I got introduced to John Glover through a short series called Brimstone, where he plays the devil. Absolutely wonderful person to talk to too when I met him at a convention
Irony of this episode is the Riddler is probably one of Batman's foes who'd have the easiest time reforming thanks to his intellect and engineering skills, he could easily make a fortune in any number of fields and live a comfortable, carefree life that others like Joker, Croc and Freeze could only dream of. Yet his compulsion to leave riddles and prove his intellect always comes back to bite him in the ass.
It is a bit strange though given his first outing had him got he wanted, he escaped batman and the man who he wanted revenge on was living in terror for the forseeable future. Yet he still came back. A victim of his own ego more than any other batman villain possibly, wanting to have another go in besting batman. At least Penguin tried to move on, and so did poison Ivy (leaving a clone in her place) But the riddler iss just consumed by his own obsession.
@@worldofthought8352 Well that's partially because of the episode after where Batman still knew who Riddler was and he wanted to erase all information on him so he could start over. Yet it was also that Batman had out smarted him and he wanted to beat him.
I recently meet John Glover at a comic con. We talk for 10 minutes about the show, His character, and most of all the sad passing of Kevin Conroy. He was a sweet guy and loved to meet him. For this episode itself its a great final episode of 1 of Batman's greatest mastermind villain. I liked this episode a lot.
John Glover is an icon in the DC world. The Riddler, the mad scientist in Batman & Robin, Lex Luthor's father in Smallville, and the businessman in Shazam were great
This is a very simplistic episode, but it manages to distill the relationship between Batman and Riddler so perfectly. Nygma would easily surrender his reputation, his sanity, even his life, if it would mean he finally outsmarted Batman once and for all.
It's really a shame that The Riddler didn't get many appearances because despite that, the Animated Series had one of the best interpretations of the character. However the best depiction of The Riddler outside the comics in my opinion the one from the Batman Arkham games. Wally Wingert who voiced the character in all 4 games always. It's honestly his voice I hear in my head when I read comics with Riddler.
@@GeneralKenobi75 My two favorite versions of Riddler are the BTAS varierty and the one from The Batman 2005 series, Design and costume wise he looked totally badass!
John Glover is a treasure and it's a crying shame that we didn't get more of his Riddler. His final scene here, screaming out for the answer, is incredible.
With that being said, this was a great episode. It may be the weakest involving Riddler, but I love how his way of reentering society is through using his skills and brains for practical use, namely building puzzles and games for a toy company. I also love that he genuinely wants to retire the purple and green now that he's found success, but Batman has been a rent-free tenant in his mind for so long he can't help but perform one last scheme to end him.
John Glover gave Riddler class in his voice, so glad i met him at C2E2 this year and got a selfie with him...he even tushed my hair since it was orange like Riddler!
This and the Arkham Knight Riddler are my favorite versions! Even though I would have loved more Riddler stories, I’d rather have a few great episodes then a ton with only a few good ones
Yay! Bat May is back! I really enjoyed the battle of wits in this episode. It's interesting; in If You're So Smart Why Aren't You Rich, Nygma becomes the Riddler because he wasn't getting the recognition, success, etc he felt he deserved for his genius. And now that he's gotten them in this episode, they're not enough anymore. He needs to out-smart Batman to truly be satisfied.
Bat Man revealing his simple escape was sweet irony, and a worthy coup de grace to Riddler's puzzle crazed cranium! Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
the always thought the reason why riddler went with a new look may've been due to going insane about how batman got out of his trap and destroying his old costume might''ve driving him insane so shaved his head and came with a newer darker look to show he was taking things as a personal war
The ending with Riddler in a cell raving like a lunatic actually reminded me of the last scene with Jim Carrey's Riddler in Batman Forever. For some reason I had forgotten that he was already the Riddler in this episode and had remembered this as being his origin story, possibly because other versions of the Riddler had been depicted as a toy developer before his turn to crime. And yeah... the redesigned Riddler was never as good both in design and the writing for the character as the original episodes that featured him. I think this one is my favorite.
