How The Worst Batman Adaptation Made The Riddler A Great Dark Knight Villain
One of Batman’s most famous villains, The Riddler, was initially an obscure antagonist until the 1966 Batman TV series made him an A-lister. While often dismissed for its intentional camp and adherence to lighthearted Silver Age comics, Batman is a classic television series that helped maintain the Caped Crusader’s status as one of DC Comics’ most famous superheroes. Alongside the show's wider success, Frank Gorshin’s iconic depiction of The Riddler transformed a relatively unknown supervillain into one of Batman’s most iconic foes.
Although lighthearted camp has fallen out of favor in recent decades, Batman was for many superhero fans the introduction to the Dark Knight’s adventures and mythos. Ever since the Neil Adams and Denny O’Neil era, Batman comics have become dark and psychological, often dealing with violent scenarios that wouldn’t be suitable for younger readers. The Batman television series of the 60s, however, faithfully represented the light tone and family-friendly goofiness of Silver Age Batman comics, loosely adapting them in some cases.
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To audiences who prefer their Batman stories dark and violent, the 60s TV show is often considered one of the worst Batman adaptations, but it indisputably elevated The Riddler to A-list supervillain status within the Dark Knight’s mythos. Batman’s two-part pilot episode cast Frank Gorshin as the then-obscure Riddler, instantly creating an iconic portrayal that continues to influence Batman properties. Without what some consider to be the “worst” Batman adaptation, Matt Reeves’ upcoming film, The Batman, would have had to adapt another Batman villain.
The Riddler had only made two Golden Age
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