Misha Collins will play Harvey Dent, better known as the villain Two-Face, in the upcoming CW Gotham Knights series. While little is known about the series at this point, it's likely that the show will lean on the best comic books about the iconic Batman villain, which detail his tragic origin and deep connections to Batman and the complex web of power in Gotham City.
Some of Two-Face's best comic book stories are also the best Batman stories ever, and arguably some of the most important comics in the superhero genre. They have had a tremendous impact and influence on depictions of Two-Face in movies, animation, and later comics, and will certainly continue to do so in Gotham Knights and likely sequels to The Batman.
White Knight
White Knight is a great modern Batman story for many characters, and Two-Face is among them. This story presents an alternate Two-Face who is initially cured of his affliction but ingests parts of Clayface's body, subjecting him to an entirely new kind of transformation.
Recent Batman-related television series have shown a willingness to really mix things up in terms of adaptation and Gotham Knights may be no exception. If it's not, its version of Two-Face may draw inspiration from one of the more unique modern takes on Two-Face.
The Crimes Of Two-Face
"The Crimes Of Two-Face" is the very first Two-Face from Detective Comics #66. This 1942 issue is essential in understanding the history of Harvey Dent, who is actually called Harvey Kent here before DC Comics made a change to avoid any connection with Clark Kent.
Batman has arguably the greatest rogues gallery in all of comic book history, and Two-Face is an essential member of that group. A great deal of the character's iconography (outside of his last name) is established here. Many interpretations of the character in other media have followed this template and Gotham Knights may as well.
Half An Evil
For most of Batman's Golden Age and Silver Age history, Tw0-Face is actually absent. He makes a handful of appearances before returning for good in "Half An Evil" from Batman #234 in 1971, one of the best Batman comics of the 1970s.
This issue, written by Denny O'Neill and drawn by Neal Adams, establishes Two-Face as a dark and menacing figure in ways he never had been before. Harvey Dent returns to crime after having been apparently cured via surgery back in the 1940s.
Hush
The Hush storyline from the early 2000s brings together most of Batman's major villains including Two-Face. It's a major story for Two-Face and one of his best as he seems to leave his evil past behind but is unable to escape his true nature.
In the story, Harvey Dent has surgery that repairs his face. But his criminal behavior continues, from springing the Joker on Gotham and also shooting Hush, who is eventually revealed to be Jason Todd, the second Robin who was thought to be dead.
Face The Face
Face The Face is an early 2000s storyline that's key in further developing the backstory of Two-Face. In this story, the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent before his disfigurement takes on new dimensions when it's revealed that Wayne trained Dent how to fight.
This was would come back to haunt both men, as a young Bruce Wayne helps Dent become one of the best martial artists in the DC Universe and contributes to Two-Face eventually becoming one of the deadliest villains he would ever face.
No Man's Land
Gotham Knights may present a Gotham without a Batman, depending on the approach to the show. If it does, its Two-Face may be based on one of his best stories. No Man's Land takes over part of Gotham after the city is devastated by a massive earthquake.
This story depicts one of the more nuanced takes on Two-Face, as he establishes an alliance with Commissioner Gordon and attempts to maintain some semblance of law and order in the city, even operating out of City Hall in Gotham.
Half A Life
One of the best Two-Face comic books shows both his best and worst qualities. "Half A Life" is a storyline from the Gotham Central series where his friendship with Renee Montoya twists into a dark obsession that ruins her personal and professional life.
Montoya's empathy toward Two-Face leads him to fall in love with her and try to reform, but her rejection of him results in one of his worst acts ever. He undoes her entire life, including publically revealing that she is a lesbian and getting her thrown off the force.
Dark Victory
Dark Victory is a part of an outstanding sequence of storylines by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale. Two-Face features prominently throughout and in this story, Two-Face teams up with some major villains to go after the city's crime bosses.
It's a dark and complicated story that has shades of The Batman, with Dent taking down powerful figures in Gotham as a villain, but ostensibly performing a kind of justice. It leads to a major climactic battle with the Joker.
The Dark Knight Returns
The Dark Knight Returns is a must-read comic for any Batman for a number of reasons. One of them is Two-Face, who gets one of his most terrifying iterations courtesy of Frank Miller. This dark dystopian Two-Face has completely succumbed to his dark side.
Though Two-Face is seemingly cured in one of the darkest future timelines in DC Comics via plastic surgery, he hasn't abandoned his evil ways. He tries to destroy Gotham, though, unlike other villains, Bruce Wayne still maintains some empathy for him.
The Long Halloween
The Long Halloween is arguably the best Two-Face comic to read and certainly for those looking forward to his appearance in Gotham Knights. This storyline reframes the origin of Two-Face during a terrifying campaign by a serial killer in Gotham.
The story adds a great deal of dimension to Dent's history and character by focusing on his wife, who becomes as tragic a figure as he does. This remains the gold standard of Two-Face stories and likely informs some of his live-action depictions in the future.