Written by: Tom King
Art by: Mikel Janin
Published by: DC Comics
War of Jokes and Riddles takes a respite, with our favorite villains having dinner at Wayne Manor.
This is a departure from the rest of the arc; however, not outside the realm of how Tom King has been writing Batman. It is an interlude, which allows us to get more familiar with the players on the board, their intentions, and their ultimate goals. During this chapter the reader is a spectator of an intense chess game being played by these villains. Nothing is off the table, and seeing they have similar goals, one has to wonder why they do not join forces.
King manages to show us why, as he is ultimately showing us fundamental differences between the Joker and the Riddler here, with Bruce Wayne being an intermediary. When this arc started, I was concerned how King would approach the Crown Prince of Crime and especially after this chapter I can safely say that my fears were completely unfounded. Joker is in the safe hands here,
Mikel Janin continues his masterful work here with depictions of disdain on both Joker’s and Riddler’s faces as they talk about Batman and themselves. It’s subtle, yet noticeable. Another character in this chapter that really plays a part in this negotiation of sort is the food itself. Janin portrays that as well as anyone could, one almost wishes they could be part of that dinner party.
That is saying a lot because the entirety of Batman’s rogue gallery is on display here and the way Janin is able to give even these background players each their unique characteristics and character even in a static shot is amazing.
War of Jokes and Riddles continues to be a really fun story and even though it is not a pinnacle of Batman writing, it is one of the most fun Joker stories in a long time. It seems that it will have real ramifications for the Dark Knight. King has taken this Batman arc and made it so interesting without the titular character and that always deserves praise.
Batman continues to be one of the best titles in the Rebirth line up and especially this story, if you are a fan of either Riddler or Joker you should absolutely check it out. It comes highly recommended.
