DC Comics just revealed a new first look at the upcoming prequel comic to The Batman, exposing the disturbing origins of Edward Nashton before he became the Riddler. Written by Riddler actor Paul Dano himself, Riddler: Year One will show how Nashton got his twisted inspiration to become a killer from Gotham's new vigilante. Becoming a feared serial killer determined to expose the city's corruption, this new preview shows the pure fascination Nashton had with Batman while still being an orphaned nobody ignored by society.
Releasing as a 6-issue miniseries by Paul Dano and artist Stevan Subic under DC's adult content Black Label, it doesn't look like the series will be pulling any punches as it explores the greater depths of Nashton's warped intellect. The Batman director Matt Reeves revealed that he wrote his version of the Riddler with Dano specifically in mind for the role which the actor likewise helped develop once officially cast. As such, Dano is perfectly suited to write this new prequel considering his incredibly engaging performance in the 2022 film.
DC Comics and Paul Dano were in attendance at this year's San Diego Comic-Con to share new details about the upcoming series releasing this October. Revealing the official cover art for Riddler: Year One along with some impressive variants, the first few preview pages have been released as well. Apparently, Edward Nashton was bold enough during Batman's first year to actually stalk the new vigilante, wanting to study the Caped Crusader in his dark admiration. According to Dano himself at SDCC's "Jim Lee and Friends" panel, the upcoming prequel comic will be "an emotional story about trauma" featuring plenty of "unconscious material" he created for the character during The Batman's production. Here are all the new covers and preview pages for Riddler: Year One #1:
As seen in The Batman movie, Nashton disturbingly believed he and The Dark Knight were allies, kindred spirits seeking to bring true justice to Gotham City. Now, this new preview for the prequel comic is already confirming just how much Batman's vigilantism greatly impacted Nashton's mundane life. It stands to reason that Riddler was born the same night Bruce Wayne first decided to go out and fight crime dressed as a bat.
While it's certainly exciting to see Paul Dano revisiting Riddler in a new medium, he isn't the first Batman villain actor to do so. Last year saw Danny Devito who wrote a story starring his version of the Penguin from Tim Burton's Batman Returns. Regardless, it's a very exciting concept that will undoubtedly see The Batman's world continuing to be fleshed out as Riddler's origins are further explored. The first issue of Riddler: Year One will release on October 25th.