Best Riddler Stories?

[d3moliti0n]

Hi there

So I was wondering, what would be the best Riddler stories in the Batman comics? Also, which are the best stories that give a good backstory to the character?

Thanks for your help,

d3moliti0n

[d3moliti0n]

Bump, anyone?

[dancj]

Isn't there already a thread for this?

Anyway you'd be hard pressed to top Dark Knight Dark City which Peter Milligan wrote in the late 80s/early 90s

[DonC]

The Neil Gaiman story in the Batman Secret Origins special.

[Indigo Al]

I wish I remembered the number of this issue of Brave and the Bold. The team up was Batman and the Riddler, and they solve a murder mystery together. Don Heck may have been the artist?

In any event, it is my favorite Riddler appearance.

[Karl O'Neill]

Hush by Jeph Loeb.
Dark Victory
No man's land.
Any single issue by paul dini on detective, I can't recommend his work enough.

[foxley]

Detective Comics Annual #8

The Question #26

Batman: Riddler - The Riddle Factory one-shot

[Alan2099]

And you can listen to the Riddler sing here.
http://www.ogmog.com/2008/04/24/the-riddler-sings/

[The Beast Of Yucca Flats]

No man's land.

He wasn't in that.

I'll gladly second Dini's issues (mainly issues #822 & #845, though).

[Sean Walsh]

I was rather fond of the Riddler "revamp" we got a few years ago in LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, by Shane McCarthy. Didn't last long; which is probably a good thing, since McCarthy's story (while good) seemed to do all it could with it.

[HaroldAllnut]

I forget the name of the actualy story, but it was Batman #279. One of my earliest comics was a miniature reprint of this. It was a great story.

[Spiffy]

Never any story where he's all that evil or crazy.

Batman has three types of villains--the "dark" ones, the mischevious ones, and the ones that can bounce back and forth successfully depending on the writer (that last class is pretty much the home of the Joker, although one or two others might qualify).

Personally, I consider Riddler the pre-eminent "mischevious" Bat-opponent. Maybe his need to "Riddle" is a bit of a mental quirk, but its not a psychosis.

[Alan2099]

See, that's what I loved about the TV series Riddler. He bounced bac and forth between almost a Hannuible Lector serious and ready to snap at a minutes notice to happy and giddy as can be.

[hYPE]

Hi there

So I was wondering, what would be the best Riddler stories in the Batman comics? Also, which are the best stories that give a good backstory to the character?
And, could you recommend an online comic book store where I can buy these as I live in the UK and my local comic book store closed down a while back now so I don't have anywhere to buy older comic books these days.

Thanks for your help,

d3moliti0n

There is always eBay to buy comics. hahaha. Joking of course.

In any case. I truly loved the Riddler in Hush. Never been a fan of the Riddlers but loved his role in the Hush story Arc.

[JCAll]

I wish I remembered the number of this issue of Brave and the Bold. The team up was Batman and the Riddler, and they solve a murder mystery together. Don Heck may have been the artist?

In any event, it is my favorite Riddler appearance.

If it was from a couple decades ago, it was issue 183, "The Death of Batman".
Knightfall seems to heavily mirror this story.

[nepenthes]

When is a Door, Gaiman scripted origin contained in Batman - Secret Origin Files
Any of the recent Paul Dini Riddler issues - especially the last one with the detectives chatroom. This is the Riddlers own Slayride imo
The LotDK revamp arc where he has a tattoo on his neck and facial surgery (iirc) so he'll look more handsome, Not so sure about the visual but it's great characterization and a reworked origin

[humpa]

not really to his backstory or anything...but hush & when in rome. (both catwoman stories though)

[Pól Rua]

The Neil Gaiman story in the Batman Secret Origins special.

When is a Door, Gaiman scripted origin contained in Batman - Secret Origin Files

Damn straight. Awesome Riddler story, probably the best ever.

There was also a nice Riddler story during the late '80's run of 'The Question'. Though admittedly, he does come off like a hapless nebbish during it.

[Chad]

Detective Comics 705-707 had a cool three-parter written by Chuck Dixon. It's basically the plot of Dirty Harry - Riddler straps a bomb to the Cluemaster and demands that Batman solve a series of clues within a certain amount of time. Riddler's able to track him by a device located in the Cluemaster's uniform. Batman realises that there's more to this than simply making him run around foolishly, so he comes up with the idea of substituting himself with Robin and then tracking the Riddler on his own. The plan doesn't go the way Batman would like however.

