I think I've covered nearly every popular version of Batman.  Keep in mind that while there were movies and TV shows being produced, the comic books kept coming.  While the overall character of Batman stayed the same, each writer or artist portrayed Batman differently.  A few story lines offered different versions of Batman as well.  For the hardcore fans reading this, I purposely didn't mention John Paul Valley (the guy who took over for Bruce Wayne after Bane broke his back in 1993) or Terry McGinnis (1999's Batman Beyond cartoon show) because they are specifically NOT Bruce Wayne.

There is one more version of Batman that I need to mention.  Since we have nothing to pull facts from yet, I'm going to offer my opinion on the most recent version of the live action Batman.  Ben Affleck.

Affleck will star as Batman in next years Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.  I'll admit that when this was first announced I was not happy.  All I could hear was a Batman with a Boston accent and a Christian Bale growl.  Blech.  However, as time went by and new info was released, I thought harder about it and now believe that Affleck could possibly be the BEST BATMAN EVER!  Think about it, Ben Affleck is pretty much already Bruce Wayne (he's rich and actually built himself a batcave year's ago), he's got the physical build of Batman (look at pictures of him now), and he's a huge fan of the character.  The Dawn of Justice Batman is being based on Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns' Batman, so he's older and battle worn.  Everything that I've been reading about this movie lately has made me extremely excited for it and specifically for this new version of Batman.

So, after seeing a deeper look at past versions of Batman, who do you think is best?  There is a solid argument for most of them.  Who do you choose?  Why?  Let me know in the comments.