I didn't read this new off the racks, so I'm trying to put it in historical context, a bit: this issue came out February 28, 1989: thirty-five years ago, tomorrow! Batman wouldn't yet have to be referred to as "Batman '89," since it wouldn't be widely released until June 23. And although I read it first, this issue predates Neil Gaiman and Bernie Mireault's "When is a Door" from the Secret Origins Special. But at this point, I think the Riddler, had very much lost his mojo. A lot of the Riddler's angrier, more murder-y tendencies from the Frank Gorshin version in the TV show, were being folded into the Joker, leaving the Riddler...with what? There had also already been a few stories where the Riddler's well-established modus operandi wasn't showboating or grandstanding, or a means to obfuscate the real target of a crime; but rather a sickness, a compulsion, and one he found impossible to resist. His riddles...had become a joke.
Case in point: in jail, Eddie Nygma is visited, not by the Caped Crusader, but by Commissioner Gordon. Who's figured out his riddle, which we don't hear, but it doesn't matter: the arresting officer didn't read Eddie his rights, so they're kicking him loose, because he's not worth the effort to prosecute. Gordon's trying to be kind, but tells Eddie he needs to quit: he was "a minor-leaguer with a gimmick...a small time has-been." Not even worth Batman's time, and he was only going to get himself hurt. (Gordon is also puffing away on his pipe like crazy, that seems like a lot of smoke! That would be phased out in a few years as well. I've never smoked a pipe, but I wish I had one of my grandpa's old ones; it'd make me look like I was thinking or something...)
Meanwhile, the Christmas season is a busy one in Hub City for the Question, as he beats up a pusher Santa and then a carjacker that tries to rob Vic Sage. Later, his mentor Tot lectures him for not taking enough care of himself, but Vic points out there's like one good cop in that part of the state, so he was kinda busy. He promptly collapses shortly thereafter. Elsewhere, Eddie was on a bus, riding through the snowy countryside, chatting with a fellow passenger: a woman who introduces herself as Sphinx Scromulski. Well, that's the name she used to strip under, anyway; but of course Eddie loves it. She asks if he wants in on something, showing him a fair-sized gun...(That looks like an Uzi, which was somewhat ubiquitous in action stories of the era!)
In his Volkswagon, Vic complains he didn't faint, while Tot tells him he absolutely did, so he's driving him to a cabin in the Hampshires until he heals up. Vic doesn't want to leave Hub, less because of duty, but because Myra was still in a coma: Tot points out, there wasn't anything he could do about that. Tot's plan then hits a snag, since he didn't gas up Vic's car before they took off. Not ideal, but at least they can catch a bus to the next town, so they won't freeze to death. Yay? Tot advises, they'll just have to make the best of whatever's available, just in time for Sphinx to start robbing the passengers, after she guns one down for trying to scold her back to her seat. Sphinx forces the driver to make a detour, and the bus is stuck in short order, but that's perfect for what she had in mind. Gotta say, while it doesn't seem like a lotta risk, robbing a passenger bus to Hub City doesn't seem like a high-value target.
About an hour's walk away, across an old bridge, was a small town, with food and a hotel: Sphinx tells the passengers, the Riddler will ask them a riddle, and if they get it right, they could stroll to safety. And if they get it wrong...she guns the first contestant down, and asks for a volunteer, then picks a guy; but Vic masks up, to try and "outsmart 'em." He's able to keep talking long enough to distract them by not having a face, and knock the gun from Sphinx's hands.
Sphinx makes a break for it, but falls through a rotted board in the old bridge, into the icy river. Riddler, Vic, and Tot continue their philosophical discussion by a garbage can fire; and Vic wonders what to do with him: it was Christmas, after all. Maybe let him loose if he could answer a riddle...?
After this and the Secret Origins Special, I think that was it for Riddler until his comeback in Milligan and Dwyer's Dark Knight, Dark City, which made Eddie more violent and insane again. Well, it worked for him. Also, in both this and the Secret Origins Special, the Riddler seems to have fallen into the same trap as Dick Grayson but not weathered it as well: where Batman was portrayed as basically an unchanging 29, while the Riddler and Robin both appear to have aged like 15 years! I wondered before, if we've never seen the Question face a game-shape, formidable Riddler; what would that be like? Or has the Question already seen right through Eddie, and would the results be largely the same...?
7 comments:
This is was definitely a fascinating showcase of what to expect in this dream match of a collision between two similar-based gimmicked characters. Unless this was just the unfortunate era the Riddler found himself in until that Secret Origins issue came out, it kinda seems like O’Neil didn’t really care much for the Riddler as a character and was voicing his personal feelings through Commissioner Gordon.
Prime Riddler versus Prime Question? Sign me the fuck up! Definitely overdue for a rematch between those two.
Yeah, it’s pretty clear Denny O’Neil hated gimmicks and superheroes- he’d made that apparent over the years.
Wow, this is pretty bad even for Denny O’Neil, and he’s usually a pretty bad writer usually as far as I’m concerned. Was the Question always this bad of a book? The characters are way off personality-wise (both for pre- and post-Crisis versions). Riddler still had a pretty decent rep at this point, even if he barely got used (kinda hard to come up with riddles that weren’t way too easy or way too hard, as I understand it). Gordon wouldn’t have been such a… I don’t even know what he’s doing. Is he trying to be a jerk or be sympathetic? Whatever the case, he still treated all criminals seriously regardless of gimmick.
Gordon lost the pipe a couple years later, after he had a heart attack because of it. It was one of the better Gordon-focused subplots- gave him some much needed depth and I remember DC used it as part of a stop-smoking campaign.
Also, I definitely agree about the cover feeling very Spirit-like. Between the font on that balloon and the angle of Vic’s hat, I could see it being an homage.
I think The Question was a pretty good series, generally. Watching Vic try to save the series, but slowly lose the peace and clarity of mind he'd gained early on, and how that plays out in his actions. He ignores the power he could wield as a reporter, to spark the public to help fix Hub City, and just focuses on beating the hell out of criminals, which isn't much of an answer.
I feel like the Riddler's nadir was probably in Knightfall, when Bane dismissed him as as a 'fool who plays puzzle games with Batman for fun,' and less of a challenge than Killer Croc. Pumps Nigma full of Venom because he thinks it's the only way to make the Riddler worth anything.
It definitely showcases a bias against him, and if that’s the case, why use him then.
It took Jeph Loeb rehabilitating him in Hush, followed up by Dini furthering things by making him a private detective.
Probably the same reason Gaiman and most other writers use Silver Age or Super Friends versions of the characters- to make fun of them. Comics of the last 35-40 years seem to be embarrassed about what came before, so they mock it in an attempt to make themselves look cooler and more mature. It’s the standard bullying MO.
Hush may not be the best example of how to improve the Riddler. Also, they did the Riddler-as-detective thing about 5 years or so before Dini’s run in Batman Adventures Volume 2. I mean, Dini was a big shaper of the DCAU so he gets half credit but I think it was Ty Templeton or Dan Slott who did it first.
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