In the current era of Batman comics it feels like every Batman villain has a solo series. Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy all have ongoing series at that are going strong. Penguin had a maxi series by Tom King and Two-Face had a cult hit miniseries in recent memory as well. The writing’s on the wall: Batman villains sell. They always have for that matter, but more now than ever it seems that people want to see more. But who should make the cut for getting a series?
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With Batman having such a deep bench of villains, there are plenty of bad guys to choose from but there are just some villains that are just more interesting than others. Be it a mini, maxi, or ongoing series, it’s time these baddies go solo for their own titles.
1) The Riddler
Usually one of Batman’s best dressed rogues, Riddler is one of the Bat’s biggest foes. While the Riddler has had a weird history of popularity over the years, as one of the original four Batman villains from the Adam West show, he’s ingrained in the minds of many in pop culture. It’s for that reason alone it’s surprising he hasn’t gotten his own solo book like some of the other villains..
As a cunning and intelligent foe, there are plenty of things a solo series could explore with Riddler. That said, given his penchant for, well, riddles, his book might be quite the challenge for readers and the creative team alike.
2) Bane
Breaking the Bat is a monumental task when you debut, and that’s how Bane made his mark. Bane’s has made quite the impact since that iconic debut and it’s something that has earned him quite a few fans, thanks to him being as intelligent as he is strong, Bane has accumulated quite the fanbase. Of course, it’s that mix between brains and brawn that makes him a perfect candidate to get his own series, one that perhaps explore the character on a deeper level. We probably won’t see a more humanized take on Bane, but we could end up far more terrified of him than we already are.
3) Clayface
With a highly anticipated film debut on the way, now would be the best time for a solo Clayface book. With multiple versions of the character over the years, picking up with his heroics after James Tynion IV’s Detective Comics run would work here. The tragedy of body horror would be a great thing to see in this book, not mention seeing Clayface work on trying to make amends for the actions of his past. This is such a dynamic character that it’s really a surprise we haven’t seen more done with him.
4) Mr. Freeze
Easily one of Batman’s most complex foes of the 90s, Mr. Freeze is super cool. Bad pun aside, he’s appeared more regularly in recent years, which makes it the right time to give Mr. Freeze his own time to shine. Exploring Victor’s emotions, particularly in the early days of his descent into villainy, would be a chilling thing to see in the modern Bat-mythos. Of all of Batman’s foes, Mr. Freeze might have one of the most emotional cores. There’s a lot of story here to tell. Showing how truly cold hearted Freeze can would be a great miniseries.
5) Scarecrow
How the king of fear has not had his own solo series is truly a mystery. With a fantastic new reinvention by Tynion IV, he has the makings of a good series lead. Any insight into creating his new strains of toxin as well as his testings would be fun to see. It would also be interesting to see how his own work impacts him — something that hasn’t really been explored much before. Pair that with his current usage of Mad Hatter’s tech, it’s perfect a perfect opportunity for a truly frightening and fascinating tale.
6) Killer Moth
Okay, hear us out. Not the most popular character by any means, giving Killer Moth his own solo series could lead to a super funny book. His depiction in Batgirl: Year One was a fantastic take and should be used more. The bumbling idiot that somehow does all the least interesting crimes would be fun to see. As serious as everyone is, you always need that one relief character. We never said villains have to be competent to get their own tales; they just have to make for good stories and this one would be gold.
Which Batman villain do you want to have a solo series? Let us know down in the comments.
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Image Courtesy of Paramount -
Image Courtesy of Big Finish Productions.
