The Dark Knight Rises Riddle Me This: The Riddler Characterization Thread

[Rodrigo90]

Riddler is not a serial killer.

I aint going to see it if he isnt. Riddlers biggest threat...

UPLOADING PORN ONTO A SCHOOLS WEBSITE. THAT CLEVERLY FIENDISH CHEEKY MENACE... dun dun dun!!!

No thank you.

 

[GaiusBaltar]

I think Riddler would wear a somewhat flamboyant suit for a very simple reason. HE WANTS PEOPLE TO NOTICE HIM. That is what he is. He wants the attention.

You said this before and tried to show the difference between "attention" and "admiration", the latter being what he really wants. It's not that difficult to figure out. He could easily go out to the street wearing nothing but a pink tutu so people could notice him. Would he? No. The Joker maybe would wear something outrageous like that, but not the Riddler. Because he wants to be admired and envied, he wants admiration. Mere attention can come in many forms... and he doesn't look good in green.

Now I'm not saying a lime green suit. But to say he shouldn't wear any green at all because it's silly and gawdy is similar to the people saying Joker shouldn't wear purple because it's "unrealistic". ie. it's a load of old cobblers.

The Joker can be "unrealistic"... in other words, he can and wants to be gawdy, that's his nature. It's not about realism, it's about their true personality. And I think gawdy colors match the Joker's, but it's a bit different with the Riddler. And they SHOULD be different. As much as they can.

 

[GaiusBaltar]

I always envisioned The Riddler to be like the Merovingian in the Matrix. A pompous ass, who loves having power over people. I see him being the type of guy you would see owning a yacht in the Mediterranean sea, and constantly belittling the people around him. I could see him with a silk green tie, neatly trimmed hair that is slicked to the side. A constant arrogant smirk while drinking a martini. He would probably start by playing this "game" with Batman. Cat and mouse, blah blah until Batman starts to win. Not driving him crazy but pissing him off. When he becomes angry his eccentric behavior lessens and he is now more forward and direct with his goals, taking everything more serious.

I can envision that Riddler too. Marvelous. But notice that you only make him wear a green tie. That's light years from wearing a costume faithful to the source.

Killing people? Probably, I do see him also being a type of brain-for-hire type of guy who came to Gotham with an intention of rooting out the problem, which is Batman.

Oh, that's exactly what I want. He could work for the police, then he gets obssesed, croses the line, goes rogue, the police finds out and he has to go into hiding and starts doing the same works (setting traps for Batman/trying to catch him/figure out who he is) for the biggest mob boss. Which I would love to be Cobblepot.
We're not that different in the way we want them to approach the character.

 

[GaiusBaltar]

didn't like meet the parents?

Hated, every, bit.

 

[CaptainClown]

I can envision that Riddler too. Marvelous. But notice that you only make him wear a green tie. That's light years from wearing a costume faithful to the source.



Oh, that's exactly what I want. He could work for the police, then he gets obssesed, croses the line, goes rogue, the police finds out and he has to go into hiding and starts doing the same works (setting traps for Batman/trying to catch him/figure out who he is) for the biggest mob boss. Which I would love to be Cobblepot.
We're not that different in the way we want them to approach the character.

well i just mentioned a green tie, Probably have a dark green suit jacket, black shirt. One of those expensive armani suits, someone you would see in a cologne advertisement

 

[Rodrigo90]

Everytime I see The Riddler dressed so neat and tidy in his green suit with his cain clutched so delicately,I think hes gay. Hes just going to look camp in any tidy and smart outfit you put him in. I say no to that.Put him in a suit yes. but dont focus on like a pocket watch,thats just BLAH!

I say a really dark shade of green of suit,almost black,but in the light you can see it. An olive green overcoat. (yes the Joker had one,but Riddler has so many things similar to Joker in the comic ,ignoring that fact would be stupid).

