Harvey Dent can have a happy ending.

We're used to thinking of Harvey Dent as having no hope for redemption. This starts with what Frank Miller did in Dark Knight Returns, which was a very powerful scene.  Then continues with BTAS consistently making sure every villain's attempts at redemption fail, and then it's clear Nolan wants us to think Harvey Dent died at the end of TDK, I still choose to imagine otherwise however.

But it wasn't always this way.  The Golden Age Two-Face, the Harvey Dent of Earth-Two (sometimes called Harvey Kent) did find redemption and a happy ending.

He was introduced in Detective Comics 66 in August 1942 "The Crimes of Two-Face".  The origin story part really isn't drawn out how modern re-imaginings do it, he's scarred at the start of the story.  His second appearance is in Detective Comics 68 where he is still conflicted.  His third story was in October of 1943, Detective Comics 80 and in it he's redeemed, and the Earth-Two Two-Face never relapsed or reverted.

He appeared in three stories involving other people taking on the Two-Face mantle, the most interesting one being Paul Salone in Batman 68, he was the middle one of the three.

Then in Superman Family 211 we see him attend Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle's wedding. in 1955

So the original version of the character was never meant to be hopeless.

The Golden Age Batman comics are often alleged to be what most inspired Tim Burton.  Lately I started imagining in my head a version of Batman Beyond that followed the Burton films with Michael Keaton as Batman.  And figured It'd be cool to do an episode with Billy Dee Williams to show he had became Two Face but also found redemption.

With that animated Batman Return of the Caped Crusaders cartoon coming out starting Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmare.  It has me thinking about similar things you could do, an animated return for the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman I think would be fitting next year.

And also, since Billy Dee Williams seems to like to do animated work as Lando Calrissian.  Perhaps he'd be up to returning to the role of Harvey Dent?  Even if he's the only actor from the films to return it'd still be worth it to me.  Two-Face is the main Batman villain to not get a spotlight in an animated film yet.

So, who agrees?