Batman Adventures 11 is set within the animated universe but introduced the idea of a reformed Riddler working on the side of law and order. He's made a fortune of his genius legally and has no reason to be comitting crimes anymore. However, he broadcasts clues annonymously across Gotham and then denies his involvement suggesting that this is the work of a copycat. Batman knows better, solves the first riddle and demands to know what Nigma is up to. Riddler tells him that he misses the opportunity to match wits with his ex-enemy and wants to continue. He leaves him a clue to his next "crime" involving "a life being at stake" which turns out to be little more than an invitation to watch him eat his supper. Batman tells him to stop wasting his time; Riddler suggests that he can't be sure if his next riddle won't really endanger lives. Great story that ends with Batman convincing Nigma to prove that he's better than he is by solving a conundrum he can't - how did Oswald Cobblepot manage to become Mayor of Gotham?

Batman 292 is the Riddler chapter of "Where Were You the Night Batman was Killed?". Batman is presumed dead and an underworld trial is held in Gotham to find out who killed him. Riddler takes the credit and presents his story to the court (Batman's rogues gallery) only to be proven a liar by DA Harvey Dent.

I still think his first appearance in Detective 140 is his best, and should be easy to track down if you can find a copy of The Greatest Riddler/Two-Face Stories Ever Told (it would have come out at the around the time of the third Batman film).

[Cornelius Stirk]

Detective Comics Annual # 8 was a good origin tale by Chuck Dixon.

http://www.comicbookdb.com/issue.php?ID=1445

[Gothos]

Arghh! No one appreciates the Silver Age Riddler! Closest anyone got was something from the 70s.

For me the 60s Riddler stories are the best, establishing to good effect his psychological compulsion but keeping him in the tradition of the gimmick-weapon villain (exploding puzzle-pieces and suchlike).

Significantly, the Wikipedia article on Riddler barely mentions either the 60s stories or even the 1948 originary tale.

If I had to choose a favorite, it'd probably be 1968's "The Riddler's Prison-Puzzle Problem," which I believe was written by Gardner Fox.

[RubberLotus]

The Batman Chronicles #3 is actually one of my favorites, since it features the Riddler rigging up a Rube Goldberg machine to set a restaurant on fire.

I really wish more writers would feature Eddie doing that - it would be a perfect way of showcasing his genius without falling into the "Riddler is smarter than 90% of his writers" trap.

[Flash's Lightning]

The year one annual was great. Also his appearance in knightfall. He hates not standing out and being average. So when all the other villains are causing mayhem he has to go to extremes to get noticed.

[Crimson Knightman]

http://stlcomics.com/gallery/whitman/full/batman317.jpg

[Dynamite Nick]

Secret Origins Special #1-"When Is A Door"
Batman #452-454-"Dark Knight, Dark City"
The Question #26-"Riddler's Romance"

[Captain Jim]

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=354275

[Sean Walsh]

The LotDK revamp arc where he has a tattoo on his neck and facial surgery (iirc) so he'll look more handsome, Not so sure about the visual but it's great characterization and a reworked origin

Thank you. I always wondered if I was the only one who liked that story (though the new look was.......weird).

And he WON, too, basically. :biggrin:

[Sir Duke]

There's not nearly enough good Riddler stories. Too many writers I think see him as a hold over from the silver age. Famous, but a joke next to more contemporary villain redesigns. I was hoping he'd be the villain in Dark Knight Rises and reverse that trend. The best story I can think of in recent memory is Hush, but that's more of a last minute plot twist than anything else. Weird as it is, my favorite interpretation of the Riddler are his patient interview tapes in the Arkham Asylum video game.

[RubberLotus]

Thank you. I always wondered if I was the only one who liked that story (though the new look was.......weird).

And he WON, too, basically. :biggrin:

Good god, no.

That story basically went and said "The Riddler can't succeed unless he throws away everything unique about himself."

I find myself wondering if that's what Chris Nolan would've done to Eddie if he HAD been in Batman 3...

[mortari]

I forget the issue number, but the Impluse story it perfect.

[dancj]

It's not a Riddler story per-se, but I love the bit in Green Arrow: City Walls where Ollie realises the villain he's after is The Riddler and his response is "Oh no - This is going to be really annoying"

[Matchess Malone]

http://images.wikia.com/marvel_dc/images/b/bd/Batman_454.jpg
I would highly recommend Batman: Dark Knight, Dark City. If like what Morrison has done recently with his run on Batman I'm positive you will enjoy this series. You'll also see the elements that Morrison pulled for Dr. Hurt.