The 411 Top 5 07.18.07: Week 122

Posted by Trevor Snyder on 07.18.2008

The Top 5 Best Bat-Villains

And here we….go!

That's right, it's finally here. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is finally at your local theaters, beginning it's sure to me biggest-hit-of-the-year box-office haul. And, not surprisingly, most of the talk has centered on the late Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker, which many early reviews have suggest might not just be the best Batman villain yet, but one of the greatest film villains in recent history, period.

Still, I thought it might be fun to take a look at what Ledger is up against for that crown, at least in terms of the Bat-universe. And so, this week we take a look at:

THE TOP 5 BEST BAT-VILLAINS


Trevor Snyder

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Harry (Liberace), Batman (TV Series) – OK, maybe not really one of the most memorable villains the caped crusader has ever faced. Still though, he's pretty darn memorable just for the novelty of seeing Liberace play a tough-talking gangster – which he actually does pretty well!

Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), Batman & Robin - Was Batman & Robin one giant steaming turd of a film? Of course. But what often gets overlooked when fans dis the movie is just how good Thurman actually was. Poison Ivy is a character that should be played over-the-top, and Thurman vamped it up big time. It was the only "campy" element of the film that didn't go too far…it felt just right. Plus, she's never looked hotter, and that's gotta count for something, too.

The Joker (Jack Nicholson), Batman - Sure, my opinion of this film has gone way down after numerous viewings over the years, and yes, I have often complained that Nicholson is much more playing an even crazier version of himself than he is the comic-book Joker. But, then again, at the end of the day, it's still Nicholson being crazy, which is always a good thing. His performance is about to get left in the dust, but that doesn't mean it won't still be a blast to watch from time to time.

THE TOP 5

5. Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin), Batman: The Animated Series

When the creators of Batman: The Animated Series decided to give Joker a love-interest/sidekick, I doubt they had any idea what a lasting impact she would have. Quinn turned out to be one of the series' breakout characters, and was so popular DC had no choice but to introduce her into the regular comic-book continuity of Batman as well. Hell, some fans were even disappointed that Nolan apparently had no interest in using her in The Dark Knight. Also of note - Harley Quinn remains one of the most popular characters with female comic fans. This might have something to do with how easy it is to relate with falling for a guy who really couldn't care less about you. As for why guys like her? I'm pretty sure it's because we all think that, if she was real and not a cartoon, she'd be pretty damn smokin'.

4. Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), Batman Returns

Speaking of smokin'…three different women had already portrayed Catwoman in the original Adam West era (with Julie Newmar being most fans favorite, although I myself am partial to Lee Meriwether) by the time Tim Burton's sequel rolled around, so Pfeiffer had a lot of reference material to study. By pouring her into one of the hottest outfits of all time, and amping up the sexuality even further than ever before (and Catwoman had always been a sexy character, so that's saying something), Batman Returns gave us the best incarnation of Catwoman yet; one that would seem even better in retrospect once stacked up against Halle Berry's pathetic turn.

3. Mr. Freeze (Michael Ansara), Batman: The Animated Series

Although he made occasional appearances in both the comic-book (where he was originally known as Mr. Zero) and the Adam West series, Mr. Freeze was pretty much an also-ran Bat-villain until The Animated Series along and breathed new life into the character. Changing his origin to include the sad tale of his terminally-ill wife not only delivered one of the strongest episodes the series ever produced, but also transformed Freeze into Batman's most sympathetic villain. Batman & Robin would try to replicate this with Arnold Schwarzenegger, but, well…the less said about that, the better.

2. The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), Batman Begins

It took long enough, but someone (well, not just anyone – Christopher Nolan & David Goyer) finally realized that certain Batman villains, like Scarecrow, should actually be scary. And yes, this Scarecrow is damn scary. Somehow, putting the Scarecrow mask on top of a regular suit – rather than the full costume fans were used to – made the character look even creepier. But what really brought it home was the intense performance of the bug-eyed Murphy. Scarecrow may have been the secondary villain of the film, but he stole the show.

