Gotham City is a busy place, with a lot going down each and every week. In this monthly column, Joshua Lapin-Bertone helps you stay on top of it all by letting you know what you should be paying attention to within the Bat-Family…and why.
 

I’m not exaggerating when I say that Two-Face was my most anticipated title of DC All In. I love legal dramas. I read every Lincoln Lawyer novel, and I’ve been hopelessly addicted to the Matlock reboot. Setting a legal drama in the DC Universe felt like two of my favorite things combining. Plus, setting it in Gotham City makes it more chaotic.

There are plenty of lawyers in the DC Universe, like Jean Loring, Lynn Stewart and Kate Spencer. Any one of these characters could’ve headlined a DCU legal drama, but DC All In is all about taking big swings and unexpected choices, so they went with a wildcard protagonist—Harvey Dent.

While Dent’s background as a District Attorney is well known, it isn’t often explored. Most Two-Face stories deal more with his dual identity struggles, obsession with the number two, or typical Gotham villainy. Some stories play with Harvey’s past as a prosecutor, such as the No Man’s Land storyline where Two-Face put Jim Gordon on trial. We’ve seen Harvey discuss his love for the law, but we’ve rarely seen him embrace his role as a former lawyer. Two-Face goes all in (no pun intended) with its attempts to rectify this.

Gotham’s underworld is in disarray due to disorganization and infighting, so Harvey decides to set up their own courtroom system to settle their disputes. This faux court is known as the White Church, with the Reaper serving as the judge, while Harvey Dent serves as an unorthodox public defender.

As a legal drama set in the Gotham City underworld, the cases tried in the White Church are unconventional. The first issue finds Two-Face representing serial killer Victor Zsasz in a murder trial. Dent doesn’t dispute that Zsasz is a murderer with his defense, he just claims he didn’t commit that particular murder. Of course, it doesn’t help when Zsasz tries to commit a few more murders in the middle of the trial.

Issue #2 has Two-Face taking on a divorce case. However, in this case, the prenup stipulates that the wife may murder the husband if it’s found he committed adultery. The husband here is the King of Hearts of the Royal Flush Gang, who has been seemingly photographed cheating on his wife. Once again, an unconventional case. However, it proves why Two-Face is the right person to lead this kind of endeavor. Seriously, as much as I love Lynn Stewart, she would never take on a case like this.

However, things aren’t as they seem with Two-Face. Harvey Dent has taken control of his mind, locking his Two-Face persona in a mental prison. He’s keeping this a secret from the rest of Gotham’s underworld, who fear and respect Harvey’s second personality. Harvey’s plan is to use the White Church as a means to show Gotham that he can keep the criminal underworld in order and earn his old job back as District Attorney.

I’m not sure if this is insanity or brilliance. On the one hand, I can’t imagine a former Arkham inmate with Harvey’s rap sheet being elected as a DA. On the other hand, Gotham City is an insane place, and it’s probably the only city in the DC Universe where something like this can happen. Plus, have you seen the way Gotham citizens vote?

However, Harvey’s plan seems doomed to fail for many other reasons. The White Church is an attempt to find law for the lawless. The concept is built on a contradiction. A judicial system for the criminal underworld might work in Metropolis, but it’s never going to fly in a city with the Joker, Killer Croc and Scarecrow. There’s a reason why Gotham’s organized crime syndicate was overtaken by Arkham’s costumed criminals.

We’re two issues into this series and both trials have been interrupted by brawls and attempted murders. Simply put, there is no order in this court. Harvey Dent is trying to recreate his old judicial career, but the White Church isn’t the Gotham City Courthouse. Plus, Two-Face himself is an agent of chaos. Harvey believes he’s kept his alternate persona at bay, but we’ve all heard that story before. It’s only a matter of time before Two-Face returns, putting an end to Harvey’s plans.

So yes, this is all likely going to blow up in Harvey Dent’s face, but it’s going to be glorious to watch. This is a legal drama unlike any I’ve seen before, and I don’t know about you, but I’m all in.
 

Two-Face #2 by Christian Ward, Fábio Veras and Ivan Plascencia is now available in print and as a digital comic book.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.