The Five Most Underrated Batman Villains

So I like Batman… a lot. I’d go ahead and say it’s a pretty unhealthy obsession. I collect comic books, I watch the movies with devotion (well, the Burton and Nolan films, at any rate), and I consider Batman: The Animated Series to be pretty much the perfect example of how a televised cartoon should work. Seriously, that cartoon’s got an amazing orchestrated score with unique musical themes for each of the major characters, a consistent done-in-one-episode format, and the voice talents of Mark Hamill (the only worthwhile thing he’s done… well, I was going to say “since Star Wars,” but I’ll just leave it there).

One of the best things about the Batman franchise is his rogues gallery – propelled to fame by Adam West & Co., and they just get better from there.

Man, I get the shivers looking at this picture.

There are a lot of Batman villains out there, however, that don’t really command a lot of respect from the population at large. They’re either too obscure, too goofy, or too pathetic to pose a credible threat to the Caped Crusader (yeah for outdated 1950s nicknames!). Thus, these villains generally get passed over for their chance on the big-screen. Yet some of them are actually pretty compelling, so I’m going to go ahead and give arguments for why these five villains should be considered for any upcoming Batman films that may or may not happen.

Villain #1 – The Penguin


Why He Gets Passed Over: IGN voted the Penguin as the fifth worst Batman villain of all time (http://comics.ign.com/articles/622/622304p1.html). And, really, there’s a lot to hate here: he’s not physically intimidating, he’s not charmingly insane, and he’s pretty disgusting, all in all. He trains birds to do his bidding and uses trick umbrellas – a pretty pathetic setup.

Why He Deserves a Shot: Technically, for the Penguin, this would be a second shot at Hollywood stardom, since he was featured prominently in Batman Returns, played by Danny DeVito. We saw a lot of the “circus sideshow” villain there. But there’s more to the Penguin than a “Quasimodo-gone-wrong” story. He’s a criminal mastermind – capable of orchestrating plots every bit as elaborate as Joker’s bank heist from the opening to The Dark Knight. And, what’s more, the bird wields influence like you wouldn’t believe. In an issue of The Joker’s Asylum, the Penguin gets a restaurant chef fired from his job. He then has the man’s girlfriend deported, kicks him out of his apartment, and builds a liquor store across the street from where the man winds up. The poor sucker – a recovering alcoholic – eventually hangs himself. All this, because the poor cook MIGHT have been laughing at the Penguin. There’s definitely potential for this finely-dressed freak to be a real menace to the Bat.

Villain #2 – The Mad Hatter

Why He Gets Passed Over: Okay, I’ll acknowledge this guy’s kind of a joke. He’s got a knack for mind-control devices, true, but his gimmick’s pretty two-dimensional. He’s a criminal with an “Alice-in-Wonderland” theme, and he’s supposed to be a challenge for Batman? After the Jabberwocky, and maybe Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Hatter’s pretty much out of intimidating tricks.

Besides, look at that overbite. Those teeth are begging to be knocked out.

Why He Deserves a Shot: As anyone who’s read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass can attest, there’s something genuinely creepy about Lewis Carroll. The man’s got an… UNHEALTHY… preoccupation with little girls. Creeps the $#@% right out of me.

Play that angle up with the Mad Hatter. Almost every Batman movie ever made features a villain with some cockamamie plot to conquer/destroy the entire freaking city. Contrast that with a story about a man who poses a threat to a single individual. No need to go all serial rapist here – comic book movies do better with a PG-13 rating. Turn the Mad Hatter into a stalker, following a teenage girl around and harassing her family, and bring in the Bat to track him down. A Batman story with such a small cast could be nice, for a change, and it would really allow the Hatter to become more than just a joke.

Villain #3 – Bane

Actually, let’s get a better picture of this one.

Yeah, that’s MUCH better.

Why He Gets Passed Over: Bane had one good story. Back in 1993, he orchestrated a plot which culminated in the Batman’s most ignominious defeat – he broke Batman over his knee. Ever since then, Bane’s been a joke. He’s usually portrayed as the dumb goon hired by some other, much more INTELLIGENT, super villain. He went from one of Batman’s greatest enemies to a mere henchman.

Why He Deserves a Shot: Technically, this would be Bane’s second chance, too (if you acknowledge the Batman and Robin movie – which I won’t). Do the man a favor, though – put him in the commander’s seat. Bane’s easily got the brainpower to match Batman’s. Heck, in the comic, he figured out Batman’s secret identity all on his own – something the Joker never did. Bane’s patient, methodical, and cunning – he wears his opponents down psychologically to the point where they’re beaten before he has to clench his fist. Give Bane a supporting cast of lower-tier Batman villains (pander to the fanboys) and let him show off his superior intellect as well as his brawn.

Villain #4 – Scarface

Why He Gets Passed Over: Sorry, Chucky, but puppets just aren’t that scary. Not now. Not ever. Scarface is supposed to be the alternate personality of the Ventriloquist. The puppet’s the crime lord, the Ventriloquist is his wormy sidekick. Putting Batman against Scarface is like watching a fight between Triple H and Jeff Dunham… Hey, we should set that up sometime.

Why He Deserves a Shot: The Joker’s goal in The Dark Knight was to sow the seeds of insanity and chaos throughout Gotham. Scarface and the Ventriloquist could be used to illustrate the Joker’s success. The “traditional” gangs of Gotham lose ground to “crazies” like Scarface, because it takes that level of insanity to last on the streets in the post-Joker era. Perhaps pairing Scarface with another mob-centered villain (like the Penguin) would heighten the “mobsters vs. monsters” conflict appropriately.

Villain #5 – Lex Luthor

Why He Gets Passed Over: Easy one. He’s not a Batman villain.

Why He Deserves a Shot: I don’t think there’s a more perfect natural opponent for Batman to face. Like Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor leads a double-life. He’s a billionaire industrialist by day, but at night he’s an active player in the world of superheroes. He’s a criminal genius, with the brains and the tech to be more than a match for Batman. And while his goals are usually global in nature, Lex Luthor could easily come to blows with Batman over Gotham territory. What starts as a professional rivalry between two wealthy geniuses soon turns personal, as Bruce uses the Batman to find an edge against Luthor, only to uncover Luthor’s sinister side.

Really, though, Batman’s villains are so unique and (usually) deep – psychologically speaking – that just about ANY of them could be used, given the writer in charge takes the time to flesh them out appropriately.

Just don’t use this guy:

Ever.