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interrobamf (interrobamf) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-11-11 14:02:00

Entry tags:

creator: tony daniel, title: batman

Character development? Not when Tony Daniel's on the job!

Edward Nygma was just caught in a bomb blast.

To prevent spoilers, please do not put in a tag for the Riddler.

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	icon_uk 2009-11-11 08:32 pm UTC (link)
	Nutjob Riddler can be enormous fun when done well, so I'll give this a chance, but to replace the interesting and complex "good-guy... kinda" Riddler with this one, the payoff had better be bloody spectacular, nothing less than kinky deathtraps for all available boy wonders past and present will do! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	ex_stig213 2009-11-11 08:37 pm UTC (link)
	"Interesting and complex" my arse. Under Dini, he had all the mental brilliance and style of Watson in one of the Basil Rathbone Holmes movies - i.e., stripped of ALL of his brilliance and style in order to be the bumbling comic relief. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-11-11 08:43 pm UTC (link)
	Except he was brilliant, just never as brilliant as Batman, same as always. We know he solved cases that had nothing to do with Batman, it's only when he tried to outsmart batman that he failed, as he always did. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	manofbats 2009-11-11 08:45 pm UTC (link)
	Nobody did anything interesting with that Riddler. It's time the real Riddler came back. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-11-11 08:46 pm UTC (link)
	I liked his discussion with Penguin about the benefits of going straight, the most satisfying one being that Batman couldn't touch them. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	manofbats 2009-11-11 08:57 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, but Dick is no match for Riddler when he's on top of his game. The bumbling goody good Riddler figured out Nightwing's identity. What's a Riddler at the top of his game going to be capable of? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-11-11 09:12 pm UTC (link)
	It was nearly always Robin's role (Dick and then Tim) to solve the Riddler's riddles. When did the Riddler figure out Nightwings ID? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	manofbats 2009-11-11 09:16 pm UTC (link)
	In Gotham Underground, Nygma figured out Grayson was Nightwing. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-11-11 09:34 pm UTC (link)
	Is that still in continuity? And as for figured out, didn't he just find him shot in the stomach and not wearing his mask? That's hardly the London Times crossword level deduction. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	jlbarnett 2009-11-12 03:43 am UTC (link)
	which means now Batman gets to do it. (Reply to this) (Parent)

thehefner
2009-11-11 09:00 pm UTC (link)

Perhaps Dini squandered that potential (I disagree on that count, but I can understand your point), but that potential was still there, and I just wish another writer could have taken that complex potential of that Riddler one step further rather than reverting him back to one-note evil, albeit a brilliant one-note evil.

But then, this is the (apparently) necessary evil of superhero comics: everything must return to status quo eventually. Sometimes, I take comfort in that knowledge (like Hal Jordan coming back, and the eventual return of Ted Kord). Other times, like this (or FACE THE FACE, which I hate for very similar reasons), it makes me wonder why I bother following them at all if character development matters so little.

I'm not saying we couldn't have villain!Riddler back. I just wish he'd get there through development, rather than a sudden reversal ala Guy Gardner (right down to "I'm BAAAAAACK!" which only worked in JLI because that book was a comedy).

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	thehefner 2009-11-12 03:47 am UTC (link)
	See also: box_in_the_box's essay below. Now THAT is a Riddler I want to read about. (Reply to this) (Parent)

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