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One of my favorite Batman Villains of all time is undoubtedly the Riddler. I sometimes feel he’s one of the more underrated of Batman’s Rogues. For example, when IGN announced their picks for the Best & Worst Batman Villains of all time in 2005, they didn’t even ACKNOWLEDGE the Riddler. (To be fair though, this was the same list that named Penguin, the Mad Hatter, and the Ventriloquist & Scarface as three of the five “worst” villains, and overlooked such timeless classics of stupidity as Kite Man, Crazy Quilt, and the Penny Plunderer for those spots, so I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.) I also know a few people who, rather ignorantly, in my opinion, tend to see Riddler as a sort of handicapped or lame villain, citing his compulsion to leave clues - an admittedly self-destructive act - as the reason why. This INFURIATES me, because - aside from a mercifully brief period during the Bronze Age - the Riddler has been known, practically since his inception, as one of Batman’s most intelligent and psychologically fascinating opponents; a mad, narcissistic genius who straddles a fine line between a wily, whimsical trickster and a cold, cunning mastermind. Were it not for his almost childlike obsession with getting the best of Batman, the Riddler would probably win almost every duel he’s had with the Dark Knight. He craves attention like nobody’s business, and will not rest till he is hailed as Gotham’s Cleverest Carbon-Based Lifeform. He is, as many have so rightly pointed out before me, the single greatest challenge to Batman’s own inventive and deductive mind.
Just as interesting as his personality, however, is his costume; as the Riddler has undergone changes over the years, so to has his character and costume design. There are certain elements that stick - green is the predominant color, often mixed with purple or black, and he’s usually covered with question marks - but while there’s a certain recognizable quality to the character, there’s also a lot of variety that some people may not immediately latch onto. Therefore, since I’m still on a bit of a Villain-Design-Kick for the rogues of Gotham City, I think it’s high time my second favorite Batman Villain - one of the few characters who, in my opinion, can rival the Joker himself - got his time to strut his stuff and show off his style. So, without further ado, here are My Top 5 Favorite Riddler Designs!

5. Frank Gorshin’s Custom Suit.
Now, I don’t know about you all, but I prefer the Riddler’s relatively newer derby-hat-and-suit look over the older, skintight spandex outfit. Not that there’s anything wrong with the character wearing such a costume, I just tend to prefer one more than the other. Frank Gorshin did, too, and, in fact, it is thanks to the 60s series that the more-frequently-found look in question was born. Gorshin had two costumes in the show, essentially; one was a set of green tights with a purple belt and domino mask. This look is, ironically, perhaps more famous (I don’t know of any toys featuring the look above, and in the recent animated films set in that universe, the Riddler wore his tights at all times), but it was the suited look above that Gorshin not only preferred, but CREATED. Gorshin realized something, you see, that perhaps not even the comic book and television creators of the time realized: the Riddler is a sophisticated individual, in his own way. He considers himself an intellectual and an artist. Someone like that would not want go bouncing around in tights all the time, and probably wouldn’t even wear a mask. Why try to hide his identity? He wants everyone to know who’s behind it all! So, Gorshin himself had a special costume custom made, and took pains to wear THAT costume as often as he could. So, yes, Gorshin’s special suit was the very first time the Riddler EVER wore a suit and a derby hat. The look still fit the often rather manic portrayal of the character Gorshin brought to life, with its bright green colors, the abundance of question marks patterned across it, and a ruby-studded question mark tie pin. I also like the black hat the Riddler wears, as opposed to the green one that’s become more popular over the years. Even when jumping around and cackling like a hyena, it still feels like it fits the tone and the character. It’s just bizarre enough to work in this universe, yet just debonair enough to truly bring the character’s mental glory to bear. Incidentally, if you’re wondering about another gimmick of Riddler’s, the question mark cane: that was actually pioneered by Gorshin’s replacement, John Astin! When Gorshin left the role for a while during the second season (he would return one last time in the third and final season), he basically took his suit with him; the creators had loved the sophistication it brought, so they decided to give Astin something a little more on the dapper side to contrast the tights he would be forced to wear. Thus, the question mark cane was born. Much like Astin’s performance, however, the end result - while good - couldn’t hold a candle to Gorshin’s pure power and charisma. In the end, Gorshin’s black hat and green suit remain just as iconic to me as his stellar performance, creating perhaps the perfect Riddler by not only looking back, but also looking forward.

