10 Genius Comic Book Ideas That Should've Been Terrible
8. The Batman Who Laughs
One of the common criticisms from a Marvel fan towards DC is that the publisher's new big-bad, the Batman Who Laughs seems... kinda dumb.
It's a bit of a mouthful as far as names go and from the outside, a Jokerised Batman does seem like a little bit of a strange idea. Characterised by his huge Joker-smile, bat horns and spiked-metal visor, the Darkest Knight is a lot to take in, especially as he towers over his Rabid Robins.
Take a moment to dive into his story and you'll see that, while he may look like a young boy's idea of an eighties metal singer turned evil, the Batman Who Laughs is no laughing matter. This villain is every negative trait of every version of Batman, all bundled up into one insane package. The complete antithesis to the Bruce Wayne we know already know.
The idea of having a negative version of a beloved hero is nothing new, but Scott Snyder has done such a great job with the Batman Who Laughs. He feels like a genuine threat and manages to make even the most confident of heroes shake in their boots.