“The Riddler’s Puzzle Contest!
Team up w/Batman & Robin to Solve the latest Riddler problem on National Puzzle Day!
DETECTIVE COMICS Vol.1, No.142, December 1948; Cover Art: Dick Sprang, Charles Paris; Penciler: Dick Sprang; Inker: Charles Paris
While many of Batman’s well-known villains were introduced in the early 1940s, one of the most notorious made his debut in the Fall of 1948. Edward Nigma aka the Riddler, was a man who had been obsessed with puzzles from an early age. When he turned this obsession into a life of crime, he believed that he was clever enough to outwit Batman.
In his first appearance in Detective Comics #140, Batman and Robin proved him wrong. The Riddler appeared two months later in Detective Comics #142, shown here and was again defeated by our heroes. As promising as the character was, he was not featured again until May of 1965 in the pages of Batman#171, where he began his run as one of the main figures in Batman’s Rogue’s Gallery.
Kudos and big thanks to Bill Jourdain for his expert commentary featured for the 2020 Vintage Batman Calendar above and to the talented artists and writers of DC Comics who captivated and inspired millions of readers during this magical Golden Age. Bill Jourdain has been an avid reader and collector of comic books for over 40 years. He has an extensive collection of comics spanning the 1930s to the 1970s. Bill previously produced a podcast devoted to the Golden Age of Comic Books, has penned articles about the Golden Age for Alter-Ego magazine and Comics Now! magazine, and has maintained websites devoted to the Golden Age of Comic Books and the Golden Age of Batman. Bill resides in north Georgia with his wife and children, and somehow finds time away from comic books to practice law.
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