1. The Joker (Mark Hamill), Batman: The Animated Series

Who would have ever thought that the best Joker performance (at least till today) would belong to Luke f'n Skywalker? Remember the first time you found out that it was Hamill providing the voice for the animated version? That was hard enough to wrap my head around, but once I actually saw Hamill do the voice live on some interview…*shudders*.
Still, this was The Joker I had been waiting a long time to see. Sure, the fact that it was a kid's show prevented them from allowing Joker to be quite as psychotic as in the comics, but it was an OK compromise. To this day, Hamill's voice is the one I hear in my head when I read Batman comics featuring the Joker.



Owain J. Brimfield

I don't really follow Batman too much (although I'm looking forward to The Dark Knight as much as the next person) so this list may seem a little odd to some.

THE TOP 5

5. Catwoman (Eartha Kitt), Batman (TV series)

The sexiest villainess of the 60s, Adam West's Batman series had a number of classic pantomime baddies, and while more people will probably remember Burgess Meredith than anyone else, it was always Catwoman who did it for me when I was a young whippersnapper watching the repeats on TV on my lunch break from school. Mmmm.

4. The Joker (Mark Hamill) in Batman: The Animated Series

Hamill has deservedly won many plaudits for his voice performance of Batman's greatest nemesis in an animated incarnation that remains, at least until Heath Ledger turns up, the best incarnation of the Joker yet seen on our screens. Yes, better than Jack Nicholson's irritatingly camp turn in the Burton original (oooh, look at how wacky and zany ol' Jack is being! He's never done that before!).

3. The Penguin (Danny DeVito) in Batman Returns

At once cartoonish, adorable and terrifying in the way that only a Tim Burton character can be, the Penguin essentially owns Batman Returns, which by the way is the least-appropriately named superhero movie ever made (seriously, the titular character is only on screen for about seven minutes in the first hour). DeVito is horribly creepy, and to this day my girlfriend still can't watch the movie for fear of his appearance, which has to be the mark of a good villain.

2. Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) in Batman Begins

Nolan's reboot of the franchise is the only Batman movie I really dig, and the Scarecrow succeeds because he's probably the most realistic portrayal of a supervillain in the Batman canon. Of course it helps no end that Cillian Murphy and his crazy, crazy eyes are involved - the guy just looks like a lunatic anyway. Aided by a horrendous mask and some super-cool hallucinogenic special effects, Dr. Crane wreaks havoc on our screens in a genuinely unsettling performance.

1. Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzengger) in Batman & Robin

Oh, come on. Who doesn't love Ahnuld? Everyone knew the 90s Batman franchise was dead by the time Joel Schumacher let loose with the bat-nipples, so let's instead take B&R for what it really is, a ripe slice of so-bad-it's-good, MST3K-style entertainment. Freeze dishes out the puns and one-liners with gusto, in true Arnie tradition, and there's certainly no doubt that this is one of the most memorable villains in a comic book movie, even if he is memorably awful.



Steve Gustafson

HONORABLE MENTION

The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), Batman (TV Series) - Frank was the man. He took a silly, one note characer and injected class and style that...who am I kidding? Regardless, as a young gun I was a big fan of Gorshin. He made the Riddler cool to me.

THE TOP 5

5. Max Shrek (Christopher Walken), Batman Returns

How random was this? Every time he was on screen I was mesmerized by his hair. Why is he in this here when this spot could be filled with someone more deserving? Because he's Christopher Walken. That's why.

4. Egghead (Vincent Prince), Batman (TV Series)

As a kid I was a big Vincent Price fan. I can't explain to you how odd it was to see him playing a Batman villain. Egghead at that! Only the talent and styling of Mr. Price could bring respectability to a bottom rung villain known as Egghead. And I mean that!

3. Penguin (Burgess Meredith), Batman (TV Series)

The original show was hokey, cheesy, hammy, over-the-top...but it was all we had to grow up with. Still, it was stacked with great actors willing to "slum it" to be associated with the Batman mythos. Mr. Meredith still gets my vote as THE Penguin in my book. No offense to Danny Devito.

2. Bruce Timm & Paul Dini's Mr. Freeze, Batman: The Animated Series

If you haven't seen Heart of Ice episode from the incredibly awesome 90's animated series, then do yourself a favor and find it. That is the best version of Mr. Freeze...EVER.

