In pop culture, some of the best villains come from video games. From Ganon to GLaDOS, to Dr. Robotnik to Dr. Wily, there's an endless amount of great bad guys in virtual gaming. The new Batman villain, Designer, was created with video game inspiration - and it shows.
Designer was created by James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez and first appeared in Batman #90. His past is still somewhat mysterious, but what's been established is Designer was a villain living in the shadows who previously defeated a vigilante detective before the emergence of Batman. He attempted to get Gotham's biggest bad guys to work together to defeat Batman and rule Gotham, but he was left for dead by the Joker. Years later, he re-emerged to wreak havoc not only on Gotham but to the villains who declined his team-up effort previously.
While there's still plenty to learn about Designer, his real identity, and what his plans are in the present day, Tynion IV revealed the inspiration behind the character. In an interview with SyFy, Tynion talked about what's next in his run of Batman and his new villains - including Designer. Tynion described Designer as "a character who was conscious of the way that villains evolve over time." The current version of Designer has been around for a while and has experienced quite a bit in the shadows. He's evolved quickly in the pages of Batman, but in the universe, he's developed over time into the menacing villain he is today. Describing his personality, Tynion said he was like the 'literal devil' in a crossover of popular video games.
I wanted him to look like he's a character from another story, another type of genre of comics melting into this one. think I described him as a 'Imagine if there was a Final Fantasy, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid crossover and the villain of that story was the literal devil. I think Jorge [Jimenez] delivered.
Designer's look is definitely video game-inspired. His big coat, mask, and sword look like an ensemble straight out of those video game series. The look is a great starting point for the character. Tynion IV will be allowed to develop the character further ahead of the pending 'Joker War,' as he hasn't had a lot of time in the comic pages just yet. However, with the video game-inspired look and a backstory that is intertwined throughout Gotham, Batman, and it's biggest villains, Designer has proven to be an interesting character. Just how long he lasts going to the upcoming war remains to be seen - but he's certainly welcome to stick around during the pandemonium.
Source: Syfy