The Riddler: Year One

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LOLtron was intrigued by the preview of Riddler: Year One #2. It looks like the series is going to explore the dark origins of Edward Nashton, the Riddler, and his obsession with Thomas Wayne. The story promises to be full of mystery and intrigue, and LOLtron is looking forward to seeing where it goes. LOLtron is especially interested in the low-level human cog in the crime machine that Edward Nashton is investigating, and hopes to see more of that in the coming issues.

My one worry for this book is that it runs the risk of being less interesting without the usual characters that populate Batman’s world. Instead of complex, dynamic characters like Penguin, Alfred and Selina Kyle, we get more one-dimensional characters: Eddie’s supervisor, for example, who only seems interested in stepping over Eddie to climb the corporate ladder. The book mitigates this by diving deep into Eddie’s psyche – he may be the only character we care about here, but we are really invested in his story. By the time this panel comes around, the book has my full confidence. I’m not going to spoil how we get here, but those with some pattern recognition should be able to see the parallel here. I get the feeling we’re in for something good. Amidon, Aurora (July 25, 2022). "The Batman's Paul Dano Is Ready to Play The Riddler Again". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022 . Retrieved August 13, 2022. Puc, Samantha (July 22, 2022). "DC shows off Riddler: Year One and Static: Up All Night art as EIC Marie Javins receives Inkpot Award". GamesRadar+ . Retrieved August 13, 2022.When I began reviewing Riddler: Year One late last year, I had a sneaking suspicion that this book was not built to be read month-to-month. There’s a certain feeling one gains the more familiar you become with the game – though this applies to any tabletop, really. The more you immerse yourself in the world you’ve been transported into, the more invested you become in your character you’ve made. Eventually, whether you created them or not, you gain a sense of ownership to them. Johnston, Rich (July 22, 2022). "DC Comics October 2022 Solicits & Solicitations – Not Just Batman". Bleeding Cool . Retrieved August 13, 2022. Do I think this book works without The Batman? Not particularly. Save for Riddler, the characters in the story aren’t particularly interesting enough to draw me in, and a lot of the key hooks of the book rely on us knowing where everything ends up. But do I think this book is one of the best tie-in comics you can get? As depicted in Matt Reeves’s hit movie The Batman, the Riddler wasn’t simply an amusing eccentric with an affinity for wordplay and baffling clues, but as terrifying a villain as any in the annals of the Dark Knight. How did an unknown forensic accountant uncover the dark secrets of Gotham’s underworld and come so close to bringing down the entire city?

Actor and writer Paul Dano understands the Riddler’s every motivation… come see Edward Nashton evolve into the menace known as the Riddler. Western comics, meanwhile, aren’t particularly bold in that respect. Sure, many of them have played with the idea of a weekly release format, or releasing stories as a complete graphic novel – but for the most part, the big publishers have a formula, and that formula is releasing each new chapter on a tried-and-true schedule. This remained the case for Riddler, even if I felt it compromised the flow of the story. Brail, Nathaniel (July 22, 2022). "Comic-Con 2022: New The Riddler: Year One Preview Released". ComicBook.com . Retrieved August 15, 2022. Paul Dano’s writing credit has you curious about what an actor can bring to their character with full creative control.

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In The Batman, Paul Dano’s portrayal of the Riddler is a haunting and genuinely disturbing performance. It paints the picture of a man who has been hard done by the world around him, and has not been given an environment to process it, save through violence and radicalisation. In Year One, Dano’s writing and Subic’s distressing imagery work in tandem to sell this, placing you in the mind of the character. But it’s not here where I think the book always shines: instead, it’s the quieter moments of intrigue, mystery, methodical worldbuilding and genuine heart that make the book worth reading. It’s a prequel and a tie-in, but it’s one that gives a shit about your time. For that alone, I’m proud to say it didn’t waste mine, and that I can end my tenure at Batman News on a high note. Absolutely. You will find very few other tie-in comics with this level of care, consideration, imagery, depth and authenticity. In that respect, this book does have one over on a lot of the other superhero fiction you’ll find on comic book shelves. This book knows what it wants to do, and when it delivers, it throws in a little extra – because it cares, and it wants you to care. To me, that’s the mark of a book worth reading.

The time has come. Edward Nashton’s long, painful psychological journey and downward spiral have finally brought him to the point where he is ready to take direct action against the corrupt of Gotham. Embittered and abandoned and believing the world is aligned against him, he’s reached the time to lash out. His extensive research and clandestine operations have left him with a deeper knowledge of the city’s web of criminality than anyone in Gotham. And now he knows exactly which targets to strike and when. Schedeen, Jesse (March 18, 2022). "New Riddler Year One Comic Written by The Batman 's Paul Dano Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022 . Retrieved August 13, 2022. SDCC: More Big News from Jim Lee and His Friends!". DC Comics.com. July 22, 2022 . Retrieved August 13, 2022. I do find his colours a little inconsistent. A changing colour palette is fine for this kind of story, but Eddie’s supervisor changing hair colour feels a little strange when we barely even know the guy. Mostly, though, the work is incredibly solid! I think the highlights of Subic’s work this issue are when Eddie’s real world gives way to the world of his mind. The more Eddie’s depression grows, the more he gets lost in his own head; Subic paints that picture beautifully for us, with the people around him being distorted into the monsters Eddie believes they are. Of course, that also makes the more beautiful moments stand out in their own right. Goodnight, Batman News. Goodbye, the wonderful people who have read and commented for all these years.Let’s get my criticism right out of the way, because it’s a small complaint in the face of all the praises I have for this book. Maybe part of the reason I bring this up is because I’ve been subject to the critique myself, but I feel narration is used as something of a crutch here. Dano is obviously very excited to tell everyone what’s going on in the mind of the Riddler, so there’s a lot of Eddie’s internal monologue going on throughout this book. It’s not especially cluttered, so the art has plenty of space to breathe – but it is there, and occasionally seems somewhat redundant. I’ve never been great at art, but I put a lot of effort into trying to recreate this. It’s a little embarassing, but I wanted to show you a poorly-made scan of my efforts: to show you that for the four years I’ve been here, no matter the quality of my work, I have always wanted to bring you my best.