#peter milligan

Riddler shoots a man in cold blood.

Riddler throws a baby to the ground.

... Which turns out to be an exploding doll, filled with actual human blood?

Riddler throws a baby out of a moving vehicle.

Riddler explodes his henchman's neck.

Batman stabs a dog (for some reason).

Batman performs a tracheotomy on a baby (...for some reason).

Riddler puts a goat in a hall of mirrors (for some reason).

Riddler reveals himself to be possessed (?) and then tries to sacrifice Batman on an alter for the demon god Barbathos. (Renamed Barbatos in more contemporary comics.)

... For some reason.

Then Riddler suddenly gets spooked and runs away.

.... And then everyone lives happily ever after.

So, nerd talk... The demon in this story, Barbatos, takes the form of a bat. Barbatos is also heavily implied to be the same bat that flew through Bruce's window and inspired him to become a vigilante.

Question: If Barbatos has this ability to influence people to commit acts of violence, and Batman is literally following Batbatos into the night ("I follow"), does that imply that Batman has been under Barbatos' control ever since that bat flew through the window? Has Batman's entire "punch criminals in the face" crusade been a result of the demon Barbatos' dark influence?

And also, Barbatos outright says there's "no difference" between him and the city of Gotham -- so is the entirety of Gotham under Barbatos' influence? Is that why so much crazy shit happens 24/7 (aside from the crack cocaine in the water supply)?

I don't know. But that goat in the hall of mirrors probably knows.