The Batman introduced an unsettling new take on classic Gotham City villain The Riddler, and DC Comics has announced that the character's origin story will be told in a new prequel comic series titled Riddler: Year One.
The actor who played Edward Nashton in Matt Reeves' reboot, Paul Dano, actually wrote the comic, which is set to hit shelves this October.
Spoilers for The Batman follow.
Towards the end of the movie, it's revealed that Nashton was an orphan who barely survived a hellish childhood in the system, and was ultimately radicalized by the Gotham Renewal Project. Brutally murdering those he held responsible for failing the city's less fortunate and downtrodden, Nashton took up the mantle of The Riddler and focused most of his ire on a far more privileged orphan by the name of Bruce Wayne.
We assume this backstory will be the basis for the new comic series, but no official details have been revealed. You can check out the cover art for the first issue below.
"Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens."
“When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.”
The Batman is still playing in theaters, and is set to hit HBO Max in April.