4. The Cory Michael Smith Look.
The version of the Riddler’s costume that appears in “Gotham” actually sort of reminds me of another character design I’ve talked about before: Joker’s “Villain” Design from the Telltale Batman games. Much like that one, at first the outfit seems rather simple...indeed, some might even argue TOO simple. It’s basically just a guy in a suit and derby hat at first glance; there’s not even a single question mark on him! This is unusual, since even some of the most unique and radical changes to the Riddler’s design that have appeared over time - such as his own look from Telltale, or the Marilyn-Manson-based design from The Batman - have included that detail somewhere! But, again, just like Joker’s “Villain” Design from the Telltale games, the more you look at the design, the more you see, so to speak. Cory Michael Smith’s Riddler, I have often felt, straddles a fine line between the modern Riddler and something of older times; there’s a boldness, a theatricality, and even at times a manic quality to his Riddler, though he can be just as coldhearted and crafty as many others, harkening back, in some ways, to Frank Gorshin’s own earlier portrayal. Similarly, the colors of the costume he wears seem to harken back to Gorshin as well, with a suit almost entirely green in color, save for a black derby hat. There’s a hint of the Arkham look creeping into the costume, too, as the domino mask has been replaced with a pair of glasses. The end result is a look that’s just fantastical enough to stand out from the crowd in a show like Gotham, yet just grounded enough to still fit the somewhat more gritty tone of the piece, bringing the modern day and the Golden Age into wonderful harmony with each other.

3. The Version from Batman: Arkham City.
Again, something interesting about the Arkham games is that there’s a sort of slapped-together feeling to many of the costumes the villains wear. As I’ve said before, it seems like the games take the stance that these villains don’t just have special duds pressed and ready to go; they actually have to put a lot of effort into putting their outfits together, using whatever scraps they can find to create their own sense of style and flair. This can sometimes lead to mixed results. For example, I cannot stand the look of the Riddler in Arkham Knight...but I absolutely LOVE the look of the Riddler in Arkham City. There’s a sort of industrial, almost steampunk-like feel to the character in the game, yet he still has the necessary sense of both theatricality and even sophistication such a brainy baddy requires. While he dresses in a jacket and derby hat, the somewhat rumpled and poorly-shaven look of the character, along with the fingerless gloves, gives him a more weary, haggard, and rough edge. While the Riddler prefers to put people in death traps and leave clues and puzzles scattered around the city, he still has to build all these things presumably by himself, and we also know he’s not afraid of getting his hands at least a little dirty, as he’ll gladly bury a knife into someone with his own fists. That brutality and sense of mechanics manages to slip into the look of the character, but he still feels like the Riddler. With the brass tie pin, golden question marks covering his suit, and the Elton-John-esque purple tinted sunglasses as opposed to a domino mask, he feels bookish and bombastic all at once. The creators were clearly proud of this design, too; in Arkham Asylum, we never actually got to SEE the Riddler, so when they brought him in for Arkham City, they REALLY played the character up. Promotional images never showed the character’s face, and for most of the game, the Riddler’s face was actually kept somewhat obscure, due to the choppy nature of his projected messages, and the fact that when we find him in his lair at the end of his story, we never get a clear shot of his face till he’s already defeated and had his hat, glasses, and such removed from him. The only REAL way to get a good look at the Riddler, ironically, was to LOSE, as the Game Over screen clips showed off the character in full form. Because of this, if there was ever a time I was almost GLAD to fail at a mission, it was with Arkham City’s Riddler.

