Welcome to Home of Checklist-ery: Style Information, the place we current our candid evaluation of an iconic DC character’s bravest and boldest vogue selections. This month, the Riddler is getting a graphic novel of his personal with Batman – One Dangerous Day: The Riddler. However does Eddie Nygma have One Dangerous Outfit? We’ve raided his closet from the Golden Age to his newest to seek out out. We’ll fee each outfit out of 5 query marks, with an exclamation level for half-marks.
The Sprang Authentic
Detective Comics #140
1948-1990
Dick Sprang’s distinctive Batman designs for the Caped Crusader and his allies, his enemies, and the town itself might have been the primary to grant Gotham its signature look. However in terms of character, no design of Sprang’s fairly captures his savoir faire because the Riddler. Give or take the variety of query marks on the inexperienced leotard cinched with a classy purple belt, there’s a purpose this design endured by a lot of the twentieth century and onto Frank Gorshin within the ‘60s Batman TV sequence. A excessive bar from the beginning.
Verdict: ????!
Darkish Knight, Darkish Metropolis
Batman #452-454
1990
Batman: The Animated Sequence is commonly credited for switching Riddler’s signature look from a inexperienced physique sock to a sensible blazer, however the comics obtained there first with Peter Milligan and Kieron Dwyer’s “Darkish Knight, Darkish Metropolis.” The arc is best remembered for introducing the demon Barbatos into the Batman mythology, nevertheless it’s additionally value noting because the sign for Riddler’s vogue evolution. Bit an excessive amount of purple, although. Future iterations of the swimsuit will tone that down.
Verdict: ????
The Bruce Timm, Mark 1
1992-1997
The improve from blazer to swimsuit pays off from his “Darkish Metropolis” incarnation, as does the elegant simplification of the query mark motif to a single punctuation on his tie. Not essentially higher than Sprang’s first draft, however a lateral transfer for positive.
Verdict: ????!
Batman Endlessly
1995
A return to Sprang type—or maybe, we must always say, Gorshin type—for this campy tribute to the ‘60s Batman TV sequence. Truthfully, it’s lacking the belt to interrupt up all that inexperienced.
Verdict: ???!
The Bruce Timm, Mark 2
1997-1999
For The New Batman Adventures, Riddler went by a redesign apparently influenced by Batman Endlessly’s change in visible course. It maintains the understated use of the query mark motif from animator Bruce Timm’s earlier design…however we nonetheless miss that belt.
Verdict: ???!
The Tim Sale
1997-2005
Nothing fallacious with a Tim Sale design. The mixture of bowler hat, bowtie and darkish slacks makes Sale’s hapless Riddler really feel like a wretched little nerd taking part in cops and robbers in a membership which by no means actually accepted him as a member, which is strictly the sensation he’s meant to convey. Sale was one of many greats for a purpose.
Verdict: ????!
Night time on the City
Inexperienced Arrow #12
2002
Many variations of Riddler’s swimsuit design make the error of overdoing it on the purple. However Phil Hester’s work on Ridder’s elegant tuxedo shirt and darkish, thick lapels set off that daring tie fairly properly right here, like he’s placed on his finest for an evening to recollect.
Verdict: ????!
Kiss the Genius
Batman Adventures #11
2004
No clarification vital. Perfection.
Verdict: ?????
Scourge of Star Metropolis
Inexperienced Arrow #35-37, #49-50
2004-2005
Author Judd Winick’s tenure on Inexperienced Arrow is a favourite amongst Arrow Household followers for a quiver stuffed with causes. However one in all his most fascinating selections was taking a B-Checklist Batman villain and reshaping him into Star Metropolis’s best villain. Visually, this run refined the numerous variations of the Inexperienced Go well with Riddler into his best type, remodeling Timm’s dressed-down Batman: The Animated Sequence imaginative and prescient into a visible deal with for the comedian medium. Not an excessive amount of purple, seen query marks with out being too busy, query mark cane, swimsuit, bowler hat, gloves. Pure type.
Verdict: ?????
Riddle Me That
2004-2005
Riddler underwent a drastic, dress-down makeover in 2004’s Legends of the Darkish Knight storyline “Riddle Me That,” with a gothic aptitude, a motif constrained all the way down to a neck tattoo, and a requirement to be taken significantly. It’s not offensively unhealthy, however it’s a little boring. Which, while you’re speaking super-villain costumes, is sort of worse than unhealthy. The look could be deserted after Riddler obtained amnesia in Infinite Disaster, after which level, he retreated to his rack of inexperienced fits.
