SQUEAL!

We are now officially playing Batman: Arkham Asylum.  And by "we," I mean John is playing and I am sitting here with imdb.com open, checking out all the voice actors as they come.  :)  Hey, Lara's not laughing at me when I say that.  Well, I won't go deep into the game-review of it all, since there are thousands of them out there done by more gamer-techie people (and since we just started playing and aren't too far into the game).  Needless to say, the game is deeeeelicious and the mechanics are very visually attractive.  So here's a run-down of all the yummy yummy voices (a topic I feel is just as important as anything else):

 - Kevin Conroy = Batman.  And that's not just a little symbol, Kevin Conroy IS Batman.  If you grew up watching any (and I do mean ANY) animated Batman series since 1992, then Kevin Conroy is the voice.  He is delicious!  Seriously, he could read me the phone book, in his Batman voice or not.  mmmm...  (Anne goes to her happy place)

- Mark Hamill - Joker.  Yes, I do mean Mark Hamill as in Luke Skywalker.  Apparently being a Jedi lets you tap into deep reserves of crazy.  And, he is the voice of Joker since forever.  And don't worry if you can't hear Luke in it, I never have been able to.

 - Arleen Sorkin - Harleen Quinzel.  She, too, has been the voice of Harley Quinn since 1993.  The game producers hold a special place in my heart for raiding the Andrea Romano voice actors.

- Tom Kane - Commissioner Jim Gordon / Warden Quincy Sharp / Amadeus Arkham / Louie Green.  Most recently he's been Mr Herriman of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, but he's also been Magneto in the new Wolverine and the X-Men, Yoda in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Professor Utonium from Powerpuff Girls, and Lord Monkey Fist from Kim Possible.... among many others (voice actors are whores for jobs, if you weren't aware).  Warden Sharp is pure Mr. Herriman; it's a little weird to listen to.  I keep seeing a very large bunny bouncing around.  Gordon at least is a little harsher and gravelly-er.

 - Steven Blum - Killer Croc / Ian Kennedy / Jordan Fraser.  Another delicious favorite of mine and Lara's.  He specializes in those dark, deep voiced guys AEB being Wolverine in 8 incarnations, Batman in the Lego Batman game, Mugen from Samurai Champloo, Roger Smith from Big O, and (our favorite) Spike from Cowboy Bebop. He also has major roles in .hack//, Naruto, Afro Samurai, Witch Hunter Robin, GTO, Yu Yu Hakusho, Fushigi Yuugi, 3x3 Eyes, and Wolf's Rain.  Like I said, voice actors get around.  Basically, if he's got a deep voice, the safe bet is that it's Steven Blum.

 - Danny Jacobs - Victor Zsasz / Frank Boles / Robert Stirling.  Not famous (most of his credits are "additional voices"), but funny because his main role was King Julien from the Madagascar tv series spinoff. You know, the effeminate, "I am the King! I have the hat!" lemur?  Yeaaahhhh.... not really lunatic material.

- Dino Andrade - The Scarecrow.  Not much interesting here, but he was Skull (the Troll) from PVP: The Animated Series.  Funny for the followers of  PVP.  :)

 - Tasia Valenzia - Poison Ivy / Martha Wayne.  She's been around, but nothing major.  Though, she was on a few different soap operas before she went to voice acting.  Arleen Sorkin was a soap actress, too.   What is it about soap stars becoming voice actors?  Should we look deep into our image-fixated society and suggest that women who can no longer be the pretty young thing in a TV show are forced into roles where they don't ever show their faces?

- Fred Tatasciore -  Bane / Carl Todd.  Apparently, another master of the "deep and gravelly" school of voices.  :)  His first 10 roles on imdb.com show Hulk, Bane, Solomon Grundy, and misc Transformers, haha; and he is Beast in the new Wolverine and the X-Men.  Must also be very flexible, as he is "misc" in a lot of shows, including Family Guy and Robot Chicken.



 - Cree Summers - Dr Penny Young. Easily recognizable as Numbah 5 from Codename Kids Next Door, Foxxy Love from Drawn Together, and Max from Batman Beyond.  But did you know she started out as Penny on Inspector Gadget before moving on to Elmyra in Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs?

 -Adrienne Barbeau - Arkham Voice / Gretchen Whistler.  First famous for Maude (before my time, sorry), but another classic B:AS voice: Catwoman!  I guess they still liked her, even though Selina wasn't in Arkham.

 - Chris Cox - Misc.  Besides GOBS of game voices, he was Seth McFarlane's George W. Bush voice for both Family Guy and American Dad. haha.

 - Roger Rose - Misc.  Lots of roles, but best to mention that he started out in 1962 in the original Jetsons.

 - Keith Ferguson - Stephen Kellerman / TV Voice.  Foster's Blooregard!  'nuff said.  (Wait, does that count as a DC/ Marvel crossover illegality?  Sorry)




Oh - and due to an in-game clip, be sure to check out http://arkhamcare.com/  They made a website for a fictional asylum!  How great it that?  (arkhamcare.com/prices is a hoot!)