A solid analysis of one of my personal favorites from the latter half of this show’s run. Although I should also mention that posting this review has led to one of the most hysterical coincidences in the history of TH-cam. UrinatingTree posted his “Congrats, Bruins!” about eleven hours before this video was posted, and during the last fifteen seconds of “Congrats, Bruins!”, he’s literally quoting the Riddler’s insane ranting and raving at the end of this episode almost verbatim, with the little changes that are there being made to fit the context of the Bruins historically epic first round collapse…… 😂☠️😂☠️
Riddler is, imo, one of Batman's best adversaries and BTAS portrayed him wonderfully. There's no mocking, he's taken seriously as a threat and the voice work by Lionel Luthor(my Smallville fandom came out) is spectacular. Seeing this version of the character on the big screen would be a delight I think
Welcome back! This one was very memorable for me as well in how Nygma is shoving his accepted public reform in Batman's face. In fact it was Penguin who later claims 'living well is the best revenge'. But Nygma is NOT like Penguin. He doesn't really *care* about being rich. He does it for the challenge, the chance to prove his superior intellect over everyone else, sort of like a mirror Sherlock Holmes. Nice continuity here- Charles Baxter is the inventor of the 'Baxter's Box' from the previous Riddler outing 'What Is Reality?'.
I actually think that the reveal of how Batman survived the explosion was perfect. The Riddler is a 4D chess master always thinking several moves ahead, and would expect Batman to be the same way, so when Batman escaped his perfectly planned death trap he was expecting some elaborate escape act or crazy bat gadget, but no, Batman just jumped in a steel box and hoped for the best. Such an improvised last ditch effort that largely relied on luck is the one thing Riddler wouldn't think of. It also means technically Riddler DID win, but Batman just got lucky, kind of like that time Killer Croc almost crushed his head with that rock.
The Joker and Two-Face made a cameo appearance in this episode where the former was sitting on the floor covering his ears as if to say, "Geez, Nygma. Shut up ! We get it now !"
Fun continuity bit: The Rubik's Cube-like structure from the second Riddler episode "What Is Reality?" was called a "Baxter's Box." Assuming the device, like the Cube, was named after its creator, the Baxter's Box was likely created by Wacko Toys CEO Charles Baxter
I can't believe this is the final Bat-May. Thank you Walter, for this incredible journey. This has always been my favorite cartoon series. Watching you cover it every May has been an absolute delight. Cheers to you sir. Thank you for your hard work. Here's to the next project.......🍻🍻🍻 R.I.P. Kevin Conroy. He is vengeance, he is the night, HE IS BATMAN!!!
Woo! It's my favorite time of the year! Been looking forward to Bat-May for, like...a year, at least. Thanks for bringing us all along on this journey, Walter. Now, let's go out with a bang!
I loved watching this episode on video as a kid. There’s lots of funny moments in it, including the scene with the party girls. I think that it also adds an extra layer of tension when Robin gets injured during the Jewelry heist and then Batman is on his own throughout the rest of the episode. This will always be an amazing story. Thank you for doing this! Also my strong condolences go out to everyone who still misses Kevin Conroy!
The Riddler: It's impossible, I tell you! Impossible! My trap was perfect! HOW DID HE DO IT? I have to know! Somebody tell me! It's not fair! There was no way, I tell you! No way he could have gotten out! Somebody tell me! Do you hear me? SOMEBODY TELL ME HOW HE DID IT! I have to know! I HAVE TO KNO-O-O-O-OW!
Despite not being as good as Birds of Feather, I like that Riddler failure to reform, much like Poison Ivy, is result of his obsession rathe than lack of love and respect from others. As someone once said, this reform episodes aren't just about villains trying to be good and failing but also about their true goal, what the villains actually want in the end of the day? In the case of Riddle, based on his first apperance, it's easy to assume he would want fame and recogniztion as toy maker (his first crime was trying to kill the man who stole his work and fired him), but in these episode, right when he achives this goal, he loses because of his own obsession in wanting to outsmart Batman. In the end it was never about fame and money but rather about proving his superiority as genius to others. It really shows how Timm, Dini and other creators knew how to develop characters and motivations.