1. Catwoman (Julie Newmar), Batman (TV Series)

I met her years back and guess what? Still sexy. But watching her on the small screen...Wow. There is no way Batman could resist her. Props to Eartha and Pfeiffer but Julie Newmar had the sexiest purr to me.



Jeremy Thomas

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), Batman & Robin (1997) - Okay, so there's no doubt whatsoever that Batman & Robin sucked in every possible way...not the least of which is the treatment some villains got. Mr. Freeze and Bane, I'm looking at you guys. The one thing that was watchable about it was Uma Thurman's smoking hot turn as Poison Ivy. She vamped it up big time, and created a character that, while she approached the levels of cartoony-ness that the rest of the film did, was never absurd the way the others were. She made Ivy the best part of the movie by far, and for making ANY part of this movie watchable, she at least deserves honorable mention.

Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin) in Batman: The Animated Series (1992 - 1995) - I have an unabashed love for Harley Quinn...and apparently, I'm not alone. The character, which was created specifically for the animated series, got such a positive response that she was incorporated into the comic books. And a big part of that was Arleen Sorkin's charismatic, nutty portrayal of the character. Normally, I far prefer my Bat-Villains to be more serious portrayals than wacky, but I have to give proper due to the first Harley Quinn for being so damned awesome.

Ra's Al Ghul (Liam Neeson) in Batman Begins (2005) – I feel that Neeson doesn't get enough respect for his work as Ghul, largely because Ghul isn't one of the more well-known Bat-Villains. Looking at the story as presented in Begins, though, you have to give it up for the man. This is the man who had a direct involvement in making Bruce Wayne into Batman. He trained Bruce, taught him everything he needed to know, and Neeson played the role very nicely. Based on pure, unadulterated skill, Ghul is in the man in current Bat-Film continuity, and you have to respect that.

THE TOP 5

5. The Joker (Mark Hamill), Batman: The Animated Series (1992 - 1995)

Mark Hamill created an indelible impression with his voicing of the Joker, a great portrayal that, while like Harley Quinn, managed to be a bit gimmicky and wacky, yet still exude greatness. The Joker as presented in the Animated Series is more nutty Jack then psychotic Ledger—and that makes sense, being as the Animated Series was made for kids. Within that context, he made a great villain for Batman, and left an impression on a new generation of Batman fans that will stay with them forever.

4. Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), Batman Returns (1992)

Everyone's got their favorite Catwoman, and for me, it's the one from the Burton films. Anyone who was paying attention when Batman Returns was being marketed was transfixed by the sexy, dangerous Selina Kyle as portrayed beautifully by Pfeiffer. It's really, I think, only that the success of this Catwoman spawned the atrocious Halle Berry piece of crap that it doesn't get more respect. Sure, she was a little off-the-wall with her origin, but what in Returns wasn't? This is the movie that had penguins with rockets on their backs that were going to bomb Gotham City, for Christ's sake. Bottom line: Pfeiffer's Catwoman was exceptional, and audiences certainly responded.

3. Harley Quinn (Mia Sara), Birds of Prey (2002)

A lot of people hated this series; I actually liked it. The short-lived series that aired for one season on the WB took some major liberties with the comic book series it was spun off of, but I always thought they worked well, and the show was never given a real chance to prosper. One of the best things about the series was Mia Sara's more serious and manipulative version of Harley Quinzell, aka Harley Quinn. She was the Huntress's therapist, and worked behind the scenes to work against the trio of heroines. She was cold, ruthless, and efficient, and it was a joy to watch her on the screen. One wonders what might have been, if only this show had been given a longer run.

2. Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), Batman Begins (2005)

I'll admit, I'm a huge Cillian Murphy fan and will watch him in almost anything. I was not, before Begins, a big Scarecrow fan. Murphy played, ironically a role reminiscent of my number three choice, in being the insane man working as a psychologist. Murphy played him with a great menace underneath the charming exterior, and his actions change Gotham City in a major way. He was one of the best things about an amazing Batman film, and one of the most memorable Bat-Villains to date.

