The Riddler’s brutal side is on display in Batman: Killing Time — and a good reminder of how horrifying the villain can be.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: Killing Time #1, now on sale from DC Comics
Batman has some of the most notable rogues of any character in the superhero genre, with characters like Joker, Scarecrow, and Killer Croc typically being played for genuine horror in their stories. But one of the most underrated in terms of viciousness is the Riddler, often mistaken as just a man in a suit compared to some of the other more overtly frightening villains.
Batman: Killing Time #1 by Tom King, David Marquez, Alejandro Sánchez, and Clayton Cowles features a pretty horrifying take on the Riddler that can alternate from charming to scary in the drop of a hat — confirming to readers ahead of his turn in The Batman that the Riddler has always been a scary villain.
Batman: Killing Time #1 largely focuses on the different layers of a major robbery in Gotham City. Orchestrated by Penguin, Riddler, and Catwoman, the plan sees Killer Croc serve as the lethal distraction while they make off with a mysterious (and far more valuable) item. Throughout, the Bat-Rogues are shown in truly terrifying light — except the Riddler, at first. Penguin appears as a horrifying man, eating live goldfish during meetings and arranging for brutal attacks on the Gotham Bank. Catwoman is shown as a crafty spy who can take vicious turns against her targets. Even Killer Croc is shown to be casually murderous towards others. But the Riddler spends the majority of the issue as a simple smooth operator, relaying information to the powerful Mr. Barrington.
Riddler doesn’t lift a finger in violence during the heist itself, instead presenting a calm and collected visage — up until the final pages of the issue. Meeting up in a Gotham Park after the completion of the heist, Penguin demands the stolen goods from Catwoman and Riddler. Noticing that the Penguin has brought an umbrella, Riddler requests to see it and check it’s not a weapon — and the proceeds to beat Penguin viciously with it, striking him in the head with it almost fifty times in quick succession. It’s a genuinely frightening scene, with even Catwoman seemingly taken aback by Riddler’s ferociousness. But this is far from the first time the Riddler has been portrayed as such — with his lead role in The Batman as a Zodiac-killer-inspired villain being another showcase of the Riddler’s brutality.
While the Riddler may sometimes be seen as a lesser threat due to his typically cerebral nature as opposed to more overtly violent actions taken by villains like Joker, he remains one of Gotham’s most dangerous criminals. In fact, there have been plenty of stories over the years that have showcased the Riddler as arguably one of Batman’s most inherently frightening enemies. His pathological need to defeat the Batman and prove his superiority barely hides a vicious side of the character, which can manifest itself in some gruesome attacks and actions. Stories like Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City by Peter Milligan and Kieron Dwyer and Batman: Zero Year by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Greg Capullo saw the Riddler enact a series of cruel and cold plans that came close to breaking the Dark Knight.
Especially in other media, the Riddler is a brutal figure. His Gotham incarnation was a murderer multiple times over, eventually transforming a non-descript Gotham Police Department employee into a terrifying killer. His Batman television series appearances were among the most startling of the purposefully campy show’s rogues, capable of transitioning from manic glee to cold fury in a heartbeat. The Riddler is a genius, on part with the Caped Crusader. But he’s so consumed by hate and anger that he’ll murder children if it means gaining an edge over his enemies. The Riddler has always been one of Batman’s best villains, and easily one of his scariest — so it’s nice to see stories like Batman: Killing Joke reminding audiences of that fact.
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