In the recent thread about Bane, the conversation drifted to Batman's greatest enemies and, of course, Two-Face came up.
An interesting point was made that some feel Two-Face's only decent story is his original appearance, re-tellings of his origin or stories that tie directly to it (e.g. The Big Burn). My immediate thought was to deny this, but the stories that came to mind were almost all based around his origin. This seems to be a more recent phenomena, I'd say from the early 90's onward (that is relatively recent in Batman terms, and also I am old), but there is a trend for Two-Face stories to be tied to his origin more-so than in prior decades or even compared to other Batman's enemies.
I'm interested to see where people stand on the character, his stories and his development over the years. Do you think he's one-note (he'd hate that!), or a more versatile character? Is he one of the best, or simply has one of the best origins? Is he just a great look, or is there something deeper?
So with that in mind let's celebrate our favourite/least favourite/both (depending on the dominant personality) duality obsessed, acid scarred maniac! What are your favourite Two-Face stories? Comics, movies, animated series, whatever your choice.
It doesn't have to be 5, I just used this to kick off the conversation. I'd tie it to the theme, but 2 is too few and 22 is a bit excessive.
1. Detective Comics #66 - The Crimes of Two-Face. The first and still one of the best. It is still a great read, it still looks fantastic, and it is done in less than half the pages of a single comic book these days. I liked the intentionally open ending, too.
2. Batman: Two-Face - Crime and Punishment. I am a big fan of J M DeMatteis' work from the late 80's to mid-late 90's, and this story is an absolute classic. Delving into Two-Face's past, but also using Harvey's duality to parallel Batman's own mask/humanity, this is a story about letting go of the past, facing your demons and overcoming them. The idea of the villain being the character trying to heal (but going about it in the worst possible way), and the hero comfortable with his demons is also pretty funny. Scott McDaniel is at the peak of his powers in this book (which he brings to Nightwing soon after). It's after he found himself on Daredevil, but before he completely nailed down his style (and became it bit less dynamic) with his run on Batman.
3. Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #28-30 - Faces. I like angry Two-Face. Two-face as the repressed side of Harvey that is constantly, violently lashing out at the world, and he is well represented here. The ending is pretty damn heart-wrenching, too. The art in this story is just something else, truly some of Wagner's best.
4. Batman: The Animate Series - Two-Face Parts 1 & 2. I watch this at least every six months, and it is B:TAS at its finest. Special shout out to the score on this, and that they took the effort to introduce us to Harvey, and give him a friendship with Bruce, in a few episodes beforehand.
5. Batman Annual #14 - Eye of the beholder. This comic still visually appeals to me. It is beautifully stylised, and a very well written tale. I think this introduced the abusive father aspects that JMD and other writers picked up on later, but also the theme of Two-Face himself being somewhat obsessed with the ideas of law and order (or maybe that's just because he is righting the injustices of his scarring).
Honourable mentions;
Gotham Central #6-10 - Half a Life. Really strong character work for Renee, also one of the better "two" themed Two-Face stories. Art is gorgeous.
Batman: The Long Halloween. Surprise! This was actually a Two-Face origin all along! Works really well on the first read, not so much after the reveal. The lack of a clear "Holiday" resolution is a bit frustrating. Still a must-read classic.
Batman: No Man's Land - The deal with Gordon, the (sudden but inevitable) betrayal and the court scene was all fantastic. One of NML's many highlights for me.
There was an old newspaper serial called "Half Man Half Monster" included in the Batman in the Forties trade that I remember fondly (he robs a drive-in movie and winds up with a broken neck), but I re-read it last night and it is not as good as I remember. Also, his real name is Harvey Apollo in that story, which is a fun error.
To be honest, from my picks it looks like I am on the side of the origin being greater than the character at large. This isn't really the case but when I think of Two-Face stories, these are the ones that come to mind. Well, these and Prodigal, which is such a mixed bag I honestly swing between liking and disliking it as I read through it. I don't think Two-Face was particularly well characterised, though.
There are other good ones out there, and some awful ones. Feel free to give your thoughts, favourite stories, least favourite stories, or just your two cents.