The Killing Joke is one of the most famous and bestselling Batman books of all time so it makes sense that DC would model an entire series around it to try to replicate that success for each of Batman’s less-but-still-quite-famous villains.
One Bad Day (a line from Killing Joke) spotlights each of Batman’s rogues in a similar length, done-in-one origin, using the same 9-panel grid format, even going so far as to have an ending that mimics Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s original classic (at least this one does - not sure how Mariko Tamaki’s Two-Face or John Ridley’s Penguin are gonna play it) .
And Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler is actually not bad. I’d say it’s Tom King’s best comic since he finished up his run on the main Batman title and probably the best Riddler origin we’re likely to get. Because let’s be real here: we don’t need a Riddler (or Two-Face or Penguin) origin. Killing Joke works because Joker is such a compelling character and most Batman readers want to at least see one possible version of how that mysterious character came to be.
Riddler though - a guy who wears question mark-patterned green suits with a bowler hat, domino mask, cane, and spouts riddles? No. He’s one of the more famous in a long line of performance artist-themed baddies Batman tangles with and he doesn’t need to be much more than that.
So while few people were really gagging for a Riddler origin to rule them all, King manages to finagle a pretty believable origin for old Eddie that makes his riddle obsession both credible and sympathetic, which is a helluva feat. And, while I’m not sure if King put them together or not, the riddles dotted throughout the story are pretty clever.
It’s smart of Eddie to switch up his modus operandi - not bothering with riddles anymore, or carefully selecting his victims - to ensure he’s harder to catch this time around, and Mitch Gerads’ design of the character as a Michael Stipe-lookalike is surprisingly effective.
The ending is shocking in how dark it gets but it’s also one step too far in how derivative of The Killing Joke this comic is. From the title to the format, to the references throughout (Eddie reveals his part in what Joker did to Babs in a way that also clicks - King’s really put some thought into this one), it apes Killing Joke just a bit too much and that ending, that matches the original, is a step too far.
I’d have preferred it if King had done his own thing rather than copy Alan Moore to that extent. It’s a bit like JJ Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness where, the first time you see it, and assuming you’ve seen the original Wrath of Khan, you can’t quite believe he’s copying the original to that extent, and it detracts from the story he’s telling for that.
For all the brilliant small details in the story, the biggest storytelling choice of making Riddler as powerful as he becomes through his words just wasn’t convincing to me. He goes from being a formidable intellect to practically god-level and the way he covered as many bases as he did was too silly. It’s also contrived as it was the only way to force Batman into that ending.
Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler is flawed but, considering it’s a Riddler origin, it’s a decent story that cleverly fleshes out the background detail of a tricky character to take this seriously. It’s not saying much but it’s the best Batman comic I’ve read this year and worth checking out for fans of Batman and Tom King.
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