Harvey Dent has been a terrifying villain for the Dark Knight for decades at this point, as Two-Face has routinely harassed the denizens of Gotham City with his own twisted sense of justice. Despite his status as one of DC Comics’ most recognizable villains, Dent has never received an ongoing series to call his own, until now. For Dent’s first solo outing, writer Christan Ward and artist Fabio Veras set the stage for a very appropriate setting for the Batman villain that is attempting to often rest control away from his twisted half. Based on how Two-Face #1 begins the series, there might be a lot to look forward to in this dark underbelly of Gotham City.
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Rather than seeing Two-Face once again attempt to create a maniacal plan to take down Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego, Dent is once again stepping into the courtroom, albeit one that isn’t exactly working within the boundaries of the law. Instead of working officially in Gotham’s courts, Harvey is now a prosecutor in a criminal network known as the “White Church.” Harvey isn’t the only one that is a part of this strange new setting as Reaper, Mr. Zsasz, and Killer Croc all have their own unique parts to play. Of course, all is not as it seems as Harvey is harboring a dark secret that readers might not have seen coming and adds a dynamic conflict to the villain-centric series.
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Two-Face: No Objections Here
The White Church is a fantastic setting for Two-Face to flourish here, in that this bizarre court still sees Harvey Dent as a prosecutor but has a very different sense of justice than any other courtroom in Gotham. The issue itself starts off with a quick recap of how Dent became one of Gotham’s greatest villains, albeit in an artistic style that makes the flashback well worth diving into even for those who know their Dark Knight lore backwards and forwards. This is helped in both Ward’s handling of the titular character and Veras’ dynamic direction with his art.
Two-Face’s new environment is a fun and creepy one, and the inclusion of lesser known villains like the Reaper really works here. There has always been one aspect of the Batman story that I’ve loved, which was a primary factor in comics such as The Long Halloween and movies like The Dark Knight, and that is the push and pull between the mob and Gotham’s “freaks.” That dynamic is demonstrated well here, as Harvey is trying to discover the truth behind a series of murders which involves both a mafioso and the self-harming Mr. Zsasz. The mystery itself is satisfying enough thought its in the fallout and the meeting of the White Church’s leaders that help the issue sing.
Of course, what would a Two-Face story be without Harvey and his darker side squabbling for control of their body. In this new status quo, things are not quiet as they seem this time around injecting a nice new flavor into the White Church. This new structure is one that also acts as an intriguing ticking time bomb for all the characters involved, potentially amplifying the idea of Dent being a “Jekyl and Hyde” figure.
This Coin Lands Face Up
As is the case with all comics, it takes a village to convey a story focusing on a hero and/or a villain. Fabio Veras does some fantastic work here, not only with the emotions that are strewn across the faces of the mostly villain-centric cast, but as mentioned earlier with the flashback sequence, creates some dynamic direction to help sell some of the harder hitting moments. On top of Veras’ pencils, I would be remiss if I didn’t also not Ivan Plascencia’s colors that help Harvey’s latest foray truly pop off the page.
Two-Face #1 offers an interesting new take on the classic villain and does one of the most important things a first issue can do in that it justifies its existence and then some. The White Church as a concept is a very intriguing one that I’m looking forward to seeing develop here and, hopefully, in the wider DC Universe as a whole. Harvey Dent is a character who might have always been sold as a villain to throw a monkey wrench into the Dark Knight’s nightly activities, but now that he’s out of Batman’s shadow, Two-Face might just have received one of his strongest stories to date.
Published by DC Comics
On December 4th, 2024
Written by Christian Ward
Art by Fabio Veras
Colors by Ivan Plascencia
Letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Cover by Baldemar Rivas