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This image is one of the best written comics I have ever enjoyed. It's not that the plot was different than the average comic (they all have remarkably the same story structure and plot points) or that I hadn't read a thousand Batman/Two-Face stories before. It's that it was a remarkably adult execution of one of the old childish gimmicks of comics.

Among other names, Batman is "The Darknight Detective." During the lighter periods of his run he was often reduced to little more than a costumed whodunnit. The enjoyment in the comic came from following the clues with Batman and then watching him use a gadget or two to capture the guy in the end. The Riddler was really popular during this time because of well, the riddles. The Joker lost his manical edge and started leaving joke clues much like the Riddler left riddles. And Two-Face came to the fore because all his crimes were based somehow on "two's" The idea was to read through the story looking for the two's.

That particular book, Batman Annual #14, 1990, contained more hidden two's than any I had ever read, but, unlike the books of old, you had to be an actual adult to find them, and they were set in a story that had some actual complexity and character development. I learned to like Two-Face from that book, that is until Tommy Lee Jones butchered the character in that movie-thing.

Batman is never so good as when his opponents are certifiable, because it emphasizes how close to the edge Batman plays it personally. Two-Face is as nuts and as homicidal as the Joker, but unlike the Joker who I really do wish Batman would just go ahead and kill, Two-Face is very sympathetic. His dual personality has a very, very good side that you want to win the day.

The idea behind Two-Face is straightforward. Star prosecutor gets attacked with acid, causig horrible disfiguration on one-half his body. Possessed with a bit two much ego, his horrible appearance makes him nuts. In response, he takes a coin and mars one side. When confronted with a decision, he flips the coin to decide whether his good or his bad aspects well make the decision. It's amazing how many times the marred side of that coin comes up, and startling when the clean one does.

This has the very interesting consequence of having this homocidal maniac occassionally helping Bats - sometimes even turning himself in. Two-Face has been an ally on more than one occassion to the Caped Crusader, as he was before his accident. Some times you just can't help liking the guy.

I really view Two-Face in juxtaposition to the Joker, who we will look at in a few weeks in this series on the villains. The Joker is the personification of irredeemable evil. So far gone, he delights in homocide, and relishes evil in all it's forms.

Two-Face, when his bad side prevails, has equal delight and relish, but then there is that good side. The difference, Two-Face is redeemable evil. Some how, you want Harvey Dent (Two-Face's real name) to be captured thrown into Arkham Asylum (Where all of Bat's nemisis' go) and to be treated and cured. Joker on the other hand makes you wish for the death penalty and the absence of an insanity plea.

It is his utter evil, yet redeemable character that makes Two-Face one of my favorite villians of all time. There is room to explore the themes of evil and redemption like no other character.

Related Tags: comics, comic books, villains, Two-Face, Batman, comic art, evil, redemption