Im mixing in 80% of the neat main continuity Riddler,with 20% of the dirty and odd looking Riddler presented in Brian Azzerello's Joker.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

I aint going to see it if he isnt. Riddlers biggest threat...

UPLOADING PORN ONTO A SCHOOLS WEBSITE. THAT CLEVERLY FIENDISH CHEEKY MENACE... dun dun dun!!!

No thank you.

If you think Riddler wouldn't be a threat without being a Jigsaw/John Doe serial killer then you have a real lack of imagination.

Riddler isn't a killer, and he shouldn't be in the film. The whole Jigsaw/John Doe/Zodiac killer thing is so played out.

Riddler should only kill when it is the last resort, when he has been bested and he goes crazy.

 

[Rodrigo90]

If you think Riddler wouldn't be a threat without being a Jigsaw/John Doe serial killer then you have a real lack of imagination.

Riddler isn't a killer, and he shouldn't be in the film. The whole Jigsaw/John Doe/Zodiac killer thing is so played out.

Riddler should only kill when it is the last resort, when he has been bested and he goes crazy.

But his threat has got be big. Endangering and killing is,but a computer hacker isnt. Besides, I think his deathtraps should be included,adds good suspense.

 

[Rodrigo90]

If you think Riddler wouldn't be a threat without being a Jigsaw/John Doe serial killer then you have a real lack of imagination.

Riddler isn't a killer, and he shouldn't be in the film. The whole Jigsaw/John Doe/Zodiac killer thing is so played out.

Riddler should only kill when it is the last resort, when he has been bested and he goes crazy.

But his threat has got be big. Endangering and killing is,but a computer hacker isnt. Besides, I think his deathtraps should be included,adds good suspense.

 

[CaptainClown]

That is IF he is the main antagonist. Having read stories like Hush, When in Rome.. I have seen riddler portrayed as a back-note while still being the most important character of the story. I don't believe Riddler should be causing problems for Batman, but himself be a factor which could make a bad situation worse. Death Traps might have worked, if Joker had not done them before.

Hell i could see Riddler knowing batman's secrets throughout the movie, and instead of giving riddles to Batman, giving them to the mob. It is through those riddles that Batman tracks down riddler himself. There one could reveal that riddler might ultimately give in since batman solved his riddles out of mutual respect.

See it as riddler sending the mob around the city for his amusement as well as to best batman. Once Riddler admits defeat the mob would be without a clue, however with the Riddlers help they were capable of crippling Bruce Wayne as taking large amounts of power through the city. When Riddlers interaction is gone the mob could turn to an all out civil war between the hired goons and the natives with batman stopping it all.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Deathtraps were the Riddlers main way of killing. Then Saw ripped it off.

 

[CaptainClown]

i believe it was around long before Riddler. There was an old twilight zone which was based off a short story i believe where a person is promised a million dollars if they press a button, if they did the button would kill someone. Death traps are ancient. Saw however is trademark for them as it was the focus and allure of the film with our generation.

The coliseum in Rome could be called a death trap by that standards as it addresses the same thing Jigsaw does "what will you do to survive"

 

[Ekricket]

If you think Riddler wouldn't be a threat without being a Jigsaw/John Doe serial killer then you have a real lack of imagination.

Riddler isn't a killer, and he shouldn't be in the film. The whole Jigsaw/John Doe/Zodiac killer thing is so played out.

Riddler should only kill when it is the last resort, when he has been bested and he goes crazy.

Maybe this is what drives him over the edge, to seek revenge on Batman. Batman foils one of his heists, and Riddler kills several innocent people. Now their blood is on his hands and in his mind, and he blames Batman for it. Only by killing Batman in some way that forces him to experience the long drawn out terror that the innocent victims suffered will give him solace and complete the karma chain.

 

[Ryan]

I tend to agree that the Riddler should not be a killer. I think the Riddler is more obsessed with confusing the police and Batman, then making any big "statements" or profitting. I did like the John Doe character though and think he'd have made a great Riddler.

