In this year’s DC Pride 2022 anthology, longtime Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy will be putting pen to paper to contribute a personal tale of finding the Dark Knight within himself. Set to release May 31, the annual celebration of LGBQT+ pride will include more than just the typical superhero fare from DC’s most beloved LGBQT+ heroes, but a personal recounting of how Conroy, an openly gay man, came to be one of the most recognizable voices in the annals of superhero fiction, and his own search for identity therein.
Conroy began his voice-acting career as the titular hero on Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, not knowing that his tenure on the character would last a whopping three decades in numerous television series, films and video games, most notably in the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham trilogy by Rocksteady Studios. Renowned from the start as an iconic and poignant representative of the famed superhero, Conroy famously credited his past training as a Shakespearian actor for his success, likening the role to that of the revenger Hamlet.
It was revealed Wednesday, April 13, in a newly released preview from DC Comics that Conroy would be joining the all-star lineup of creators for the 104-page DC Pride 2022 spectacular. Conroy will pen a story centered around his own life, illustrated by J. Bone and lettered by Aditya Bidikar, in a laconically titled tale, “Finding Batman.” Being a celebration of all things LGBQT+, the story will likely revolve around Conroy’s development of the heartfelt emotionality he brought to the character as it was reflected in his own life during his early career.
In penning a tale for a character he once played, Conroy joins an ever-growing troupe of actors who have taken to the paneled page to give their own takes on the characters they brought to life, including a story by Danny Devito featuring his villain the Penguin in 2021’s Gotham City Villains, Batwoman actor Camrus Johnson’s contributions to Batman: Urban Legends and even Nicole Maines’ story featuring her own Supergirl character, Dreamer, for the 2021 edition of DC Pride. While Maines will not contribute a new story this year, she is writing the introduction for the 2022 edition.
Already filled to the brim with talented writers and artists, this years’ DC Pride 2022 just became noteworthy for an entirely different reason: featuring the work of the actor whom many fans view as the only true Batman, Kevin Conroy. The issue goes on sale May 31, wherever comic books are sold.
