Two-Face does not get the respect he deserves, as while his gimmick is a bit difficult to take seriously, he has a very unique appeal. Harvey Dent is not only one of Arkham Asylum's most dangerous patients, he was once one of Gotham City's greatest heroes.
Once upon a time, Harvey Dent was Gotham City's greatest district attorney before a tragic incident gave him a psychotic obsession with the number 2, with the man's personal life being both heartbreakingly tragic and unbelievably reprehensible. The character of Two Face's split nature makes him capable of being either sympathetic or absolutely terrible.
Tragic: Two Of A Kind
"Two of a Kind" by writer/artist Bruce Timm feels like a more adult episode of Batman: The Animated Series, especially in how it portrays Two Face. After his face is fixed by plastic surgeon Marilyn Crane, Harvey Dent begins a romantic relationship with the good doctor, but their bliss is disrupted when Marilyn's psychotic twin Madeline has an affair with Harvey.
When Harvey wants to end the affair, Madeline kills Marilyn, which shatters Harvey's mind and causes him to re-scar himself. Two-Face then kills Madeline out of revenge, with the character's narration being revealed to be a confession from Harvey to Batman.
Monster: His New 52 Origin
The New 52 muddied a lot of iconic characters, but while Harvey Dent had one of the more intriguing revamps, he himself was far less pure in his prior life. In The New 52, Harvey Dent was a shifty lawyer who used criminal tactics to ensure justice was served.
Though his reasoning was noble, his method was far less so, with the character being two-faced long before he was Two-Face. When his wife is killed out of revenge by an Irish gangster, it's kind of his fault, making his scarring feel like less of an injustice.
Tragic: A Hero Falls
During the period in DC Comics history titled One Year Later, Harvey Dent's face was fixed and he had become Gotham City's most vigilant protector. However, the story "Face The Face" by James Robinson and Don Kramer would serve to flip Harvey's life upside down once more.
When a series of murders match up with Two Face's M.O, Batman suspects his old friend may have turned heel once more. In the end, it's revealed that the killer is the new Tally Man, but Dent's mind is so broken by the ordeal that he re-scars himself.
Monster: Trying To Make Cyborg More Like Him
One of J. Michael Straczynski's first comic books before his acclaimed run on The Amazing Spider-Man, the story "Two Faces of Evil" pitted Two-Face against then Teen Titans member Cyborg. Drawn by Chuck Patton, Harvey's motivation is to prove that he and Cyborg aren't so different.
After kidnapping Cynthia Adams, an award ceremony organizer that the hero had taken on a date, Two-Face forces Cyborg to commit a crime that would twist the public's perception of him. Later, Cyborg saves Cynthia and Two-Face is forced to accept that there is a massive gulf between him and the Titan.
Tragic: The Story Of His Coin
Outside of his scarred face, Two-Face's coin is his most defining trademark, but it actually has a very disturbing history. Growing up in an abusive household, Harvey Dent's mentally unstable father would beat him depending on the result of a coin toss.
The abuse would be the catalyst for Harvey's inability to make choices without the coin, but instead of using it to hurt people like his father, Harvey tried to use it for good. The backstory not only makes Harvey's fall more tragic, but makes his actions as D.A more honorable. Sadly, the coin is now a harbinger of doom for many people in Gotham City.
Monster: His War On The Robins
Many have said that Two-Face is more of a Robin villain than a Batman villain, which mostly stems from how he has tried to ruin the lives of most of them. Though he hasn't really done anything too bad to Tim Drake or Damian Wayne, he was a major pain to the first two Robins.
In the Post-Crisis continuity, Jason Todd's father was murdered by Two-Face, which was the incident that truly set the future Red Hood on a dark path. With that being said, no Robin has felt the wrath of Two-Face more than the first.
Tragic: Being Stripped Of His Ability To Choose
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth put Grant Morrison on the map for Batman fans, with their nightmarish story complementing Dave McKean's unnerving art. Two-Face has an important role to play, with the character being at his lowest point during the events of the story.
In Arkham Asylum, Dr. Ruth Adams has taken away Two-Face's coin, replacing it with tarot cards. Her intention is for him to learn to make his own choices, but instead he can't choose anything, essentially being stripped of his ability to make choices.
Monster: Traumatizing Dick Grayson
Unlike Batman, who thinks there is still a chance to save Harvey, Nightwing has outright stated that he doesn't see what Batman sees. For as long as Dick has known Two-Face, the criminal has gone out of his way to ruin his life, with two horrific incidents springing to mind. The first was when Two-Face forced Dick, who was still Robin at the time, to choose to save Batman or a judge.
Though he tried to save both, Two-Face killed the judge anyway. The second was when Two-Face savagely beat The Boy Wonder, almost forcing him to retire from crime-fighting. These events would explain why Dick is resistant to entertain the idea of Harvey being redeemed.
Tragic: His Classic Origin Story
If the coin of life had landed on another side, Harvey Dent would still be one of Batman's greatest allies. Instead, while he was prosecuting notorious gangster Sal Maroni, Maroni pulled out a bottle of acid and splashed it into the face of Gotham's district attorney.
Harvey's scarring would play havoc on his already fragile sanity, causing him to begin a life of crime. Two-Face's origin story is up there with the likes of Mr. Freeze, as it is one of the most tragic falls from grace in comic book history.
Monster: His Role In Gotham Central
"Half a Life" is an award-winning story found in the pages of Gotham Central, with the acclaimed story showing how monstrous Two-Face can really be. Written by Greg Rucka and drawn by Michael Lark, "Half a Life" sees Two-Face out Detective Renee Montoya as a lesbian to the GCPD before framing her for murder.
Why would Two-Face do this? Because he fell in love with Montoya and is too arrogant to see that she doesn't love him back. In the end, Montoya, with a little help from a certain Dark Knight, defeats Two-Face and clears her name, but this incident would negatively affect Montoya's relationship with her extremely religious parents.