I think the biggest missed opportunity is not including Riddler in the villain team up episodes. Most of the villains, besides Joker and Penguin, only got around 3 episodes as the main villain but unlike Scarecrow or the Mad Hatter, Riddler doesn’t really appear in any small cameos or team ups. Which is a shame. I would love to have more content with John Glover as the character.
It's a shame they couldn't get him a section in Trial. It was good to see him in the background, on the jury, but he just upped and left midway through. I tell myself that he simply saw the folly of their scheme and got out of there before it all came crashing down around them.
It would have been funny if there were an offhanded comment somewhere that revealed the other villains don't like collaborating with him because they see his obsessive tendency for leaving clues as a huge liability.
@@jacktoma21Where's the fun in that? He'd be preaching to the choir, when he could just trap said choir in their own burning church. He doesn't need to be parroting what everyone else is saying, he should, after all, be the smartest person in the room.
For real tho, WE NEED detective Riddler back! This seemed like such a natural direction for the character and actually allowed him to still be interesting without turning into a one trick pony. Not to mention The Riddler going "Well if I cant beat Batman as a villain I am gonna be a better detective than he ever was!" was straight up hilarious.
Riddler just realized (this is not a direct quote) "wait... It's easier to outdo a rival when playing the same game if you are the advantages party, while playing two different games may give them an undue advantage due to the nature of the two games being played. In setting a trap I must build for him a scenario, and it is far simpler to recognize a hole in a plan set in advance than to plan a perfect trap. While arguably this means he has never beaten me fairly, this also means I cannot definitively prove my superiority without an advantage more extreme than it seems I have. Ergo, we should play the same game rather than opposing ones."
The best part is that it would be so easy to keep baiting Riddler into staying a detective; all Batman has to do is show a picture of a crime that Nygma missed which Batman solved and just watch him go into conniptions trying to solve more crimes. And because Nygma is such a perfectionist who won't accept wrong answers from anyone (least of all himself) he wouldn't be tempted to give easy answers to solve the crime because he would view that as below him.
Detective Riddler was one of the best things they ever did with the character, it's too bad that they walked it back. But not surprising since that was around the same time that the new 52 happened and they were trying to bring everything back to zero.
I always loved the Riddler, even in his weaker episodes. But I feel like Riddler's Reform showcases something critical: There was a time when he could have been a law-abiding citizen. If he hadn't been screwed out of his fair share of the game he created, if he hadn't ended up fixated on Batman and riddles. However, I think everything started with one riddle he couldn't answer: "If you're so smart, then why aren't you rich?" Of course, in the real world, smart people don't get rich, because smart people tend to play by the rules. It's the liars, the cheats, the schemers, and the frauds of the world who get rich, and they're generally nowhere near as smart as they think they are. You don't need brains to get rich, you just need to have no morals whatsoever and be willing to cause human suffering without feeling any kind of remorse or empathy.
But the funny thing is that seems to be the answer the Riddler came to. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get the fame, fortune and recognition. However, he still doesn't have the money fame or recognition he wants.
Hehe well funny you say that about the second thing "Smart people don't get rich because they follow the rules". One thing to note is that notice how the "richest people" are the ones always on the news, always being hounded by the papparazzi, always freaking out and having to double watch thier back, always appearing in gossip magazines. And then you take a step back further and notice the elephant in the room, "SOMEONE is paying them....and we have NO idea who they are or anything about their life." In fact, if anything, usually the person we see as "rich" is merely a puppet. a 2bit criminal who doesn't know how to manage money or assets, but will do anything for a quick buck. Convince them they have millions and they'll do whatever you want, then take it all away and they're left with tons of debts and forced to sell or give up those assets for pennies, which depending on the person pulling the strings, can sometimes lead to redistribution of the wealth back to the community. The biggest reason the most intelligent people in the world are wealthy doesn't involve being greedy or a liar... if anything, quite the opposite. If you're strong, honest, and don't let yourself become a sucker, you're in control over your life and assets. The villains of BTAS, the politicians we see on TV, celebrities, etc. they have no control, and thus need to "lie" constantly to maintain the illusion they're wealthy, but they're living wtih a target on thier head from their ill gotten gains. and the actual intelligent people... no one has any idea who they are, all they know is that SOMEONE is singing your check when you clock out for the day at your job. SOMEONE is letting millions sit in a bank account that they're effectively giving away to charity cause they don't need it for themselves.
@@MarioMastar that's... Not how that works. We typically know who is paying them, that being the banks that enable them to quite literally live their entire life on a lifeboat made of debt, their rich relatives/friends who gave them their starting capital, and us, who they own a large enough empire that we must pay into their companies to access common everyday items and services. And typically, that doesn't mean they were particularly smart. Just at the right place at the right time. Like the owner of the company that hired Edward Nigma to make a video game. He wasn't as smart as Nigma, but he was a manipulative bastard, which is the hallmark of many real work rich people. There are exceptions, but their numbers diminish with each passing decade as monopolies form into inherited monarchies, until the monopoly falls. And currently, the U.S. government is unhelpfully invested in preventing the fall of monopolies.
Definitely feeling empathy for Nygma lately. 5 months unemployed despite my best efforts and then a cyber attack steals some of my remaining funds. So many scammers around, the number #1 business in the US that threatens to destroy all the others.
@@WhiteFangofWar Yeah. I feel ya. The issue is that technology has outpaced any government's ability to regulate it, so technology that makes crimes like fraud easier to commit is light years ahead of the law. It turns out that a government system that was formed before the nation even had a fully functional postal service wasn't really ready for a world with the internet.
Really sucks that this was Riddlers last main appearance in BTAS given this was the moment they really figured out his character. I’ve always considered his Arkham counterpart to be like a spiritual successor to this version.
Not really. Wally Wingert who voiced the character in the games specifically said that he didn't look at the BTAS Riddler for inspiration nor did the writers. And it's also for the best since Arkham Riddler was significantly better than BTAS Riddler.
@tayojones9460 Well, Btas Riddler wasn't the worst adaptation of the character, especially since we got The Batman (2004) and Young Justices versions of the Riddler, but he is pretty weak when you compare him other versions like The Arkham games or The Batman (2022).
This really was the best episode for Riddler. The others always ended up getting consumed by gimmicks. His first appearance is pretty good up until the theme park maze is introduced, at which point it becomes more about the deadly gadgets than riddles. His second episode has that whole virtual reality gimmick and, while I at least remember some riddles from the first one, I don't even remember if there were any riddles in his second episode. it's like, come on! He's the Riddler, not the Gamester. But this one? This one does away with all that nonsense and just makes it a straightforward game of wits that's fun, clever and ALSO explores Nygma's psychology. I love it. A damn shame they retconned Riddler becoming a detective in the comics, as I really thought that was a clever way for Batman to get him out of crime. But, alas, DC just can't allow good character evolution to last. :C
A way for Riddler to be reformed is for him to create some of the hardest escape rooms in modern-day history. He'd make thousands, get a following of people who wanna see and try out his escape rooms, and show off how much of a genious he is online about it.
8:26 The thing about these reform episodes is that, at their core, they are a study of the villains mind and motivations. The question they bring up isn't if the villains can reform but rather if they WANT reform. The reason why most them failed is bc their inability to let go of their selfish goals. Riddler couldn't let go of his obsession to outsmart Batman Catwoman couldn't let go of her love for the thrill of stealing from others Poison Ivy couldn't let go of her obsession with plants and control of others. Even Penguin, who wanted to reform, failed bc of his inability to handle his frustration.