I love this episode. The scene with Riddler screaming in Arkham is so chilling! I also can understand the choice to change the design. Their are just too many Batman villains wearing some kind of (formal) suit.
What would've been an interesting turn at this is if The Riddler's compulsion to challenge Batman led him to try to solve crimes before Batman. Of course he needs to be the villain, so it can turn out that he's the one orchestrating the crimes.
Honestly all 3 Riddler episodes are amazing I'm always watching BTAS on loop at nights and when this episode shows, man the ending when riddler screams still give me chills, so many good dark endings in this series, I remember I had to go on a school trip on Saturday when this episode aired so I left my VCR recording the whole Saturday morning cartoon lineup I watched this episode at night and man it scared me a little at the end creepy arkham vibe and Glover screaming voicing the riddler man it gave me chills. Awesome way to star Bat-May keep em coming.
This was my favorite Riddler episode because it shows the core of Riddler's relationship with Batman. He had fame, fortune, and power but it means nothing if he can't outsmart Batman. He has to know that he's the smartest person in the room even if that means sacrificing everything to prove it.
Seeing the video in my feed: "yay! it's Bat-May!" hearing that it's the last year of Bat-May: "aww, just reminds me all the more how soon this gem was taken from us..."
One thing I actually really liked about this episode is the "soft" implication that he's mentally ill, when Batman says "he can't help himself". It reminds me of an episode of the '66 series where Frank Gorshin's was *also* implied to be mentally ill.
The BTAS Version of the Riddler is my favorite version of the character. And this episode my favourite episode with the character. And that's mainly because of the ending. Has anybody else noticed that in the end, the Batman beats the Riddler in his own game? First, he tells him cryptically "where you hide the things you stole" and then uses his own devices to frame him, as if to tellhim "I am playing your own game". It's genius!
Some interesting notes about the guest voices... Patricia Alice Albrecht (Brenda) was known primarily as the voice of Pizzazz, the leader of the Misfits, from Jem and the Holograms. Riddler's henchmen were portrayed by William Katt and Robert Pastorelli. Katt was known as the titular lead of The Greatest American Hero, while Pastorelli played Eldin Bernecky on Murphy Brown. Peter Mark Richman, who played Charles Baxter, had a lengthy career in Hollywood since the 1950s. He would, coincidentally, end up being Robin voice actor Loren Lester's father-in-law. Does that make him a nepo baby??? 😅
I found it kinda funny in this episode that whenever The Riddler is confronting Batman, he acted all smug and practically sure of himself, but the moment when women swoon over him over his genius, he suddenly turned into a goofball.
I always loved this one. Of the three Riddler episodes, this one feels the most classic. In the other two, while they have their upsides, Riddler was more of a games master, trapping Batman and Robin in emulations of games and throwing a few Riddles in to keep true to the character. Here, Nygma is in rull Riddler form and Glover's voice is nothing short of fantastic. By the way, I didn't realize this until I watched the series all in a row on DVD, but they did a quite a few of "failed redemption episodes" for the villains: Birds of a Feather for Penguin, Sideshow for Croc, Harlequinade AND Harley's Holiday for Harley, House and Garden for Poison Ivy, Second Chance for Two Face, Double Talk for The Ventriloquist, Catwalk and both NA appearances for Catwoman, and this one for Riddler. Even His Silicon Soul is kind of a failed redemption plot for the HARDAC robots.
I remember this episode very vividly because it was paired on VHS with "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?" when I was a kid, and I replayed it over and over.
RIP Kevin Conroy. You made my childhood in the 90s and early 2000s awesome. Miss you everyday sir. Always loved riddler's reform. Even now as an adult I still call Edward a fool. Man had a chance to make a name for himself, have success, revolution the toy industry. Have friends and eventually settle down with a woman that loves him once he found her. But he couldn't let batman go.
Can I just say, before we move on to something else, we need a Batmay for the first season of The Batman. If it goes no further that's fine, but that show is really underrated for how good it is. Also, we need Kevin Michael Richardson to do the Creeper at least once.
