Riddle Me Something
Writer: Mariko Tamaki, Nadia Shammas, Sina Grace
Artist: Ivan Reis, David Lapham, Danny Miki
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 26, 2022
Detective Comics #1059 begins the end of Mariko Tamaki's time on Detective Comics. While I am sure her run has its fair share of fans, I'm not one of them. Like her Wonder Woman story before it, an overall lack of focus bothered me, and I was vocal about the waste of time the whole Arkham Tower story was. However, hope springs eternal, and cowriter Nadia Shammas is helping out for the stretch run. So let's see how Tamaki and Shammas kick this off...
Detective Comics #1059 opens with Riddler Radio giving Gotham the platters that matter and a riddle. But is it a riddle? It's more of a question, and the way it plays out in this issue, maybe Edward should change his name to the "Hinter." I'm not sure that Tamaki and Shammas quite get the Riddler. I know that every writer has license to do what they want with characters, but this Riddler seems off. Also, I'm guessing Ivan Reiss came up with this new hipster look for him, and while the rest of the issue looks great, I hate it so much!
The story itself is ok, if not convoluted. Judge Donovan, Deb's daughter, almost gets killed, and Batman is on the case. We see a bit of detective work, which is always good, but the issue's pacing is way off, with too much downtime in the middle section. Also, because of how Tamaki and Shammas frame the story, the Riddler comes off more as a Rod Serling-style host than the actual villain of the story.
The issue ends with two more crimes hinted at by the Riddler, but the reader and Batman are in the dark as to why they are happening. It's easy to guess that the Riddler's broadcasts are doing something to people, but I would like to think that is way too easy and something Batman would have figured out right away. However, Batman hasn't been his best self with Tamaki writing him, so all bets are off.
Since what is going on here is a mystery, it's hard to judge that aspect since it's just begun. However, I already mentioned that the pacing was off, and overall, nothing here was that intriguing to make me even guess what was happening. Sure, I will keep reading to hopefully get some answers, but I probably won't spend a second thinking about it until I open up the next issue. I already talked about the art; everything looks great except the Riddler's stupid hipster look.
There is also a Gotham Girl backup story by Sina Grace which I hated. I'm not sure what Grace is trying to do, but if the goal was to make me hate a character that I used to like and not want to read any more of the backups as we advance...mission accomplished!
Bits and Pieces:
Detective Comics #1059 is the start of a Riddler story that felt odd. The pacing was off, the Riddler didn't feel right, and the story was more convoluted than intriguing. Add to that an awful Gotham Girl backup story, and I think most will want to sit this out and wait for the new creative team to jump on this book in a couple of months. I know I want to.
4.0/10
Totally agree with the rating and with the review overall. Man, I hate that look for the Riddler, there are two things I totally dislike at the design of comic characters these days that all these writers and artists think it's cool but they actually look awful: the half-shaved haircut (it looks awful on both men and women, it's not cool or anything but people keep thinking it is?) and the hipster moustache. It does not serve Eddie well at all. The second story... I can't even, I still have PTSD after reading Sina Grace's Iceman. I'm not even a Gotham Girl fan, I was super interested in that first Batman arc with her and her brother, Gotham, I liked that but the whole her being Thomas Wayne's "Robin" was bad, it was King when he lost the plot. This is somehow even worse than that, it's pretty much character assassination. I think you're actually pretty generous with the rating.
ReplyDeleteI hate this Gotham Girl so much!!!
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