Top 5 Batman villains

[Edd Grayson]

1 - The Joker - Batman's arch-nemesis and a comicbook character with an undeniable popularity and fandom. He can be cruel and even downright merciless but he can also be childish and playful and that's why I love 'im. I think that Mark Hamill is the quintessential Joker as far as animation goes, and Jack Nicholson is my main main in live-action. Also, Romero and Ledger were good for the 60's and Chris Nolan's universe respectively.

2. Two-Face - He always was an intriguing character to me, even though I don't believe chance is the only justice, I can understand duality perfectly. My favorite Two-Face is the one from B:TAS, the two-parter with the same name was superb.

3. Catwoman - I said she's more of an anti-hero to me, but technically she is still a vilain, and an awesome one for me. Julie Newmar was perfect for the TV series, Lee Meriwether was just as good for a campy movie and Michelle Pfeiffer was extraordinary as an alternate version. I can also appreciate Halle Berry and Anne Hathway, though for me they can't be put in the same league with the three ladies in my last sentence.

4. Mr Freeze - A tragic and almost poetic character, I only wish we'll see a Batman film someday day that will really do the character justice. For now, my favorite is the one from B:TAS.

5. The Riddler - A really enigmatic character, pun intended, I am a big fan of both the campy Riddler and the morte dark Riddler. "Riddle me this, Batman", is one of my favorite comicbook quotes to this day, and Frank Gorshin is my favorite Riddler actor.




Who are your top 5 Batman villains?

[johnnygobbs]

1. The Joker
2. Catwoman
3. The Penguin
4. Two Face
5. Bane

Of the ones that haven't featured in the films yet I'd like to see Black Mask and perhaps the Mad Hatter.  Of course somebody need to do Poison Ivy properly too (sorry Uma fans).

[thecolorsblend]

Villains I never get tired of are...

01- Clayface
02- Ventriloquist
03- Gentleman Ghost (Thank you, Brave & the Bold)
04- Penguin
05- Mr. Freeze

-- Runners Up
* Catman (Thank you, Secret Six)
* Catwoman (when she's presented as a villain; it's okay for Batman to have a female foe he hasn't boffed, DC Comics)
* Firebug

[Paul (ral)]

* Catman (Thank you, Secret Six)

QFT

[Edd Grayson]

colors: Good to see another Clayface fan, I like him too, but not as much as I like those in my list.

[The Laughing Fish]

The top five for me are:

1. Joker - Burton described Batman and the Joker being 'one is the introvert, the other is the extrovert'. The Joker's depravity and tasteless sense of humor always is a highlight.
2. Riddler - His massive ego with an obsession to come up with complicated, sometimes deadly riddles is always interesting to me how Batman tries to solve them.
3. Two-Face - How one is so mentally deranged that neither can even make a decision independently without the coin is always tragic.
4. Catwoman - Even though at times she comes across as an anti-villain nowadays, the fact is that any romance between her and Batman is undermined because Batman disapprove the things she does.
5. Scarecrow - I'd say that the Arkham Asylum video game has made me a fan; particularly how the nightmarish, hallucinating visuals make him intimidating.

While we're on the subject of out top five, I'm going to quickly mention who are my top two WORST villains:

1. Victor Zsasz - Some blogger once described 'walking proof how Batman is bad at doing his job'. Agreed.
2. Humpty Dumpty - Really? A fat, childlike depressed fat guy who tears things apart?

[The Dark Knight]

1. Joker - Laughing at murder and crime.
2. Catwoman - Batman's female kindred spirit.
3. Superman - He's not a villain, but I adore the contrasts and differences these guys have.
4. Riddler - Engaging Batman's mind. Hard to write for, but when it works, it's brilliant.
5. Bane - Engaging Batman physically and mentally. Think Knightfall and not TDK Rises.

[thecolorsblend]

While we're on the subject of out top five, I'm going to quickly mention who are my top two WORST villains:

Not to argue the point over how lame those characters have been but I've long tended toward the belief that in general there are no bad characters; just characters that haven't had their time in the sun yet. Two Face wasn't one of Batman's major heavies until, what, 1987 or so? But now look how well-regarded he is.