1. The Joker (Jack Nicholson), Batman (1989)

To me, no other choice (yet) is viable. No one created such an instant and iconic portrayal of a Bat-Villain then Jack. Was he largely playing himself in white and green make-up? Maybe, maybe not. That's a point that people can argue left and right—and often do. But no one can deny that he livened up the first Burton Bat-Film and left a permanent impression on the Batman landscape, one that has left inspiration for other great Joker portrayals (i.e. Mark Hamill, my #5 choice).



Bryan Kristopowitz

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Riddler (Frank Gorshin), Batman TV show - Only an actor as talented as Gorshin could pull off the green Riddler body suit, which always looked ridiculous (check out Jim Carrey in Batman Forever to see what I mean). He was always cooler wearing the suit and tie and derby hat. And when he got into the fist fight at the end he always got his butt kicked. It was always obvious that, in that instance, the Riddler was just going to lose. But, still, when Gorshin, either in the body suit or just the plain old suit, was the villain-of-the-week and before the fist fight, he was always a worthy adversary for Adam West's and Burt Ward's Caped Crusaders.

The Mad Hatter (David Wayne), Batman TV show - The thing that always bothered me about the Mad Hatter was that, despite being an old guy, he could still get the upper hand with that freaking top hat with the laser eye things that popped out the top. If there was any villain who should have been completely destroyed right at the start, it was him. But then he used that laser thing in his hat and it was over. I know that the Batman television show is looked down upon as cheesy and campy, but if the ongoing Batman movie franchise was looking for a "different" kind of villain, the Mad Hatter would be a good one to explore. At least I think he would be.

The Bookworm (Roddy McDowell), Batman TV show - The Bookworm was great because he admonished his henchmen to remove their glasses before engaging in a fistfight, and that's exactly what they did. It was strange though, wasn't it? Batman wouldn't hit a man with glasses (I believe he told Robin that at some point), so why not have his henchmen beat the crap out of Batman and Robin with their glasses still on. Wouldn't that be easy pickings, so to speak?

THE TOP 5

5. Egghead (Vincent Price), Batman TV show

It's freaking Vincent Price in a bald cap, saying "Eggselent" every few minutes. On paper, it just sounds like a stupid idea, even for the Batman TV show. But it worked out because it was freaking Vincent Price in a bald cap. He was super smart, eleggant (ha!), devious and, above all else, arrogant. He thought he could outsmart Batman, even steal his intelligence with a special mind/brain contraption that looked like an electric chair. Brilliant stuff.

4. Max Schreck (Christopher Walken), Batman Returns (1992)

Walken was in pseudo Bond villain mode here (he was channeling Max Zorin), trying to use Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin hisself, and his mayoral campaign to gain power over Gotham City so he can then build a gigantic power plant. It's not like Schreck didn't have the ear of the mayor of Gotham, but Bruce Wayne, just as big a mega rich industrialist as Schreck, also had the ear of the mayor and the mayor was buying what Wayne was selling. So Schreck had to find a way to get around all of that. He's the real major villain of the movie. Obviously not as iconic as DeVito's Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer's uber hot Catwoman, but he may be worse than both of them. Heck, he even takes a shot at Batman and, at least for a second, looks like he actually killed him. That's pretty substantial. Not too many villains get the chance to do that.

3. Catwoman (Julie Newmar), Batman TV show

Julie Newmar was never super hot like Eartha Kitt or Michelle Pfeiffer, but she was always nice to look at. And she had brains. She was, like Egghead, devious and sinister, a great bad guy who just so happened to be a woman. She could always keep Batman at bay with her sexuality and her charisma. Sure, Batman usually won, but there was that episode where Newmar's Catwoman actually died (well, it was assumed that she died. I guess they couldn't come right out and say that she was dead because of standards at the time) and Batman allowed it to happen. She was able to get Batman in a position where he couldn't do anything. The ending of that particular was downbeat. She got to Batman more than usual. That's power right there. Making Batman feel guilty.

