The Riddler Finally Reveals the Dark Side of Their Greatest Obsession

Summary

The Riddler’s obsession with riddles is showcased in The Penguin #8.
Riddler’s inner thoughts reveal his unrelenting focus on puzzles.
The villain’s fixation with riddles may be holding him back from greatness.

One Batman villain might be treated like a joke, but his theme is anything but funny. The Riddler has long been seen as an oddball who is just a little too into riddles. But one encounter with a fellow rogue showcases just how deeply Edward Nygma’s greatest obsession actually goes.

In The Penguin #8 by Tom King and Rafael de Latorre, Oswald Cobblepot has returned to Gotham, ready to reclaim his territory from his children. The Penguin sits down for a private dinner when he’s interrupted by fellow criminal, the Riddler, who discusses the Penguin’s side deals with Batman.

As Riddler talks things over with Oswald, narration boxes reveal his inner thoughts. But rather than focus on the subject at hand, the Riddler can’t stop thinking about riddles and their solutions. Over and over again, he asks himself and answers riddles, only stopping when’s savagely beaten up by the Penguin.

The Riddler Is Always Thinking About Riddles. Always.

Batman has a number of iconic villains, many of whom have a gimmick. Few are as famous or as well-known as the Riddler, who can’t help himself but factor riddles into his crimes in one way or another. Sometimes he leaves riddles as a clue to see if Batman is a worthy foe for him, other times, he leaves them to demonstrate how much smarter he is than others. He’s even left riddles that can help the Dark Knight and his allies end Nygma’s crime sprees early. Barring Joker or Two-Face, the Riddler is the villain most committed to his theme.

Throughout The Penguin, scenes have been narrated by people other than Oswald Cobblepot to give readers insight into their thoughts and feelings regarding the villain. Generally, it’s to show the distinction between what people think about the Penguin and what they’re willing to say to his face. The decision to show Riddler constantly thinking about riddles is an inspired one as the narration is eventually juxtaposed with a conversation about why no one takes the Riddler seriously. His unrelenting obsession with riddles is always on his mind and the Riddler’s inability to move past it is dragging him down.

Riddler is Never Going to Be Truly Great as Long as He’s Obsessed with Riddles

There’s no doubt that the Riddler is a classic Batman enemy and someone capable of greatness. But Nygma is stuck where he is because he simply can’t get over his penchant for riddles. If he wasn’t so obsessed, he very well could have beaten Batman by this point. But as long as puzzles have a hold over the villain, he’s never going to rise above his station. This insight into the Batman villain’s mind is a perturbing reminder of just how much the Riddler’s fascination is really holding him back.

The Penguin #8 is available now from DC Comics.