The Batman Tie-In Novel Reveals Riddler’s Origin And Film Universe Connection To Superman
JB Augustine
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The Batman is closing in on its theatrical release but so are spoilers of the film’s plot as a new tie-in novel fills in some of the gaps of Riddler’s origin as well as the Dark Knight’s.
Source: The Batman (2022), Warner Bros.
In the book, The Batman: An Original Movie Novel, it is learned via The Direct that Edward Nashton grew up in an orphanage and went to the same high school as Bruce Wayne before he became a villain.
A fascination with puzzles led him away from school choir and music to pursue the former as his new passion. He started to collect puzzle books and crosswords which earns him the nickname “Ed-weird” with bullies.
Source: The Batman Trailer, Warner Bros.
Nashton takes two more interests: one in forensic accounting due to its similarity to puzzles and another in the Wayne family.
A picture of Thomas and Martha with a young Bruce hangs in the orphanage and Nashton has to look at it every day whether on his way to work or when the other orphans are joking about it.
Source: The Batman (2022), Warner Bros.
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Bruce’s wealth and the envy of others that comes with it hang over Nashton and the other kids for years before he finally snaps. It’s unclear what the inciting incident or last straw is but the film probably goes deeper into that.
Conversely, despite Matt Reeves’s efforts to keep his world separate, The Batman might travel further into the broader DC universe than first thought.
Source: The Batman
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The novel not only proves Metropolis exists in The Batman but so does Superman’s greatest enemy when a previously unmentioned character named Dex drops this line: “My dad and I need to get away. Maybe Metropolis. I hear LexCorp Race Team is taking on new mechanics.”
From that, we can gather Dex and his family are mechanics that could have ties to Metropolis and Lex Luthor coincidentally sponsors Nascar drivers.
Source: Justice League Unlimited Season 3 Episode 8 “The Great Brain Robbery” (2006), Warner Bros. Entertainment
Lex won’t show up in The Batman as far as we know and this Dex may only be in the book so don’t be shocked if he and his dialogue are throwaway lines like the references to Superman and Metropolis in Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
What do you think of Riddler’s origin details? Are they kind of weak? And how about that Lex reference? Could it lead to anything? Answer below.
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