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.
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 and one Silver Age appearances by the time that the Batman TV series was in production. Frank Gorshin, a fan of Batman comic books, eagerly accepted the offer to play The Riddler in the show’s pilot. Having read the few Batman comics that featured The Riddler, Gorshin recreated the villain’s gleefully sinister and prankster-like demeanor, perfecting his laugh that became his trademark throughout the show. Gorshin’s depiction of The Riddler was nominated for an Emmy Award and the villain went on to be the most frequent antagonist in Batman’s first season.
Gorshin’s portrayal of The Riddler would also influence other iterations of the character, with Jim Carrey’s depiction of Edward Nygma in Batman Forever being heavily inspired by Gorshin’s version. The Riddler became far more prominent in Batman comics as well, though he became a far darker and more violent character as the Batman comics matured. Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman will feature a new version of The Riddler, based on darker modern Batman comics as well as the real-life Zodiac Killer.
Batman is one of the superhero genre’s most malleable protagonists, whose comics and mythos have a significantly different tone, depending on the decade. Modern audiences tend to prefer darker stories and the endearingly silly Silver Age Batman stories, while not aligning with today’s sensibilities, were well-adapted by the campy 60s Batman TV show. Though it’s thought of as one of the worst Batman adaptations, the classic TV series was highly influential, allowing the once-obscure Riddler to become one of Batman’s most iconic foes.