I agree. I think even if the Riddler ever was able to get the better of Batman and actually kill him, it would only be a matter of time before someone else one ups him, and then he's right back to where he was before. Because of this, I don't think the Riddler can be reformed.
@@shanewright344 potentially he could be if he could be transferred to a more competent facility than Arkham. Surround him with psychiatrists and psychotherapists who actually know what they’re doing, and you could potentially make headway with him.
@@barneynedward It might actually be possible when you put it that way. We all know Arkham is not a good facility (and yet, Batman keeps putting his enemies in there hoping they will reform), and it's run by Hugo Strange on top of it all. The guy is just as deranged as the inmates.
Honestly I really would have loved to have seen Riddler in Almost Got 'Im because in general when most people think the biggest villain leaders in Gotham it's always Joker, Penguin and Riddler and sometimes Two-Face. I honestly would have preferred him being there over Poison Ivy.
Exactly, unlike Penguin Riddler, had almost out smarted Batman in every episode he appeared in. Imagine, if instead of Poison Ivy's Halloween pumpkin patch storyline we got Batman reconviening with Riddler in Gotham City Bank just like, Detective Comic #140? Or maybe, they could have took inspiration from that 60s Batman show banned clay episode or something?🤔💚
The difference is likely that while the others told their stories as a point of pride, Nygma doesn't like being reminded of his failures, considering Batman to have 'cheated' his way out of them. He also considers himself above the other rogues mentioned.
The problem with Riddler was that there wasn’t enough source material for them to actually draw inspiration from. Hence why they had to come up with some original material to make Riddler a formidable opponent against Batman in terms of intellect such as his riddles and puzzles. However what I like about this episode is that it challenges both Batman and Riddler to the point where they are similar in many aspects such as their ego driven drive to one of the other. One of the key characteristics shows that Riddler is trying to reform himself into a better person in society while Batman, under the suspicion that the so-called master of puzzles can’t really reform which he is proven right in the end, continues to hound him just showing the dark Knight about his obsession of keeping the villains around to give him purpose. In one of the lines from Batman Arkham asylum scarecrow actually makes a very good point saying how Batman is just as crazy as the rouges themselves because they both need each other to exist. In someways this also shows how much obsession Batman actually becomes later on towards the third season of the new Batman adventures and that he’s willing to put the mission first before any villain reform.
John Glover gave a great performance in Riddler Reform especially his final scene where he goes completely mad and starts ranting. It is a nice contrast to the end of his debut episode where he was smug and confident, but in his final appearance he is emotionally broken and screaming in frustration. .
I always liked Riddler. He's smart, he annoys other villains, he looks so snappy in a suit! I think he's more interesting in all those ways than most of batmans villains. I even like he tried being good a few times and was more or less successful. It totally makes sense he was a PITA to write, because he demands good writing. I guess good on them for not using him when they weren't up to it, I just wanted more of him. Heres to more riddler in caped crusader. Also, I thought he'd make a great DC version of Arcade, and wondered why more villains didnt hire him for that
8:00 - Better thought: "Alfred, come in." "Yes Master Bruce?" "I need you to crack a safe open." "Oh? I thought you were trained in safecracking sir." "I am but....not from the inside." "Ah."
My favourite Riddler episode of BTAS. I remember watching it on a VHS tape back when I was 10. Glover's voice immediately captured my attention and young imagination. Nigma could have left his criminal life behind but his ego and belief that he could kill Batman was too great. I also think the riddles in this episode are done really well, the action was great, there's some amazing shots in the episode. The end where Nigma is screaming while in Arkham wondering how Batman escaped his trap has always stuck with me.
John Glover's Riddler was such a fun character, and I loved the game designer aspect of it. I wish we saw more schemes centered around logic puzzles. I'm curious what your thoughts are on Robert Englund's Crow Riddler. I actually think it's pretty decent, kind of like The Batman's take on Heart of Ice. Making Riddler tragic since they made Mr. Freeze just a cool *ba dum tiss* villain slinging ice puns.
When I was a kid all I wanted from this episode were the toys. As I grew up I came to appreciate the Riddler in this episode. Easily the one in which he is better portrayed. That said, “If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?” Is still my favorite Riddler episode, purely for nostalgia. Also because I watched it around the same time I learned about the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur’s Labyrinth. So it was my first “I understood that reference” moment.
It’s funny how for a while Batman didn’t even dwell on the fact that Riddler got away after rescuing Mockridge. Almost as Mockridge’s corrupt corporate practices disgusted him so much that he felt a little bit of shadenfreude that Mockridge had to spend the rest of his life in fear of Nygma.
@barneynedward Well, Mockridge DID play God when he spat his greedy arrogance at Edward. Now, Mockridge has isolated himself under the influence of Insomnia and Paranoia, both born from Mockridge's own Bad Karma.
Riddler is a perfect example of chronic villainy. Someone who, even if they try to redeem, are too obsessed/ addicted to the game that they just can’t let go of their role.
Riddler's Reform It is definitely my personal favorite episode because of the Adventures of Batman and Robin Riddler Videocassette which was my first introduction to the character I think the reason the episode has always stuck out in my mind is because Batman telling Riddler "I'll be waiting" and then Edward's nigmas complete mental breakdown as he can't figure out how Batman survived his trap.
How he glt out of the safe is easy: there was a giant explosion that wrecked the thing. It was tough enough that Batman survived, but not tough enough for the safe to stay fully intact.
Bro, some incarnations of The Riddler are known to be up on their high horse, the Arkham games coming to mind. Alternatively, the only incartion of The Riddler that is complex, to me, is the 2004 The Batman cartoon. From his backstory and motivation to his riddles that made Batman think harder than he ever did, that version is the first thing in mind when I think of The Riddler.
While an attempt at closure may have part of it, I think the main idea behind killing Batman was that then there'd be no one left capable of stopping him from committing his future riddle-based crimes so that he wouldn't have to worry about losing his newfound fame and fortune. Of course, then he might find himself with the same problem as Megamind by growing bored at having no real competition.
The funny thing is, since Riddler's trap was set up at the Harry Houdini museum, the safe Batman jumps inside of did probably have a release button on the inside. Since it was intended for a magician's trick.
I wish we had gotten more appearances. At least a few speaking cameos. I think he would have fit in episodes like "Almost Got Him" and "Trial". I know he appeared on the latter, but I was hoping he would have a bigger role.
Once again I really appreciate your insight into these character, how they think, and what their key flaws are. 6:59 This was just some peak comedy. Always enjoy your barbs.
One thing that is often overlooked about BtAS Riddler is that he hates being called crazy. He explodes at a mook about being called crazy, and there’s a follow up to Riddler’s Reform (in where he blackmails the former CEO of Wacko Toys for a base of operations and starts leaving clues to other criminals crimes. In this story he begins to believe he might actually have a problem at the end.
I cannot believe that the man who voiced The Riddler played in Grelins 2: The New Batch & The Floronic Man, a forgotten Batman villain, in Batman & Robin!
What I find it interesting is how riddler behind his mask just looks like a… ordinary guy. I think a great way to make masked characters is if their true faces are revealed, we see a new side of him. A side they wanted to hide behind a mask( like how in demon slayer, behind inosuke’s confrontational and aggressive behavior is a beautiful man and how in hazbin hotel behind Adam’s frat bro facade and sadistic nature is just a entitled and pathetic man child seeking to be worshipped). In riddler’s case behind his charismatic persona and reputation as one of the greatest criminal minds from Gotham city, maybe even the world, he is just the same as us. A everyday man, seeking to be recognized for his hard work. Riddler himself maybe knows that, which is why he came back to get revenge on his old boss he didn’t came back as himself but as riddler, because he hates the idea that he is still just a human being.
