One of my
favourite things about the Batman universe is its malleability. As has been
demonstrated by the Silver Age comics, the 1960s Adam West TV series and the
recent Christopher Nolan movies, Gotham City and its denizens can be modified
to suit any particular tone and theme, all the while maintaining the core
traits of the setting and characters. Bob Haney’s excitable 1970s globetrotter
is as true to the character as Frank Miller’s hardened libertarian crime
fighter. Likewise, the Joker maintains his glee and twisted sense of humour
whether he is harmless (Cesar Romero) or malicious (Heath Ledger).
But there’s no
better example of this thematic pliability than Harvey “Two-Face” Dent, Gotham’s
physically—and psychologically—scarred former district attorney and one of
Batman’s most iconic villains. Two-Face has been depicted in nearly every media
adaptation of Batman, most recently Nolan’s The
Dark Knight, and in each one of those instances the character’s origin and
personality has been changed to fit the themes at play. The following are three
of the best, in chronological order:
