No Right Answer: Best Batman Villain Ever

[beniki]

Having not seen it yet, I don't know if the Riddler is in Dark Knight Rises (and supreme hell fire and suffering to anyone who spoils that twist for me if he is), but if he isn't I will be supremely disappointed.

Sure the Joker is probably Batman's arch-nemesis, but the Riddler could have been sooooooo good in Nolan's universe. As opposed to the Joker's up front confrontation of Batman, the Joker could have literally left Batman's psyche in tatters, ripping up every relationship he had left through misdirection. Nolan could have spent the time going full-Inception with Bruce Wayne.

But here's the problem for the Riddler in Batman comics. Batman is defined by his enemies. Not the other way around. There just isn't enough character for The Riddler to play with... and since the Riddler is equally defined by how well he manipulates his foes, he comes off as mediocre.

You have two characters waiting to act as counter to the other, and so we're left with stasis. Really, the Riddler should have his own comic book to explore the kind of man who tests his powers of manipulation, but I guess there is already a guy like that with a different name.

 

[psiho333]

Scarecrow anyone? He was just plain awesome in Arkham City.

 

[emeraldrafael]

clearly bane is the greatest batman villan. hes a four eyed fire breathing monster meant to be a great propaganda social commentary in this years election.

 

[doublenix]

Thank you for picking the Riddler as even an option. He is unfairly overlooked all the time. Remind me to get you guys some cookies if I ever see you.

Please come to PAX this year, we will be there and hungry for cookies!

If my wife wasn't about to bring another minion... uh, I mean baby... into the world right about the same time as PAX, I would. However, I must warn you, the cookies may have certain special properties. I cannot be held responsible for mass consumption of Bugles or Fritos after enjoying cookie magic.

 

[ace_of_something]

I still can't believe that Nolan chose Bain for the movie... You could have had Killer Croc play that part without having to change a single scene.

It would exlpain the wierd voice.

I... what? Killer Croc was pretty much an animal/strongman he has no ability to lead people or have elaborate schemes plus he's not foreign so there would be no accent. Yeah, Bane is supposed to be from south america but he's always been the tactical genius and a leader.


Anyway. I am also going to have to go with Mr. Freeze, though not until he was changed in the 90's. I know him being called Mister as opposed to Doctor is a holdover from when he had NO back-story. Still you'd think after however many years of schooling he wouldn't want to be called Mister.

 

[kouriichi]

Best Batman villain ever?

Spoiler

^He is the best Batman Villain ever. In my opinion at least....

 

[likalaruku]

The 2000s pre-reboot Joker, especially if Grant Morrison was writing the story. Some of my friends will pick Bane, Ras Al Ghul, or Hush. This Joker was faking his insanity, was in Arkham because he was too dangerous to keep anywhere else (no death penalty), Arkham was practically built for him, he knew who Batman was & didn't give a shit (comics have hinted that he's known since A Death in the Family), & if you ignore that completely out of character moment at the end of Gotham City Sirens, his creepiness was amped up by the fact that he is absolutely gay for Batman (& Lex Luthor).

 

[Ragora]

I still can't believe that Nolan chose Bain for the movie... You could have had Killer Croc play that part without having to change a single scene.

It would exlpain the wierd voice.

I... what? Killer Croc was pretty much an animal/strongman he has no ability to lead people or have elaborate schemes plus he's not foreign so there would be no accent. Yeah, Bane is supposed to be from south america but he's always been the tactical genius and a leader.


Anyway. I am also going to have to go with Mr. Freeze, though not until he was changed in the 90's. I know him being called Mister as opposed to Doctor is a holdover from when he had NO back-story. Still you'd think after however many years of schooling he wouldn't want to be called Mister.

Croc wasn't an animal/strongman... He was a sideshow attraction (with a full blown case of ecchymosis aka lizard skin) turned pro wrestler, who fell to a life of crime.

He's a FAR more intresting character than an over-roided luchador turned hitman.