What’s fascinating is that Edward is an insecure Narcissist who cowers behind his mask-“The Riddler” to hide his profound inner shame and project it outwards.
I adore this interpretation of the Riddler, he's such a egotistical smartass and I love it. 6:03 also this scene from Riddler's Reform makes me giggle everytime 😂
Well, one of 3 people capable of secretly overriding control of the Watchtower. There are different forms of intelligence. In the fields of riddles and analysis, Riddler and Batman are probably superior to Luthor. Then again, Luthor supposedly has an overall intellect greater that the 8th level, I think it was?
Ah ha! *That’s* why he’s bald in his future appearances! He looked at Luthor and decided, “You think you’re a criminal genius, baldy? Well, I’ll be a better bald criminal genius than you *ever* were!” 😁
Definitely excited for the next episode on the Splicers! Also, since you bring up the comics that tie-in with the animated series continuity, have you ever heard of the minor villain, Kim? He was a blonde, bespectacled man who appeared in at least a couple issues where he teamed up with other characters. Notably, there was one where Robin needed help to rescue Batman from one of Riddler's traps and Kim offered to help. I've never seen anyone else talk about him, and if I didn't have the comics growing up, I'd have just assumed I conjured them up myself.
Thank you for giving attention to my favorite episode of the animated series. Riddlers Reform. Every time I see a top 10 or 20 list this one never makes the list. But its number 1 on mine
@@tayojones9460 i was actually talking about outfit (mostly green with a purple eye mask) without even realizing, that they have vage character similarities (both being smart asses with a need to be the smartest around and using their brain as their primary weapon)
I remember hearing recently about a Batman story where Riddler decides to drop the riddle motif and just be a smart criminal and make the information he knows be his thing. He ended up not only learning the identities of the entire Bat Family but having enough on most of the GCPD that some of the officers resorted to murder in order to prevent him from being arrested to protect their loved ones from getting killed by him or his henchmen. Overnight Edward becomes the most feared individual in Gotham as he even had Batman afraid to go after him as he openly threatened Batman’s costumed allies and referred to them by their real names. He makes it clear that the only way to stop him is to murder him and that he knows Batman and the police won’t do that. The story ultimately ends similarly to the Killing Joke in that it ambiguously implies that Batman killed the Riddler. Riddler in his apartment overjoyed at how powerful he’s become, only to look up and see in the mirror that Batman is directly behind him and the final panel is just black.
Always liked this Riddler. This iteration is one of the best examples of the idea that started appearing in the late 80s that folks like the Batman helped to create this kinds of characters. Frank Miller poked fun at this in the Dark Knight Returns with the psychologists that "cured" the Joker. That causal effect is clearer in the Matt Reeves Batmsn and his Riddler. But even this one feels like he might reform if he didn't have the compilsion to beat Batman. Maybe not, maybe he would get a differnent target.
I absolutely love this version of Riddler, an egocentric but inteligent criminal that loves what he does because it's his way of show to everyone that he's smarter than everyone. But of course, Batman was the only foe that he couldn't outsmart and that's why he was so obssesed to defeat him the final act of Riddler's Reform, only that way would assure him that he was better than his foe. Also, that's why he wanted to leave his supervillain identity after the "death" of the Bat. He finally had the prove of his superiority, so it was time to leave the costume and riddle's behind...
I've always quite liked the Riddler, even with his need to prove he's the smartest he was always a compelling character, but his MO made him hard to write, even if his reform episode was pretty good. Looking forward to the splicing episode, Chimera wasn't used much in Batman Beyond, but he did have a small background presence in Zander's background, though it wasn't touched upon much in those episodes.
Should do an episode essay on Deep Freeze. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts about not just that episode. But Grant Walker the side villain. Include it in a poll.
He's on the list! I have to say that these episode-centric videos don't tend to do as well as character specific ones, so I may need to have a think about how to do Grant Walker justice.
I love to hear your thoughts on The Batman Riddler origin in “Riddler Revenge” (s4 ep9) episode where Batman asks Robin “When is the villain not the villain”
difficulty righting for the Riddler is why the best Riddler comic is a choose your own adventure book where the only way to beat him is by ignoring the rules of the book.
Bruce Timm and company hated to do Riddler's episodes. They had to think in all the riddles and that is why he is completely unused in The New Batman Adventures, but in the comics of the show he has good stories.
It is something that writers know but no one will ever adimit to: People do not change. Behaviour is defined as more by one's genetic than the enviorement they are raised on.
...I actually half disagree. Yes, I can admit that some people are stuck with their genetics for who they are, but there will be a separate group where their environment does that instead with nary a genetic influence Same goes for people who are not good at maths but are superb at calculating throws on the fly, people who aren't good at swimming but are marvellous on piloting, people who don't know how to write/draw but are fantastic at directing animated series, and so on and so forth. In short, 50/50, or something close to it, is a more likely assumption on how the world works.
This makes me appreciate Riddler even more in BTAS, especially because he had very few episodes. I always liked the idea of "reforming" Riddler and have him as a private detective, not because he cares about Gotham and it's citizens, but for his own selfish gain for praise and recognition. Wouldn't it be best to beat Batman at his own game, than failing once again as a villain? Now I get why some people don't like new 52.
You need to remember that Batman is a master escape artist, getting out of a safe is Child's Play compared to some of the stuff he's done. A big part of how he got out of it is that safes are meant to keep stuff outside out and away from what's in, but not keep stuff in from getting out.
Of the reform episodes this one honestly felt like the most tragic. Because we see Riddler CAN reform, he understands his issues and can regulate them, that's how he got out of Arkham in the first place. But the thing is to reform he has to admit HE has a problem. Not he has a problem with Batman or with his former boss or anything, just He himself has a problem. And that is the one thing his price and narcissism will just not allow him to do. If he could just admit he has a problem, and that he wanted to change, he could have.
I always felt sad at the ending. I wish the trap actually ended with Batman at the Riddlers "Funeral" where Riddler allows the game to end. He still puts in puzzles for Batman but they're genuinely harmless or even helpful. Enrichment for them both.
It's kinda funny... I can remember several (which,isn't a lot in the grand scheme) reformed villains that had a really good direction... But I can't remember the name of any of them, as all of them were put back to the status quo or cancelled shortly after.
safe locking mechanisms are pretty accessible from the interior, not as a safety feature as far as i know but simply because you don't break into a safe from the inside
7:58 I think it would have been funny if the Arkham staff asked Batman to just tell the Riddler how he did it because it was negatively effecting his and the others recovery.
Did SL already talk about the episode where The Ventriloquist gets out of Arkham? That and the Harley episode are always what comes to mind first for me with regards to Villain Reform Episodes.
The bit at the end about Riddler becoming a detective reminded me of the Justice League Action episode where he helps the JL find Joker who captured Batman, because Joker started stealing Riddler's MO of leaving riddles for them to follow. In the end it turned Joker did it specifically to get at Riddler. Why? Because Riddler took and ate Joker's donut.