Glad to see the return of Bat-May, as always. Will we ever see Batman Beyond Bat-May? Hope so, but glad to see the big review of Btas is getting concluded! Nice job as always!
You know, ironically, the Riddler truly reforming and not having any kind of trick up his sleeve might have actually led to him outsmarting Batman - Batman would be wasting all this time terrorizing a changed man. Although, maybe Batman would actually believe he was reformed since he wouldn't be leaving any clues/being obvious.
I've always wondered; what if Batman played the fool and fell for The riddler "reforming", would that feeling of -at least faslely- outwitting the dark knight fill the ego of E. Nigma?
Rest in Peace Kevin Conroy! The best Batman ever!
I know 😢 may he rest in peace as well ❤❤
RIP :(
Yes he definitely put a spin on the dual personality of Bruce Wayne/Batman like nobody else before him had done.
He was the perfect hero to Mark Hamill's Joker! Rest in Peace, Dark Knight.
Yeah he always will be
I loved John Glover just ROARING at the end. Even Joker was all "Oh God Eddie, SHUT UP!"
Even riddler getting the p*ssy too.😂
Finally one of them sounds like they belong in an insane asylum.
I got introduced to John Glover through a short series called Brimstone, where he plays the devil. Absolutely wonderful person to talk to too when I met him at a convention
@@heatherlowry754 Wasn't he the Devil and an Angel in that show? Or am I getting it confused?
Agreed, thar episode needed an "Ahhh, shut up!" From someone or even everyone
Irony of this episode is the Riddler is probably one of Batman's foes who'd have the easiest time reforming thanks to his intellect and engineering skills, he could easily make a fortune in any number of fields and live a comfortable, carefree life that others like Joker, Croc and Freeze could only dream of.
Yet his compulsion to leave riddles and prove his intellect always comes back to bite him in the ass.
It is a bit strange though given his first outing had him got he wanted, he escaped batman and the man who he wanted revenge on was living in terror for the forseeable future. Yet he still came back.
A victim of his own ego more than any other batman villain possibly, wanting to have another go in besting batman. At least Penguin tried to move on, and so did poison Ivy (leaving a clone in her place) But the riddler iss just consumed by his own obsession.
@@worldofthought8352 Well that's partially because of the episode after where Batman still knew who Riddler was and he wanted to erase all information on him so he could start over. Yet it was also that Batman had out smarted him and he wanted to beat him.
@@worldofthought8352Yes, the Riddler is always his own worst enemy. Always self-sabotaging, a slave to his compulsions.
John Glover nailed his Riddler voice and mannerisms, and it's really a shame they couldn't find more ways to use him
RIP Kevin Conroy, the best Batman there will ever be :(
I recently meet John Glover at a comic con. We talk for 10 minutes about the show, His character, and most of all the sad passing of Kevin Conroy. He was a sweet guy and loved to meet him. For this episode itself its a great final episode of 1 of Batman's greatest mastermind villain. I liked this episode a lot.
John Glover is an icon in the DC world. The Riddler, the mad scientist in Batman & Robin, Lex Luthor's father in Smallville, and the businessman in Shazam were great
Riddler was about to go into retirement early.😂
Well until the new batman adventures.
Have you seen Brimstone?!
Oh, Damn! Those were all him!?
Crickey I didn't realize he was in Shazam!
@Cheyenne Hayden he's Dr Sivana's father
This is a very simplistic episode, but it manages to distill the relationship between Batman and Riddler so perfectly.
Nygma would easily surrender his reputation, his sanity, even his life, if it would mean he finally outsmarted Batman once and for all.
Batman just needs to visit him in Arkham and play some board games with him or something, but maybe he thinks that'd just feed his obsession.
@@Kryptnyt I doubt that small games would suffice. It needs to be far more complex w/ huge consequences.
It's really a shame that The Riddler didn't get many appearances because despite that, the Animated Series had one of the best interpretations of the character. However the best depiction of The Riddler outside the comics in my opinion the one from the Batman Arkham games. Wally Wingert who voiced the character in all 4 games always. It's honestly his voice I hear in my head when I read comics with Riddler.
