It’s an argument that has raged for decades, but now voice actor Kevin Conroy had waded into the debate to explain why Batman is better than Superman.
Although Conroy is undoubtedly biased — he has voiced the Dark Knight across animation and video games for more than 25 years — he argued his case for why the Man of Steel is no match for Bruce Wayne’s masked alter ego.
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Speaking with Red Carpet News, Conroy explained that Batman is always going to be superior to Superman because of his backstory. “Let’s face it, Batman is complicated,” he said. “He’s got issues, he’s dark, and he’s got problems. And he overcomes them all, which is what people love about him.”
Comparing Bruce Wayne’s tragic history and the grim streets of Gotham to Kal-El’s flight from Krypton, Conroy continued, “But Superman, he’s square-jawed, farm-fed, he’s just so boring. He’s got no issues. He can see through walls, he can jump over planes, he can fly. What’s the challenge for him?”
The animation veteran admitted he frequently has the debate with Superman voice actor Tim Daly, who of course has his own biases. According to Conroy, Daly argues, “But Batman is so screwed up.”
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While Batman definitely puts the dark in Dark Knight, that isn’t to say Superman hasn’t had his fair share of murky moments over the years. It isn’t always a simple case of writing puff pieces for the Daily Planet and going home to see Lois Lane.
Speaking about Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Conroy acknowledged, “They dirtied him up a little bit, which I think is really smart because he was dull, ya know?” However, he said he can’t be swayed from siding with Batman.
The case of Batman Metropolis Marvel was a big part of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, and the entire point of 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. It all comes down to a matter of preference, but asking Conroy is as much a loaded question as asking Mark Hamill whether The Joker is better than Batman.
Even after nearly 80 years of Batman and Superman, there will never be a definitive answer as to who is the superior superhero. That being said, Conroy clearly has his favorite DC champion and is firmly sticking with it.