I like that they realised that too many Riddler stories risked being Joker stories with a different costume (gimmicked puzzles rather than gimmicked novelties) and so used him sparingly. I am also partial to the story in Batman Adventures 10 where the Riddler gets out of Gotham Peniteniary (Since he wasn't insane at the time) and announces to his loyal henchmen that he's giving up, because Batman IS just smarter than he is and so what's the point? (One of the henchmen helpfully points out that Batman DOES get hit on the head a lot, so might be dumber now) He's convinced to give it one last try, and when Batman does, of course, defeat him, he resolves to genuinely retire, until Batman rather smugly tells him he didn't solve the riddle clue, he just ignored it and used other means to track him down. The Riddler realises that this means he's WON because Batman DIDN'T solve his riddle, so he IS the smarter of the two of them, even if he was defeated! So Batman has just, albeit unwittingly, unleashed Riddler back on Gotham for good!
Either way it goes, the tie-ins did the Riddler better, to the point that one may wonder why the likes of Ty Templeton and co. didn't become writers for the animated stuff and just turned planned issues into actual episodes.
0:23 even if some of his villians are sent to wrong place bane and joker should never be sent to arkham asylum both of them should be sent to jail Bane beacuse their is nothing wrong with him he just hired criemal and the joker beacuse his mindset is fit for an asylum
There was one villain in the BTAS universe who was able to reform for the better (at least until Justice League anyway). Arnold Wesker (sp?) the Ventriloquist. Of course that was all the way into The New Adventures of Batman season. BWF
8:06 I always considered that the explosion of the dynamite damaged the exterior of the safe and that’s how Batman was able to open it from the inside. And if that doesn’t make sense, two words, utility belt. I’m sure he has a tool in his utility belt to save himself
I've always been of the belief that the riddler needs to be ether Batman's most good villian at heart, or most evil villian at heart, no in-between. Riddler is someone who knows who he is, knows he has a problem, and knows he's not able to solve it on his own, and with an ego as big as his, that tears him up more then anything else. Any attempt to have riddler as something in-between invariably falls flat compared to Batman's other villians, because without a true commitment to the bit or a commitment to trying to get better, he just gets overshadowed by his gimmick and can't find the depth within that other villians can in theirs, and more importantly, can't properly reflect an aspect of batman like the other villains can. In his good heart incarnation, he reflects on Batman's own obsessions, and how he could have gone down much darker path if he'd chosen a different obsession then heroism in spite of his good heart, *and* how his obsession can easily destroy him if not managed. (Sonething that, unlike his other villian reflections, has quite literally happened multiple times before...) In his evil heart incarnation, he reflects on batman's own intellect and cunning, and how his confidence in them can easy turn into a self-destructive Ego, *and* how ignoring or even embracing the problems his obsession gives him can turn him into a monster in his own right. (Something that, again unlike his other reflections, has quite literally happened multiple times before.) If you go wishy-washy and just try to go half-way, Edward Nygma stops being defined by his obcession, ironically dooming him to be defined by his gimmick because his character can't properly play with it. Its easy to see why Riddler is so many people's favorite Batman villian; while all good Batman villians are a reflection of him in some way, no Villian's reflection has ever been so close to reality. No villian is as close to batman as the Riddler is, to the point where batman can actually reasonably *become* that reflection in certain stories. And maybe thats why hes also the hardest villian to write; not only do you have to have a good riddle, you have to have Riddler challenge Batman in a way no other villain can.
I'd say Freeze also was effectively reformed and it took a literal attempt on his life by someone he trusted to put him back in the suit. Utterly tragic, but par for the course. Freeze would have nothing but concept for the Riddler as he's never felt real sadness, loss, or betrayal. All of it was his own doing.
Hmm 🤔 both Riddler & Joker have green as part of there Color schemes & there both fairly arrogant/vain individuals from what I’ve noticed. Heck I’m pretty sure in the Adam West TV show Frank Gorshin gave Riddler a very Joker like performance. Same with Jim Carrey’s take on the character in Joel Schumacher’s film (Batman Forever).
One of the problems with the Riddler is that it's hard to write stories for him that don't make one or both of him or Batman look like an idiot. His leaving of clues can all too often make him a self-foiling villain, while if Batman is shown as needing the clues to solve the crimes, it makes Batman look like a less than great detective.
I can tell ya how he got out. Not all safes close AND lock, it's a bit of a safety feature with more family style safes to keep it from letting your young child from having a stupid idea of, "Hey I know they code for the safe, I'll hide in here and they'll never find me."
I think the biggest missed opportunity is not including Riddler in the villain team up episodes. Most of the villains, besides Joker and Penguin, only got around 3 episodes as the main villain but unlike Scarecrow or the Mad Hatter, Riddler doesn’t really appear in any small cameos or team ups. Which is a shame. I would love to have more content with John Glover as the character.
It's a shame they couldn't get him a section in Trial. It was good to see him in the background, on the jury, but he just upped and left midway through. I tell myself that he simply saw the folly of their scheme and got out of there before it all came crashing down around them.
@@SerumLake It’s very out of character for an egomaniac like Edward to not want to give his 2 cents on a trial for the guy he’s obsessed with.
Then we got to The New Batman Adventures, where he *only* appeared in small cameos and team ups.
It would have been funny if there were an offhanded comment somewhere that revealed the other villains don't like collaborating with him because they see his obsessive tendency for leaving clues as a huge liability.
@@jacktoma21Where's the fun in that? He'd be preaching to the choir, when he could just trap said choir in their own burning church.
He doesn't need to be parroting what everyone else is saying, he should, after all, be the smartest person in the room.
For real tho, WE NEED detective Riddler back!
This seemed like such a natural direction for the character and actually allowed him to still be interesting without turning into a one trick pony. Not to mention The Riddler going "Well if I cant beat Batman as a villain I am gonna be a better detective than he ever was!" was straight up hilarious.
Agreed.
Riddler just realized (this is not a direct quote) "wait... It's easier to outdo a rival when playing the same game if you are the advantages party, while playing two different games may give them an undue advantage due to the nature of the two games being played. In setting a trap I must build for him a scenario, and it is far simpler to recognize a hole in a plan set in advance than to plan a perfect trap. While arguably this means he has never beaten me fairly, this also means I cannot definitively prove my superiority without an advantage more extreme than it seems I have. Ergo, we should play the same game rather than opposing ones."
The best part is that it would be so easy to keep baiting Riddler into staying a detective; all Batman has to do is show a picture of a crime that Nygma missed which Batman solved and just watch him go into conniptions trying to solve more crimes. And because Nygma is such a perfectionist who won't accept wrong answers from anyone (least of all himself) he wouldn't be tempted to give easy answers to solve the crime because he would view that as below him.
Detective Riddler was one of the best things they ever did with the character, it's too bad that they walked it back. But not surprising since that was around the same time that the new 52 happened and they were trying to bring everything back to zero.
@@r4z0rv1n3 Returning to the status quo is an unfortunate consequence of these popular superhero comics.
I always loved the Riddler, even in his weaker episodes. But I feel like Riddler's Reform showcases something critical: There was a time when he could have been a law-abiding citizen. If he hadn't been screwed out of his fair share of the game he created, if he hadn't ended up fixated on Batman and riddles. However, I think everything started with one riddle he couldn't answer: "If you're so smart, then why aren't you rich?"
Of course, in the real world, smart people don't get rich, because smart people tend to play by the rules. It's the liars, the cheats, the schemers, and the frauds of the world who get rich, and they're generally nowhere near as smart as they think they are. You don't need brains to get rich, you just need to have no morals whatsoever and be willing to cause human suffering without feeling any kind of remorse or empathy.
But the funny thing is that seems to be the answer the Riddler came to.
He's willing to do whatever it takes to get the fame, fortune and recognition.
