As “The Batman” continues to dominate the box office, the “Batverse” appears set to dominate pop culture for the foreseeable future, with various HBO Max offshoot programs in the works and future films seeming likely. While little is known about Warner Bros.’ future plans for the characters in Matt Reeves’ film, one thing is certain: Paul Dano will play the Riddler again.
Dano will write a new six-issue comic book series on his character, titled “Riddler: Year One” for DC Comics. The show will act as a prequel to “The Batman,” detailing how Dano‘s interpretation of the iconic villain came to be. Dano will work on the comics with illustrator Stevan Subic, but he will pen all six issues himself.
According to the official synopsis from DC, “this series covers the backdrop of how accountant Edward Nashton developed from a simple Gotham City nobody to become Batman’s nemesis, placing them on a collision path in the blockbuster feature picture.”
While nothing more is known about the comic, fans quickly noticed that the title looks to be a homage to “Batman: Year One,” the renowned 1987 Frank Miller comic that Matt Reeves regularly cited as one of his key influences for “The Batman.” Dano has remarked that his personal favorite Batman comics are the Court of Owls, the villains portrayed in the 2011 Batman relaunch “The New 52.”
Dano has worked in a range of artistic mediums in addition to his successful acting career. With his partner Zoe Kazan, he co-wrote the 2018 film “Wildlife,” which also served as his directorial debut. He repeatedly referenced a new original project he is working on that he expects to direct in 2023 on his “Batman” publicity tour. He’s also a talented musician, having led the band Mook as lead singer. The multi-next hyphenate’s logical step is to dabble in comic comics.
In November, Dano will star opposite Seth Rogen, Michelle Williams, and David Lynch in Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical comedy “The Fabelmans.” In October, “Riddler: Year One” will be released in comic book retailers.
