Batman is indeed one of the best heroes in the DC Universe, but who is his perfect Marvel counterpart? Fans love to compare heroes from the Big Two, and often, they will discuss who a hero’s best match is from the opposite universe. Admittedly, it can be hard trying to find one that complements Batman. Is Iron Man the Batman of the Marvel Universe? What about Wolverine? Or possibly even Deadpool? I know, I know, but they did just have two crossovers. There’s no one perfect match, but I do think the simplest solution is arguably the correct one.
When it comes down to it, Daredevil works as Batman’s counterpart. Both were shaped in their youth by powerful tragedies, both spent their lives honing their skills to be one-man armies, and they both have an affinity for gadgets. Sure, there’s a bunch of little details like Bruce’s wealth or Matt’s faith that separate them, but these two are certainly cut from the same cloth. In fact, we saw how similar they were in their first crossover nearly 30 years ago, a book that brought the heroes together and included the absolute best villain to antagonize them.
Two-Face Was at the Center of Batman and Daredevil’s Team-Up
In Daredevil/Batman: Eye for an Eye by D.G. Chichester, Scott McDaniel, Derek Fisher, Bill Oakley, and Gregory Wright, Batman’s longtime nemesis, Two-Face, teams up with another villain with a darker half, Mister Hyde. Together, they steal a powerful computer chip, one that can bio-organically develop in one’s brain. Two-Face is, of course, planning on double-crossing Hyde by having him house the chip and harvesting it once the chip is ready. However, Batman is on the case, having pursued Two-Face to New York, which brings the Dark Knight into a confrontation with the Man Without Fear.
While there’s the usual fight one expects when two superheroes meet, Daredevil and Batman eventually decide to work together to recover the chip before Two-Face can kill Hyde and make off with the chip. During the story, we actually discover a piece of Two-Face’s past when he was just Harvey Dent. Apparently, back in law school, Dent knew Murdock and the two were actually friends. That, thankfully, comes in handy when the heroes confront Two-Face, and they manage to convince the villain not to kill Hyde. They recover the chip, and Batman and Daredevil’s first adventure comes to an end.
Giving Daredevil a Lawyer Villain is a Pretty Clever Move
I could go on all day about the close similarities between Matt Murdock and Bruce Wayne. But what I really appreciate about this story in particular is the use of Two-Face as its villain. It could have gone for someone like the Penguin and leaned into Daredevil’s history of being antagonized by crime bosses. But instead, Daredevil/Batman: Eye for an Eye chose a villain that touched on Matt’s personal life as a lawyer. And in doing so, it helped pave the way for an emotional connection to Daredevil’s past by revealing that he and Two-Face were once friends.
I’m actually really surprised Marvel doesn’t have many villains who are lawyers in their private lives or who practiced law in the past (the only one I can think of is Beetle). I guess it’s easier for lawyers to be heroes, given that they generally try to defend the law instead of breaking it. But I think including Two-Face in this story really worked. Both he and Matt believe in the system of laws, and both suffered life-changing accidents. But whereas Matt found the righteous path, Harvey fractured and lost his faith in the system he trusted so much.
Now that we’re in an era of new Marvel and DC crossovers, I’d love to see a follow-up story. A lot of writers have done some really interesting things with Two-Face in the last several years (especially with his last miniseries). It’d be cool to see Batman and Daredevil team up for a sequel to this tale and give fans a chance to see how both heroes mirror their old friend. That’s probably a long shot, but at least we’ll always have Daredevil/Batman: Eye for an Eye, a story that gave readers the perfect antagonist for their joint adventure.
What do you think about Two-Face being a (temporary) Daredevil villain? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!