Riddler’s New Upgrade Makes Him a Joker-Level Threat (By Flipping Paul Dano’s Portrayal)

DC Comics is flipping Paul Dano’s portrayal of The Riddler, giving the character a major upgrade in the DC Universe, as he now has his own company, Nygmatech, inspired by Wayne Enterprises. While it is unclear if this is truly a new era for the character, or if his redemption will be short-lived, but the introduction of the character to Gotham’s business world is a fascinating turn of events.

Preview pages for Batman #153 – written by Chip Zdarsky, with art by Jorge Jimenez – reveal the surprising evolution of the Riddler. In this story, Riddler has seemingly gone straight, completely giving up his life of crime and instead founding his own company, Nygmatech.

This seemingly company offers the best in cybersecurity, though while Bruce Wayne ostensibly supports Riddler’s reformation and newfound interest in business, Batman isn’t so convinced that Riddler is able to give up his history as a supervillain.

Riddler’s Future In The Tech Industry Builds On His Past As A Wayne Enterprises Employee

Batman #153 –Written By Chip Zdarsky; Art By Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, & Clayton Cowles

In the preview for Batman #153, Batman threatens Riddler to ensure he’s on the straight and narrow, but from their interaction, it seems that Riddler truly is trying to put his criminal past behind him. While starting a a company seems like a somewhat surprising choice for Riddler, it might just be Bruce Wayne from whom he took inspiration, because Riddler used to work at Wayne Enterprises. It is this oft-forgotten fact about the Riddler’s origins that might just be the spark of inspiration Edward needed to start this new chapter of his life.

As with most DC characters, Riddler’s backstory has evolved, and changed over the years. One of his most fascinating origins, by far, was introduced in the New 52 era, where Edward Nygma was an employee of Wayne Enterprises, serving under Philip Kane, the corrupt uncle of Bruce Wayne who acted as CEO of Wayne Enterprises in Bruce’s absence. This was a job that Edward took very seriously and was employed in for several years, only leaving it after Bruce returned.

Riddler’s Company NYGMATECH Was Inspired By Wayne Enterprises

Batman #153 – Available October 3 From DC Comics

Because of Edward’s relationship with Philip Kane, he would’ve had first-hand knowledge of how such a sizable company works on every level. Edward was Philip’s right hand, and Philip was the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, essentially making Edward the second-highest-ranked person in the company. He would have overseen everything and helped Philip with the day-to-day decisions, especially the most important ones related to the company. With this first-hand knowledge, there’s no reason Edward Nygma wouldn’t exceed at running his own company.

While it remains unclear if Riddler truly plans to be a businessman instead of a criminal, he certainly has the tools and intelligence to change the world with his inventions, and get incredibly rich doing so. It wouldn’t be the first time Riddler has tried to become a hero, as he did the same pre-New 52 when he became a private investigator. He’s also forgiven for his crimes now, as Riddler was experimented on by Daniel Capito in Arkham, which has absolved him in the eyes of the public.

The Riddler May Just Be Turning Over A New Leaf – For Better Or Worse

NYGMATECH Could Be A Gamechanger In The DCU

Creating his own company through his genius and proving himself to everyone is, in a way, a twisted version of Paul Dano’s Riddler. In The Batman, Edward Nashton was also a former employee of Wayne Enterprises who uncovered deep corruption. This pushed him to try and punish the city of Gotham by destroying it; for whatever reason, the comic book version of Riddler has ended up on the exact opposite path. Instead of being motivated by his time at Wayne Enterprises to destroy the corrupt, he decided to simply open his own company for a change.

The Riddler has consistently been the most intelligent villain that Batman has gone up against. If he has truly reformed, Edward Nygma could be a great asset to the heroes and the civilian population of the DC Universe alike. However, if there is something nefarious behind Riddler’s new company, Nygmatech, it might indicate a dangerous evolution of the famous villain. That is, there are seemingly no clues pointing to a criminal scheme – suggesting that the Riddler has finally realized how smart he is, and doesn’t feel the need to signal this to Batman.

Batman #153 will be available October 3, 2024 from DC Comics!