Favorite Bat-villains?

Okay, I've listed ten of Batman's villains on this poll, but if the system allowed more choices, there are a few others I could have gone with as well (such as Mr. Freeze).
"Catwoman" is listed even though sometimes she is an adversary and other times she isn't (but she may be going back to "is" these days). Clayface is also on there, though there have been a few in the past who have gone by that moniker. (Though I believe the most recent is Basil Karlo, the original person called Clayface, but with the powers of Matt Hagen, the second Clayface.)

  

  

(By the way, why is there a Joker smiley / emoticon, but no Batman / Bat-symbol one?)

I am going for two because they are the only Bat villains who I've always really liked (at least from those polled). The Riddler (a far more interesting character than the Joker, to me) and Clayface: specifically, Clayface III, Preston Payne, a character who really made an impression on me as a kid. My other two favourite Bat villains aren't on the list-Nocturna and the Thief of Night, great characters who've been shamefully neglected for decades.

Poison Ivy. I like the way she talks to plants.

tony ingram wrote: . . . My other two favourite Bat villains aren't on the list-Nocturna and the Thief of Night, great characters who've been shamefully neglected for decades.

I grew to hate Nocturna and the Mommy-obsession that Moench developed with her and Jason Todd.

Ewww.

I've never liked Bane or the Riddler, but I like the others on the list when the're properly written. My favourites are Ra's al Ghul by Denny O'Neil, the Joker by Steve Englehart and Clayface by Alan Moore. I agree with Tony about Nocturna and the Thief of Night. I think Mark Andreyko has been using Nocturna in Batwoman recently, but I've not read it, so I don't know how faithful they are to Doug Moench's version. My favourite Bat-villains not already mentioned are two Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle creations: Cornelius Stirk (much scarier than Scarecrow) and Kadaver.

Mortimer Kadaver! I haven't thought about him in years! Or Stirk, for that matter. That was quite a good period for Batman, though. They created the Ventriloquist, too, another one I quite liked.

tony ingram wrote:Mortimer Kadaver! I haven't thought about him in years! Or Stirk, for that matter. That was quite a good period for Batman, though. They created the Ventriloquist, too, another one I quite liked.

Well, if you can find a way to add more options in the poll, maybe I can expand it more . . .

Ten is, I think, the maximum allowed by the forum. And changing it would clear the existing votes. Anyway, there have been so many recurring Bat villains we'd probably need 100 options.

Mortimer Kadaver is an amazing name.

Lucy McGough wrote:Mortimer Kadaver is an amazing name.

He was never really going to be anything other than a villain though, was he? Not with a name like that. I mean, you wouldn't want him as your doctor.

He'd've made a good undertaker.

tony ingram wrote:

Lucy McGough wrote:Mortimer Kadaver is an amazing name.

He was never really going to be anything other than a villain though, was he? Not with a name like that. I mean, you wouldn't want him as your doctor.

Why not as a beautician? Or as an exterminator?

An exterminator, perhaps. Kadaver's Nail Salon' doesn't have the right ring to it.

Lucy McGough wrote:He'd've made a good undertaker.

Anyone ever see Scrubs? One of the Doctors was so bad, and had killed so many people, that he eventually found himself to be a talented medical examiner. That could work here.

Mbast1 wrote:

Lucy McGough wrote:He'd've made a good undertaker.

Anyone ever see Scrubs? One of the Doctors was so bad, and had killed so many people, that he eventually found himself to be a talented medical examiner. That could work here.

I suppose that's one way of turning your problems into solutions. If a little extreme.

What would be so bad about "Mortimer Kadaver - Massage Therapist"?

These days, I wonder how many people would want to add "Tom King" to the list?

MajorHoy wrote:These days, I wonder how many people would want to add "Tom King" to the list?

I suspect it is too soon to judge Mr. King. I think there yet remains more of the story to tell.

tony ingram wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:These days, I wonder how many people would want to add "Tom King" to the list?

I suspect it is too soon to judge Mr. King. I think there yet remains more of the story to tell.

He may think he has more story to tell, but I haven't like the way he tells stories even well before now!

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:These days, I wonder how many people would want to add "Tom King" to the list?

I suspect it is too soon to judge Mr. King. I think there yet remains more of the story to tell.

He may think he has more story to tell, but I haven't like the way he tells stories even well before now!

I do. Where is he going wrong?

tony ingram wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:These days, I wonder how many people would want to add "Tom King" to the list?

I suspect it is too soon to judge Mr. King. I think there yet remains more of the story to tell.

He may think he has more story to tell, but I haven't like the way he tells stories even well before now!

I do. Where is he going wrong?

His writing is stupid and repetitive.
And he repeats things a lot.
The first issue was just mind-blowingly over the top, riding the back of the airplane to his supposed death, whining to Alfred about whether his Mommy and Daddy would be proud of him crap, then the Gotham and Gotham Girl mess. (How exactly did they get their powers? Somebody got them to keep repeating "I think I can, I think I can" or something to that effect?) Plus I already went into the sheer lunacy of how ONLY HOLLY ROBINSON went and killed all those terrorists in different locations before any federal agencies, any super beings, or any Batman family members could do anything in regards to the group DESTROYING AN ORPHANAGE NAMED FOR BRUCE'S PARENTS?!? What the hell?!?
None of it is even slightly believable; none of it even makes me WANT to overlook the glaring plot holes that are deeper than the Grand Canyon (a mucking huge ditch here in the United States if you're not familiar with it).



And King has an annoying, stilted way of writing where characters repeat things for no apparent reason!

Now read the Wedding issue, and while I wasn't surprised by the outcome, I think it's pretty clear this is not the end of the story but really the mid point of a much longer one which I suspect might still end with a wedding. I am intrigued as to how much of Bruce's recent life Bane has been manipulating, given the appearances of not only Gotham Girl but also what looked like

Spoiler:

in his retinue...

They better bloody HAD get married, or I will NOT be happy

By the way, is anybody trying the latest Bat-villain limited series Batman: Kings of Fear?

BATMAN: KINGS OF FEAR #1
Legendary artist Kelley Jones makes his triumphant return to the Dark Knight in this explosive miniseries written by former BATMAN editor Scott Peterson! Batman’s been overseeing Gotham City for years now and isn’t sure how much of a difference he’s making. Doubt, fear and insecurity are starting to take over. And as all of those negative feelings set in the Scarecrow orchestrates a riot at Arkham Asylum to give the Dark Knight one of his greatest challenges yet! This six-issue miniseries will see the Scarecrow in a horrifying new way that you’ll have to read to believe.
Written by: Scott Peterson
Art by: Kelley Jones
U.S. cover Price: $ 3.99
On Sale Date: Aug 22 2018

https://www.dccomics.com/comics/batman-kings-of-fear-2018/batman-kings-of-fear-1

I'm tempted to look into it if they still have any copies next time I go to the comic book shop.

Hadn't even heard about it! But if it's Kelley Jones, I may have to try and find the first issue...

Both from Batman Villains Secret Files (1998)

the above from Batman Villains Secret Files (1998)


from Detective Comics Annual #2 (1989)

MajorHoy wrote:



Both from Batman Villains Secret Files (1998)

I miss Preston Paye. Clayface III was defiitely the best of the Clayfaces, he was incredibly creepy. His first appearance was one of the first Bat books I ever bought and it made a huge impression on child-me.