Arthur Brown: the self-proclaimed master of puzzles and clues who can’t figure out who could have POSSIBLY sent the two women wearing giant question marks to break him out of jail.
The contrast between the two pieces is divine. Jerry & Joe collaborated beautifully together. Bob Kane was an egotist, while Bill Finger did all the work.
22.) “Second Chance,” from Batman: The Animated Series (1994)
More about Batman’s devotion to Harvey than Harvey himself, this episode of BTAS is a great look at their friendship, how love can blind someone to another’s flaws, and trying to save someone from themselves.
20.) Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (1989) from Batman #440-442 and New Titans #60-61
Besides the Tim Drake origin, this is a great look at how a Batman without Robin leaves him deadlocked with a conflicted Harvey in a deadly game of cat-and-also-cat. This is the first hint of Harvey having a distinct secondary personality, where the Joker’s gaslighting leads to Harvey possibly developing an actual alter for Two-Face. Awesome Jim Aparo art accompanies work by the legendary George Perez, who sadly doesn’t draw Harvey for more than a couple pages.
18.) “Fifty-Fifty,” (1997) from Batman & Robin Adventures #22
Kidnapped by mobsters and armed with only a quarter, Harvey has to hack his own mental illness to defy his captors and protect his estranged ex-
fiancée, Grace Lamont. A great follow-up to the feel-bad events of Dini’s “Two Timer” from B&RA #1-2. One of the best looks at Harvey’s lawful neutrality.
16.) “Face to Face to Face to Face” (1987), from Teen Titans Spotlight #13
Harvey puts Cyborg through a brutal psychological gauntlet to prove that anyone can become a monster. The first comics work by J. Michael Straczynski, this is Batman: The Killing Joke one year before Moore’s story was published.
3.) Batman, the syndicated newspaper comic strips (1989-1991)
A lost gem with a flawed, conflicted Harvey which remains the longest sustained complete arc of the character to date, culminating in a stunning finale you’d never see in the comics. Desperately needs to be collected in print, but until then, you can read the whole thing at my sideblog, The Daily Batman.
2.) The Harvey Kent Trilogy from Detective Comics #66, 68, and 80 (1942-43)
Even after eight decades, the original Two-Face saga is still the gold standard by which all Harvey stories SHOULD be defined. Written by Bill Finger at the top of his game, this Two-Face is more complex and interesting here than in most stories that followed, packed with character potential that’s gone unrealized to this very day. Absolutely required reading that stands the test of time.
