This week, Dave, Neil, and Joanna kick off another Trial Royale! In this multi-week series, they’ll be pitting several on-screen Batmans from over the years against each other to determine the best Batman ever. First up is the 20th century division.

First, they recap the results from the last episode on the greatest opening weekend double feature ever, check in on their 2023 Movie Bet, and explain what inspired this Trial Royale (1:58). Next, Neil gives a brief history lesson on the Caped Crusader and his comic book origin, before walking through a series of pretrial dismissals (25:08). Later, they reveal their picks for the best 20th century Batman, as well as choose a listener submission to add to the final poll (49:17).

Now it’s up to you to decide! Who is the best Batman of the 20th century? You can vote for the winner at http://TheRinger.com, on The Ringer’s Twitter feed, and in the Spotify app, where you’ll find Trial by Content. The winner will be announced on the next episode!

You can send your picks for the next topic and a few sentences to support your pick to TrialByContent@gmail.com. You can also submit suggestions for future Trial By Content topics. Is there a great pop culture debate that you’d like us to settle? Send it on over!

Hosts: Dave Gonzales, Joanna Robinson, and Neil Miller
Production: Kai Grady and Carlos Chiriboga
Additional Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopal
Theme song and other music credits: Devon Renaldo

Subscribe: Spotify

Dave Gonzales

Dave Gonzales is a writer, producer, and podcast host living in Denver, Colorado. He is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller ‘MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios.’ His other podcasts are ‘Fighting in the War Room’ and ‘Da7e and Neil’s Pop Culture Adventure.’

Joanna Robinson

Joanna Robinson is a cultural critic appearing on several podcasts, including ‘House of R,’ ‘Prestige TV,’ and ‘Trial by Content.’ Formerly a senior writer at Vanity Fair from 2014-21, she is the author of the New York Times bestselling book ‘MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios.’

Neil Miller

Neil Miller has been a podcaster and pop culture blogger since 2006, when he founded the independent website Film School Rejects. He has cohosted popular pods about ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Lost,’ has produced a TV show (‘One Perfect Shot’), and is a tortured lifelong Cleveland sports fan.