I prefered The Batman animated version of the Riddler voiced by Robert Englund.
@@emeraldend9231 That is my third favourite after Wally Wingert and John Glover.
I truly loved Arkham games version! Dini really nailed the character in Asylum and City!
@@emeraldend9231 me too.
@@Treasterischi He was also great in Origins and Knight.
4:52 The delivery of that line is outstanding!
That little sad rolling of his line at the end really sells it as both tense and funny.
The Riddler can be one of my favorite villains when he's written well and has a genuinely clever scheme.
I was hoping that Nolan would tackle the challenge, but he went for Bane instead.
This is one of my all time favorite Riddler episodes of BTAS! This show's version of the Riddler is totally underrated in my opinion.
Agreed. This really is the best Riddler I've seen.
@@GeneralKenobi75 My two favorite versions of Riddler are the BTAS varierty and the one from The Batman 2005 series, Design and costume wise he looked totally badass!
I hate how they assassinated his character in the Batman Superman Adventures.
Hearing Ridler screaming " SOMEBODY TELL ME HOW HE DID IT?! I HAVE TO KNOW!!!" still has me in tears😂 30 years later!!!
The way his voice goes several pitches higher when he screams the "I" in "I have to know!" never fails to make me laugh. 🤣
John Glover is a treasure and it's a crying shame that we didn't get more of his Riddler. His final scene here, screaming out for the answer, is incredible.
RIP Kevin.
Loved this episode. And loved how riddler completely lost it and was unable to figure out how Batman survived
With that being said, this was a great episode. It may be the weakest involving Riddler, but I love how his way of reentering society is through using his skills and brains for practical use, namely building puzzles and games for a toy company. I also love that he genuinely wants to retire the purple and green now that he's found success, but Batman has been a rent-free tenant in his mind for so long he can't help but perform one last scheme to end him.
We all miss Kevin so much! Thank you for doing Bat May.
Can’t wait to watch them all together back to back :)
John Glover gave Riddler class in his voice, so glad i met him at C2E2 this year and got a selfie with him...he even tushed my hair since it was orange like Riddler!
YES! BAT-MAY 2023 BEGAN!
Let's do this! For Kevin! ❤🦇
Omg I forgot it was May 1. Yes!! RIP Kevin Conroy!
R.I.P Kevin. This is all for you
For Kevin!
I always look forward to Bat-May, and R.I.P Kevin Conroy 😢
This is one of my favorite episodes. I was disappointed last year that it was just one episode away from being covered.
Very good Riddler episode it sucks he doesnt get more episodes. Also I feel sorry for Riddler when Batman doesnt tell him how he escaped.
Kevin Conroy (RIP) will never be replaced as the dark knight in the line department.
INCREDIBLY strong start, and a damn good episode to end the Riddler's story on before they butchered him in the redesign
This and the Arkham Knight Riddler are my favorite versions! Even though I would have loved more Riddler stories, I’d rather have a few great episodes then a ton with only a few good ones
Let's do this Bat-May justice! For Kevin! For Gotham!
Yay! Bat May is back! I really enjoyed the battle of wits in this episode. It's interesting; in If You're So Smart Why Aren't You Rich, Nygma becomes the Riddler because he wasn't getting the recognition, success, etc he felt he deserved for his genius. And now that he's gotten them in this episode, they're not enough anymore. He needs to out-smart Batman to truly be satisfied.
Riddle me this: Where is the greatest Batman?
In Heaven & Our Hearts Forever.
Bat Man revealing his simple escape was sweet irony, and a worthy coup de grace to Riddler's puzzle crazed cranium! Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
This show is the reason why Riddler is my favorite Batman Villain
the always thought the reason why riddler went with a new look may've been due to going insane about how batman got out of his trap and destroying his old costume might''ve driving him insane so shaved his head and came with a newer darker look to show he was taking things as a personal war
@@comicbookreviewer4856 Yeah, maybe he went bald by pulling his hair out, stressing over how Batman escaped
bat-may begins again. i love this series.
Congratulation to get Bat May, i have watched every single episode since 2020, lets enjoy it one last years.