2. The Penguin (Danny DeVito), Batman Returns (1992)

I love Burgess Meredith's portrayal of the Penguin on the Batman TV show, but I think Tim Burton's idea of the Penguin and Danny DeVito's interpretation of the character surpassed Meredith's dapper and deadly con man. DeVito's Penguin was grotesque, definitely mean spirited, but he still had a kind of charisma that attracted people to him. DeVito's Penguin was in demand. And yet DeVito's version didn't really understand why people liked him, and he just went about his business, planning to use mutated, giant penguins to launch missiles into Gotham City. It's that kind of total recklessness that makes you a worthy adversary.

1. The Joker (Jack Nicholson), Batman (1989)

The one thing I've always liked about Nicholson's Joker was that he wasn't all that different from the person he was before Batman dropped him in that vat of chemicals. Napier was always a seething, violent psychopath. But he kept some of his super violent tendencies in check by just being a member of Carl Grissom's gang. But then Grissom set him up and Batman dropped him in the chemicals. Suddenly there was no need to keep anything in check. Now Napier could be as nasty and awful and violent as he always wanted to be. Again, there was nothing keeping him from being that guy. And that's why he's Batman's greatest challenge. You don't really know exactly what he's going to do next. You just know, as Batman found out, that you're not going to like it.



Shawn S. Lealos

Get this out of the way up front. I have never seen a single episode of Batman: The Animated Series. Also, I would like to say I was tempted to make Joel Schumacher the number one Batman villain on my list, but common sense got hold of me. I also am amazed that I love Batman Begins as much as I do, despite there not being a truly memorable villain in the entire film. That says something about the mastery of Chris Nolan's storytelling style. I believe Heath Ledger will change that this weekend.

5. King Tut (Victor Buono), Batman (television series) - With all the characters that I remember from the campy television series it is King Tut that somehow sticks in my head. It isn't the sexy Julie Newmar or the iconic Cesar Romero, it is this former Academy Award nominee (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane) that brings back memories of this mild mannered professor who, after a bump on the head, believed he was the reincarnated King Tut. He was a unique Batman villain, as he had never, nor has he ever, appeared in any Batman work outside the 1960's television series.

4. The Penguin (Danny DeVito), Batman Returns

I'm not saying DeVito is a better actor than Burgess Meredith, and when I think of The Penguin, I think of Meredith. However, Batman Returns is, by far, the best of the 80s-90s Batman films. It has held up better over the years than the original, and blows the Schumacher flicks out of the water. The bad guy for this movie was a slightly sympathetic and very disgusting Tim Burton creation which DeVito played to perfection. If anyone knows how to make revolting, it is Tim Burton. I applaud the two for creating such a great character out of a creature that had already been played to perfection over two decades before.

3. The Joker (Cesar Romero), Batman: The Movie

This guy was so much a diva that he refused to shave his mustache for this role and just had it painted white, along with his face. But he is who I always knew The Joker as based on my childhood. It is also rumored his performance is what Mark Hamill based his performance on in the animated series. He appeared in ten story arcs through the three seasons of the show and returned for Batman: The Movie as well. He may never be as fondly remembered as Jack Nicholson, but he was just as iconic and was the original template for the madman.

2. Catwoman (Julie Newmar), Batman (television series)

She was very sexy, especially for me as a young boy. She also was replaced in the third season of the show. After appearing in only one arc in season one, she became so popular that she made five appearances in the second season, one more than both The Joker and Penguin. Some people liked her replacements, and while I guess Lee Meriwether is nice as well, it is Newmar that holds a place in my heart, as well as that of Wong Fu apparently. She is just the purrfect Catwoman.

1. The Joker (Jack Nicholson), Batman

While completely over-the-top, and never once pretending to be anything other than Jack Nicholson, The Joker in this Tim Burton directed film still worked to perfection. Yes, the movie has not aged all that well. The Prince soundtrack makes me want to bash my head against a wall when I hear it play in the film, but damn if Nicholson doesn't give me the exact persona of The Joker that I wanted. I know Heath Ledger will be bringing something different, and I will not compare the two when I see the movie because while Ledger is bringing a realistic edge to the madman, Nicholson reveled in the absurd caricature of what is Batman's greatest villain. It may never seem that dangerous or scary, but it a wonderfully iconic performance of the best Batman villain of them all.

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