[7.4/10] There’s a really interesting recurring motif in B:TAS, where very of the bad guys are just inherently bad or choose to do evil for evil’s sake. Instead, most of them have been screwed over by some mob and/or corporate type who pushes them over the edge and leaves them out for revenge. That’s definitely the case for Edward Nygma, who makes a best-selling computer game and is screwed out of royalties by a generic, Gordon Gecko-aping eighties guy. That, and Nygma’s preexisting fascination with puzzles, is what turns him to a life of crime, not any bargain basement megalomania or mustache-twirling villainy.
That adds an extra wrinkle to all of the proceedings here. Riddler is a dangerous individual (who, I think, rounds out appearances from all the major members of Batman’s traditional rogues gallery), but he’s also someone whose anger is a little righteous, whose cast as someone doing the wrong thing but for understandable reasons, which makes him and his cohort more interesting than the standard issue bad guy.
The big problem here, though, is that his riddle and plots are a bit unimpressive. The cool thing about The Riddler is that he nominally challenges Batman on brains, not braun. That means the Caped Crusader has to use his wits to defeat his foe, not just his ninja or even his detective skills But the riddles here feel like odd leaps of logic or stuff you just have to know, which makes Batman’s eventual triumphs seem pre-ordained rather than clever. Really, only Robin figuring that the “C” key is the right one because it has no sharps feels like a smart question and answer. Bits about “maize” equaling “maze” and other similar bits just feel arbitrary.
At the same time, while I can appreciate the cosmic irony of Riddler trying to wreak his vengeance on his former, corporate shark boss by forcing him into a real life version of the digital maze that made him famous, the whole thing strains believability, even for an outsized show like this one. Plus, more often than not, Batman’s solutions come from using his vambrace computer rather than any deductive reasoning, and beating braininess with more advanced tech doesn't have the same ring to it.
Still, John Glover does a good job at selling Riddler’s superciliousness and thirst for revenge against the suit who screwed him over. And the final note, of his former boss surviving but living in constant fear, while Riddler escapes, is a nice way to show Riddler “winning” even when he more or less loses.
On the whole, I walked away from this one wishing we’d gotten a better chess match between Batman and The Riddler, but there’s more than enough meat here to be entertaining.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-11-16T20:11:30Z
[7.4/10] There’s a really interesting recurring motif in B:TAS, where very of the bad guys are just inherently bad or choose to do evil for evil’s sake. Instead, most of them have been screwed over by some mob and/or corporate type who pushes them over the edge and leaves them out for revenge. That’s definitely the case for Edward Nygma, who makes a best-selling computer game and is screwed out of royalties by a generic, Gordon Gecko-aping eighties guy. That, and Nygma’s preexisting fascination with puzzles, is what turns him to a life of crime, not any bargain basement megalomania or mustache-twirling villainy.
That adds an extra wrinkle to all of the proceedings here. Riddler is a dangerous individual (who, I think, rounds out appearances from all the major members of Batman’s traditional rogues gallery), but he’s also someone whose anger is a little righteous, whose cast as someone doing the wrong thing but for understandable reasons, which makes him and his cohort more interesting than the standard issue bad guy.
The big problem here, though, is that his riddle and plots are a bit unimpressive. The cool thing about The Riddler is that he nominally challenges Batman on brains, not braun. That means the Caped Crusader has to use his wits to defeat his foe, not just his ninja or even his detective skills But the riddles here feel like odd leaps of logic or stuff you just have to know, which makes Batman’s eventual triumphs seem pre-ordained rather than clever. Really, only Robin figuring that the “C” key is the right one because it has no sharps feels like a smart question and answer. Bits about “maize” equaling “maze” and other similar bits just feel arbitrary.
At the same time, while I can appreciate the cosmic irony of Riddler trying to wreak his vengeance on his former, corporate shark boss by forcing him into a real life version of the digital maze that made him famous, the whole thing strains believability, even for an outsized show like this one. Plus, more often than not, Batman’s solutions come from using his vambrace computer rather than any deductive reasoning, and beating braininess with more advanced tech doesn't have the same ring to it.
Still, John Glover does a good job at selling Riddler’s superciliousness and thirst for revenge against the suit who screwed him over. And the final note, of his former boss surviving but living in constant fear, while Riddler escapes, is a nice way to show Riddler “winning” even when he more or less loses.
On the whole, I walked away from this one wishing we’d gotten a better chess match between Batman and The Riddler, but there’s more than enough meat here to be entertaining.