Rest in Peace Kevin Conroy. May your badass voice of Vengance and Justice echo in Heaven for all time.
And so it begins
Riddler- how did you get out
Batman- because I’m Batman
Dear God, I hope that bat may will continue after this year
Bat-May Beyond!
2:12 that sound. That is the sound of Riddler's question mark changing into an exclamation point XD
Rest in peace Kevin Conroy. This is one of the best Batman TAS episodes. John Glover is one of my favourite versions of the Riddler.
1:08 The way the rain cascades across the window looks amazing
The ending with Riddler in a cell raving like a lunatic actually reminded me of the last scene with Jim Carrey's Riddler in Batman Forever. For some reason I had forgotten that he was already the Riddler in this episode and had remembered this as being his origin story, possibly because other versions of the Riddler had been depicted as a toy developer before his turn to crime.
And yeah... the redesigned Riddler was never as good both in design and the writing for the character as the original episodes that featured him. I think this one is my favorite.
Yeah and but at the Robert England version of the Riddler is much more improving design than the New adventures one
A solid analysis of one of my personal favorites from the latter half of this show’s run.
Although I should also mention that posting this review has led to one of the most hysterical coincidences in the history of TH-cam.
UrinatingTree posted his “Congrats, Bruins!” about eleven hours before this video was posted, and during the last fifteen seconds of “Congrats, Bruins!”, he’s literally quoting the Riddler’s insane ranting and raving at the end of this episode almost verbatim, with the little changes that are there being made to fit the context of the Bruins historically epic first round collapse…… 😂☠️😂☠️
We need a re-edit of this episode when he asks batman how he survived he says "BECAUSE IM BATMAN"
Riddler is, imo, one of Batman's best adversaries and BTAS portrayed him wonderfully. There's no mocking, he's taken seriously as a threat and the voice work by Lionel Luthor(my Smallville fandom came out) is spectacular. Seeing this version of the character on the big screen would be a delight I think
Welcome back! This one was very memorable for me as well in how Nygma is shoving his accepted public reform in Batman's face. In fact it was Penguin who later claims 'living well is the best revenge'. But Nygma is NOT like Penguin. He doesn't really *care* about being rich. He does it for the challenge, the chance to prove his superior intellect over everyone else, sort of like a mirror Sherlock Holmes. Nice continuity here- Charles Baxter is the inventor of the 'Baxter's Box' from the previous Riddler outing 'What Is Reality?'.
I actually think that the reveal of how Batman survived the explosion was perfect. The Riddler is a 4D chess master always thinking several moves ahead, and would expect Batman to be the same way, so when Batman escaped his perfectly planned death trap he was expecting some elaborate escape act or crazy bat gadget, but no, Batman just jumped in a steel box and hoped for the best. Such an improvised last ditch effort that largely relied on luck is the one thing Riddler wouldn't think of. It also means technically Riddler DID win, but Batman just got lucky, kind of like that time Killer Croc almost crushed his head with that rock.
My favorite part is how Bruce explains how he did it
The Joker and Two-Face made a cameo appearance in this episode where the former was sitting on the floor covering his ears as if to say, "Geez, Nygma. Shut up ! We get it now !"
Fun continuity bit: The Rubik's Cube-like structure from the second Riddler episode "What Is Reality?" was called a "Baxter's Box." Assuming the device, like the Cube, was named after its creator, the Baxter's Box was likely created by Wacko Toys CEO Charles Baxter
I can't believe this is the final Bat-May. Thank you Walter, for this incredible journey. This has always been my favorite cartoon series. Watching you cover it every May has been an absolute delight. Cheers to you sir. Thank you for your hard work. Here's to the next project.......🍻🍻🍻
R.I.P. Kevin Conroy. He is vengeance, he is the night, HE IS BATMAN!!!
It's back! And RIP Kevin Conroy
Bat-may bros, WE ARE BACK!!!
Woo! It's my favorite time of the year! Been looking forward to Bat-May for, like...a year, at least. Thanks for bringing us all along on this journey, Walter. Now, let's go out with a bang!
