Until recently, I had no idea that some folks think The Riddler of Batman fame is a silly character. You could argue that all comic book supervillains are inherently silly, but the Prince of Puzzles is particularly ridiculous to many. As a long-time fan of Batman and his many rogues, The Riddler never seemed out of place to me. Batman is known as the “World’s Greatest Detective,” so a man whose entire schtick is to create mysteries seems like a natural choice. The Riddler has been around since the ’40s and became a bonafide icon in the ’60s. He has been a part of Batman’s world and our real-life pop culture longer than most of us have been alive. I never once thought of him as anything less than one of the finest costumed criminals in the game.
So imagine my surprise when I discovered many Riddler comics from the last 40 years that refer to the King of Conundrums as a “joke” or a “C-lister.” In issue #26 of The Question by Dennis O’Neil, The Riddler is basically called a small-time loser by Commissioner Gordon and is released from prison because he’s seen as a non-threat. Neil Gaiman’s “When is a Door?” depicts Riddler as a charismatic but weary old crook longing for the good ol’ days of being bad. The Riddler: Villain of the Year #1 shows us a Riddler who questions his entire criminal career. All three of these stories are great on their own (especially the Gaiman one), but they essentially serve as meta-commentary on how The Riddler is perceived by the writers. He’s a corny camp creation from the past, a brightly-colored anachronism in a gray present.
What’s worse is that the sentiment has been echoed by the fans. A quick Google search revealed a myriad of posts dismissing Riddler as lame. To the fans who made those comments, he’s just a Joker wannabe in green. This reaction has led to some attempts at “fixing” The Riddler. 2022’s “The Batman” (one of three movies to feature the villain) gives us a dull-colored Riddler who has far more in common with the Zodiac Killer than our dear E. Nigma. “Legends of the Dark Knight – Riddle Me That” reinvents Riddler as a pretty boy in black with a large question mark tattoo. The cartoon series “The Batman” (not to be confused with “The Batman” movie) has a goth Riddler voiced by Freddy himself, Robert Englund. It seems that the only way to depict The Riddler is to remove all the things that make him The Riddler.
In a world inhabited by killer clowns, killer clay, and Killer Croc, what is it about The Riddler that people find so goofy? Is it the garish suit? Joker and Two-Face have suits that are just as outlandish. Is it his showman personality? Many Bat-baddies have a flair for the theatrical. Is it the fact that he leaves clues for the detectives? The aforementioned Zodiac Killer did that in real life. A criminal who tells riddles is no sillier than a criminal who tells jokes.
Now, I could be wrong about this, but my theory is that The Riddler’s association with the Adam West Batman has cemented him as a lighter sort of scoundrel. The Riddler first appeared in Batman #140, published in 1948. Surprisingly, Eddie Nigma didn’t make a whole lot of comic appearances after that. In fact, “C-lister” would not be an inappropriate term for The Riddler prior to 1966. And then, Riddler was chosen as the first rogue of the first episode of “Batman” with Adam West. Frank Gorshin’s portrayal was so sensational that Riddler was instantly catapulted to supervillain stardom. Gorshin was nominated for an Emmy, and Riddler became one of the Big Four (Riddler, Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman). It was a good time to be a weirdo in a question mark suit.
While the show is well-loved (and still among my favorite Batman anything), there was a time when certain comic fans hated the show because they claimed it wasn’t faithful to the comics, which just isn’t true. Believe it or not, it was extremely faithful. In fact, Riddler’s first appearance on the show was adapted from Batman #171. But beginning in the ’80s with the success of comics like “The Killing Joke” and “The Dark Knight Returns,” there was a push for more “mature” Batman stories. Villains traded in their elaborate traps for guns and knives. When Batman stories adopted a grim tone, they turned on The Riddler. He, more than any other villain. was the face of camp in the world of comics. It wasn’t because The Riddler was inherently sillier than the rest; it’s that he was the favorite bad guy of the ’60s.
