User:Ntnon/Batdoc

Sources

TV & Film

1. AFI's 50 Villains includes:

• The Joker (#45. 25 places behind "Man" in Bambi...)

1.5. Nominated for the AFI's 50 Villains, Filmsite's Summary of the nominations notes:

• The Penguin
• Catwoman

PLUS SIDES: A "professional" list. Respected input from knowledgeable film experts. DRAWBACKS: Compares like and unlike. Potentially attackable as 'film snob' choices.

2. The Online Film Critics Society's Top 100 Villains features:

• The Joker (#18)
• Catwoman (#82)

PLUS SIDES: Wider pool of experts and opinion than the AFI. 100 rather than 50. DRAWBACKS: As above.

3. IGN's Top Ten Comic Book Movie Villains includes:

• The Joker (#2)
• Catwoman (#5)
• Henri Ducard/Ra's (conflated compound character) (#7)

3.5. Also mentioned:

• The Riddler
• The Penguin
• Mr. Freeze

Criteria: "the character's onscreen coolness, their effectiveness at foiling the hero's plans or causing mayhem, the actor's performance, and how lasting an impression the character made."

PLUS SIDES: A "fan" view. Comics characters only. DRAWBACKS: One fan's opinion. Just ten.

4. Premiere.com's "Best and Worst Batman Villains" reads (Best):

• Catwoman
• Harley
• Penguin
• Scarecrow
• Ra's

And (worst):

• Freeze (singled out largely for the legacy of Batman & Robin on the Bat-film franchise)
• Dr Daka (highlighted solely because he was the first on-screen villain)
• Bane (singled out largely for being such a ghastly transcription from comic to film. And B&R.)
• Two-Face (damning criticism of Tommy Lee Jones' cartoon sterotype; praise for Eckhart's iteration.)
• Poison Ivy (criticism of the character, not the actress - oddly - and, of course, of B&R.)
• ...the exploding shark...
• The Joker: Obviously, from the comments, either in the wrong list, or "worst" for the wrong reasons...! "always overshadows the caped crusader."
• The Riddler: Also obviously in the wrong list. "the most clever of Bat-villains."

PLUS SIDES: Semi-professional ratings, for a variety of reasons.

DRAWBACKS: ...a variety of (conflicting) criterions. Two villains in the wrong list, several highlighted not for character traits but for meta-fictional reasons. The exploding shark and Dr Daka.

Comics, TV & Film

1. Superhero Hype on Bravo's Ultimate Super Heroes, Ultimate Super Villains, Ultimate Super Vixens([1], [2])

• SuperVillains
  • The Joker (in the top five with Luthor and the Green Goblin)
  • The Riddler/The Penguin (joint 7th)
• SuperVixen
  • Catwoman (in the top five)

PLUS SIDES: More Bat-villains. Ostensibly a fan-inspired production, ostensibly 'expert' opinion.

DRAWBACKS: A frankly terrible list that includes: Bond, Conan, the Mask, the Tick, Blade and Spawn in the top twenty Superheroes; Kreuger, Chucky, Dr. Evil, "Bond Villains," the Mummy, Syndrome (from The Incredibles) and "Clown" as part of the top twenty Super Villains; and "the Women of Austin Powers" in the top twenty Vixens. Among others. NOT exclusively comics, costumes or "supers." Clearly chosen to compliment clips and a wide-ish range of styles and origins.

2. External report on Wizard's "100 Greatest Villains"

• The Joker (#1)
• Catwoman (#51)

PLUS SIDES: From THE major (superhero) Comics Publication.

DRAWBACKS: Again, a wide-ranging list - Stewie Griffin vs. Emperor Palpatine vs. Pinhead, Pennywise and Mr Blonde - compares like with unlike.

Unsubstantiated Sources

NOTE: Dates mean that user-voted content can be affected on whim by the most recent film (Joker, Two-face); static lists may similarly NOT take more recent events in comics and on film into account, skewing the nominations.

• Quizilla has The Joker, over Catwoman, Poison Ivy and the Riddler. Also-rans: Two-Face, Freeze, Penguin, Harley, Scarecrow, Clayface. [Bat-villain only. User-voted ranking (one vote per user gives the Joker three-quarters of the vote). Editorially chosen nominations.]
• The Top Tens give The Joker over Catwoman, the Riddler and the Penguin. [User-voted ranking. Editorially chosen nominations. A range of comics-only sources.]
• The Book of Ratings gives the Joker over Clayface, Catwoman, Two-face, the Penguin and the Riddler. [One person's choice. Odd rankings and comments.]
• Seekler offers the Joker, Two-Face, Ra's, Catwoman, the Riddler, the Penguin, Freeze, Scarecrow, Carmine Falcone, Bane, Killer Croc and Clayface. [Wider range, Bat-only. User-voted. Etc.]
• Rate It All's unhelpfully un-rated list gives preference to The Joker, Ra's, Ivy, Two-Face and the Penguin. Then Catwoman, Scarecrow and the Ridder. Freeze, Croc and Man-Bat also appear. [Fairly useless.]
• About.com puts the Joker (#4) and Ra's (#8) on their top ten comic book super villains list. [User-edited? Subjective. Etc.]
• Sporcle's quiz results gives the percentages each character was guessed. The Joker is way out in front, with the Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman and Two-face close behind. Mr Freeze and Poison Ivy are above 75% currently, too. Then Scarecrow and Bane. Clayface and Harley. Ra's, Hatter, Man-Bat and Killer Croc. (And Joe Chill.) [Selected, if wide, choices. Potential results-skew by multi-guessing. Nevertheless gives a take on the most widespread villains in the popular mind.]