Joker was a lame character at one point too. I never liked Bane, but I think his characterization in Gail Simone's new Secret Six series is genius. He's shown as a religious man with a strong sense of chivalry (it began as a joke but the last issue made it more serious). It's not exactly the kind of thing that would fit well in a Nolan movie, but it shows that the character has potential.