 

[Rodrigo90]

I dont agree with Riddler killing civilians,but a special team assigned to hunt him and Batman is more fitting. To see if their "top of the class" detectives by putting them through his intelligently designed deathtraps. But nothing too gory or disturbing,its a PG-13 after all.

 

[namtaB]

I tend to agree that the Riddler should not be a killer. I think the Riddler is more obsessed with confusing the police and Batman, then making any big "statements" or profitting. I did like the John Doe character though and think he'd have made a great Riddler.

But where's the threat in that? Confusing the police and Batman doesn't make him threatening enough to take down.

After watching that Zodiac killer special, I think that would be the perfect blueprint for the Riddler.

 

[Mistah K88]

When it comes to the whole green thing I would prefer if Riddler wore AT LEAST green blazer. Ra's wore a black suit, Scarecrow wore a black suit (in Begins), Two Face wore a black suit, not to mention all of the mobsters wearing black suits. I guess if you change the tie up it makes all that much of a difference

I mean...

is this so wrong? The question mark on his blazer is a lapel pin, so it's simple and not too garish.

I actually kind of liked the fact that his name was Edward Nygma (E. Nygma) thus even coming up with something as simple as a moniker for his criminal persona he ends up linking it to himself. If he must wear a mask, it will be until his real name is easily found out by either Batman or the police, then he'd have no need to since the cat would be out of the bag.

I don't want the Riddler to be yet another serial killer (especially since we JUST got done with the Joker...and he stole the Riddler's killing schtick with some of the clues he left behind in TDK) He may not be the main villian anyway, maybe in a role like Scarecrow in Begins...

 

[Rodrigo90]

IMHO Riddler looks gay, Im afraid.

 

[Ryan]

namtaB "But where's the threat in that? Confusing the police and Batman doesn't make him threatening enough to take down."

Good question. Although I don't think of the Riddler as a killer, and I think the idea of him just going around robbing banks (after seeing what the Joker did in TDK) would be bland. The only thing I can think of is that the solving the riddles would lead Batman to saving people who's life is on the line. The other idea, could be that somehow solving the riddles would eventually lead Batman back to the "good side" in the public's perception. How that would be done however, I have no idea. Perhaps the Riddler might posseses some knowledge that the Batman needs in order to redeem himself.
The Riddler is an antagonist. He likes the chase, he likes a worthy opponent. Maybe he threatens to tell the whole world the "true" story of Harvey Dent and his desent into "Two Face". How about for kicks he has the head or body of Two Face, stashed in his basement, and threatens to expose it to the world with the knowledge he has to crush Gotham's belief in the "white knight'!? (just kidding about that last part)

 

[Brother Jack]

Deathtraps were the Riddlers main way of killing. Then Saw ripped it off.

That's already sort of been done in TDK with the Joker, and the last thing we need with the Riddler is another Joker similarity. If you truly aren't going to bother with B3 if Riddler isn't a serial killer, then all I can say is that it's your loss.

 

[Rodrigo90]

What sort of threat can he be or cause?

 

[Brother Jack]

What sort of threat can he be or cause?

If he's a fed, catching Batman.

 

[Rodrigo90]

If he's a fed, catching Batman.

Ok...

 

[GaiusBaltar]

He could threaten Batman with catching/unmasking him, or revealing a big secret, and slowly going into obsession and madness and putting people's lives on the line if Batman cannot solve his riddles. Deathtraps. Maybe the first death is accidental, and after a big trauma for actually taking a life, he rationalizes it and believes it's all Batman fault. So he will put other innocent lives on the line. He doesn't feel guilty because, in his mind, if people die it's just Batman's fault for not being intellectually worthy.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Its more about jealousy with Riddler. Fixated on Batman to see if hes smarter than him. Ofcourse you could throw in another dilemma with him. His jealousy to cover his main motive for his actions.