I loved watching this episode on video as a kid. There’s lots of funny moments in it, including the scene with the party girls. I think that it also adds an extra layer of tension when Robin gets injured during the Jewelry heist and then Batman is on his own throughout the rest of the episode. This will always be an amazing story. Thank you for doing this! Also my strong condolences go out to everyone who still misses Kevin Conroy!
Love that Kevin Conroy miss him❤❤❤
The Riddler: It's impossible, I tell you! Impossible! My trap was perfect! HOW DID HE DO IT? I have to know! Somebody tell me! It's not fair! There was no way, I tell you! No way he could have gotten out! Somebody tell me! Do you hear me? SOMEBODY TELL ME HOW HE DID IT! I have to know! I HAVE TO KNO-O-O-O-OW!
this video being uploaded today on the same day after uriningtree did a tribute to it in ''congrats, bruins'' is funny
"If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?"
Despite not being as good as Birds of Feather, I like that Riddler failure to reform, much like Poison Ivy, is result of his obsession rathe than lack of love and respect from others. As someone once said, this reform episodes aren't just about villains trying to be good and failing but also about their true goal, what the villains actually want in the end of the day?
In the case of Riddle, based on his first apperance, it's easy to assume he would want fame and recogniztion as toy maker (his first crime was trying to kill the man who stole his work and fired him), but in these episode, right when he achives this goal, he loses because of his own obsession in wanting to outsmart Batman. In the end it was never about fame and money but rather about proving his superiority as genius to others. It really shows how Timm, Dini and other creators knew how to develop characters and motivations.
Starting off Bat-May with my favorite Batman villain, The Riddler, is excellent
I love this episode. The scene with Riddler screaming in Arkham is so chilling! I also can understand the choice to change the design. Their are just too many Batman villains wearing some kind of (formal) suit.
What would've been an interesting turn at this is if The Riddler's compulsion to challenge Batman led him to try to solve crimes before Batman. Of course he needs to be the villain, so it can turn out that he's the one orchestrating the crimes.
Honestly all 3 Riddler episodes are amazing I'm always watching BTAS on loop at nights and when this episode shows, man the ending when riddler screams still give me chills, so many good dark endings in this series, I remember I had to go on a school trip on Saturday when this episode aired so I left my VCR recording the whole Saturday morning cartoon lineup I watched this episode at night and man it scared me a little at the end creepy arkham vibe and Glover screaming voicing the riddler man it gave me chills. Awesome way to star Bat-May keep em coming.
This was my favorite Riddler episode because it shows the core of Riddler's relationship with Batman. He had fame, fortune, and power but it means nothing if he can't outsmart Batman. He has to know that he's the smartest person in the room even if that means sacrificing everything to prove it.
What an episode to start off with.
Man what an episode to start with.
Quality once again. Love Bat-May
Also great to have Bat-May back, nice highlight of May.
Can you do Batman: the Brave and the Bold when you finish TAS? And to continue Bat-May?
Yes! First day of bat-may and i'm all here For it! Love this show!❤❤🎉🎉
This isn't Doug's series. It's Walter's 😅
Seeing the video in my feed: "yay! it's Bat-May!"
hearing that it's the last year of Bat-May: "aww, just reminds me all the more how soon this gem was taken from us..."
4:54 I remember meeting John Glover 5 years ago.
One thing I actually really liked about this episode is the "soft" implication that he's mentally ill, when Batman says "he can't help himself". It reminds me of an episode of the '66 series where Frank Gorshin's was *also* implied to be mentally ill.
The BTAS Version of the Riddler is my favorite version of the character. And this episode my favourite episode with the character. And that's mainly because of the ending.
Has anybody else noticed that in the end, the Batman beats the Riddler in his own game? First, he tells him cryptically "where you hide the things you stole" and then uses his own devices to frame him, as if to tellhim "I am playing your own game".
It's genius!
Awesome start Walter! Thanks for all the work in putting these final Bat-Mayzing videos together!
Some interesting notes about the guest voices...
Patricia Alice Albrecht (Brenda) was known primarily as the voice of Pizzazz, the leader of the Misfits, from Jem and the Holograms.