Personally, I think The Riddler is perhaps the most versatile of all the Bat-foes. At his core, Riddler is an obsessive genius who is determined to prove intellectual superiority over the police and Batman. (Especially Batman.) If you want to camp, that translates to complex traps in the shape of toy puzzles, verbal riddles that you might find in a book like 101 Classic Riddles for Kids, and visual puns that are as delightful as they are groan-inducing. If you’re telling a serious noir mystery, that turns Riddler into a character more along the lines of Hannibal Lecter or even Jigsaw from “Saw.” Both have been done, and both have been done well. The Riddler can absolutely be a terrifying character without sacrificing the elements we associate with him. In the comic “Dark Knight, Dark City,” The Riddler is recognizably himself: he wears the iconic suit and domino mask, leaves over-the-top clues, and enjoys wordplay. The difference is that this Riddler is a bloodthirsty psycho, one who’s quick to murder and isn’t afraid to harm infants. The extreme nature of his crimes is a part of the mystery here, so I won’t spoil it for those who want to give it a read. Suffice to say, it lets the Riddler be the iconic trickster we know and something truly horrifying. He works well there as he does when he’s trying to trap the Caped Crusader in a giant cake.
One criticism of The Riddler is that he’s too similar to The Joker. On the surface, I can see that. However, Joker has sort of morphed into a character much different than he once was. In his first appearance, he was simply a murderer who left a hideous grin on the faces of his victims. Then, he became the Clown Prince of Crime, a funny fiend whose schemes usually had a comedic bent to them. Joker was simply a character who was funny and scary. He’s weapons resembled joke shop gags. That was really it, and we loved him for it. Ridder was more-or-less formed since his first appearance in Batman #140. He’s a puzzle master who fancies himself clever enough to challenge the law. Riddler was always about proving himself smarter than Batman. Many will try to change who The Riddler is, but those primary traits remain consistent. They’re traits that are just vague enough to fit into any tone or style. Joker, however, has undergone some drastic reworkings. They happened so gradually that it’s hard to notice at first, but Joker is almost like several different characters in one clownish package. (This idea was explored in the “Three Jokers” arc.) He started as a murderer with a mirthless smile, became a goofy prankster who did not kill (thanks, Comics Code), evolved into a hybrid of the first two (the best choice, I feel), and eventually turned into a nihilist philosopher. Sometimes, he’s basically an unknowable boogeyman feared by all. Joaquin Phoenix portrayed him as a mentally ill comedian who is pushed into madness by society’s cruelty. The popular trend now is to make him some sort of anarchist. That or he’s sort of the ultimate villain who dwarfs all others. But unless a writer is actively trying to reinvent him. The Riddler is always The Riddler.
Joker and Riddler both wear colorful suits, commit crimes with flair, and love to challenge Batman. Besides the fact that Joker has changed his identity many times over, the main difference between the two is this: Joker loves Batman. He challenges Batman because it’s a twisted game to him. Some writers have rigged the game, so Joker basically wins no matter how the story ends. Riddler, however, HATES his rivalry with Batman. He is sincerely trying to prove his superiority. Batman besting him eats him up, so the stakes are greater to The Riddler. Joker basically just wants to mess with Batman in most incarnations. That is the main consistency. Eddie Boy can’t help himself. Leaving clues isn’t a gimmick to him. It’s a symptom of his insanity. In “The Riddle-Less Robberies of the Riddler” from Batman #179, The Riddler desperately tries to cure himself of this compulsion… and fails. Nowadays, The Joker is almost too perfect at being a bad guy. His popularity has made him almost infallible as far as fiends go. The Riddler is still compelling because he can lose. He has a fatal flaw that can be exploited while still being a formidable mastermind. One who can be funny or frightening. He can be a smart Alec who just wants attention or a monster who’ll destroy anyone in his path. All while wearing that gaudy green suit.
The Riddler can be a silly character. He can also be a disturbing villain. The potential is there for both; it’s up to the artist to decide how he should be portrayed. If we dismiss any Batman villain who’s even a little goofy, we wouldn’t have any left. The Joker enjoys his current reputation because enough writers cared enough to write compelling stories for him. Joker wouldn’t be the character he is now if Alan Moore didn’t write “The Killing Joke.” (A fact that continues to haunt Alan Moore.) I listed a bunch of Riddler comics, all of which are pretty good. But Riddler doesn’t really have a definitive story. If more writers treat Riddler with the respect a villain of his caliber deserves, he might as popular as Joker one day. It’s a riddle waiting to be solved.
