In a resurfaced clip from a documentary, iconic actor Adam West became the darkest version of Batman. As seen in a tweet shared by @abrahamjoseph, West reads dialogue written by Frank Miller in The Dark Knight Returns.
Batman has endured constant reinterpretation throughout his history, from the noir detective stories of the Golden Age, to the child-friendly Silver Age, and the mature reimagining of Miller’s Dark Knight Returns. Other media has reflected his comic book evolution through the decades, as Adam West famously portrayed a campy, light Batman in the 1960s. When Miller reinvented the Dark Knight in 1986, his story was a far cry from the live action iteration intended for young viewers. However, it turns out that West has voiced the more adult-oriented take on the character.
In a tweet by @abrahamjoseph which went viral, a clip from a PBS documentary titled Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle showcases Adam West voicing the version of Batman from The Dark Knight Returns. The actor read dialogue from Miller’s graphic novel in which the older vigilante threatens a thug, while ironically wearing a blue and gray costume with the yellow oval bat symbol. “Do you know who I am, punk? I'm the worst nightmare you've ever had.” Previously, it would have been difficult to imagine West’s softer portrayal of the Caped Crusader emulating the grittier, aged take on Bruce Wayne. The clip emphasizes the contrast between the 60s and 80s versions of Batman that entered the cultural zeitgeist.
At the time of The Dark Knight Returns’ release, some writers were trying to distance Batman from his earlier campy iteration. Since then, fans and creators alike have celebrated the vast array of distinct takes on the character. By embracing the wide selection of Batmen, fans admit that there is a Batman for everyone. Many comic book readers were introduced to the DC Universe through Adam West’s portrayal, and could have also grown up with Dennis O’Neil’s Batman comics, later reading Miller’s reinvention which might have seemed like the natural progression of the character.
Throughout his life, Adam West had a good relationship with the fans, enthusiastically embracing his time on the show. His non-ironic reading of Miller’s dialogue is one of many instances in which he acknowledged that Batman goes beyond his own iteration. Based on the reaction to the resurfaced clip, it seems like fans would have happily listened to West reading the rest of Batman’s lines if he had officially narrated the graphic novel.
Source: @abrahamjoseph