Val Kilmer.
George Clooney.
Ben Affleck.
Michael Keaton.
Adam West.
Christian Bale.

I'm going with Christian Bale. Thoughts?

MrGolfguy said:

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Adam West set the mark and is still up on a pedestal by himself - for obvious reasons

Out of the rest it's got to be Michael Keaton.

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GREAT SCOTT!!!!

Adam West.

If any of those other imposters were any good they would given the role to one of them permanently.

Stranger said:

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Adam West.

If any of those other imposters were any good they would given the role to one of them permanently.

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The Bale version kind of did since it was envisioned as a trilogy.

GolemIII said:

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Val Kilmer.
George Clooney.
Ben Affleck.
Michael Keaton.
Adam West.
Christian Bale.

I'm going with Christian Bale. Thoughts?

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Christian Bale.

Who was the worst? That's a great debate.

Stranger said:

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Adam West.

If any of those other imposters were any good they would given the role to one of them permanently.

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Great nostalgia.

Adam West should be in a different category for campiness.

The Nolan Batman trilogy is untouchable as far as comic book movies go, though Logan and Deadpool aren't that far behind. So yeah, Bale in a landslide, while Michael Keaton is easily in second place and I guess Val Kilmer in third.

GolemIII said:

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Val Kilmer.
George Clooney.
Ben Affleck.
Michael Keaton.
Adam West.
Christian Bale.

I'm going with Christian Bale. Thoughts?

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Adam West is like an iconic cartoony batman, better than many of those on that list.

Christian Bale played a completely different style of Batman so it is tough for me to judge him against the others. He was better than Ben Affleck.

Somebody tried to get me to comment on the best Joker recently. I think my answer is the same here.

The different Batman's are too varied to compare them fairly for the title of best.

That said--the suckiest Batman would have to be Kilmer or Afleck.

For me it's a toss-up between Keaton and Bale. Haven't seen Affleck or Clooney though.

Gruvin said:

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GolemIII said:

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Val Kilmer.
George Clooney.
Ben Affleck.
Michael Keaton.
Adam West.
Christian Bale.

I'm going with Christian Bale. Thoughts?

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Adam West is like an iconic cartoony batman, better than many of those on that list.

Christian Bale played a completely different style of Batman so it is tough for me to judge him against the others. He was better than Ben Affleck.

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Second (second comment). Really depends on the type of Batman. I'm not a comic book guy, so no frame of reference. I thought Keaton's understated performance was really good, and I lived the Nicholson Joker and that movie - it is a shame IMHO it lived on with all the other incarnations. I think Clooney actually would have been really good in the first couple - IIRC, he had the worst script / movie / villains.

FWIW - watched Justice League last week ... did not think Affleck was terrible.

Worst so far: Val Kilmer

2nd worst so far: Ben Affleck

Future Worst: Vin Diesel

Oldbear83 said:

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Worst so far: Val Kilmer

2nd worst so far: Ben Affleck

Future Worst: Vin Diesel

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The African American lesbian or transgender future Batman might disagree.

Kyle said:

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Oldbear83 said:

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Worst so far: Val Kilmer

2nd worst so far: Ben Affleck

Future Worst: Vin Diesel

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The African American lesbian or transgender future Batman might disagree.

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BY then the franchise will have devolved to 'Ratman' ...

It is tough to compare the various Batman actors as each of them plays a different version (as other posters have pointed out).

West was a for TV, live action cartoon version (essentially).

Bale and Affleck have played a darker Batman. Clooney, Keaton, Kilmer played a light hearted one who didn't separate much between Batman/ Wayne.

For me Bale is the best due to the darkness, acting between the two egos, and many other factors.

Afflect wasn't that bad but still might be at the bottom of my list, mainly due to the fact the story and movies he is involved with sucked.

El Oso said:

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Somebody tried to get me to comment on the best Joker recently. I think my answer is the same here.

The different Batman's are too varied to compare them fairly for the title of best.

That said--the suckiest Batman would have to be Kilmer or Afleck.

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Agreed. The Heath Ledger joker was a great version of it but he was not focused on "joking" / laughing like the tv version or the Nicholson version.

El Oso said:

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Somebody tried to get me to comment on the best Joker recently. I think my answer is the same here.

The different Batman's are too varied to compare them fairly for the title of best.

That said--the suckiest Batman would have to be Kilmer or Afleck.

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Afleck had a gun.