Even if that were an accurate description of Bane, how would "professional wrestler who fell to a life of crime" be much different than a "luchador turned hitman?" Describe them like that and the only difference is one has Venom, the other has a skin condition.

 

[Lieju]

I never was a big fan of the Joker. It's not that I hate him either, I just think he's overused and not that interesting. (A lot depends on the writing too, I hate it when they make him just a psycho who kills people left and right).

I gotta go with Riddler. I pretty much like him in all of his incarnations (well, maybe not Carrey one, because it's so frustrating; he could have been an awesome Riddler, but the script and the direction didn't let him).

I was introduced to Batman by the 60's tv series, and I still love it. In it Penguin and the Catwoman (and Bookworm!) were my favourite villains, closely followed by Riddler.

But Catwoman generally isn't exactly a villain, and I don't like Penguin as much as Riddler in all of the incarnations.

I also like Two-face (and Scarecrow, so many good villains in Batman's rogues gallery), but I'd say Riddler is more iconic.

I... what? Killer Croc was pretty much an animal/strongman he has no ability to lead people or have elaborate schemes plus he's not foreign so there would be no accent. Yeah, Bane is supposed to be from south america but he's always been the tactical genius and a leader.

Croc's intelligence kinda varies in the comics, sometimes he is smart enough to plan complex schemes. But he is prone to regressing into more animal-like character, because of mutation or psychic trauma or something. or the writers just preferring him as an animal who eats people.

 

[TheScientificIssole]

Thank you for picking the Riddler as even an option. He is unfairly overlooked all the time. Remind me to get you guys some cookies if I ever see you.

Unfairly overlooked! Everyone always overlooks my favorite villain! James Gordon Jr. is always overlooked, mostly because he is a rather new villain. But he's great! He is just a creepy murderer. But what makes him good is how personal the stories are to Gordon and Batman.

 

[walrusaurus]

I say Mr.Freeze.

Why? Because Mr.Freeze is doing it all for his Terminally Ill Wife, Nora. Which, while it may not fight Batmans brain as much as Riddler does, does test his Morality. The only reason he's fighting him is because of HOW he's going about it.

I mean really, what's harder for Batman to do? Slap some guy whose leaving mind teases around Gotham or take down a Scientist whose only doing this because HE'S TRYING TO SAVE HIS WIFE!

I'm like 80% sure that Nora Fries is dead in the comics from the get go. Its her death that makes him go nuts, cause i'm pretty sure he accidentally kills her with his freeze ray.

citation needed

 

[doublenix]

I say Mr.Freeze.

Why? Because Mr.Freeze is doing it all for his Terminally Ill Wife, Nora. Which, while it may not fight Batmans brain as much as Riddler does, does test his Morality. The only reason he's fighting him is because of HOW he's going about it.

I mean really, what's harder for Batman to do? Slap some guy whose leaving mind teases around Gotham or take down a Scientist whose only doing this because HE'S TRYING TO SAVE HIS WIFE!

I'm like 80% sure that Nora Fries is dead in the comics from the get go. Its her death that makes him go nuts, cause i'm pretty sure he accidentally kills her with his freeze ray.

citation needed

Cite or it didn't happen

 

[Darth_Payn]

I'd go so far to say Batman's his own worst enemy. It was him arrogantly trying to handle Bane's released villans alone tha wore him down in Knigtfall enabling Bane to break his back, and his antipersonal paranoia has at best driven wedges between him and his partners and at worst, taken down the Justice League (Tower of Babil) and threatened the world (Brother Eye in Infinite Crisis).

Well, that's a bold claim. What happened in Tower of Babel was because of Ra's al-Ghul (one of my favorite villains) stealing Batman's back up plans to immobilize the league, if they went crazy or mind-controlled, and taking them to near-lethal extremes. Could you elaborate more on the Brother Eye thing? I thought Batman designed it to spy on superhumans all over the world, but Maxwell Lord hijacked it for more nefarious ends. The OMACs thing just feels WAY out of character for Batman. Of course, factoring in the time that story was written...