Art by: Mitch Gerads
Colors by: Mitch Gerads
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: Mitch Gerads
Cover price: $7.99
Release date: August 16, 2022
Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 asks readers to solve one final riddle: What will it take to get Batman to break his #1 rule?
Is It Good?
Tom King has been tasked with solving the worst riddle of all, and solve it he does by devising a deconstruction of Riddler into the most hated and feared man in all of Gotham. Why? Who knows. The results, however, are sickening.
The point of this issue seems to be a quest to find out how hard and how far you can push Batman before he has no choice but to break his moral compass. There is no backdoor exception or a questionable point of view on the outcome. Batman takes the balance of life and death into his hands because the Riddler (acting very un-Riddler like) gives Batman no choice. Why? Who knows.
What's Riddler's motivation for pushing Batman past the brink? Without spoiling the details, he's working through Mommy and Daddy issues.
What does Riddler do that's so horrible? Honestly, nothing he hasn't done a hundred times before. He murders indiscriminately and threatens liberally. The difference is that he's given up on riddles and set up a new set of rules.
Therein lies the major flaw in this issue. The rules put anyone and everyone on notice that Riddler gets what he wants, does what he wants, and kills who he wants without interference. The moment that happens, Riddler puts a gigantic target on his back from every mobster, assassin, and aspiring criminal in Gotham. In short, this story only works if every criminal, crazy, and lowlife in Gotham was as unwilling to kill as Batman. Gotham has no shortage of killers, so the basic premise falls apart almost immediately.
How's the art? Gerads' highly-referenced style either appeals to you or doesn't. If you like his work on other Tom King books (e.g. Strange Adventures), this is more of the same.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 has only one goal: Push Batman to break his one rule. Unfortunately, it's set it up in such an unbelievable way that you're horrified by the misery of the story while dismissing it under basic examination. This story will leave you feeling dirty and depressed.
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