It seems that literally every day,Batmanhas to fight tooth and nail to protect Gotham City from the ridiculous villains who inhabit it. That’s why, at first glance, it seems so surprising that there’s a villain who Batman would trust with the welfare of the city. But considering the history between Batman andTwo-Face, it’s really a no-brainer that Bruce Wayne would let Harvey Dent protect Gotham City in his absence.
Harvey Dent is chosen as the surprising protector of GothaminDetective Comics#817 by James Robinson and Leonard Kirk. This issue takes place during DC’sOne Year Laterarc, during which the timeline of the DC Universe leaps forward one year following the massive events of the line-wideInfinite Crisiscrossover event. Some heroes leave after a major defeat to train and get stronger, including bothBatmanand Robin.
After the return ofJason Todd as Red Hood, Batman and Robin go on a year-long training expedition. While Batman is gone, he needs someone to watch over Gotham City. While some fans would assume Batman would leave it to one of the Bat-Family members, he didn’t really have any. Batgirl was unavailable due to her being shot by the Joker, Huntress was on bad terms with Batman, and Nightwing and Robin were leaving with him -leaving Two-Face as Gotham’s sole protector.
Batman Can Only Trust Two-Face with Gotham City in the Dark Knight’s Absence
Detective Comics#817 by James Robinson, Leonard Kirk, Andy Clarke, John Kalisz, and Travis Lanham.
At this point in the DC timeline,Harvey Dent has presumably been completely cured of the Two-Face persona. He had gotten surgery to fix his face and he seemed to be legitimately trying to make amends for the crimes he had committed. Batman points out these developments himself when Harvey tries to reject the offer. It speaks volumes of how Batman feels about Harvey Dent that not only does he appoint him as Gotham’s sole protector, but he also trains Harvey in how to fight so he can effectively protect Gotham.
Batman has always been open to forgiving his villains if he thinks they’ve truly turned around.
Batman has repeatedly shown over the years that he’s open to working with his villains if he believes that they’ve been rehabilitated.Batman once invited Clayface into the Bat-Family, and he supported the Riddler when he tried to become a hero. Batman has always been open to forgiving his villains if he thinks they’ve truly turned around, and he especially has reason to believe this about Harvey Dent. While characters like Clayface and the Riddler had to prove they had changed and could be good men,Batman knew Harvey Dent when he was a good man.
Batman Has Known Harvey Dent Since Childhood, Making Their History Genuinely Fascinating
Harvey Dent Even Helped to Create the No-Kill Rule
Many fans might not know thatHarvey helped to create Batman’s no-kill rule, as seen inAll-Star Batman#3by Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr. In this story, concerned by Bruce’s murderous fantasies about Joe Chill, Alfred sends him to Arkham’s summer home for disturbed children, where Harvey was also in attendance. Originally, Bruce and Harvey intended to kill the abuser of the other, with Harvey killing Joe Chill and Bruce killing Harvey’s abusive father. Butafter Harvey forgave his father, Bruce considered trying to see the good in people too.
Two-Face fans are in luck! Harvey Dent is starring in his very first solo series as part of DC’s All In storytelling initiative throughout 2024 and 2024.Two-Face#1 by Christian Ward and Fabio Veras is available December 4th, 2024 from DC Comics.
That decision with young Harvey was anincredibly important moment in Bruce Wayne’s life. It completely changed how he viewed people, and it helped him form his no-kill rule. Even after this encounter, Harvey continued to be an important person in Bruce’s life. During the events ofBatman: Dark Victoryby Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Batman considered revealing his secret identity to Harvey Dent and bringing him in as his first true ally before Robin. This partnership ultimately didn’t work out due to Harvey’s transformation into Two-Face, but Bruce really was considering it at the time.
For a Whole Year in the DC Timeline, Harvey Dent Was Gotham’s Sole Protector
Without the Bat-Family, It Was Only Two-Face Protecting Batman’s City
TheOne Year Laterstory isn’t the only time that Batman has entrusted Gotham City to Harvey Dent. In Ram V’s recentDetective Comicsrun, after Batman is chased out of Gotham City, he relies on both Harvey Dent and Two-Face to try and keep the city from completely falling under the control of the Orgham Family. When Batman finally returns to take his city back, Two-Face plays an integral role in defeating the Orghams and freeing Gotham from their hypnotic control.Batman truly believes in Harvey’s capacity for heroism, and in the most dire situations, Batman knows he can rely on Two-Face just as much as Harvey.
Batman Admits The One Villain He Trusts As Much As Alfred
Batman’s secret identity is extremely important to him, which is why it’s so surprising he once planned to tell an iconic villain who he was.
There are few people that Batman truly trusts - his immediate Bat-Family and Superman, that’s pretty much it. But this story, which isn’t often talked about, proves that Batman completely and utterly trusted Harvey Dent. Even after evidence surfaces suggesting that Harvey murdered Gotham’s criminals, Batman still maintains his innocence and is ultimately proven right, despite Harvey returning to the Two-Face identity. While it’s unlikely that Batman andTwo-Facewill ever be true allies again, it’s clear thatBatmandesperately wishes that they could be.
Two-Face
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
