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The Batman ’s Riddler looks to have strong parallels with another iconic DC character -Watchmen ’s Rorschach . Rumors always held that Matt Reeves’The Batman , starringRobert Pattinson , was designate to be a darker interpretation of the Caped Crusader . Even so , few were expecting the intensely sour , angst - ride tone ofThe Batman ’s first trailer . As well as a revengeful Pattinson and a noir - ish Jim Gordon , The Batman ’s trailer also introduced Paul Dano as Edward Nashton , otherwise know as The Riddler . Gotham is faced with a series of grim murders , and the enigmatic perpetrator is leaving subject matter at the crime scenery addressed to the city ’s local vigilante . But where The Riddler is usually a straight - up baddie inBatmanstories , Dano ’s iteration is more in line with a sure mask - wearingWatchmenicon .
Written by Alan Moore and released in 1986,Watchmenredefined superhero comedian , painting a morally ambiguous world where the line of bomber and baddie blur together . Among the colorful harvest of vicious - catchers was Rorschach - a vigilance man in a blackened and whitened ink daub mask who fought crook when it was sound , and still remains participating even after the constabulary shifts . Rorschach became somewhat of a cultus physique followingWatchmen ’s spillage , and even more so after the 2009Zack Snydermovie , but the original reference was far darker , with right - annex leaning that were more pronounced in Moore ’s amusing books .
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AlthoughThe Batmanhas only shown brief glimpse of The Riddler ( potentially , the trailer didn’treallyshow him at all ) , but already there are clear parallels between Nashton and Rorschach . The most obvious similarity are the methods Riddler and Rorschach employ to take down anyone they view as unjust . Rorschach and Riddler use their news and fact-finding skills to name targets and then follow them alone . Unlike many superheroes of the DC universe , Riddler and Rorschach go directly for the kill , act as judge , jury and executioner for their targets . Watchmen ’s Rorschach was infamous for his pitch-dark and white morality and steadfast refusal to sway from his own sentiency of justice - a trait that ultimately got him killed . Paul Dano ’s Riddlerappears to be similarly devoid of mercy . Both of his victim inThe Batman ’s poke are kill in grim fashion , sending a substance to other crook in Gotham City .
Riddler appear to be target figures of corruption in Gotham City , find no shortage of targets . The Mayor of Gotham is mark a prevaricator after having his head encompass in duct tape , and The Riddler later crash the funeral political party , quite literally . In The Riddler ’s mind , any of the Gotham City elite group who are n’t squeaky clean are average game . InWatchmen , Rorschach ’s principle and approach path are almost identical . The masked vigilance man is assay to clean the inherently soiled organisation of his urban center , and even when he uncover the unprecedented level of cabal lay by Ozymandias , Rorschach reject to accept anything less than full justice . Rorschach is one of the most complex risible eccentric ever create , and as his masquerade propose , it ’s not always light to determine his mindset . But it ’s manifest that Rorschach holds a utopian ideal that he aspires to and strives towards , driving his vigilantism . By all accounts , The Batman ’s Riddlerhas assigned himself the same labor .
BothWatchmen ’s Rorschach andThe Batman ’s Riddler represent the thin line between vigilantes like Batman and those who go " too far " - or the characters fans should cheer up , and those they should vilify . Although Rorschach remainsWatchmen ’s most popular character , The Batman ’s Riddler is being boast as a villain , so it ’s interesting how similar the two are . If the parallel of latitude continue when Paul Dano ’s theatrical role is in conclusion unleashed inThe Batman , The Riddler might show even the same right - wing leanings that dwelt withinRorschachinWatchmen .
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