2. The Andres Guinaldo Design.
A quick bit of kudos to Raul Fernandez; an inker and Guinaldo’s frequent partner in comic book illustration. Those of you who read my list of Scarecrow designs may recall that my favorite one - rather surprisingly - was the version that appeared in Batman ‘66 (a spin-off comic series based on the popular Adam West show). My biggest reason for this was that, as a kid, I actually drew my own versions of a lot of Batman characters, and I felt that the Scarecrow in those comics came the closest to the “dream designs” I had in my mind as a boy. Andres Guinaldo’s Riddler may only be my second favorite, and so far has not appeared very often, but the reasoning for my loving this version so much is very similar in that respect. Guinaldo’s pencilling often walks a tightrope between photorealism and fantastical foolery, which works well for his Riddler. I love the look of the Riddler’s cane, and it’s also worth pointing out that, rather than the usual simple suit coat, Guinaldo draws the Riddler wearing a long green tailcoat, which I absolutely adore. There’s also a sense of youth and toughness to his Riddler, both in and out of costume, that feels rather unique when compared to other versions. To be honest, there’s not much else for me to say about this one; it’s a design that’s both unique and yet classical all at once, and I rather wish we could get more of it, as Guinaldo hasn’t actually handled the Riddler very often, at least to my knowledge. Hopefully, in the future, we’ll get much more of this look in the comics.

Still, as much as I love Andres Guinaldo’s design for the character, there is one other Riddler design - another from the comics - that I like even more.

1. The Kieron Dwyer Design.
When I think of the Riddler, there are two names that immediately come to my mind. One of them is Frank Gorshin, and the other is Kieron Dwyer. Dwyer, one of the most prominent artists of the Bronze Age of Comics, is actually partially responsible for the character’s popularity today. As I said before, there was a relatively brief time during the Bronze Age wherein the Riddler was treated as something of a joke; an inept crook who only THOUGHT he was smart. However, in 1990, a three-part storyline entitled “Dark Knight, Dark City” - one of the best Riddler stories ever told, in my opinion, and one of my favorite comic book storylines in general - was published. This story featured a more psychotic and violent Riddler than ever before, and helped push the character forward back into the limelight. Dwyer acted as penciller for the story, and as if that wasn’t enough, just five years later, Dwyer would illustrate arguably the single greatest Riddler story ever told, “Questions Multiply the Mystery” - an in-depth character study of the Riddler that has never really been surpassed. Dwyer worked with the Riddler a few other times, too, but these two particular tales are more than enough for him to earn major brownie points. On top of that, “Questions” was actually the first Riddler comic I ever got to read, and remains my favorite to this day. Perhaps it’s because of this that I connect Dwyer’s work to the Riddler so closely. There’s a bony, jaunty sort of feeling to the way he draws the character that’s great, and he puts so much energy and passion into every single line of his art in these and other stories featuring the character that you can’t help but love it. I have always said that the Riddler essentially has two sides to his personality: he’s part clownish trickster, and part smooth criminal. No artist in comics, in my opinion, has managed to capture and emote those sides more masterfully than Dwyer, giving his Riddler a sort of childlike, hyperactive edge, while still managing to make him imposing or powerful when necessary. Whether he’s handling Riddler in his suit-and-derby (as pictured above), or even dressed in those spiffing green tights, he handles the character absolutely perfectly. Again, it’s difficult to say exactly what makes his art and design work so good, it just...is! Ultimately, I see no other reason - nor need any other reason - to name Kieron Dwyer’s version as My Favorite Riddler Design. Case closed!

