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Batman - One Bad Day #1: The Riddler
- Writer:
- Tom King
- Artist:
- Mitch Gerads
- Letterer:
- Clayton Cowles
- Cover Artist:
- Mitch Gerads
- Publisher:
- DC
- Price:
- $7.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-08-16
- Colorist:
- Mitch Gerads
Debuting this week is the first issue in a series of one-shots focusing on Batman's rogues' gallery. Each issue focuses on one of eight Batman villains, with each issue helmed by different creative teams. Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 brings together Eisner Award-winning duo, writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads to tell the thrilling and engaging story of Edward Nygma and how his origin shaped the man he became. This series is inspired by the iconic graphic novel by Alan Moore, The Killing Joke, where the Joker tells the story of how one bad day makes all the difference in a person's life. Similar to the Joker in The Killing Joke, Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 tells a twisted and enthralling tale about Edward Nygma and how he becomes The Riddler.
Edward Nygma begins life as a studious young man who strives to have a solution to every problem. Yet no matter how hard he tries to impress his overbearing father, he falls short of perfection each time. The hardships he goes through as a child in Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 mold the way he sees the world. As an adult, Edward Nygma becomes the game-playing Riddler readers are familiar with, but Tom King puts a twist on it. What happens when The Riddler kills, and there's no rhythm or reason to it? Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 shows readers that the city of Gotham is at the mercy of Batman's villains.
Tom King brings the reader down to Edward's level, showing him as a young man seeking the approval of his father. Each line of dialogue between Edward and his headmaster father in Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 shows Edward's desperation for his father's love. Some moments between Edward and his father are hard to read and definitely push DC Black Label to its limits. King makes sure that readers feel each emotion that Edward goes through even when he's an adult, where he feels so sure of himself. The confidence flows off the page when the Riddler is face to face with Commissioner Gordon or even The Dark Knight. King shows readers that even when Edward is the smartest man in the room, it's not the advantage he thinks it is.
Readers are always in for a treat when Mitch Gerads draws a new comic. He is a master of detail, capturing everything from the blood splatter of a conflicted prison guard to smeared eye makeup on Edward's rain-soaked face. Shades of green dominate Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1, but it never feels overbearing or redundant. Flashbacks of Edward's younger self are vibrant and saturated with oranges and reds that shift effortlessly into greens when going back to the present. Gerads' simple page layouts help the story flow smoothly from page to page.
Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 is the first in this One Bad Day series of Batman villains that gives readers a closer look into the minds of these iconic villains. Tom King and Mitch Gerads put their best into this book, and push the boundaries of the DC Black Label imprint by exploring some particularly harsh subjects. With intense one-on-one interactions between characters, and brutal artwork Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 is sure to be a story that readers won't quickly forget.