Sound the alarm: we just got an instant classic Batman story. A comic book that joins the ranks of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s Year One, Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s The Killing Joke, and Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s The Long Halloween as one of the best Batman stories ever told. “The War of Jokes and Riddles,” written by Tom King with artists Mikel Janin and Clay Mann, is timeless, gorgeous, and adds a game-changing twist to the the Dark Knight mythos.
Now I won’t spoil the best bits, but be warned that I will be going over some plot details to explain just why this story is so unbelievably good.
The story sees Batman finally pop the big question to Catwoman, but before she answers, he wants to confess his darkest secret. And so he tells her the story of a massive turf war between the Joker and the Riddler that took place after his first year as Batman. Even though this is an eight-part storyline in the ongoing Batman series, there’s no continuity you have to know because it features a younger Batman at the beginning of his career and all of the villains are in their most recognizable form. It pretty much reads like a standalone graphic novel, and King has said that’s how the project originally started out before being incorporated into the main series.
At the start of the war all the villains are essentially drafted by either Joker or Riddler to fight on their side in the war, evoking The Long Halloween in how it made use of Batman’s extensive villain roster, from the big names to the obscure weirdos. Speaking of weirdos, this is a great time to talk about the unexpected delight of this story, Kite Man.
Yes, that’s right, Kite Man, the guy who flies around with a ridiculous, big kite on his back.
He’s long been a joke villain in the same vein as Condiment King or Crazy Quilt, but there are two interlude issues, drawn by Mann, that intimately focus on his personal stake in this massive war, and while I don’t want to reveal what happens, I will say that the frankly brilliant work done on the character elevates him from a silly bad guy to a compelling, tragic villain you can’t help but feel for. It’s not unlike how Batman: The Animated Series re-invented Mr. Freeze in a genius way that’s still embraced today.
The Joker and Riddler’s feud isn’t over money or power, but over who gets to kill Batman. And while wanting to kill the Caped Crusader isn’t necessarily new, the villain motivations are. This is the Joker unlike we’ve ever seen him, unable to laugh because Batman always winning ruins the punchline of his schemes. And the Riddler, who, let’s face it, has always seemed like a second rate Joker who also wears a green and purple suit and also leaves puzzles as clues for Batman, finally feels fresh and distinct. He’s driven by his psychotic need to understand the riddle that is Batman and what makes him tick.
The story is filled with moments that pop thanks to the talents of Janin, like when Deadshot and Deathstroke face off in a mind-blowing battle that stretches on for days and days and keeps going from page to page to page, each more elaborate and masterfully orchestrated than the last. Janin is known for doing glorious double-page spreads that show characters moving from one moment to the next, but he brought it to the next level for this insane fight between DC’s two master assassins.
There’s also an out-of-left-field scene where Bruce Wayne calls for a ceasefire and invites Joker and Riddler over for a dinner party at Wayne Manor. Yes, really. Alfred serves them a nine-course dinner as Bruce tries to use his money and influence to put a stop to the war, resulting in a truly bizarre yet utterly fascinating discussion about the underlying philosophy of each villain. It’s the kind of weird idea that shouldn’t work but is one of the most memorable moments and totally feels like it would be the best scene in a future Batman movie.
But for as much as I could go on geeking out about how cool all the villains are, the real magic of this story comes from its emotional core. Just like how The Killing Joke dared to humanize the Joker, “The War of Jokes and Riddles” earns its stripes from taking the resilient and infallible Batman and shows him at his most vulnerable and raw state. Batman is telling this story to Catwoman because he believes his darkest secret makes him unworthy and unlovable. Getting caught between the Joker and the Riddler pushes him to make impossible choices that test everything Batman stands for, which is why Batman needs to tell this story to Catwoman, so he can share his pain and finally open up. And that’s where this tale is most daring: Batman is a vengeance machine fueled on pain, so what happens when instead of a knight of vengeance, he wants to be a man who loves? I won’t tell you the answer, but that is why “The War of Jokes and Riddles” is an instant Batman classic.
I've Got Issues is an ongoing column on the comic book industry and the world of nerd culture by Joshua Yehl, IGN’s Comics Editor. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.
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