Honorable Mentions Include…
Jim Carrey’s First Costume.
Reference: www.thegoldencloset.com/mercha…
This is perhaps a controversial choice, as I know that the look of Carrey’s Riddler in “Batman Forever” has people polarized about as much as his performance in the role, as well as possibly the film in general. Personally, I like it. Carrey wore a few different costumes throughout the picture; there was a silvery sort of look that reminded me highly of David Bowie during the pictures climax, for example, along with a black jacket covered in glowing question marks shortly beforehand. (How did he change costumes so quickly in the story, I can’t help but wonder?) He also wore a set of tights, like the classic version of the character. However, my favorite look is the very first one Carrey had; in this version, Carrey wore the tights, but also a jacket and a bowler hat, giving him a look that sort of blended the design from the Gold and Silver Age with something a little more modern, and almost felt like a more modernized version of Gorshin’s custom-built suit from the show. The heavy makeup is also worth mentioning. The creators stated they wanted to give the Riddler a doll-like look. Why they wanted such a feeling I am honestly not sure, but I didn’t really mind it, because a doll wasn’t really what I got out of it; with his fiery red hair and heavily powdered face, I got more of a rock star vibe from Carrey’s explosive and zany take on the character. I also absolutely adore the look of the Riddler’s cane in these early scenes (though, to be fair, the skull-topped cane he carried in the climax was pretty neat, too), which is always a plus.

The Justice League Action Design.
Reference: i.pinimg.com/originals/62/e3/0…

Now, initially, I had BOTH of the designs from the DCAU - found in the shows "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures" - placed here. Both of those designs were great, but I had my own problems with each. Well, after recently revisiting the episode "E. Nygma: Consulting Detective" from Justice League Action, this look trumps them both. The reason why is simple: it's basically a combination of the two DCAU designs. Nygma's silhouette/build, facial features, and the design of his cane all seem to harken to the look from TNBA, but the choice of a dapper suit as opposed to a set of green tights, is certainly much closer to the look from B:TAS. If it weren't for the existence of the Glorious Gorshin, this design actually could have made the top five; obviously it doesn't quite get in there, but it's still a fantastic look, in my opinion.

Description

One of my favorite Batman Villains of all time is undoubtedly the Riddler. I sometimes feel he’s one of the more underrated of Batman’s Rogues. For example, when IGN announced their picks for the Best & Worst Batman Villains of all time in 2005, they didn’t even ACKNOWLEDGE the Riddler. (To be fair though, this was the same list that named Penguin, the Mad Hatter, and the Ventriloquist & Scarface as three of the five “worst” villains, and overlooked such timeless classics of stupidity as Kite Man, Crazy Quilt, and the Penny Plunderer for those spots, so I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.) I also know a few people who, rather ignorantly, in my opinion, tend to see Riddler as a sort of handicapped or lame villain, citing his compulsion to leave clues - an admittedly self-destructive act - as the reason why. This INFURIATES me, because - aside from a mercifully brief period during the Bronze Age - the Riddler has been known, practically since his inception, as one of Batman’s most intelligent and psychologically fascinating opponents; a mad, narcissistic genius who straddles a fine line between a wily, whimsical trickster and a cold, cunning mastermind. Were it not for his almost childlike obsession with getting the best of Batman, the Riddler would probably win almost every duel he’s had with the Dark Knight. He craves attention like nobody’s business, and will not rest till he is hailed as Gotham’s Cleverest Carbon-Based Lifeform. He is, as many have so rightly pointed out before me, the single greatest challenge to Batman’s own inventive and deductive mind.
Just as interesting as his personality, however, is his costume; as the Riddler has undergone changes over the years, so to has his character and costume design. There are certain elements that stick - green is the predominant color, often mixed with purple or black, and he’s usually covered with question marks - but while there’s a certain recognizable quality to the character, there’s also a lot of variety that some people may not immediately latch onto. Therefore, since I’m still on a bit of a Villain-Design-Kick for the rogues of Gotham City, I think it’s high time my second favorite Batman Villain - one of the few characters who, in my opinion, can rival the Joker himself - got his time to strut his stuff and show off his style. So, without further ado, here are My Top 5 Favorite Riddler Designs!

