Review: Riddler 1/ Batman 23.2

The Riddler is personally, my favorite Batman villain. Someone who tends to match wits with the Caped Crusader instead of blows always allows for a fun diversion most of the time.

The problem is, without Batman, or someone of equal intelligence, The Riddler is really a one-note villain that doesn’t seem all that compelling on his own. And that’s pretty much confirmed in Riddler 1.

With the news of Batman, and the rest of the Justice League, being “killed”, The Riddler stages an attack on Wayne Enterprises. As he explains during one of his internal monologues, it is the most secure building in all of Gotham so of course he is up for the challenge. And minor spoilers, he succeeds.

The problem is, without Batman or the threat of Batman, there is no challenge in his way. He gives an opening monologue with several riddles, and over the course of the comic, you realize it was various parts of his plans. He pretty much follows that plan straight-through with like one momentary distraction and that’s it.

To top it all off, there isn’t an ultimate goal in mind. He succeeds and the comic just ends. There’s no robbing Wayne of all his money or getting city records. Nothing!

That’s where the comic fails for me. I’m not invested in the journey because I know it lacks challengers, and the conclusion doesn’t offer up any new or fun insight into the character. What was the point of the comic then?

The art in the comic was passable. A lot of scenes and panels lack detailed backgrounds, which isn’t a huge deal breaker since in an office the entire time. But faces can also be rough. Though, they work when needed for a close-up or reaction shots. Also Riddler’s costume is kind of barren in this, but that’s forgiven since he was trying to break-in, don’t want to reveal your identity too soon.

Review: 2 (Out of 7): This comic didn’t need to exist. If you don’t read it, you miss absolutely nothing. It doesn’t progress any plots, it doesn’t give you a new insight into the main villain and it doesn’t have a satisfying conclusion. I would pass altogether.