A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE: The late, great voice actor was born 70 years ago… By CHRIS FRANKLIN Kevin Conroy (November 30, 1955 – November 10, 2022) was THE voice of Batman. Originating the role in the landmark Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, he voiced the Dark Knight in all the subsequent relaunches and spin-offs that comprise what fans universally call the DC Animated Universe, or the DCAU for short. Conroy also portrayed the character in other projects not part of that continuity, such as direct-to-media films and the popular Arkham series of video games. Through only his voice, Conroy gave Batman a humanity often lacking in many portrayals of the character. His gravelly voice defined the grim avenger of the night, but his sardonic barbs lightened the mood at times. Somewhere between his different octaves for Batman and Bruce Wayne, there was a vulnerability Conroy let slip, a kink in the Dark Knight’s armor. This made his Batman more relatable, and revealed the trauma that Bruce Wayne overcame every night he put on the cowl. Conroy’s Batman felt more real than many of the live-action portrayals, because he understood and fully inhabited the role. To celebrate his birthday, I’m sharing 13 of Conroy’s greatest performance moments as the character. Many of these were spotlighted in the tribute episode of JLUCast that my wife Cindy and I produced after Conroy’s passing, with contributions from some of our friends, including 13th Dimension’s own Dan Greenfield. Some were also mentioned in the piece I wrote here at 13th Dimension after Conroy’s untimely death. I’ve listed the writers and directors for each episode, but let’s not forget the showrunners like Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Glenn Murakimi, and James Tucker, as well as stellar casting and voice director Andrea Romano, who helped Conroy create these memorable moments. — 1. Batman: The Animated Series: “Nothing to Fear.” Written by Henry Gilroy and Sean Catherine Derek. Directed by Boyd Kirkland. Under the influence of the Scarecrow’s fear toxin, Batman is tormented by the ghost of his father. Fighting back, Conroy utters the actor’s signature dialogue, and Batman’s ultimate declarative statement, making this first clip the most iconic of the lot. — 2. BTAS: “Perchance to Dream.” Story by Laren Bright and Michael Reaves, teleplay by Joe R. Landsdale. Directed by Boyd Kirkland....