5. Frank Gorshin’s Custom Suit.
Now, I don’t know about you all, but I prefer the Riddler’s relatively newer derby-hat-and-suit look over the older, skintight spandex outfit. Not that there’s anything wrong with the character wearing such a costume, I just tend to prefer one more than the other. Frank Gorshin did, too, and, in fact, it is thanks to the 60s series that the more-frequently-found look in question was born. Gorshin had two costumes in the show, essentially; one was a set of green tights with a purple belt and domino mask. This look is, ironically, perhaps more famous (I don’t know of any toys featuring the look above, and in the recent animated films set in that universe, the Riddler wore his tights at all times), but it was the suited look above that Gorshin not only preferred, but CREATED. Gorshin realized something, you see, that perhaps not even the comic book and television creators of the time realized: the Riddler is a sophisticated individual, in his own way. He considers himself an intellectual and an artist. Someone like that would not want go bouncing around in tights all the time, and probably wouldn’t even wear a mask. Why try to hide his identity? He wants everyone to know who’s behind it all! So, Gorshin himself had a special costume custom made, and took pains to wear THAT costume as often as he could. So, yes, Gorshin’s special suit was the very first time the Riddler EVER wore a suit and a derby hat. The look still fit the often rather manic portrayal of the character Gorshin brought to life, with its bright green colors, the abundance of question marks patterned across it, and a ruby-studded question mark tie pin. I also like the black hat the Riddler wears, as opposed to the green one that’s become more popular over the years. Even when jumping around and cackling like a hyena, it still feels like it fits the tone and the character. It’s just bizarre enough to work in this universe, yet just debonair enough to truly bring the character’s mental glory to bear. Incidentally, if you’re wondering about another gimmick of Riddler’s, the question mark cane: that was actually pioneered by Gorshin’s replacement, John Astin! When Gorshin left the role for a while during the second season (he would return one last time in the third and final season), he basically took his suit with him; the creators had loved the sophistication it brought, so they decided to give Astin something a little more on the dapper side to contrast the tights he would be forced to wear. Thus, the question mark cane was born. Much like Astin’s performance, however, the end result - while good - couldn’t hold a candle to Gorshin’s pure power and charisma. In the end, Gorshin’s black hat and green suit remain just as iconic to me as his stellar performance, creating perhaps the perfect Riddler by not only looking back, but also looking forward.

4. The Cory Michael Smith Look.
The version of the Riddler’s costume that appears in “Gotham” actually sort of reminds me of another character design I’ve talked about before: Joker’s “Villain” Design from the Telltale Batman games. Much like that one, at first the outfit seems rather simple...indeed, some might even argue TOO simple. It’s basically just a guy in a suit and derby hat at first glance; there’s not even a single question mark on him! This is unusual, since even some of the most unique and radical changes to the Riddler’s design that have appeared over time - such as his own look from Telltale, or the Marilyn-Manson-based design from The Batman - have included that detail somewhere! But, again, just like Joker’s “Villain” Design from the Telltale games, the more you look at the design, the more you see, so to speak. Cory Michael Smith’s Riddler, I have often felt, straddles a fine line between the modern Riddler and something of older times; there’s a boldness, a theatricality, and even at times a manic quality to his Riddler, though he can be just as coldhearted and crafty as many others, harkening back, in some ways, to Frank Gorshin’s own earlier portrayal. Similarly, the colors of the costume he wears seem to harken back to Gorshin as well, with a suit almost entirely green in color, save for a black derby hat. There’s a hint of the Arkham look creeping into the costume, too, as the domino mask has been replaced with a pair of glasses. The end result is a look that’s just fantastical enough to stand out from the crowd in a show like Gotham, yet just grounded enough to still fit the somewhat more gritty tone of the piece, bringing the modern day and the Golden Age into wonderful harmony with each other.

