Two of Gotham's worst are going to war.
"The War of Jokes and Riddles" is already shaping up to be writer Tom King's most ambitious Batman story to date, both in terms of length and the sheer number of Batman villains being crammed into one story. But the appeal with this new conflict has less to do with scope and more with the opportunity to see King tackle two of the most iconic members of Batman's rogues gallery. And even after one issue, this arc doesn't disappoint.
It's all the more important that this arc make a strong first impression considering that "The War of Jokes and Riddles" will dominate this series for the next several months (an eternity by DC Rebirth standards). It's easy to picture the series losing the momentum created by issue #24's big twist as it makes an extended trip back to the early days of Batman's career. But while it's not entirely clear what impact this flashback tale will have on the present-day DCU, there's enough connective tissue in this issue to prove that writer Tom King and artist Mikel Janin have a plan in mind.
But more importantly, this arc offers King the opportunity to write two key Batman villains who don't show up nearly often enough these days. DC's sparing approach to Joker dates back to the beginning of Grant Morrison's Batman run in 2006, and even Riddler has been more or less off the table since his prominent role in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's "Zero Year." It's a treat simply to watch these two villains pitted against each other in a battle of oneupmanship. King treats Edward Nygma like the intellectual powerhouse he deserves to be. On the other hand, he brings a rare sense of vulnerability and uncertainty to Joker, a welcome change of pace from the inhuman force of nature the character has been in Morrison and Snyder's runs. This is a Joker who can't seem to find the funny in life anymore, a fact that makes him both more pitiful and more dangerous than ever.
This series has boasted uniformly great art overt the past year, but Janin's art just complements King's voice in a way no other creator but Mitch Gerads has. Chalk that up to both their prior experience together and the fact that Janin's dark, moody style is a natural fit for King's psychological approach top Batman and his rogues. Together, the two paint a captivating portrait of a young Batman who thinks his city is on the verge of saving, unaware that the worst is yet to come. There's a surreal quality to this issue, and a growing sense of foreboding as the war between Joker and Riddler takes shape.
Janin also proves his versatility once more. Where "I Am Suicide" focused a great deal on splash pages and collage images, "The War of Jokes and Riddles" emphasizes smaller, repeated panels and more dense page layouts. That approach really highlights the tense interaction between Riddler and Joker and gives the book a very intimate feel despite the build-up to what promises to be a huge conflict.
The only sticking point is the fact that Janin's beefcake approach to rendering male characters seems a little out of place when it comes to Riddler. Rather than a thin, wiry shut-in, Nygma looks primed to hit the beach and bounce around a volleyball with Dick Grayson.
The Verdict
Tom King and Mikel Janin's new Batman epic is off to a fine start. This issue manages to set the stage for an epic conflict in Gotham City without losing the momentum by flashing back to the past. King's take on the two lead villains is fascinating, and the series never looks better than when Janin is by his side.
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