Julie Newmar’s Catwoman.
Batman Confidential?
After the Joker? Batman himself. The best part of the Batman mythos, IMO, is how morally ambiguous he is, in some incarnations: he’s obsessive, vengeful, and megalomaniacal in a way that the other two big superheroes aren’t.
Not that he’s a total villain, of course. But his dark side is the most interesting dark side in superhero canon, IMO.
I guess we’ll have to see what direction the franchise takes now that Kim Jong-il is stepping into the role.
Catwoman.
Second place goes to the obscure Mad Monk.
“BAH. If not for that accursed Richards and his meddlesome rabble constantly thwarting Doom’s plans, DOOM would be the most feared adversary of every sane hero across the planet and throughout the multiverse!”
/megalomaniacal raving
Well, Catwoman, but she hardly counts as a villain (not sure how I feel about the brainwashing retcon though).
The Joker has had some good stories, but I find the actual character kind of boring. I did like Heath’s take.
Mostly I like villains when Batman is teamed up - with Superman (Null & Void), or the Outsiders (Masters of Disaster, Team Kobra, People’s Heroes, etc).
I also like the idea of Jason Todd as a villain, although I haven’t followed that storyline to know how well it was executed.
From the Adam West '60s series, Egghead (Vincent Price), portrayed in an over-the-top campy style, which fit into this show perfectly.
Chandell (and his twin brother Harry). Not many can knock themself unconscious with a champagne bottle. Or play the piano like Liberace.
Obviously, Heath Ledger is in a class by himself.
In the TV series, my favorite was the Riddler. When I was a little kid I thought that laugh was the coolest sound in the world.
Batman’s (theoretical) alignment is a function of the era and the writer. A lot of latter-day Batman would NOT be lawful good. Lawful neutral, leaning toward good, yes. Straight LG, not at all.
I agree that Catwoman’s up there, but everyone forgets the OTHER female villain/sexual tensionizer…Talia.
Talia is not only a Batman villain in her own right, she’s a member of a Batman villain dynasty…Ra’s al Ghul’s daughter. She’s walked the line between Batman partisan and villain for a LONG time. And she’s not as annoyingly gimmicky as Selina…no claws, no whiskers, no ears.
Her role as a villain is subtle - she represents the temptation Batman feels to give up his mission and live a normal life.