However, he still doesn't have the money fame or recognition he wants.
Hehe well funny you say that about the second thing "Smart people don't get rich because they follow the rules". One thing to note is that notice how the "richest people" are the ones always on the news, always being hounded by the papparazzi, always freaking out and having to double watch thier back, always appearing in gossip magazines. And then you take a step back further and notice the elephant in the room, "SOMEONE is paying them....and we have NO idea who they are or anything about their life." In fact, if anything, usually the person we see as "rich" is merely a puppet. a 2bit criminal who doesn't know how to manage money or assets, but will do anything for a quick buck. Convince them they have millions and they'll do whatever you want, then take it all away and they're left with tons of debts and forced to sell or give up those assets for pennies, which depending on the person pulling the strings, can sometimes lead to redistribution of the wealth back to the community.
The biggest reason the most intelligent people in the world are wealthy doesn't involve being greedy or a liar... if anything, quite the opposite. If you're strong, honest, and don't let yourself become a sucker, you're in control over your life and assets. The villains of BTAS, the politicians we see on TV, celebrities, etc. they have no control, and thus need to "lie" constantly to maintain the illusion they're wealthy, but they're living wtih a target on thier head from their ill gotten gains. and the actual intelligent people... no one has any idea who they are, all they know is that SOMEONE is singing your check when you clock out for the day at your job. SOMEONE is letting millions sit in a bank account that they're effectively giving away to charity cause they don't need it for themselves.
@@MarioMastar that's... Not how that works. We typically know who is paying them, that being the banks that enable them to quite literally live their entire life on a lifeboat made of debt, their rich relatives/friends who gave them their starting capital, and us, who they own a large enough empire that we must pay into their companies to access common everyday items and services. And typically, that doesn't mean they were particularly smart. Just at the right place at the right time. Like the owner of the company that hired Edward Nigma to make a video game. He wasn't as smart as Nigma, but he was a manipulative bastard, which is the hallmark of many real work rich people. There are exceptions, but their numbers diminish with each passing decade as monopolies form into inherited monarchies, until the monopoly falls. And currently, the U.S. government is unhelpfully invested in preventing the fall of monopolies.
Definitely feeling empathy for Nygma lately. 5 months unemployed despite my best efforts and then a cyber attack steals some of my remaining funds.
So many scammers around, the number #1 business in the US that threatens to destroy all the others.
@@WhiteFangofWar Yeah. I feel ya. The issue is that technology has outpaced any government's ability to regulate it, so technology that makes crimes like fraud easier to commit is light years ahead of the law. It turns out that a government system that was formed before the nation even had a fully functional postal service wasn't really ready for a world with the internet.
Really sucks that this was Riddlers last main appearance in BTAS given this was the moment they really figured out his character. I’ve always considered his Arkham counterpart to be like a spiritual successor to this version.
Not really. Wally Wingert who voiced the character in the games specifically said that he didn't look at the BTAS Riddler for inspiration nor did the writers. And it's also for the best since Arkham Riddler was significantly better than BTAS Riddler.
Chad Arkham Riddler vs. Virgin DCAU Riddler
Arkham Riddler makes DCAU Riddler seem humble and down to earth.
Guys BTAS was not that bloody weak! At least give credit to John Glover!
@tayojones9460 Well, Btas Riddler wasn't the worst adaptation of the character, especially since we got The Batman (2004) and Young Justices versions of the Riddler, but he is pretty weak when you compare him other versions like The Arkham games or The Batman (2022).
This really was the best episode for Riddler. The others always ended up getting consumed by gimmicks. His first appearance is pretty good up until the theme park maze is introduced, at which point it becomes more about the deadly gadgets than riddles. His second episode has that whole virtual reality gimmick and, while I at least remember some riddles from the first one, I don't even remember if there were any riddles in his second episode. it's like, come on! He's the Riddler, not the Gamester.
But this one? This one does away with all that nonsense and just makes it a straightforward game of wits that's fun, clever and ALSO explores Nygma's psychology. I love it.
A damn shame they retconned Riddler becoming a detective in the comics, as I really thought that was a clever way for Batman to get him out of crime. But, alas, DC just can't allow good character evolution to last. :C
I always thought he'd make an excellent DC version of Arcade, and wondered why more villains didn't hire him because of it.
A way for Riddler to be reformed is for him to create some of the hardest escape rooms in modern-day history. He'd make thousands, get a following of people who wanna see and try out his escape rooms, and show off how much of a genious he is online about it.
8:26 The thing about these reform episodes is that, at their core, they are a study of the villains mind and motivations. The question they bring up isn't if the villains can reform but rather if they WANT reform. The reason why most them failed is bc their inability to let go of their selfish goals.
Riddler couldn't let go of his obsession to outsmart Batman
Catwoman couldn't let go of her love for the thrill of stealing from others
Poison Ivy couldn't let go of her obsession with plants and control of others.
Even Penguin, who wanted to reform, failed bc of his inability to handle his frustration.
I would say Arnold Wesker is the one rare success in New Adventures, but they seemed to forget this later on.
Riddler's Ego won't let him lose, He is his own worst enemy
I agree. I think even if the Riddler ever was able to get the better of Batman and actually kill him, it would only be a matter of time before someone else one ups him, and then he's right back to where he was before. Because of this, I don't think the Riddler can be reformed.
@@shanewright344 potentially he could be if he could be transferred to a more competent facility than Arkham. Surround him with psychiatrists and psychotherapists who actually know what they’re doing, and you could potentially make headway with him.
@@barneynedward It might actually be possible when you put it that way. We all know Arkham is not a good facility (and yet, Batman keeps putting his enemies in there hoping they will reform), and it's run by Hugo Strange on top of it all. The guy is just as deranged as the inmates.
@@shanewright344 Arkham staff is always corrupt (Strange) Incompetent (any random doctor) or carelessly thrown in over their heads (Harley Quinn)
Honestly I really would have loved to have seen Riddler in Almost Got 'Im because in general when most people think the biggest villain leaders in Gotham it's always Joker, Penguin and Riddler and sometimes Two-Face. I honestly would have preferred him being there over Poison Ivy.
Exactly, unlike Penguin Riddler, had almost out smarted Batman in every episode he appeared in.
Imagine, if instead of Poison Ivy's Halloween pumpkin patch storyline we got Batman reconviening with Riddler in Gotham City Bank just like, Detective Comic #140?
Or maybe, they could have took inspiration from that 60s Batman show banned clay episode or something?🤔💚
The difference is likely that while the others told their stories as a point of pride, Nygma doesn't like being reminded of his failures, considering Batman to have 'cheated' his way out of them. He also considers himself above the other rogues mentioned.
I disagree. Poison Ivy added a lot to the episode, simply because I can totally see her being a goddess of poker, just like Jennifer Tilly.
@@WobblesandBean Not saying she didn't add anything, but Riddler I think would have added a lot more.
I’m sorry - I might’ve had a stroke reading 😔
The problem with Riddler was that there wasn’t enough source material for them to actually draw inspiration from. Hence why they had to come up with some original material to make Riddler a formidable opponent against Batman in terms of intellect such as his riddles and puzzles.
However what I like about this episode is that it challenges both Batman and Riddler to the point where they are similar in many aspects such as their ego driven drive to one of the other. One of the key characteristics shows that Riddler is trying to reform himself into a better person in society while Batman, under the suspicion that the so-called master of puzzles can’t really reform which he is proven right in the end, continues to hound him just showing the dark Knight about his obsession of keeping the villains around to give him purpose. In one of the lines from Batman Arkham asylum scarecrow actually makes a very good point saying how Batman is just as crazy as the rouges themselves because they both need each other to exist.