Verdict: ??!
The Batman
2004-2008
Talking of the unhealthy ones, although.
Verdict: !
Justice
2005
As beautiful as Alex Ross’s artwork is to behold in any type, now we have to admit that this trenchcoat look could be criminally bland below the pen of every other artist. You could not even inform it was the Riddler with out the query mark cane, and he seems to have stolen the Corinthian’s glasses.
Verdict: ?!
Gotham Underground
2009
Riddler wore numerous variations on his trademark fits over the course of his reformation interval from 2006-2011, all of which common out to a few 7/10. However we’d wish to single this one out from the Gotham Underground sequence particularly for the missed alternative of query mark cufflinks.
Verdict: ???
Joker
2009
It is a look, all proper. The Riddler’s no angel on this standalone graphic novel from Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, however the true felony right here is his tattoo artist. Hopefully Batman caught him as a result of he can’t be allowed to stay at massive.
Verdict: !
Riddler Deformed
Batman #712
2011
The ensemble for Riddler’s return to supervillainy feels prefer it tried to mix profitable components from earlier Riddler designs, marrying the Sprang basic to an up to date swimsuit, nevertheless it finally ends up trying like a disturbing hodgepodge. Which we suppose is acceptable for the story, the place Riddler himself seems to be shedding it.
Verdict: ??!
Riddler within the Darkish
Legends of the Darkish Knight #53-55
2013
A reasonably normal Riddler look, save for that double query mark-shaped domino masks. A daring alternative, however one which doesn’t fairly work. (Extra like “Accessorizing within the Darkish.” Zing!)
Verdict: ?!
Zero 12 months
Batman: Zero 12 months
2013-2014
Okay, okay, okay. We get it. Of course, Riddler would put on a fedora. Of course, he would develop these muttonchops. Of course, he’s the man who will problem you if he spots you sporting a Batman shirt to call your prime 5 comedian e book artists. The look is rancid, nevertheless it serves its function effectively: this can be a man you are supposed to hate.
Verdict: ???!
Arkham Knight
2015
Hey, bear in mind all these debunked rumors that David Tennant was going to play the Riddler in The Darkish Knight Rises? As a result of Rocksteady Studios positive did. Inconceivable for us to rank with out bias as a result of we’re in love with this terrible goblin.
Verdict: ?????
Warfare of Jokes and Riddles
2017
If we’re not mistaken, this play on Azzarello and Bermejo’s Joker design by Tom King and Mikel Janin is equally impressed by an emotionally gut-wrenching scene in Paul Dini’s autobiographical Darkish Night time: A True Batman Story. We commend them for swinging for the fences, however on the finish of the night time we’re nonetheless being compelled to have a look at bare-chested Riddler. Button it up, Eddie.
Verdict: !
Darkish Nights: Metallic
Teen Titans #12
2017
We’re going to chalk this one as much as the corrupting affect of the Batman Who Laughs. He appears to be like the half for the story, however we’d be simply positive if we by no means needed to see him trying like this once more.
Verdict: ?
Their Darkish Designs
2020
An fascinating replace on the Sprang basic married to the crossword puzzle aesthetics of Scott Snyder’s Riddler interpretations, however in execution feels somewhat too ordered. Typically an outfit that’s true to the character lacks the punch wanted for the reader. Nonetheless, it’s virtually there.
Verdict: ???!
The Batman
2022
And right here’s our newest, contemporary from theaters and presently streaming on HBO Max. Take a look at this factor. It’s terrible. Zero craftsmanship. Scary to have a look at. Actually the work of a diseased thoughts. Admittedly fairly cool lapel brand. That is, objectively, the least flashy and fashion-conscious costume the Riddler has ever worn, however we are able to’t assist however admire it as a result of it’s in order that intentional to the themes, messaging and character of the movie itself. We award this costume a single interrobang, with our highest honors. That is really The Riddler’s One Dangerous (or possibly badass) Outfit.
Verdict: ‽
DC Home of Checklist-ery runs each Thursday right here on DC.com.
Batman – One Dangerous Day: The Riddler by Tom King and Mitch Gerads is now accessible in print and as a digital comedian e book.
Alex Jaffe is the writer of our month-to-month “Ask the Query” column and writes about TV, films, comics and superhero historical past for DCComics.com. Comply with him on Twitter at @AlexJaffe and discover him within the DC Group as HubCityQuestion.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this characteristic are solely these of Alex Jaffe and don’t essentially mirror these of DC Leisure or Warner Bros.
