With Batman away on a different mission, another member of the Bat-Family proves they’re uniquely positioned to be Riddler’s TRUE nemesis.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the story “Superman Punch!” from Batman: Urban Legends #4 by Camrus Johnson, Loyiso Mkize, Trevor Scott, Andrew Dalhouse & ALW’s Troy Peteri, on sale now
The current events of Gotham City have driven serious chaos into the streets, forcing the heroic Bat-Family and their allies into overdrive to stop the deluge of villains still roaming the streets. That includes Batwing, who has otherwise been conflicted lately over the return of his brother Jace.
Venturing back onto the streets for one of the first times since the events of the Joker War, Batwing finds himself going up against the Riddler — and proving that he could make a pretty great nemesis to Edward Nygma.
Batman’s recent missions have taken him across the world, often with little warning. And with few funds to use to bankroll his adventures thanks to the events of Joker War, other allies of the Dark Knight have been stepping up. When Riddler puts innocent lives in danger arranging for a scavenger hunt in the sewers under the city, it’s the cerebeal-minded Batwing who answers the call. Riddler is quick to admit that Batwing figured out his first riddles remarkably quickly — even taunting Batman slightly by claiming that Batwing actually solved them quicker than Batman usually does, resulting in a more hastily assembled trap..
Discovering a test to find a bomb hidden amongst doors hiding thugs from around the city, Batwing does his best to figure out the puzzle before Riddler grows tired and just activates the bomb himself. Even when Luke figures out the puzzle, he’s attacked by Killer Croc — who despite his recent attempts to clean up his act keeps getting dragged back headlong into the schemes of villains. Although Batwing quickly defeats the villain, he’s willing to listen to him when he reveals he knows how to find Riddler directly. The pair briefly work together, and make their way to find the Riddler — resulting in Croc chasing the villain around for a while before bringing him to the GCPD and allowing Croc a “head-start” as thanks.
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Throughout their fight, Batwing proves to be something of a perfect counter to the Riddler. He’s smart enough to keep up with the Riddler’s challenges, easily outthinking them. His robotic armor makes him more than capable of surviving the additional challenges the villain throws his way, keeping Batwing ahead of the classic Batman rogue. He even is able to empathize with the people he’s fighting, convincing Killer Croc to give him a chance to at least make things better for him — on the condition that Croc actually help him stop another criminal, which he does. Riddler is so used to contending with the fist-happy Batman and his more traditional allies that the cerebral Batwing is a perfect person to throw Riddler off his game.
Notably, with the events of Future State seeming to be approaching more and more every day in Gotham, there might come a time where Batman is presumed dead and the remaining heroes will be forced to contend with the threats that remain. This includes the Riddler, who survived the events of A-Day and could continue to quietly be a problem for Gotham even in the days of the Magistrate. Luke Fox could be the ideal person to contend with villains like him, especially during the time when Batman is believed dead by the general city and the rest of his allies. It’ll be interesting to see how the pair fare against one another as they stack up more experience — and if the Riddler can ever figure out how to get around Batwing.