In someways this also shows how much obsession Batman actually becomes later on towards the third season of the new Batman adventures and that he’s willing to put the mission first before any villain reform.
The ending of the VR episode haunted me as a kid. The image of Edward sitting there, trembling and hollow-eyed, is forever burned into my memory.
John Glover gave a great performance in Riddler Reform especially his final scene where he goes completely mad and starts ranting. It is a nice contrast to the end of his debut episode where he was smug and confident, but in his final appearance he is emotionally broken and screaming in frustration.
.
I always liked Riddler. He's smart, he annoys other villains, he looks so snappy in a suit! I think he's more interesting in all those ways than most of batmans villains. I even like he tried being good a few times and was more or less successful.
It totally makes sense he was a PITA to write, because he demands good writing. I guess good on them for not using him when they weren't up to it, I just wanted more of him.
Heres to more riddler in caped crusader.
Also, I thought he'd make a great DC version of Arcade, and wondered why more villains didnt hire him for that
I'm annoyed they got rid of his iconic green suit. That unitard was just...no. No, thank you.
@@WobblesandBean agreed
4:45 Both his OCD and enjoying the game with Batman too much are why Riddler can't and won't stop.
8:00 - Better thought:
"Alfred, come in."
"Yes Master Bruce?"
"I need you to crack a safe open."
"Oh? I thought you were trained in safecracking sir."
"I am but....not from the inside."
"Ah."
My favourite Riddler episode of BTAS. I remember watching it on a VHS tape back when I was 10. Glover's voice immediately captured my attention and young imagination. Nigma could have left his criminal life behind but his ego and belief that he could kill Batman was too great. I also think the riddles in this episode are done really well, the action was great, there's some amazing shots in the episode. The end where Nigma is screaming while in Arkham wondering how Batman escaped his trap has always stuck with me.
John Glover's Riddler was such a fun character, and I loved the game designer aspect of it. I wish we saw more schemes centered around logic puzzles.
I'm curious what your thoughts are on Robert Englund's Crow Riddler. I actually think it's pretty decent, kind of like The Batman's take on Heart of Ice. Making Riddler tragic since they made Mr. Freeze just a cool *ba dum tiss* villain slinging ice puns.
Well, SL did say he wasn't a fan of "Riddler's Revenge".
How fitting as I was just playing Arkham Asylum, hearing Riddler's narcissistic boasting once again and then this video drops. Oh joy 😅❤
When I was a kid all I wanted from this episode were the toys. As I grew up I came to appreciate the Riddler in this episode. Easily the one in which he is better portrayed.
That said, “If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?” Is still my favorite Riddler episode, purely for nostalgia. Also because I watched it around the same time I learned about the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur’s Labyrinth. So it was my first “I understood that reference” moment.
Edward could've more easily become reformed if he wasn't letting Daniel's arrogant, greedy, boastful words keep tripping Edward up at every turn.
"If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?"
It’s funny how for a while Batman didn’t even dwell on the fact that Riddler got away after rescuing Mockridge. Almost as Mockridge’s corrupt corporate practices disgusted him so much that he felt a little bit of shadenfreude that Mockridge had to spend the rest of his life in fear of Nygma.
@barneynedward Well, Mockridge DID play God when he spat his greedy arrogance at Edward. Now, Mockridge has isolated himself under the influence of Insomnia and Paranoia, both born from Mockridge's own Bad Karma.
Riddler is a perfect example of chronic villainy. Someone who, even if they try to redeem, are too obsessed/ addicted to the game that they just can’t let go of their role.
It’s always a good day when there’s a new Serum Lake video.
I dunno, Mondays tend to be pretty sucky 😂
Riddler's Reform It is definitely my personal favorite episode because of the Adventures of Batman and Robin Riddler Videocassette which was my first introduction to the character I think the reason the episode has always stuck out in my mind is because Batman telling Riddler "I'll be waiting" and then Edward's nigmas complete mental breakdown as he can't figure out how Batman survived his trap.
How he glt out of the safe is easy: there was a giant explosion that wrecked the thing. It was tough enough that Batman survived, but not tough enough for the safe to stay fully intact.
Bro, some incarnations of The Riddler are known to be up on their high horse, the Arkham games coming to mind.
Alternatively, the only incartion of The Riddler that is complex, to me, is the 2004 The Batman cartoon. From his backstory and motivation to his riddles that made Batman think harder than he ever did, that version is the first thing in mind when I think of The Riddler.
Hope we get a video on that Riddler at some point
While an attempt at closure may have part of it, I think the main idea behind killing Batman was that then there'd be no one left capable of stopping him from committing his future riddle-based crimes so that he wouldn't have to worry about losing his newfound fame and fortune.
Of course, then he might find himself with the same problem as Megamind by growing bored at having no real competition.
The funny thing is, since Riddler's trap was set up at the Harry Houdini museum, the safe Batman jumps inside of did probably have a release button on the inside. Since it was intended for a magician's trick.
I wish we had gotten more appearances. At least a few speaking cameos. I think he would have fit in episodes like "Almost Got Him" and "Trial". I know he appeared on the latter, but I was hoping he would have a bigger role.
Once again I really appreciate your insight into these character, how they think, and what their key flaws are.
6:59 This was just some peak comedy. Always enjoy your barbs.
Thank you!
8:10 Considering the fact that Children Existing is Batman Canon, an inside safety release makes sense.
The Ventriloquist did manage to reform but he had to completely kill Scarface to do it.
One thing that is often overlooked about BtAS Riddler is that he hates being called crazy. He explodes at a mook about being called crazy, and there’s a follow up to Riddler’s Reform (in where he blackmails the former CEO of Wacko Toys for a base of operations and starts leaving clues to other criminals crimes. In this story he begins to believe he might actually have a problem at the end.
I cannot believe that the man who voiced The Riddler played in Grelins 2: The New Batch & The Floronic Man, a forgotten Batman villain, in Batman & Robin!
Arkham Riddler also captures his gradual descent into obsession well, the change even being reflected in his costume as well as behavior.
What I find it interesting is how riddler behind his mask just looks like a… ordinary guy.
I think a great way to make masked characters is if their true faces are revealed, we see a new side of him. A side they wanted to hide behind a mask( like how in demon slayer, behind inosuke’s confrontational and aggressive behavior is a beautiful man and how in hazbin hotel behind Adam’s frat bro facade and sadistic nature is just a entitled and pathetic man child seeking to be worshipped).
In riddler’s case behind his charismatic persona and reputation as one of the greatest criminal minds from Gotham city, maybe even the world, he is just the same as us. A everyday man, seeking to be recognized for his hard work. Riddler himself maybe knows that, which is why he came back to get revenge on his old boss he didn’t came back as himself but as riddler, because he hates the idea that he is still just a human being.
What’s fascinating is that Edward is an insecure Narcissist who cowers behind his mask-“The Riddler” to hide his profound inner shame and project it outwards.
I adore this interpretation of the Riddler, he's such a egotistical smartass and I love it.
6:03 also this scene from Riddler's Reform makes me giggle everytime 😂
I understand how those girls felt tbh. BTAS riddler is adorable (at least in comparison to other riddlers...)
@@milli5968 Agreed!!
He’s a smart little game geek and she’s real for that tbh
I feel that Ivy and the Riddler did genuinely want to (mostly) reform, but only on THEIR terms.