3. The Version from Batman: Arkham City.
Again, something interesting about the Arkham games is that there’s a sort of slapped-together feeling to many of the costumes the villains wear. As I’ve said before, it seems like the games take the stance that these villains don’t just have special duds pressed and ready to go; they actually have to put a lot of effort into putting their outfits together, using whatever scraps they can find to create their own sense of style and flair. This can sometimes lead to mixed results. For example, I cannot stand the look of the Riddler in Arkham Knight...but I absolutely LOVE the look of the Riddler in Arkham City. There’s a sort of industrial, almost steampunk-like feel to the character in the game, yet he still has the necessary sense of both theatricality and even sophistication such a brainy baddy requires. While he dresses in a jacket and derby hat, the somewhat rumpled and poorly-shaven look of the character, along with the fingerless gloves, gives him a more weary, haggard, and rough edge. While the Riddler prefers to put people in death traps and leave clues and puzzles scattered around the city, he still has to build all these things presumably by himself, and we also know he’s not afraid of getting his hands at least a little dirty, as he’ll gladly bury a knife into someone with his own fists. That brutality and sense of mechanics manages to slip into the look of the character, but he still feels like the Riddler. With the brass tie pin, golden question marks covering his suit, and the Elton-John-esque purple tinted sunglasses as opposed to a domino mask, he feels bookish and bombastic all at once. The creators were clearly proud of this design, too; in Arkham Asylum, we never actually got to SEE the Riddler, so when they brought him in for Arkham City, they REALLY played the character up. Promotional images never showed the character’s face, and for most of the game, the Riddler’s face was actually kept somewhat obscure, due to the choppy nature of his projected messages, and the fact that when we find him in his lair at the end of his story, we never get a clear shot of his face till he’s already defeated and had his hat, glasses, and such removed from him. The only REAL way to get a good look at the Riddler, ironically, was to LOSE, as the Game Over screen clips showed off the character in full form. Because of this, if there was ever a time I was almost GLAD to fail at a mission, it was with Arkham City’s Riddler.

2. The Andres Guinaldo Design.
A quick bit of kudos to Raul Fernandez; an inker and Guinaldo’s frequent partner in comic book illustration. Those of you who read my list of Scarecrow designs may recall that my favorite one - rather surprisingly - was the version that appeared in Batman ‘66 (a spin-off comic series based on the popular Adam West show). My biggest reason for this was that, as a kid, I actually drew my own versions of a lot of Batman characters, and I felt that the Scarecrow in those comics came the closest to the “dream designs” I had in my mind as a boy. Andres Guinaldo’s Riddler may only be my second favorite, and so far has not appeared very often, but the reasoning for my loving this version so much is very similar in that respect. Guinaldo’s pencilling often walks a tightrope between photorealism and fantastical foolery, which works well for his Riddler. I love the look of the Riddler’s cane, and it’s also worth pointing out that, rather than the usual simple suit coat, Guinaldo draws the Riddler wearing a long green tailcoat, which I absolutely adore. There’s also a sense of youth and toughness to his Riddler, both in and out of costume, that feels rather unique when compared to other versions. To be honest, there’s not much else for me to say about this one; it’s a design that’s both unique and yet classical all at once, and I rather wish we could get more of it, as Guinaldo hasn’t actually handled the Riddler very often, at least to my knowledge. Hopefully, in the future, we’ll get much more of this look in the comics.

Still, as much as I love Andres Guinaldo’s design for the character, there is one other Riddler design - another from the comics - that I like even more.