Riddler's henchmen were portrayed by William Katt and Robert Pastorelli. Katt was known as the titular lead of The Greatest American Hero, while Pastorelli played Eldin Bernecky on Murphy Brown.
Peter Mark Richman, who played Charles Baxter, had a lengthy career in Hollywood since the 1950s. He would, coincidentally, end up being Robin voice actor Loren Lester's father-in-law. Does that make him a nepo baby??? 😅
William Katt was also Tommy in the original Carrie staring Sissy Spacek
I found it kinda funny in this episode that whenever The Riddler is confronting Batman, he acted all smug and practically sure of himself, but the moment when women swoon over him over his genius, he suddenly turned into a goofball.
We miss you, Kevin.
I just realized this will be the last Bat-May. At least one that focuses on Batman TAS.
I've never seen Batman TAS, but Walter's commentary about it is so good that I always look forward to Bat May!
I wonder if the producers of Crystal Skull were inspired by how Batman survived the explosion.
Probably since alot of movies take ideas from other shows and movies.
it was cool to see you start this up again. it is sad to hear its the final year for it.
I always loved this one.
Of the three Riddler episodes, this one feels the most classic. In the other two, while they have their upsides, Riddler was more of a games master, trapping Batman and Robin in emulations of games and throwing a few Riddles in to keep true to the character.
Here, Nygma is in rull Riddler form and Glover's voice is nothing short of fantastic.
By the way, I didn't realize this until I watched the series all in a row on DVD, but they did a quite a few of "failed redemption episodes" for the villains: Birds of a Feather for Penguin, Sideshow for Croc, Harlequinade AND Harley's Holiday for Harley, House and Garden for Poison Ivy, Second Chance for Two Face, Double Talk for The Ventriloquist, Catwalk and both NA appearances for Catwoman, and this one for Riddler. Even His Silicon Soul is kind of a failed redemption plot for the HARDAC robots.
A lot of reforming episodes in this series aren't there? One for Penguin, one for Harley and one for Riddler.
I hope Kevin conroy knew how much he meant to the Batman fan base and how much we will all miss him.
YES! Bat-May Returns! And what an episode to start on! Too bad they couldn't think of other Riddler stories for the show.
I remember this episode very vividly because it was paired on VHS with "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?" when I was a kid, and I replayed it over and over.
RIP Kevin Conroy. You made my childhood in the 90s and early 2000s awesome. Miss you everyday sir. Always loved riddler's reform. Even now as an adult I still call Edward a fool. Man had a chance to make a name for himself, have success, revolution the toy industry. Have friends and eventually settle down with a woman that loves him once he found her. But he couldn't let batman go.
Can I just say, before we move on to something else, we need a Batmay for the first season of The Batman. If it goes no further that's fine, but that show is really underrated for how good it is.
Also, we need Kevin Michael Richardson to do the Creeper at least once.
Even if Bat May is officially done, I would love to see this formula applied to other parts of the DCAU.
Rip Kevin Conroy you'll always be Batman
We needed more riddler
And Bat May 2023 has begun! A great way to honor Conroy.
A lot of batman villains really want to be good guys XD
I agree that The Riddler didn’t appear nearly enough in this series!
Glad to see the return of Bat-May, as always. Will we ever see Batman Beyond Bat-May? Hope so, but glad to see the big review of Btas is getting concluded! Nice job as always!
You know, ironically, the Riddler truly reforming and not having any kind of trick up his sleeve might have actually led to him outsmarting Batman - Batman would be wasting all this time terrorizing a changed man. Although, maybe Batman would actually believe he was reformed since he wouldn't be leaving any clues/being obvious.
I guess you could say he literally did hide in a "safe" place, ha ha ha (I'll see myself out now).
I've always wondered; what if Batman played the fool and fell for The riddler "reforming", would that feeling of -at least faslely- outwitting the dark knight fill the ego of E. Nigma?
Rest in peace Karen Convoy you will always be my favorite Batman🙏❤🦇
“Not like that, you’ll break it!” Not sure why that makes me laugh.