So, would Riddler be threatened by Lex Luthor? If I recall, in an episode of JLU, Luthor was ranked as one of the 3 smartest people in the DCAU.
I think he would, yes.
@@SerumLake And Mr. Terrific would give him a run for his money too.
BWF
Well, one of 3 people capable of secretly overriding control of the Watchtower. There are different forms of intelligence. In the fields of riddles and analysis, Riddler and Batman are probably superior to Luthor.
Then again, Luthor supposedly has an overall intellect greater that the 8th level, I think it was?
@@Compucles I agree that overall Luthor likely surpasses Batman in IQ. Batman even says to Luthor: "I always suspected you had a photographic memory".
Ah ha! *That’s* why he’s bald in his future appearances! He looked at Luthor and decided, “You think you’re a criminal genius, baldy? Well, I’ll be a better bald criminal genius than you *ever* were!” 😁
Knowing Batman he had a bat themed device to get out of safes.
Definitely excited for the next episode on the Splicers!
Also, since you bring up the comics that tie-in with the animated series continuity, have you ever heard of the minor villain, Kim?
He was a blonde, bespectacled man who appeared in at least a couple issues where he teamed up with other characters.
Notably, there was one where Robin needed help to rescue Batman from one of Riddler's traps and Kim offered to help.
I've never seen anyone else talk about him, and if I didn't have the comics growing up, I'd have just assumed I conjured them up myself.
If your looking for a reformed villain episode of batman, There's always the last episode with Scarface
Thank you for giving attention to my favorite episode of the animated series. Riddlers Reform. Every time I see a top 10 or 20 list this one never makes the list. But its number 1 on mine
BTAS Riddler always reminds me of Donatello from TMNT
Except Donnie is more humble
@@tayojones9460 i was actually talking about outfit (mostly green with a purple eye mask) without even realizing, that they have vage character similarities (both being smart asses with a need to be the smartest around and using their brain as their primary weapon)
Which TMNT iteration?
I really love this version of riddler but the 2004 one really sticks out to me as a favorite (same with a few other villains from that series)
💯 👍😊💖 2004 version is my absolute favorite too❣️
I'd love a modern riddler who instead has the origins of being an escape room designer
Thank you for another awesome essay. Always look forward to these during the week. You're awesome 😃
Thank you for watching!
I remember hearing recently about a Batman story where Riddler decides to drop the riddle motif and just be a smart criminal and make the information he knows be his thing. He ended up not only learning the identities of the entire Bat Family but having enough on most of the GCPD that some of the officers resorted to murder in order to prevent him from being arrested to protect their loved ones from getting killed by him or his henchmen. Overnight Edward becomes the most feared individual in Gotham as he even had Batman afraid to go after him as he openly threatened Batman’s costumed allies and referred to them by their real names. He makes it clear that the only way to stop him is to murder him and that he knows Batman and the police won’t do that. The story ultimately ends similarly to the Killing Joke in that it ambiguously implies that Batman killed the Riddler. Riddler in his apartment overjoyed at how powerful he’s become, only to look up and see in the mirror that Batman is directly behind him and the final panel is just black.
Another banger essay my friend
Glad you enjoyed it!
The bacon hair wojack improves this comment _immensely_
Always liked this Riddler. This iteration is one of the best examples of the idea that started appearing in the late 80s that folks like the Batman helped to create this kinds of characters. Frank Miller poked fun at this in the Dark Knight Returns with the psychologists that "cured" the Joker.
That causal effect is clearer in the Matt Reeves Batmsn and his Riddler. But even this one feels like he might reform if he didn't have the compilsion to beat Batman. Maybe not, maybe he would get a differnent target.
I absolutely love this version of Riddler, an egocentric but inteligent criminal that loves what he does because it's his way of show to everyone that he's smarter than everyone. But of course, Batman was the only foe that he couldn't outsmart and that's why he was so obssesed to defeat him the final act of Riddler's Reform, only that way would assure him that he was better than his foe. Also, that's why he wanted to leave his supervillain identity after the "death" of the Bat. He finally had the prove of his superiority, so it was time to leave the costume and riddle's behind...
Thanks!
No, thank you, Nancy!
I've always quite liked the Riddler, even with his need to prove he's the smartest he was always a compelling character, but his MO made him hard to write, even if his reform episode was pretty good.
Looking forward to the splicing episode, Chimera wasn't used much in Batman Beyond, but he did have a small background presence in Zander's background, though it wasn't touched upon much in those episodes.
The Riddler's need to fall back into his criminal ways is a lesson of one's own obsessive compulsiveness.
Old safes didn't have automatic locking door like today.
Also, B-man always carries a burner torch to cut through metal.
Best line in this episode: "'You are adorable!' Uh-hyuk-hyuk!"
You wonder how Batman escaped the closed safe
I REALLY wanna know how Riddler escaped his VR trap from _What Is Reality?_
*raises glass in concurment*
Should do an episode essay on Deep Freeze. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts about not just that episode. But Grant Walker the side villain. Include it in a poll.
He's on the list! I have to say that these episode-centric videos don't tend to do as well as character specific ones, so I may need to have a think about how to do Grant Walker justice.
I love to hear your thoughts on The Batman Riddler origin in “Riddler Revenge” (s4 ep9) episode where Batman asks Robin “When is the villain not the villain”
Thanks for the video.
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
The detective version of Riddler was quite entertaining, particularly when he crossed over with Gotham City Sirens.
difficulty righting for the Riddler is why the best Riddler comic is a choose your own adventure book where the only way to beat him is by ignoring the rules of the book.
Bruce Timm and company hated to do Riddler's episodes. They had to think in all the riddles and that is why he is completely unused in The New Batman Adventures, but in the comics of the show he has good stories.
I love your Batman videos ❤
Thanks! I wouldn't make them if people like you didn't watch them.
It is something that writers know but no one will ever adimit to: People do not change.
Behaviour is defined as more by one's genetic than the enviorement they are raised on.
...I actually half disagree. Yes, I can admit that some people are stuck with their genetics for who they are, but there will be a separate group where their environment does that instead with nary a genetic influence Same goes for people who are not good at maths but are superb at calculating throws on the fly, people who aren't good at swimming but are marvellous on piloting, people who don't know how to write/draw but are fantastic at directing animated series, and so on and so forth.
In short, 50/50, or something close to it, is a more likely assumption on how the world works.
i always liked this version because it´s still feel like the comics version, but it was also udpated for yhe time very well.
The comic run of Riddler as private detective is so fun. It almost feels like he was made for that instead of being one Bat's villains.
This makes me appreciate Riddler even more in BTAS, especially because he had very few episodes. I always liked the idea of "reforming" Riddler and have him as a private detective, not because he cares about Gotham and it's citizens, but for his own selfish gain for praise and recognition. Wouldn't it be best to beat Batman at his own game, than failing once again as a villain? Now I get why some people don't like new 52.
Croc also flirts with reform in Sideshow. So do Metallo, Parasite and Luthor later on. The only villain who ever reforms is Vandal Savage
You need to remember that Batman is a master escape artist, getting out of a safe is Child's Play compared to some of the stuff he's done. A big part of how he got out of it is that safes are meant to keep stuff outside out and away from what's in, but not keep stuff in from getting out.
Batman survived because one of his teachers was Giovanni Zatara
I want to see Detective Riddler and Booster Gold team up, just to see their egos bounce off each other.
Of the reform episodes this one honestly felt like the most tragic. Because we see Riddler CAN reform, he understands his issues and can regulate them, that's how he got out of Arkham in the first place.