[Silver Nemesis]

Not to argue the point over how lame those characters have been but I've long tended toward the belief that in general there are no bad characters; just characters that haven't had their time in the sun yet.

Very true. It seems as though every writer wants to conduct their own exploration of "what makes the Joker tick", but none of them want to apply the same level of analysis to lesser know characters like Mad Hatter or the Cavalier. Who's to say those characters couldn't be just as interesting as the more famous rogues if a good writer would only flesh them out a bit?

I've always thought of Batman Returns as being a sort of Penguin-centric version of The Killing Joke. Before that movie came out, nobody in the comic industry had really bothered to update Cobblepot or examine his origins in that level of detail. A lot of people still don't realise how big an impact that film had on the character.

For example, it always grates me when I read a comment from someone criticising the film for not portraying Cobblepot as an aristocrat like he was in the comics. But the fact is the Cobblepot's in the comics weren't an aristocratic family prior to the film's release. Oswald was an impoverished pet shop owner who turned to a life of crime so he could pay his mother's medical bills. It was Burton and Waters who came up with the blue blood angle, but nowadays everyone conveniently forgets that.

Two Face wasn't one of Batman's major heavies until, what, 1987 or so? But now look how well-regarded he is.

I think the reason Two-Face wasn't as well know amongst the general public was because he never appeared in the Adam West show or any of the cartoons (I think) prior to Batman: The Animated Series. But in the comics he was always one of Batman's most prolific adversaries.

During the Pre-Crisis era the Riddler appeared in about twenty stories, only two of which were in the Golden Age. Ra's al Ghul also appeared in around twenty stories, all of them during the Bronze Age. And Mr. Freeze appeared in only ten stories. By contrast, Two-Face appeared in around forty stories between 1942 and 1986. I think the only major villains who appeared more times were Joker, Penguin and Catwoman. So in the comics at least, he was always one of the big hitters.

[thecolorsblend]

Very true. It seems as though every writer wants to conduct their own exploration of "what makes the Joker tick", but none of them want to apply the same level of analysis to lesser know characters like Mad Hatter or the Cavalier. Who's to say those characters couldn't be just as interesting as the more famous rogues if a good writer would only flesh them out a bit?

I've always thought of Batman Returns as being a sort of Penguin-centric version of The Killing Joke. Before that movie came out, nobody in the comic industry had really bothered to update Cobblepot or examine his origins in that level of detail. A lot of people still don't realise how big an impact that film had on the character.

For example, it always grates me when I read a comment from someone criticising the film for not portraying Cobblepot as an aristocrat like he was in the comics. But the fact is the Cobblepot's in the comics weren't an aristocratic family prior to the film's release. Oswald was an impoverished pet shop owner who turned to a life of crime so he could pay his mother's medical bills. It was Burton and Waters who came up with the blue blood angle, but nowadays everyone conveniently forgets that.

Yep. Considering what he had to work with that was canon in the comics at the time, I don't begrudge Burton and Waters almost page 1 reimagining of the character. Even if the only thing it accomplished was to make reinvention an acceptable thing to do, it still achieved something. It's always confused me that Burton takes so much heat for so heavily rethinking the Penguin when I'd argue Paul Dini made changes at least as extreme to Mr. Freeze but gets nothing but praise for it.

In fact, not to stray too far off topic, but one annoying habit BTAS had was taking the villainy away from some villains. It works well for Freeze because it's such a heartbreaking story but after a while all I really want is a story where a villain is just evil; no mitigating circumstances or tragic figure stuff or whatever else. Just one sick puppy and Batman has to put the guy down.

I think the reason Two-Face wasn't as well know amongst the general public was because he never appeared in the Adam West show or any of the cartoons (I think) prior to Batman: The Animated Series. But in the comics he was always one of Batman's most prolific adversaries.

Okay, fair enough. I'm at a loss to think of a Two Force story before the late 80's that I'd call mandatory (unless Neal Adams drew it if even then) but I'll take your word for it.