The Riddler kicks off DC's series of 8 one-shot graphic novel anthologies devoted to some of Batman's greatest foes.
As a kid, the Riddler was the villain I always chose over the Joker. Sure, the Joker was colorful, using jokes and pranks to commit his crimes. But the Riddler had panache. He used puzzles, riddles and games which the reader got the chance to solve alongside the Dark Knight. Plus, Riddler had all those great oversized props. Hey, Gallagher, Carrot Top and Tape Face make me laugh. What can I say, I like prop comedy!
This Tom King story changes everything you know about the Riddler. No longer content with riddling, Edward Nygma ups the game by randomly shooting a man in cold blood, immediately surrendering himself to Gotham City police and demanding to see the Batman. As Batman tries to undercover why the Riddler is acting totally against his character, the super-villain's origin will be revealed.
Tom King does manage to utilize some of the Riddler's origin which was established right away by character creator Bill Finger in the character's first appearance in 1948's Detective Comics #140. Doing such was an homage I appreciated. I just didn't like how heartless Tom King made the Riddler. King's not the first to turn the Riddler into a more sadistic killer. Portrayals on TV's Gotham and last year's The Batman have seen the character getting ever so much more closer to the edge of reason. This story is what sent the character right over the cliff.
The illustrator is Tom King's regular collaborator Mitch Gerads. As usual, Gerads art style is gritty, realistic and far more superior than 75% of the artists operating in comics today. I appreciated how Gerads used famous people to visually represent many of the characters. Am I the only one who saw the resemblance of a young school boy Edward to that of Ethan Hawke in his teens? I could have also sworn that Mitch Gerads used Jon Hamm as a muse for Bruce Wayne. Whether that's the case or not, my thoughts lead me to think that a serious Jon Hamm would make a great older Batman.
I'm not really sure yet if all 8 One Bad Day books are interconnected or not. However, a passing comment by the Riddler leaves me to believe that it very much might be the case. We may also find that some defining moments in the Dark Knight's history are interconnected with the One Bad Day. We'll just have to see.
I enjoyed this read. It's just a much less playful and fun Riddler than the one I grew up with. I don't think I would've named one of my cats after the character if he was as evil and conniving as he was transformed here by Tom King. Good thing the story was so engrossing. And that ending- WOW! I wasn't the only one who didn't see that coming!
Worth Consuming!
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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