Riddle me this, what is the best Riddler story ever told? I always considered it to be Hush by Jeph Loeb, but this BLOWS it out of the water. DC has been crushing Batman stories lately, and the "Batman: One Bad Day" series seems to be continuing that trend. I love The Riddler, but he is usually made out to be a joke and a loser. This one shot story fixes all of that. It convincingly turns the Riddler into a serious threat, while going into his origin. The origin story is nuanced and chilling, and probably strikes a chord with a lot of kids with academic pressure put upon them. The story of an excellent teacher trying to reach out to a broken and stressed out kid is also a chord that rings true to a lot of teachers. Tom King knocks it out of the park with the story, it's engaging, chilling, and every page has you thinking "Where is the riddle?". Only for it never to show up. The art and colors by Mitch Gerads are stunning, every single thing he draws is perfect in this story, from the character's expressions to the gorgeous flashbacks. This is easily the best Riddler story ever told, but it also might be one of the best Batman villain stories ever told, right up there with The Killing Joke itself. I was cautiously optimistic about the One Bad Day series, but now I can't wait for the next one. King and Gerads are obviously the heavy hitters, which makes them the logical first issue team, so I'm hoping the talent is just as impressive issue to issue, and that DC didn't just crush the lead and then wither away like it usually does. The next one is Two-Face, scheduled to come out at the end of September.
Who is your favorite Batman villain from the One Bad Day series?
- Riddler
- Mr. Freeze
- Penguin
- Catwoman