Batman's Rogues Gallery

*Originally published on 11/9/09



Batman is one of the most well-respected heroes in all of comicdom. Even people who generally don't like superheroes or comics in general make a point to say that they like Batman. It's true, he's one of the more realistic characters and he does have several layers to make him a deep and compelling character. One of the reasons Batman makes for such great reading and viewing material is because his enemies are so great. If a hero is as good as his villains, it's easy to see why Batman is regarded as one of the great heroes in comic books.

First off, you've got the Joker, the clown prince of crime himself. Many cite him as THE greatest comic book villain of all time and rightfully so. Batman and Joker have developed an almost Shakespearean relationship where their existence is defined by the other. They've become opposite sides of the same coin, human manifestations of order and chaos.

Putting all that aside, one of the things that makes Joker such a great villain is that he's actually funny. He has a very dark and gallows sense of humor, but when he's written well, you find yourself laughing along side him. It becomes frightening when you see all the depraved things that he does while cracking jokes. He also makes a great foil for Batman, he's flamboyant and over the top where Batman is uber-serious and stern. It creates a great dynamic and an interesting twist on the usual goofball/straight man comedy duo.

Over the years, Joker has established himself as Batman's arch-foe. He crippled Barbara Gordon (Batgirl, at the time) by shooting her through the spine. He killed Jason Todd and has always been a thorn in Batman's side.

Some wonder why Batman just doesn't kill him. It would probably save countless lives, but Batman refuses to cross that line. It's what sets him apart from all of the other '90s anti-heroes out there. This was addressed in a story called Devil's Advocate where the Joker is finally sentenced to death, only it's for a crime that he actually didn't commit. Maybe it's just me, but I think that would've been a fitting way to send him off.

Batman's second-greatest enemy (in my opinion) is an eco-terrorist known as Ra's al Ghul. He's still pretty obscure but has gotten some mainstream exposure lately, being featured in Batman: The Animated Series as well as being the main villain in Batman Begins. His ultimate goal is to wipe out 90 percent of humanity and control the remnants. He does this, not for his own gains, but for the betterment of the planet. He thinks that society has been a plague on the planet and environment, so removing the problem is the best solution.

Ra's was created to act as a sort of "Bond villain" for Batman and he fills that role in spades. He's very much a gentleman villain. He actually has a certain measure of respect for Batman, referring to him as "Detective" as opposed to his nom de guerre. Ra's actually has so much respect for Batman that he asked him to take over Ra's cult organization (the League of Assassins) when he died and to take his daughter's hand in marriage.

While Batman refused, he does love Ra's daughter, Talia, and she reciprocates the feeling, although not so much as to leave her father. There are several dynamics at work and it makes for great character-based conflict.

If you're looking for an epic story, Ra's is a perfect choice as his plans usually end up threatening the entire planet as opposed to just Gotham City in general.

Two-Face is another great Batman villain. Some put him at the number two spot (which I must admit would be fitting), but I'd put him as Batman's third greatest. He was once Harvey Dent, a district attorney who joined Batman and Commissioner Gordon in their fight against crime.

Underneath the shine of Gotham's white knight lay a dark side that had been brewing for years. It was finally granted escape when a mob boss threw acid in Dent's face, scarring one side and leaving him schizophrenic. Now, he can't make a decision without flipping his trademark two headed coin. His Harvey persona is still there, but the metaphorical demon that lay within him won't let him come to a decision without a fair shake.

Two-Face used to be one of the campier gimmick villains. Over the years, writers have portrayed him in a more serious light. Given his history with both Batman and Gordon, it always makes for a personal conflict and makes fighting him all the more tragic.

While he hasn't been used as much, I'm a fan of the Mad Hatter. This is mostly because of his portrayal on Batman: The Animated Series, where he was voiced by Roddy McDowall. The character was sympathetic, but also had an odd sense of whimsy that made you want to see more of him. For fans of literay allusions, you can't do better than a man who fashioned his alter-ego after a bit character in Alice in Wonderland.

Bane is famous for being the man who "broke" the bat. It's true, he managed to break Batman's spine and left him crippled for some time during the Knightfall arc back in the 90's. Many portrayals show him as dumb muscle while fans insist that he's a tactical genius. I'm sure that he's not the dumb brute that he was in Batman and Robin, but to call him a genius might be stretching it a bit. Let's not forget that his "brilliant' plan was to let all the nuts out of Arkham so that Batman would become exhausted. It worked, I'll grant you, but it's not exactly Sun Tsu, know what I mean? Still, he provides a great way for Batman to showcase his wits as Bane is stronger than him, even before he "hulks" out on venom. In a straight fight, Batman doesn't stand a chance, so he has to use his brains rather than resort to brawn.

One of the classic Batman villains is Catwoman. She's a cat burglar who uses her feminine wiles to throw Batman off of his game. The two have an interesting relationship and are drawn to each other while refusing to cave. She's cunning, strong, and carries a whip. Like Joker, Catwoman had her own solo series for a while. From what I've read, it was well received and had a loyal fan following.

The Penguin is both a classic villain and one that has been underplayed recently. Nolan said that he wanted to focus on realistic villains, and as such didn't want to use Penguin in his movies. If you think about it though, Penguin is one of the most realistic in Batman's rogues gallery. He's really just a short, chubby man with a large nose who carries an umbrella and has an odd, almost squawky voice. Older incarnations had his umbrella contain any number of weapons and contraptions. More recent usually have an umbrella that does one thing specifically, though he may have a variety to choose from. He's usually shown to be an illegal arms dealer who hides behind the legitimate front of a nightclub called the Iceberg lounge. Batman tolerates him for the most part as he has no problem snitching. He too is a gentleman villain and is one of the more well educated among Batman's rogues gallery. He's like an evil Frasier Crane.

Batman: The Animated Series is known for revitalizing old villains and for distilling them to an almost definitive version, taking the best aspects and combining them into an amalgam. One of the villains who benefited most from this is Mr. Freeze. He too was a gimmick villain who would freeze people with his gun and commit crimes. The writers of the show gave him a tragic backstory to make him one of the more sympathetic members of Batman's villain roster. His primary goal is to find a cure for his terminally ill wife. She's been cryogenically frozen so that they have time to find a cure. It leads to many heartfelt scenes where he talks to his beloved wife. The back story was so well received that it got B:TAS an Emmy and has been used for the character even in comic and movie continuity.

Poison Ivy, like Ra's, is an eco-terrorist who harbors a deep love for plant life. After an accident she becomes plant like herself. Her skin turns green, her kisses are venomous, and she can actually communicate with plant life. While a bit on the far-fetched side, Ivy provides a great psychological profile as she ultimately means well, but her ends don't justify those means.

This is really the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Batman's villains. You could write a book going in depth with the various psychological examinations on characters like Tsasz or Mad Hatter. There is little disputing that Batman's rogues gallery is one of, if not the greatest in all of comics. Each one has some element of empathy or tragedy that makes them compelling to read about, even years after they were created.