What was The Riddler's Original Plan in The Batman?
The cause behind The Riddler's assassinations is one of The Batman's biggest twists. He appeared to be targeting crooked politicians and police officers, but the reasons for their corruption were not exposed until later. The Batman advances the notion that the Riddler is similar to the Dark Knight, but rather than being vigilantes aiming to do good, they symbolise two sides of a coin – orphans seeking revenge against Gotham, each carrying out their own brand of justice.
The rationale for The Riddler's scheme is inextricably linked to Thomas Wayne's desire to rebuild Gotham. Edward Nashtton was abandoned as a child and grew up destitute, eventually becoming an accountant as an adult. Because of his position, he learned what had transpired with Renewal, the Wayne family's infrastructure rebuilding plan for the city. The idea fell by the wayside after Thomas' death, but rather than being fully dissolved, the money was picked up by Carmine Falcone.
The criminal lord took advantage of the situation, using his insider information of his rival's drugs trade business to have Salvatore Maroni jailed, then used the money to build a puppet dictatorship in Gotham City.