Batman

Both Joaquin Phoenix and Heath Ledger won Academy Awards for their starkly different portrayals of The Clown Prince of Crime. Their wins are the only two performances in comic book films to garner such acclaim. But, why? What makes The Joker such a fun and complex character to portray, just as compelling to watch no matter which way the character is taken in terms of personality and tendencies? Some have played Mista J with flare and over-the-top zeal, while others have toned down his crazy nature only to shock audiences with moments of relentless violence when they least suspect it....

He’s been in the Justice League. He founded The Outsiders. He even has the Bat Family, including Alfred, Catwoman, and Batgirl. Batman has been at the core of many team-ups in over 80 years of comic book history. But none of his partners have been more closely linked to him and his mythos than Boy Wonder himself, Robin. While Bruce Wayne has generally been the only one to take on the mantle of Batman, the role of Robin has been filled by plenty of characters over the years....

From Adam West’s skin-tight borderline-Halloween-costume to Ben Affleck’s The Dark Knight Returns-inspired battle armor, the Batsuit is essential to get right on the big screen. If it looks wrong, it can throw off the whole picture. If there’s even the slightest flaw, fans will go to their Twitter feeds in disgust. It’s no good for Batman to come out of the darkness wearing something that would embarrass the other members of the Justice League and make Catwoman run away....

Over eight decades later, Batman has changed quite a bit from that original concept and is now one of the most recognizable characters in all of pop culture. And that popularity has brought Batman to the big screen on many occasions, in both live-action and animated form. From Michael Keaton to Kevin Conroy, from George Clooney to Adam West, many notable actors have worked to bring The Dark Knight to life in their own ways, with varying degrees of success....