In the month of September, DC Comics replaced all their monthly titles with what is basically a fuckton of One-Shots starring everybody's favorite villains. Each comic was released twice, one with a normal cover for $2.99 and one with a special 3-D cover for a buck more. This highly gimmicky event has been pretty controversial; some buying into it and getting every issue with the special covers, others skipping it entirely. I decided to buy 2 or 3 of my favorite villains, just out of curiosity. One such villain I picked up was the Riddler (in 2D).
Now, from what I've been hearing, most of Villains Month so far has been pretty lackluster, so my expectations were fairly low. Still, I was hopeful. Riddler, when written correctly, is one of my favorite Batman villains. I really wanted this comic to be good, and I was not let down.
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| Batman 23.2 "Riddler #1" |
'Solitaire' opens with a very short, easily forgettable flashback to Edward Nigma's time in Arkham Asylum, being pushed around by a security guard and having his cards taken from him. We then flash forward to Wayne Enterprises, where the Riddler does what he does best; pull a complicated heist and leave clues everywhere that no one but Batman can decipher. Only this time, Bats isn't here.
It sounds like a very typical Riddler story, I know, but it's clear that the writers took his character much more seriously in this issue. Riddler is commonly portrayed as a one-dimensional loony with some crazy gimmicks. There was nothing to make him human, just a man with breathtaking OCD issues. And I'll admit, that's the reason I liked Rids in the first place, but this issue has shown me a whole new side to him that I didn't understand before. You can see the humanity in him, and you can tell how he's a man with flaws as opposed to a boring, destructive nut job. (A Joker that tells Riddles, if you will.)
All of Nygma's Riddles are laid out at the beginning of the issue, and their answers are revealed over the course of the issue as Riddler's invasion of Wayne Enterprises plays out. You get to see all of Nygma's little quirks throughout the issue. He's calm, collected, and has utter disregard for anything he's doing. He's completely content throughout his scheme, save for a few moments where he loses control of himself and lashes out. And when he does, you get to see how evil he can be. And in the end, you learn that the entire goal of his takeover had nothing to do with Wayne at all. 'Solitaire' is about a troubled man who's held a grudge for a very long time.
The art in this issue isn't anything special, but it isn't bad by any means. There's no incredible details, there's no exaggerated movements, everything is down to earth and simple. It works well for the story. If the goal of this comic was to help us see inside of Edward Nygma and for us to be able to see him more humanly, than the art worked perfectly, especially with Rid's subtle facial expressions.
If there's one issue to check out so far in Villain's Month, it's the Riddler. It's a fantastic story, even more so if you're already a fan of 'ol Nygma. The stories fantastic, the art is solid, and overall it was just an awesome read.
Next week I'll be reviewing Superior 18 and possibly some more Villain's Month issues if I hear one is good enough to merit 3 bucks. Also, don't be surprised if you see a reaction article to this Sunday's episode of Breaking Bad. Man, do I love that show.
Cheers.
It sounds like a very typical Riddler story, I know, but it's clear that the writers took his character much more seriously in this issue. Riddler is commonly portrayed as a one-dimensional loony with some crazy gimmicks. There was nothing to make him human, just a man with breathtaking OCD issues. And I'll admit, that's the reason I liked Rids in the first place, but this issue has shown me a whole new side to him that I didn't understand before. You can see the humanity in him, and you can tell how he's a man with flaws as opposed to a boring, destructive nut job. (A Joker that tells Riddles, if you will.)
All of Nygma's Riddles are laid out at the beginning of the issue, and their answers are revealed over the course of the issue as Riddler's invasion of Wayne Enterprises plays out. You get to see all of Nygma's little quirks throughout the issue. He's calm, collected, and has utter disregard for anything he's doing. He's completely content throughout his scheme, save for a few moments where he loses control of himself and lashes out. And when he does, you get to see how evil he can be. And in the end, you learn that the entire goal of his takeover had nothing to do with Wayne at all. 'Solitaire' is about a troubled man who's held a grudge for a very long time.
The art in this issue isn't anything special, but it isn't bad by any means. There's no incredible details, there's no exaggerated movements, everything is down to earth and simple. It works well for the story. If the goal of this comic was to help us see inside of Edward Nygma and for us to be able to see him more humanly, than the art worked perfectly, especially with Rid's subtle facial expressions.
If there's one issue to check out so far in Villain's Month, it's the Riddler. It's a fantastic story, even more so if you're already a fan of 'ol Nygma. The stories fantastic, the art is solid, and overall it was just an awesome read.
Next week I'll be reviewing Superior 18 and possibly some more Villain's Month issues if I hear one is good enough to merit 3 bucks. Also, don't be surprised if you see a reaction article to this Sunday's episode of Breaking Bad. Man, do I love that show.
Cheers.
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