But the thing is to reform he has to admit HE has a problem. Not he has a problem with Batman or with his former boss or anything, just He himself has a problem. And that is the one thing his price and narcissism will just not allow him to do. If he could just admit he has a problem, and that he wanted to change, he could have.
I always felt sad at the ending. I wish the trap actually ended with Batman at the Riddlers "Funeral" where Riddler allows the game to end. He still puts in puzzles for Batman but they're genuinely harmless or even helpful. Enrichment for them both.
DC Action also had a fun "Detective Riddler" story. I like the idea of coping if it is non-treatable.
It's kinda funny... I can remember several (which,isn't a lot in the grand scheme) reformed villains that had a really good direction...
But I can't remember the name of any of them, as all of them were put back to the status quo or cancelled shortly after.
safe locking mechanisms are pretty accessible from the interior, not as a safety feature as far as i know but simply because you don't break into a safe from the inside
7:58 I think it would have been funny if the Arkham staff asked Batman to just tell the Riddler how he did it because it was negatively effecting his and the others recovery.
Did SL already talk about the episode where The Ventriloquist gets out of Arkham? That and the Harley episode are always what comes to mind first for me with regards to Villain Reform Episodes.
The bit at the end about Riddler becoming a detective reminded me of the Justice League Action episode where he helps the JL find Joker who captured Batman, because Joker started stealing Riddler's MO of leaving riddles for them to follow. In the end it turned Joker did it specifically to get at Riddler. Why? Because Riddler took and ate Joker's donut.
Riddler is an example for how a villain doesnt need so many episodes to stand out compared to others
3:51 hair turns spring for a moment
I like that they realised that too many Riddler stories risked being Joker stories with a different costume (gimmicked puzzles rather than gimmicked novelties) and so used him sparingly.
I am also partial to the story in Batman Adventures 10 where the Riddler gets out of Gotham Peniteniary (Since he wasn't insane at the time) and announces to his loyal henchmen that he's giving up, because Batman IS just smarter than he is and so what's the point? (One of the henchmen helpfully points out that Batman DOES get hit on the head a lot, so might be dumber now) He's convinced to give it one last try, and when Batman does, of course, defeat him, he resolves to genuinely retire, until Batman rather smugly tells him he didn't solve the riddle clue, he just ignored it and used other means to track him down. The Riddler realises that this means he's WON because Batman DIDN'T solve his riddle, so he IS the smarter of the two of them, even if he was defeated! So Batman has just, albeit unwittingly, unleashed Riddler back on Gotham for good!
Either way it goes, the tie-ins did the Riddler better, to the point that one may wonder why the likes of Ty Templeton and co. didn't become writers for the animated stuff and just turned planned issues into actual episodes.
that was Kelley Puckett iirc
@@MatthewPrower Had to edit things with "...and co." in response. Thanks for the correction.
0:23 even if some of his villians are sent to wrong place
bane and joker should never be sent to arkham asylum both of them should be sent to jail
Bane beacuse their is nothing wrong with him he just hired criemal
and the joker beacuse his mindset is fit for an asylum
Ah, but there are two more villain-reform episodes to cover: "Double Talk" and "Joker's Millions!"
There was a reform episode in the new adventures of Batman for the ventrilaquist. He definitely wanted to reform/recover.
There was one villain in the BTAS universe who was able to reform for the better (at least until Justice League anyway). Arnold Wesker (sp?) the Ventriloquist. Of course that was all the way into The New Adventures of Batman season.
BWF
True but he was the only batman villains to truly Reform.
Granted, there's Gotham Adventures issue 58, also featuring Jack parenthesis the Creeper closed parenthesis Ryder.
Great video
Thank you 🫡
@@SerumLake You're welcome 😁
8:06 I always considered that the explosion of the dynamite damaged the exterior of the safe and that’s how Batman was able to open it from the inside. And if that doesn’t make sense, two words, utility belt. I’m sure he has a tool in his utility belt to save himself
1:55 Pregaming for if your kid transitions: give em a middle name they can use.
I've always been of the belief that the riddler needs to be ether Batman's most good villian at heart, or most evil villian at heart, no in-between.
Riddler is someone who knows who he is, knows he has a problem, and knows he's not able to solve it on his own, and with an ego as big as his, that tears him up more then anything else.
Any attempt to have riddler as something in-between invariably falls flat compared to Batman's other villians, because without a true commitment to the bit or a commitment to trying to get better, he just gets overshadowed by his gimmick and can't find the depth within that other villians can in theirs, and more importantly, can't properly reflect an aspect of batman like the other villains can.
In his good heart incarnation, he reflects on Batman's own obsessions, and how he could have gone down much darker path if he'd chosen a different obsession then heroism in spite of his good heart, *and* how his obsession can easily destroy him if not managed. (Sonething that, unlike his other villian reflections, has quite literally happened multiple times before...)
In his evil heart incarnation, he reflects on batman's own intellect and cunning, and how his confidence in them can easy turn into a self-destructive Ego, *and* how ignoring or even embracing the problems his obsession gives him can turn him into a monster in his own right. (Something that, again unlike his other reflections, has quite literally happened multiple times before.)
If you go wishy-washy and just try to go half-way, Edward Nygma stops being defined by his obcession, ironically dooming him to be defined by his gimmick because his character can't properly play with it.
Its easy to see why Riddler is so many people's favorite Batman villian; while all good Batman villians are a reflection of him in some way, no Villian's reflection has ever been so close to reality. No villian is as close to batman as the Riddler is, to the point where batman can actually reasonably *become* that reflection in certain stories.
And maybe thats why hes also the hardest villian to write; not only do you have to have a good riddle, you have to have Riddler challenge Batman in a way no other villain can.
I'd say Freeze also was effectively reformed and it took a literal attempt on his life by someone he trusted to put him back in the suit. Utterly tragic, but par for the course. Freeze would have nothing but concept for the Riddler as he's never felt real sadness, loss, or betrayal. All of it was his own doing.
genuinely surprised batman wouldn’t pay him when he found out. like the old management didn’t appreciate him but wane would
Hmm 🤔 both Riddler & Joker have green as part of there Color schemes & there both fairly arrogant/vain individuals from what I’ve noticed. Heck I’m pretty sure in the Adam West TV show Frank Gorshin gave Riddler a very Joker like performance. Same with Jim Carrey’s take on the character in Joel Schumacher’s film (Batman Forever).
One of the problems with the Riddler is that it's hard to write stories for him that don't make one or both of him or Batman look like an idiot. His leaving of clues can all too often make him a self-foiling villain, while if Batman is shown as needing the clues to solve the crimes, it makes Batman look like a less than great detective.
I can tell ya how he got out. Not all safes close AND lock, it's a bit of a safety feature with more family style safes to keep it from letting your young child from having a stupid idea of, "Hey I know they code for the safe, I'll hide in here and they'll never find me."
As a BTAS fan have you watched The Big O? It has a ton of parallels to BTAS and shared some animators
I haven’t watched it, no.
@@SerumLake it's quite interesting, I'd reccomend it
Especially the first season
I can also recommend Satoshi Kon's Paranoia Agent, particularly the "Radar Man" ep.
I love your videos
thank you!
Thank God he didn't place all of his riddler trophies all over Gotham in his BTCAS episodes.
Just put him in charge of an escape room.
Anyone who escapes gets an "I'm smarter than batman" pin.
I think Chimera and his splicing may also be connected to the DCAU Cheetah and her reworked origin as a scientist who experimented on herself.