1. The Kieron Dwyer Design.
When I think of the Riddler, there are two names that immediately come to my mind. One of them is Frank Gorshin, and the other is Kieron Dwyer. Dwyer, one of the most prominent artists of the Bronze Age of Comics, is actually partially responsible for the character’s popularity today. As I said before, there was a relatively brief time during the Bronze Age wherein the Riddler was treated as something of a joke; an inept crook who only THOUGHT he was smart. However, in 1990, a three-part storyline entitled “Dark Knight, Dark City” - one of the best Riddler stories ever told, in my opinion, and one of my favorite comic book storylines in general - was published. This story featured a more psychotic and violent Riddler than ever before, and helped push the character forward back into the limelight. Dwyer acted as penciller for the story, and as if that wasn’t enough, just five years later, Dwyer would illustrate arguably the single greatest Riddler story ever told, “Questions Multiply the Mystery” - an in-depth character study of the Riddler that has never really been surpassed. Dwyer worked with the Riddler a few other times, too, but these two particular tales are more than enough for him to earn major brownie points. On top of that, “Questions” was actually the first Riddler comic I ever got to read, and remains my favorite to this day. Perhaps it’s because of this that I connect Dwyer’s work to the Riddler so closely. There’s a bony, jaunty sort of feeling to the way he draws the character that’s great, and he puts so much energy and passion into every single line of his art in these and other stories featuring the character that you can’t help but love it. I have always said that the Riddler essentially has two sides to his personality: he’s part clownish trickster, and part smooth criminal. No artist in comics, in my opinion, has managed to capture and emote those sides more masterfully than Dwyer, giving his Riddler a sort of childlike, hyperactive edge, while still managing to make him imposing or powerful when necessary. Whether he’s handling Riddler in his suit-and-derby (as pictured above), or even dressed in those spiffing green tights, he handles the character absolutely perfectly. Again, it’s difficult to say exactly what makes his art and design work so good, it just...is! Ultimately, I see no other reason - nor need any other reason - to name Kieron Dwyer’s version as My Favorite Riddler Design. Case closed!

Honorable Mentions Include…
Jim Carrey’s First Costume.
Reference: www.thegoldencloset.com/mercha…
This is perhaps a controversial choice, as I know that the look of Carrey’s Riddler in “Batman Forever” has people polarized about as much as his performance in the role, as well as possibly the film in general. Personally, I like it. Carrey wore a few different costumes throughout the picture; there was a silvery sort of look that reminded me highly of David Bowie during the pictures climax, for example, along with a black jacket covered in glowing question marks shortly beforehand. (How did he change costumes so quickly in the story, I can’t help but wonder?) He also wore a set of tights, like the classic version of the character. However, my favorite look is the very first one Carrey had; in this version, Carrey wore the tights, but also a jacket and a bowler hat, giving him a look that sort of blended the design from the Gold and Silver Age with something a little more modern, and almost felt like a more modernized version of Gorshin’s custom-built suit from the show. The heavy makeup is also worth mentioning. The creators stated they wanted to give the Riddler a doll-like look. Why they wanted such a feeling I am honestly not sure, but I didn’t really mind it, because a doll wasn’t really what I got out of it; with his fiery red hair and heavily powdered face, I got more of a rock star vibe from Carrey’s explosive and zany take on the character. I also absolutely adore the look of the Riddler’s cane in these early scenes (though, to be fair, the skull-topped cane he carried in the climax was pretty neat, too), which is always a plus.

The Justice League Action Design.
Reference: i.pinimg.com/originals/62/e3/0…

Now, initially, I had BOTH of the designs from the DCAU - found in the shows "Batman: The Animated Series" and "The New Batman Adventures" - placed here. Both of those designs were great, but I had my own problems with each. Well, after recently revisiting the episode "E. Nygma: Consulting Detective" from Justice League Action, this look trumps them both. The reason why is simple: it's basically a combination of the two DCAU designs. Nygma's silhouette/build, facial features, and the design of his cane all seem to harken to the look from TNBA, but the choice of a dapper suit as opposed to a set of green tights, is certainly much closer to the look from B:TAS. If it weren't for the existence of the Glorious Gorshin, this design actually could have made the top five; obviously it doesn't quite get in there, but it's still a fantastic look, in my opinion.