The 7 best Batmans, as ranked by their chins

The big news out of the entertainment world is that Ben Affleck — whom we last saw accepting a Best Picture award for Argo, a film he directed, produced, and starred in — will add to his prodigious Hollywood legacy by donning pointy ears and a cape. Yes, the man who starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in Gigli will be Gotham's next Batman, an illustrious role most recently held by Christian Bale.

As tends to happen with such things, aggrieved critics openly voiced their displeasure across the Twittersphere:

• "Oh, let's get Matt Damon to play Robin! Ha ha!"
• "He can't be Batman. He already played Daredevil!"
• "Affleck's bum chin will give him away..."

Hogwash. Ben Affleck has a strong, finely chiseled chin (even if it is a little butt-like). Indeed, when it comes to Batman's all-important chin, Affleck's jaw line can stand with the best of them — and is certainly superior to, say, Val Kilmer's more delicate bone structure.

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Presented without commentary, here is our infallible list of the best Batmans, as ranked by the strength of their chins:

7. Val Kilmer

6. Christian Bale

5. Adam West

4. Ben Affleck

3. Michael Keaton

2. George Clooney

1. Batman from Batman: The Animated Series