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Warning: contains spoilers for “Living Doll,” appearing in DC Horror Presents #2!
One of Batman‘s scariest villains has experienced a rebirth, and is ready to make their presence known. Gotham City is home to some of the worst criminals in the DC Universe, such as the Joker, the Penguin and Black Mask. There are a number of second-string villains as well, all lurking just under the surface, waiting for their moment to come–and it does for one in DC Horror Presents #2.
DC Horror Presents #2 features two stories, and the first, “Living Doll,” by LaToya Morgan and Tom Derenick and Walt Barna, sees the rebirth of Scarface, the haunted, talking former partner of the Ventriloquist. Two young lovers discover the doll in a warehouse, freeing it in the process. Scarface kills one of the kids, brutally decapitating him. Ironically, his date, a young woman named Ramsey, is enamored with Scarface. She quickly disowns her date, and throws her lot in with Scarface, with the implication that Ramsey will be the new Ventriloquist.
Scarface and the Ventriloquist’s DC Comics Origins, Explained
Scarface and the Ventriloquist Were Given Disturbing Makeovers in the 1990s
Scarface and the Ventriloquist were created by the legendary creative team of Alan Grant and the late Norm Breyfogle.
When compared to the stalwarts of Batman’s rogues’ gallery, the Ventriloquist is relatively new, first appearing in 1988’s Detective Comics #583–a fact that gets a shout-out in “Living Doll.” Born into one of Gotham’s most prominent crime families, Arnold Wesker found the Scarface doll while serving a stint in Blackgate prison. When the Ventriloquist made his debut, it was implied he had dissociative identity disorder, and the Scarface doll was a manifestation of it. However, in 1994’s Showcase ‘94 #7 and #8, Scarface was given a horrifying, supernatural backstory, one that made him one of Batman’s most disturbing villains.
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In the two-part story, it is revealed that the Scarface doll’s origin lies in the early years of Blackgate Penitentiary. One of the most notorious prisons in the DC Universe, Blackgate, is located in Gotham, and is where non-powered criminals are kept. The doll that would become Scarface was carved from the cursed wood of the prison’s first gallows, giving him a magical, supernatural origin. The story also separated Scarface and the Ventriloquist into two separate people, and established the abusive and controlling nature of their relationship.
Simply Put, Scarface is One of Batman’s Scariest Villains
Scarface Shows No Restraint in Killing People
Even without the supernatural origin, Scarface is still creepy, and tying his backstory to the occult was a stroke of genius, making an already disturbing villain even more so.
At his core, Scarface is a terrifying villain. Many people have a phobia of dolls, and Scarface taps right into that fear. From his leering eyes to the maniacal grin to the imposing scar, Scarface exudes pure evil. Even without the supernatural origin, Scarface is still creepy, and tying his backstory to the occult was a stroke of genius, making an already disturbing villain even more so. The Ventriloquist was a despicable villain, but next to Scarface, he came across as a saint. Scarface’s verbal and physical abuse of Wesker just added to his evil nature.
As seen in “Living Doll,” Scarface is not to be crossed, and one of the lovers found this out the hard way. Scarface hacked him to bits in front of his girlfriend. He then added insult to injury by emasculating the young man, criticizing his choice of attire as he died. Scarface is small and quick as well, making him hard to detect and even harder to catch and restrain. This combination of ruthlessness and speed makes Scarface one of Batman’s most underrated villains.
Scarface’s New Partner is Perfect For Him
Ramsey Has None of Arnold Wesker’s Hang-Ups
The twist in “Living Doll” is that Ramsey, the girlfriend, turns on her now dead boyfriend and joins up with Scarface–and this drives his evil ways home even further. Ramsey seems to join Scarface on her own free will, rather than any supernatural coercion. “Living Doll” explains that the Ventriloquist and Scarface are Ramsey’s favorite villains, meaning she may have already had some sort of predisposition to evil. Ramsey saw something in Scarface, something that made her forsake a normal life and embrace the dark and twisted path of a serial killer.
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Now, in Ramsey, Scarface has found a substitute for Arnold Wesker, one that may be even better for him. Wesker was meek, and thus easy pickings for a bully like Scarface. Wesker was easy to smack around and abuse, and it is not a stretch for Scarface to have just killed him. Ramsey, on the other hand, seems to take joy in grisly murder, even of people she allegedly loves. Ramsey’s abandonment of decency and morals so quickly makes her the perfect counterpart for Scarface, and sets her up to be the next Ventriloquist.
The New Scarface and Ventriloquist Will Be a Nightmare for Batman
Gotham City Has a Horrifying New Crime Duo
With Ramsey as the Ventriloquist, she and Scarface could become one of Gotham City’s most notorious crime duos, and be the source of major problems for Batman. As mentioned earlier, Wesker was not the ideal partner for Scarface, and whatever filters he had are not present in Ramsey. Scarface is a cold-blooded killer, as is Ramsey. The potential for these two to cut a path of terror across Gotham is great, and Ramsey could easily take Wesker’s place as the best incarnation of the Ventriloquist.
DC Horror Presents #2 is on sale now from DC Comics!
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