The Riddler’s Origin Story Details Revealed In The Batman Tie-In Novel

A new tie-in novel for The Batman provides fans with some fascinating background details for Paul Dano’s version of the Riddler. An iconic member of Batman’s infamous rogues gallery, the Riddler was first created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang in 1948, and would go on to join the likes of the Joker as one of DC’s best-known villains. Over the years, Gotham’s enigmatic puzzler has been brought to life on screen by actor Frank Gorshin in the 1960s Batman television series, Jim Carrey in 1995’s Batman Forever, and Cory Michael Smith on Gotham.

In 2019, shortly after Robert Pattinson was cast as Bruce Wayne in Matt Reeves’ bold new take on the franchise in The Batman, it was reported that Jonah Hill was in talks to play either the Riddler or Penguin. After Hill eventually exited negotiations, Dano was cast in the role of Edward Nashton (AKA The Riddler) while Colin Farrell would assume the mantle of Penguin (aka Oswald Cobblepot). In keeping with Reeves’ darker, more grounded take on The Batman‘s mythos, Dano reportedly began preparing for the role by researching serial killers, including the Zodiac Killer, whose own tendency to produce cryptic ciphers was used as a main source of inspiration for the character.

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Now with only weeks to go until The Batman hits theaters, DC is busy ramping up promotion and has also released a new children’s middle-school tie-in novel, Before the Batman: An Original Movie Novel. According to reports from The Direct, this new book offers fans a glimpse of a young Edward Nashton as he attends high school alongside Bruce Wayne. According to the book, Nashton’s jealously of Gotham’s future Dark Knight, along with his predilection for cryptic puzzles, had already begun early. The character is described as always carrying “a book of crosswords or other puzzles.” It is also suggested that he wished to pursue a career in forensic accounting, as “it sounded like solving puzzles.”

While is it not entirely clear whether Nashton would indeed become a forensic accountant as his younger self once envisioned, the possibility does bring to mind parallels with another iteration of the Batman franchise. In Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, another forensic accountant by the name Coleman Reese was able to deduce Bruce Wayne’s secret identity based on an analysis of his company’s spending. Should Dano’s Riddler end up following a similar career path in The Batman, it would not be too far a stretch to envision him coming to learn of Batman’s identity in much the same way.

Yet while in The Dark Knight Reese planned to use this knowledge in a misguided attempt to blackmail Bruce Wayne, by all accounts Dano’s Riddler would most certainly put this knowledge to use in a far more sinister fashion in The Batman. What fans will really want to know, however, is what ultimately triggers Nashton’s deadly killing spree throughout Gotham, and what possible connection it has to Bruce’s family. The answers to those riddles are unlikely to be solved until fans finally get to see The Batman for themselves.

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Source: The Direct

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