One thing that helps Beware the Batman stand out from previous animated shows about the Dark Knight is its strong focus on avoiding A-list villains. As far as we know, characters like Joker, Poison Ivy and Bane aren't running around in this CGI version of Gotham City. Instead, we've seen far lesser-known characters populate the fictional city and give Batman all kinds of trouble (e.g. Anarky, Magpie, Humpty Dumpty).
Batman's made more than a few enemies over the years and has an incredibly diverse rogues gallery. Because of that, we took some time to think about which other non-A-listers could make a good addition to the program. We've somehow managed to narrow it down to just five picks (seriously wasn't an easy task given all the choices) and we think each could bring something new or at least entertaining to the show.
KGBeast
Batman is slowly making a few friends as the show progresses, but he's making a whole lot of enemies, and at a much quicker rate, too. With the Caped Crusader always interrupting so much business in the crime world, it would be quite cool to see one of these crime lords (Whale, perhaps?) reach out to a mercenary for help. Said mercenary: Anatoli Knyazev aka KGBeast. He enters the show with one simple objective: take out the Bat.
Sure, he's been a jobber at times (Nightwing has utterly humiliated him), but given proper respect, he has a lot of potential for stellar fights with Bruce. Upon suffering defeat at Batman's hands, this could give Knyazev a sense of revenge and transform him into a reoccurring character.
Calendar Man
If there's one thing this show continues to do exceptionally well, it's show off Wayne's abilities as a detective. Calendar Man seems like an excellent way to further test the hero's wits. Holidays tend to be days where people can unwind -- take some time off from work, celebrate, relax, etc. However, for Batman, these could now be days where he needs to be extra alert and try to prevent the worst.
No, we're not talking about a version of Calendar Man who's running around in a silly outfit with waving calendars and what not. Instead, it would be a more twisted and grounded take on the character. No elaborate costume is required. Just the tattoo on the head and a dark mentality is all this guy needs to be a solid adversary.
Copperhead
Copperhead's redesign for Batman: Arkham Origins is quite awesome. So awesome, in fact, that we think she should transfer into the TV universe as well. The show is more than welcoming to characters with powers, so having Batman square off against someone with jaw-dropping agility and a plethora of poisons could result in some hugely entertaining brawls. Additionally, Batman would be forced to use his brain when it comes to creating an antidote for her poison -- whether its to save his own skin or someone else she went after.
And if you want to learn more about the foe, don't forget to check out Tony's 3-Minute Expert video for Copperhead.
The Blockbuster Gang
Okay, they're technically Nightwing villains, but there's no good reason why this group can't be brought into Batman's animated world. There's a few scattered villains in Gotham, but right now the big players are just Whale's organization and the League of Assassins. So, why not give Whale some competition by having Blockbuster and his gang a part of the city?
Individually, these characters tend to be less than formidable. Even the likes of Lady Vic and Shrike end up getting wrecked by Grayson. And please, don't even get us started on how disappointing Brutale is. However, a fresh start could be just what these characters need and when grouped together they certainly hold the potential to give Batman a tough time. Then when they eventually fall, there's always Blockbuster. Honestly, who doesn't love a good raw power vs. Batman battle? Furthermore, this can open up the not-so-friendly door to some gang warfare between Whale and Blockbuster. Now wouldn't that be a nice little spectacle of chaos?
Condiment King
Beware the Batman does a fine job throwing some laughs our way every now and then, but wouldn't it be especially great if there was a character who's sole existence was to be a reoccurring gag? Obviously the flavorful Condiment King could just be a much appreciated bit of levity from time to time, never really taking up more than a handful of scenes at most. Although, if the writers were up for the task, they could eventually make the conceptual Condiment King upgrade his gear and be an actual threat (by adding spices and such). After being treated as a joke for so long, having him suddenly take Batman by surprise would be enthralling and downright hilarious. Sure, he'd still get owned in the end, but at least it could make for some hysterical moments.
If you could add five non-A-list villains to the show, who would they be and why? Speak your mind below!
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