The original idea of this character was interesting. A Batman villain who hated Bruce Wayne more than Batman and became a leader of the False Face Society, a sort of half cult/half criminal organization obsessed with masks and identity. He wasn't terribly well executed when he first appeared, but there was potential there that could've been expanded upon. Except they didn't. They got rid of any interesting aspect of the character and just turned him into a torture happy sadist/generic mobster with a dumb look. He became completely one note and lacking in personality, and whenever I see him in a story now, I just wonder why the writer is using him as opposed to the Penguin or some other mobster character with more personality. Even joke villains like Zeus and Killer Moth are charming in their goofy way, and at least writers don't take them seriously enough to give them a huge presence. Black Mask is such a key player compared to them, and he's just so bland.
I can't stand him. Probably the worst Batman villain in my opinion.
@420slaterson: I personally believe penguin is one of batmans most redundant, non-developing, overused villains
The original idea of this character was interesting. A Batman villain who hated Bruce Wayne more than Batman and became a leader of the False Face Society, a sort of half cult/half criminal organization obsessed with masks and identity. He wasn't terribly well executed when he first appeared, but there was potential there that could've been expanded upon. Except they didn't. They got rid of any interesting aspect of the character and just turned him into a torture happy sadist/generic mobster with a dumb look. He became completely one note and lacking in personality, and whenever I see him in a story now, I just wonder why the writer is using him as opposed to the Penguin or some other mobster character with more personality.
First, you are right.
Second, stories you see now are written by Scott Snyder and he is not so good telling good Batstories (he has done a few good ones but not latelly and for a long time).
Third, unfortunatly this happens to lots of vilains. They loose their personnality. Like Killer Croc for exemple.
Forth, I could recommand you Batman Adventures (vol.2) : Shadows & Masks
Black Mask: Strategy Slime
Whoa, I disagree with the comments posted here, so let me (ahem) take this peaceful opportunity to the be the Devil's Advocate of sorts.
1. Penguin is meant to be harmless-looking but annoying and creepy, so we may be jumping the gun by liberally citing him as a 'meaningless villain.'
2. Black Mask may be uni-dimensional, but he is also (arguably) Gotham's most menacing organized crime leader when compared to the Red Hood Gang (just a slick band of fierce bandits), Falcone (a mafia 'ghoul'), Talia's Leviathan (a Machiavellian crime 'troop'), or other loosely-referenced random tribal groups such as Penguin's morbid Red Triangle Gang (from Burton's Batman Returns).
In other words, Black Mask symbolizes the sort of crime coordination coloring that makes Gotham's "criminal macro-mind" reminiscent of 'teamplay thrill events' such as the 1994 World Cup (a very cool soccer tournament in which Italy's gifted Baggio surged his nation ahead only to be cruelly humbled by Brazil's cunning Romario).
In my opinion, Black Mask Roman Sionis (and the somewhat devilish Jeremiah Arkham to a lesser extent) provides Gotham 'background neon' and is therefore a tad under-rated/under-appreciated. I would rather pick on the Bat-villain Clock King (an eerie but somewhat clichéd weirdo)!
I agree with Abishai100. Black Mask is actually pretty underrated and underused.
If you want a damn good portrayal of the character read Batman: Under the Hood or Genevieve Valentine's Catwoman run.
Black Mask: Strategy Slime
Whoa, I disagree with the comments posted here, so let me (ahem) take this peaceful opportunity to the be the Devil's Advocate of sorts.
1. Penguin is meant to be harmless-looking but annoying and creepy, so we may be jumping the gun by liberally citing him as a 'meaningless villain.'
2. Black Mask may be uni-dimensional, but he is also (arguably) Gotham's most menacing organized crime leader when compared to the Red Hood Gang (just a slick band of fierce bandits), Falcone (a mafia 'ghoul'), Talia's Leviathan (a Machiavellian crime 'troop'), or other loosely-referenced random tribal groups such as Penguin's morbid Red Triangle Gang (from Burton's Batman Returns).
In other words, Black Mask symbolizes the sort of crime coordination coloring that makes Gotham's "criminal macro-mind" reminiscent of 'teamplay thrill events' such as the 1994 World Cup (a very cool soccer tournament in which Italy's gifted Baggio surged his nation ahead only to be cruelly humbled by Brazil's cunning Romario).
In my opinion, Black Mask Roman Sionis (and the somewhat devilish Jeremiah Arkham to a lesser extent) provides Gotham 'background neon' and is therefore a tad under-rated/under-appreciated. I would rather pick on the Bat-villain Clock King (an eerie but somewhat clichéd weirdo)!
100% agree. I love Black Mask and Penguin.
@sionistheboss: You can reply to this comment but not the CAV we're in?
Yeah Black Mask is sorta lame.
@sionistheboss: You can reply to this comment but not the CAV we're in?
Don't be that guy.
@akshsarpanch: Yeah it was Holly Robinson. Black Mask kidnapped her and her husband, tortured the husband to death, and made her eat her dead husbands eyes. Pretty sinister.
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