Explain to me why The Riddler is considered a joke

[The Demon's Head]

Growing up on BTAS, The Riddler has always been one of my favorites, and I've wanted him to be the main villain in Batman 3 ever since watching The Dark Knight for the first time. To my suprise, I found most of the fanbase resisting the idea. I haven't been following the book lately, but to my knowledge, The Riddler is one of Batman's oldest villains, and IMO, he's one of the few that can present a real challenge to a hero who is considered "The World's greatest Detective."

So why do the fans see him as such a joke and as a second-stringer?

 

[Harls]

I like Eddie, but I guess if I looked at it from another perspective.... he doesn't really do much. He does things for the riddles, he purposefully leaves clues and doesn't even have very high stakes compared to "bigger" villains. He just does it for fun, nothing like the Joker blowing up hospitals or something.

I really like him though and I think there could be a lovely back-story to him in film ♥

 

[Cain]

They don't. Maybe casual fans like batman movie fans or cartoon fans probably. However people who actually know what they're talking about know that he is one of the best of the bat rogues. There is a reason he has been used and reused for so long across all media.

 

[MadVillainy]

I acknowledge that he is a big part of Bat's rogue gallery, but I just find him lame
He doesn't fight
Most of the time he doesn't kill
He's mostly a coward
And the whole thing of just leaving riddles around is lame to me especially when he doesn't really do much else

I just think hes lame

 

[ronny]

People think he's a joke because they don't understand the concept that an angry loner who is viewed as a joke, can be a very dangerous person.
People like that, who are trodden on and underestimated, can often do a lot of harm. Because their status as a joke gives them a certain cover.

Batman not taking Riddler seriously is precisely what makes him a threat.

But people don't seem to want to understand this.

 

[Cobblepot]

Anyone who thinks he's lame should read "Dark Knight, Dark City"

http://gangles.ca/2008/08/28/dark-knight-dark-city/

 

[TruerToTheCore]

The problem with the Riddler: If you play him hardcore he is basically the Joker in green, if you play him soft he is just a joke. I mean, yeah, Batman will not solve the riddle because what difference does it make -- the Riddler is not going to kill someone. That said, the Riddler is so unpopular these days because he is not dark enough, doesn't eat little children and doesn't scar himself (perhaps as a tribute to the God of Mysteries). But like so many Batman villains he has more personalities that get used when it fits the stories. Look, sometimes he just leaves riddles for fun and to challenge batman, in other stories he just CANNOT not leave them because he is obsessive-compulsive.

One of my favourite Riddler stories is from the "Batman Adventures" when the Riddler is tired of getting beat by Batman, but his henchman persuaded him to pull off one last job. In the end he is (naturally) stopped by the Bat-Man, but out of sheer coincidence. When the Riddler asked Batman how he solved the riddle, he answers "I didn't". The Riddler is full of joy which is confusing Batman and the Riddler decides to stay a criminal. (God, I enjoyed the Batman Adventures much more than the regular Batman comics back then)


But nobody changes the fact that the essential Batman villains are the Joker, Catwoman, Penguin, Two-Face, Scarecrow, R'as, the Riddler, Poison Ivy and probably Mr Freeze. No one else comes close.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

Anyone who thinks he's lame should read "Dark Knight, Dark City"

http://gangles.ca/2008/08/28/dark-knight-dark-city/

Okay, but that's the Riddler obsessed by a demon, so that does not count.

 

[Cobblepot]

Still it's a great classic that needs a reprint.

 

[ronny]

the Riddler is not going to kill someone.

I think he could, but he wouldn't deal with it as coldly as Two-Face, or enjoy it, like The Joker.
He's a professional criminal hampered by insane ambitions and a gigantic inferiority complex. If he kills, I imagine it would be an emotional act, and never something he'd use as a first resort.

 

[bestever23]

WHY can't Riddler, Penguin be evil again?

 

[CConn]

The Riddler in concept can be very interesting. There's a lot of layers to his obsession that could definitely make for a very twisted, deep, and dangerous villain.

But as someone else said, he doesn't kill, he doesn't normally pose any major threat to Batman. Instead, they portray him as a down on his luck loaf who perpetrates crimes that are more fit for a comic from the '60s than any real threat.

Generally, at least.

 

[blah]

It's because Jim Carrey played him as a joker rip-off and no it's imprinted in many people's minds as such.
but I would love to see him get the dark knight treatment, as long as they ditch the campy, yet classic, question mark jumpsuit for the modern looking green suit and bowler hat.

 

[Riddler]

Always liked the riddler. Considered him, two face, and the joker to be batmans greatest foes for a long time.

death traps are always a winner.

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

The best Riddler was Frank Gorshin, and I mean it, he really made the character stand out. I think he could've even portrayed the Riddler in Nolan's movies, were he still alive.

Coming off of that commentary, the Riddler has the problem of being a classic villain who really doesn't fill any void that's not already filled by Joker or Two-Face. He's hard to write, I think, so when he's well written he's a phenomenal character. When Frank Gorshin played him he really made him seem obsessive, driven and interesting. He, like most, represents an aspect of Batman's own psyche. In this case, Batman is a little OCD, and Riddle is extremely OCD.

 

[bestever23]

Nolan will make Riddler Creepy again......the riddler in "the batman' was a great reboot with a Freddy Kruger voice

 

[bullets]

They could easily make Riddler a big threat in the new film and Nolan will likely delve into his psycholgy, should be interesting

 

[Original Spawn]

He is a grat villain and has a great mind, however batman in some comics lately doesn´t consider him a big threat because thanks to his riddles he is alway caught but batman has revealled many times that if he didn´t leave that riddles he wouldn´t have been caught but the riddler when he wants he can be a big threat and leave riddles, read Hush and you´ll see that he can be a great villain and Joker also kills and destroys for fun if some of you don´t know, he has a vision but he has fun making what he wants to do.

 

[Original Spawn]

Carrey´s riddler was not that out of character he was fun and Psychophat, the only bad portraied villain in Batman Forever was Two-Face.