There have been two men to don the Black Mask and both have left their mark on Gotham City and the Batman Family with their evil deeds, but who in your opinion is the better/most menacing villain?  Who was the best Black Mask?  Sionis or Arkham?

Well...I personally haven't seen alot of the new Black Mask, and as much as I love the idea of Arkham's directer, the man responsible for keeping Arkham asylum's inmates locked up, turning evil and unleashing Batman's rogues gallery on the city of Gotham, the old Black Mask seemed to have such a cool origin story that tied in well with Batman's past AND had a distinct personality (excellent strategist with high pain threshold and torture skills but very ill tempered and sarcastic).

" Well...I personally haven't seen alot of the new Black Mask, and as much as I love the idea of Arkham's directer, the man responsible for keeping Arkham asylum's inmates locked up, turning evil and unleashing Batman's rogues gallery on the city of Gotham, the old Black Mask seemed to have such a cool origin story that tied in well with Batman's past AND had a distinct personality (excellent strategist with high pain threshold and torture skills but very ill tempered and sarcastic). "

" While Dr. Arkham going insane was inevitable, and I'm sort of happy that's over and done with now, I hate him as Black Mask.  I hate Arkham sullying the true Black Mask's not-so-good name.  I mean, I loved Roman.  He was a great villain, one of those bad guys you just love to loathe.  He was so much fun, in a creepy, cruel, sadistic way.  What he did in War Games was brilliant, both the thing with Spoiler and the whole ... you know ... take-control-of-the-entire-city thing.  It's sad though that, after War Games, he seemed to deteriorate and fade into the background.  After becoming the undisputed king of Gotham's criminal underworld, he didn't really do much before he got killed by Catwoman.  Still, the only Black Mask as far as I'm concerned is Roman Sionis.  "

yeah Sionis was by far the better out of the two... though maybe if Arkham had some better storylines i could vote that way 
 
M

"I loved Roman.  He was a great villain, one of those bad guys you just love to loathe.  He was so much fun, in a creepy, cruel, sadistic way.  What he did in War Games was brilliant, both the thing with Spoiler and the whole ... you know ... take-control-of-the-entire-city thing.  It's sad though that, after War Games, he seemed to deteriorate and fade into the background.  After becoming the undisputed king of Gotham's criminal underworld, he didn't really do much before he got killed by Catwoman.  Still, the only Black Mask as far as I'm concerned is Roman Sionis.  "

Sionis just worked better

They need to find a way to bring Roman back permanently.

I really liked Roman, but after reading Arkham Reborn Jer is starting to grow on me...tho that might have something to do with me mixing character history from the joker blogs

" @Quentin_Beck said:

"I loved Roman.  He was a great villain, one of those bad guys you just love to loathe.  He was so much fun, in a creepy, cruel, sadistic way.  What he did in War Games was brilliant, both the thing with Spoiler and the whole ... you know ... take-control-of-the-entire-city thing.  It's sad though that, after War Games, he seemed to deteriorate and fade into the background.  After becoming the undisputed king of Gotham's criminal underworld, he didn't really do much before he got killed by Catwoman.  Still, the only Black Mask as far as I'm concerned is Roman Sionis.  "

That really helped to define the character for me.  And what do you mean he didn't do much before he got killed by Catwoman, he kidnapped and tortured her sister and husband.  What he did to her sisters husband was horrible, and making her sister watch it all, which made her go nuts and was the nail in his coffin...or bullet in his head.  "

The original, Roman Sionis.

" The original, Roman Sionis. "

Sionis was by far better 

Sionis was the best by far. Jeremiah Arkham may have been insane, and he may have released a bunch of Arkham inmates, but I don't  think that he really deserves to cash in on Roman's legacy. Sionis was a sadistic lunatic who, in addition to running the Gotham underworld, could physically and mentally go toe to toe with Batman. He also killed Orpheus and tortured Spoiler. Anyone who can do that deserves respect.

I think that Roman Sionis is so much better, I mean of course why wouldn't I he is amazing and awesome. Jeremiah Arkham we all knew he was going to snap into insanity anyway. I mean what person in Arkham Asylum that isn't already a patient, doesn't turn insane and ends up as a patient instead of a psychiatrist?

"Sionis was the best by far. Jeremiah Arkham may have been insane, and he may have released a bunch of Arkham inmates, but I don't  think that he really deserves to cash in on Roman's legacy. Sionis was a sadistic lunatic who, in addition to running the Gotham underworld, could physically and mentally go toe to toe with Batman. He also killed Orpheus and tortured Spoiler. Anyone who can do that deserves respect. "

The whole War Games event was a fluke,it was Roman's good luck that it played in his favour.He could'nt even retain his position for even a year and made mistake after mistake eventually getting offed by Selina.He actually tried to BULLY Deathstroke seriously did he have some deathwish or something?

Arkham is just plain crazy,i dont even understand why he chose the black mask identity of all things.

Still, you can't say that it was just good luck that he offed Orpheus. Or completely turned Batman's plan against him. Or decimated Oracle's Clocktower alongside Crane. Or...yeah, you get the idea.

I like Roman Sionis simply bc i dont know much about Black Mask II (Jeremiah Arkham). but Sionis just seem Brutal to me and just seem like a more developed Crime Boss. Besides i think he went out like a Boss, jaw blown off, c'mon pretty badass lol

@Darkerman said:

The original, Roman Sionis.

THE ORIGINAL: Roman Sionis-while Jerimiah Arkham was good in his own way, he took alot of his rep from The original black mask...imo

Both are morons and were no good villains but as Black Mask,Sionis was far better.