#94 - Brutale
First Appearance: Nightwing #22 (Feb 1998)
Little heroes don't get far with blades in their spines." ~Brutale
One of the more frightening costumes in the Batman villain arsenal, Brutale's mask was originally an inspiration for the early designs of Christopher Nolan's Scarecrow mask. Brutale definitely lives into his name; he's a vicious, brutal, heartless killer-for-hire, and yet another one of Blockbuster's go-to henchmen. If nothing else, Nightwing's primary antagonist knew how to align himself with good help (unlike the Kingpin who was betrayed how many times by Elektra and Bullseye?). Brutale is one of those show-up-everywhere villains who is just the right amount of sick combined with just the right amount of capitalist to pretty much fit into any villainous gathering. He was part of Luthor's Society during the Infinite Crisis year as well as being sucked into various gatherings such as the big one in Superman/Batman's first arc, Salvation Run, some Birds of Prey run-ins and even the Suicide Squad.
What makes Brutale work is that there just aren't very many South American villains out there, so he fits in well with... erm... Bane, I guess. That's pretty much it. Honestly, there are some similarities between Bane and Brutale. They're both highly-skilled tacticians, they both seek out challenges, and they both are willing to work for the highest bidder. The difference is that Bane has a God complex while Brutale is just in it for the cash and the thrills. And frankly, when I need a good right-hand man, I want one that's in it for those two reasons and nothing else.
Greatest Brutale Story Ever Told: Blue Beetle #1-3 - "Metamorphosis": The first story arc of the sadly cancelled Blue Beetle series in the New 52, Brutale is given new life as a more Hispanic-oriented villain with a even creepier modus operandi. Great reinvention of a hidden gem from the Batman arsenal, and even more impressively inserted into another franchise without feeling out-of-place.
YOU ARE READING
Top 100 Batman VILLAINS
RandomName basically describes it. It's a list of the top 100 Batman villains. (Note: This isn't MY list. So, if you don't agree with it, don't freak out and rant in the comments)
