The new Batman animated series, Batman: Caped Crusader, flips the origin story of a classic DC villain. Inspired by Batman’s Golden Age comics, the animated Batman series is a noir-inspired show that reimagines iconic DC characters in fascinating ways. One supporting character – whose turn to villainy occurs at the end of the show’s first season – is a prime example of Caped Crusader’s inventive new takes on the Batman mythos.
While some of Caped Crusader’s villains largely resemble their comic counterparts, others are reinvented. Onomatopoeia is portrayed as a hitman instead of a serial killer who hunts crime fighters. Catwoman’s costumed persona is directly inspired by Batman. Harley Quinn is even more significantly reimagined, being depicted as a criminal who punishes the rich through torture and brainwashing and who has no ties to the Caped Crusader‘s Joker. Another villain, Two-Face, has an interesting twist on his origin story that makes him one of the most unique takes on the character.
Batman: Caped Crusader Makes Two-Face Worse Before His Villain Origin Story
Caped Crusader’s iteration of Harvey Dent already lacks a defined moral compass before he is disfigured. For much of the show’s first season, Dent is largely apathetic to genuine justice, being motivated almost solely by his mayoral campaign. Whatever decision provides Dent with the best optics for said campaign is what he chooses, but the botched assassination attempt that leaves him disfigured is what leads him to begin questioning the morality of his actions.
Why Batman: Caped Crusader Flips Two-Face’s Villain Origin Story
As Two-Face, Dent murders many of Rupert Thorne’s enforcers and has violent outbursts, but his “good side” thinks about the deep-seated corruption in Gotham City and regrets it. This, of course, is after Dent’s involvement in said corruption finally caught up with him. Dent’s introspection becomes even stronger after his stay in Arkham Asylum.
Two-Face’s disfigurement is notably on the left side of his face in Caped Crusader, while nearly all iterations have his scarring on the right side.
By the time of Batman: Caped Crusader season 1’s ending, Two-Face’s regrets lead him to sacrifice himself to save Barbara Gordon, ending his story on a heroic – albeit tragic – note. While Caped Crusader will never have Two-Face become the ruthless gang leader he is known for being in the comics and many adaptations, its version of Harvey Dent goes in an entirely different direction while remaining arguably just as satisfying. Batman: Caped Crusader thus presents a distinctive and fascinating take on Two-Face, creating a character who could perhaps be described more as an anti-villain than a true supervillain.
