8 Reasons Why The Riddler Is A Better Villain Than The Joker

Whichever way you look at it, the Joker is the definitive comic book villain. The big Kahuna. The irrepressible antagonist. He's in the same league of iconic bad guys like Darth Vader, Dracula, Voldemort and Joel Schumacher (jokes!). No matter the decade or occasion, the Clown Prince of Crime seems to constantly reinvent himself as Batman's greatest archrival time and time again. Consider him the proverbial yin to the Dark Knight's yang, so to speak.

He Created Kite Man Through Tragedy

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If you’ve been reading Tom King’s “The War of Jokes and Riddles,” you’re sure to have seen some of the despicable things that the Riddler has done in this story so far. The worst of the lot, though, has be what he did to poor Chuck Brown in Batman #27.

In a story where King gives Kite Man his own origin, the Riddler discovers that Brown will double-cross him to the Joker and poisons the string of his son’s kite in return. As expected, the boy soon dies, leading Brown to lose his mind and take up the mantle of Kite Man, in a twisted sort of tribute to his son.

It’s a tragic tale that hits you right in the feels and makes you see Brown in a different light. However, it also shows you what lengths Nigma will go to in order to exact revenge on those who wrong him. He could’ve easily killed Brown for what he did, but he went after what he loved the most: his son. While you’d associate this type of psychopathic and demented behavior with the Joker, the Riddler shows that he’s equally adept at serving his own dish of revenge extra cold.


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Author
Sergio Pereira
SERGIO PEREIRA is a speculative fiction writer from Johannesburg, South Africa. He has a strong interest in comic books, film, music and comedy. When he's not reading or writing, he enjoys a game of Pro Evolution Soccer, watching football, catching up on films, and playing with his dog. His short stories have appeared in various magazines and anthologies, such as Devolution Z, Death Throes, Centum Press's 100 Voices, and Tales from the Lake: Vol. 3 from Crystal Lake Publishing.