Should Killer Croc be shown as a full-on crime boss again?

[Dispenser Of Truth]

Killer Croc is in the upper echelon of Batman enemies. It might not come across that way, but in terms of name recognition - especially thanks to the Arkham games - he outstrips all but the biggest villains at this point. I'd say he's probably better known at this point by the general public than Clayface, Man-Bat or Deadshot. But his role is, universally, "the big dude for Batman to take down before fighting the real guys". I hadn't known he'd ever been anything else until I read a piece of Jason Todd's original origin, where he was shown as a scaly-skinned gangster. Generic, but immediately more interesting and promising than the regular guy had ever been; Mark Waid couldn't even do a good comic with that guy.

Should that be the gimmick to finally make something worthwhile of the character? A 10-foot, green-skinned tuxedoed madman with a taste for human flesh who nevertheless manages to get out solid instructions for his lieutenants to carry out between his roaring and occasional devouring of random henchmen, and fancies himself the underground King of Gotham and Batman's rival. Kingpin as black comedy. Any takers?

[Nite-Wing]

He has more legs as a crocodile monster
If they want to do something deeper give him some more stories where he retains his intelligence just don't make it terrible Waylon is after all a cannibalistic criminal

[K. Jones]

For me this is why Tim Seeley's recent 'best of both worlds' version is the best Croc since the early 80s, or at least the Animated Series. Because it combines 'mob boss' Croc with "The Under Dwellers". Perfection, in my book.

[Dispenser Of Truth]

For me this is why Tim Seeley's recent 'best of both worlds' version is the best Croc since the early 80s, or at least the Animated Series. Because it combines 'mob boss' Croc with "The Under Dwellers". Perfection, in my book.

Think I missed it. Was that in Suicide Squad, or Red Hood?

[Mister BoMan]

Loved The Killer Croc of the 1980's in Jason Todd's Pre-Crisis origin, I have longed to see him come back like that.

[MajorHoy]

Maybe if they had run that angle towards the start of the New52.
Now, though, I'm not sure if it could work without seeming a forced U-turn.

[Frontier]

For me this is why Tim Seeley's recent 'best of both worlds' version is the best Croc since the early 80s, or at least the Animated Series. Because it combines 'mob boss' Croc with "The Under Dwellers". Perfection, in my book.

Think I missed it. Was that in Suicide Squad, or Red Hood?

I think he's referring to Croc's use in Batman Eternal.

[Nero]

I'd certainly be up for it. The basic crocodile monster angle is played out so much that it's made Killer Croc generic. They never should have went there in the first place IMO because all it's done is made Croc into another punching bag for Batman. They need to have Croc go back to being the criminal mastermind he initially was and have him take over Gotham's underworld and he can run it from the sewers which would be apropos with the criminal element.

[Flash Gordon]

I like him as Roy's AA sponsor a lot.

[godisawesome]

I think he may work better as the leader of a crew of criminals as opposed to a full blown gang. I like the idea that Croc both enjoys getting his own hands dirty and may not quite trust others to do most of the work without him being there. I also cannot see him as a neck-tie kind of guy, though suspenders over a shirt with rolled up sleeves and a jacket/fedora combo fits pretty well.

Think of him more as Deniro's character in Heat, but just that much more violent and ferocious: someone who can brutally murder you, but does actually look out for his men in most instances, with a lot of pride and a deep but sometimes hidden bitterness towards others.

Oh, and of I could do something fairly radical with him, I'd have it revealed that Croc originally was just a cunning and powerfully built criminal who gave Batman more than a challenge, then Hugo Strange experimented on him with Monster Man formula, leading to both his bouts of cannibalism, animalistic rage, increased strength and durability, and an abiding hatred of all drugs and stimulants. Thus, he is perfectly capable of beating someone to death if they say the wrong thing or chewing down on human flesh, but it's more a feral response that he finds irritating (not disgusting, though, unless he eats someone he'd rather not.)

[thwhtGuardian]

I like him as Roy's AA sponsor a lot.

Pretty much this, I loved that bit.

I kind of like him as a sort of Catwoman like figure, where he's a criminal but he's also a guardian for the lost people of Gotham as well.

[Flash Gordon]

Pretty much this, I loved that bit.

I kind of like him as a sort of Catwoman like figure, where he's a criminal but he's also a guardian for the lost people of Gotham as well.

Valentine used him really well in her CATWOMAN run. He's vicious but helps Eiko when she's broken and lost.

[Rac7d*]

I like him as Roy's AA sponsor a lot.

Is this real?

[batnbreakfast]

I wasn't around for the 1st pre Crisis version of Killer Croc and hope to see him portrayed in more interesting ways as well. My first thought was Croc Kingpin in tuxedo as well, shaking up the Gotham underworld and having Penguin step down after so many years.(Catwoman had a great but too short reign.)
At this point anything fresh would be welcome. Sponsor to Roy, Agent of Spyral but no more cannibalistic Hulk. Champion of the opressed would be boring imo (you have Ragman for that)

[LoneNecromancer]

Someone made this thread a good while ago and I still disagreed it with then. I don't like Croc being a dumb monster thing to beat up, but there's already enough crime bosses in Gotham and I dig him as a mob enforcer something like his role in Joker, but someone who still has a brain.