Two-Face Tuesday! Ty Templeton's followup to the BTAS episode "Judgment Day"

[thehefner]

Whew! Didn't think I'd get this one up this week! Finding internet while on a road trip is damn tricky, especially in the rural South. Lord knows if I'll even get next week's posted at all.

In last week's post about a time when Harvey became a vigilante to thwart Two-Face, I made direct comparison to the episode of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES entitled "Judgment Day," wherein Two-Face gained a third personality who became a vigilante known as "The Judge."

I've already complained on why I hated the Judge for botching what could have been a great concept--Harvey's good side manifesting as a vigilante--but thankfully, Ty Templeton used the Judge as a jumping-off point for an excellent issue of BATMAN: GOTHAM ADVENTURES:








This issue starts with Harvey attacking Jay and Silent Bob:








Harvey becoming a vigilante would be all well and good, except the twist is that he's going after his own men during his own heists.

His psychiatrist tells Batman that she switched his coin with a trick coin that would always land good side up, which wouldn't have been a problem before the Judge manifested. That aspect of Harvey's personality has condemned Two-Face to death, and even now that Harvey's good side is in control whenever the clean side comes up, he's pretty much trying to get himself killed.

Thus, Batman intervenes the next time Two-Face pulls a heist (and betrays his own henchmen):








Eventually, Harvey commandeers an airplane from another pair of henchmen, sending them over the edge with parachutes. Which is where Batman finally corners him:











Batman ends up saving him, of course, saying, "With me, luck is never an option. It will get better, Harvey. I promise." Really, that's not much encouragement for the poor bastard, is it? But then, no one ever considered Batman to be the best emotional guidance counselor.

What's worth noting here is that there's pretty much no trace of "Big Bad Harv" in this Two-Face. There were three big Two-Face stories written by Ty Templeton on the DCAU Batman comics (the second one, "Lucky Day," was posted a couple weeks ago), and thinking about them now, his dark side was barely present at all.

Back in BATMAN AND ROBIN ADVENTURES #22 (which I'll post down the line), the psychiatrist assures Batman that Harvey's finally managed to control his anger. That still seems to be the case with this Two-Face, who's no longer a monster half the time but just a tormented, deeply screwed-up guy.

So maybe that's why Batman promised that it'll get better, because he really is, but it'll be a long and painful recovery (if it's to happen at all). Either way, it's gonna suck to be him.

Comments

[yaseen101]

"......just a tormented, deeply screwed-up guy. "

That's Harvey in a nut-shell, I guess. I think if he is written consistently like that, it isn't much of a stretch to imagine up an arc where Harvey genuinely turns good.

Also, why did they just switch to the split suit when he was wearing a more awesomer get-up on the cover and the first few pages? Yes, he is still wearing the split suit under the coat and hat but he looks much cooler with the coat, hat and scarf then without.

[cmdr_zoom]

Probably because that outfit, like the tagline, is a not so subtle reference to a certain other vigilante with hat and coat, face-concealing scarf, and twin .45s.

[mistersandman]

You're one of the first people I've met who doesn't like the black and white BTAS suit! I think it's really snazzy and I wish he appeared with it more often outside the DCAU.

Still, the grey overcoat is a nice touch...

[retro_nouveau]

Yay, hero (instead of passive bystander) as the opposite of villain, it's nice to see once in a while. Pretty good stuff.

But bein' this is a .44 Magnum and will blow your head cleeen off, you've got to ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

[aaron_bourque]

Best part of this is when Batman tells Harvey the coin's rigged, and Harvey realizes that it doesn't matter, he still has to go by what the coin says.

That's Harvey's insanity in all it's stark simplicity.

[silverzeo]

I always wonder... what would Harvey do if found out about Bruce... you think their friendship would out the coin?

[psychopathicus_rex]

It might make them closer, really, because, to him, it would make them kindred spirits - they both have a dual nature.

[thehefner]

Depends. On one hand, it could strengthen the bond of Bruce and Harvey's good side, but at the same time, Big Bad Harv seems to live to destroy anything good in Harvey's life, so that he can have him(self) all to himself. I'd like to think that it would at least inspire Harvey to take a more an active role in fighting his evil side.

[team_mummy]

i love how batman looks right after the statue lands on him "Errrgh!"
Also: I shall always adore and be creatively indebted to the Timm style. I love how it looks here especially.
Also: did not realize it was Two-Face Tuesday! I did a sketch by coincidence

[thehefner]

Nice! :)

[iondan]

Huh, Last week when Batman mentioned that because the scared side of the coin was lighter and thus would be more likely to be the result, I had wondered what would happen if the coin was enginered to land on the good side. Now I know.

[grazzt]

There's something about this art that really seems to accentuate Two-Face's halves to me. I mean, the two halves of his body seem so stark and in contrast to each other in a way that a more "realistic" artist would lose.

Or maybe it's also the panel composition. It seems like every panel has Harvey's face reflecting how much of what he's doing is Two-Face and how much is himself. Like the panel where he rules lawyers about his coin is all Harvey, and the panel where he runs from the cops is all Two-Face.

[janegray]

Is this Harvey's last appearance in the DCAU?

[thehefner]

No, he had two or three major appearances, one of which I posted here: http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/1349515.html

This was, however, the last we saw of Harvey's tortured internal struggle in the DCAU.