Batman 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles

Comic Info

Batman (3) #25

Reprints Batman (3) #25-32 (August 2017-December 2017).  Villains have always caused problems in Gotham City but when a war breaks out between the Riddler and the Joker, the innocent casualties begin to grow.  With both sides recruiting super-villains to their cause, Batman must find a way to stop the building danger.  Also caught in the whirlpool is Kite Man who finds his life falling apart…Batman is the target and Kite Man could be the ultimate pawn as the war of jokes and riddles heats up!

Written by Tom King, Batman Volume 4:  The War of Jokes and Riddles is a DC Comics Rebirth superhero comic book collection.  Following Batman Volume 3:  I Am Bane, the volume features art by Mikel Janin, Clay Mann, Danny Miki, Seth Mann, John Livesay, and Hugo Petrus.  Issues in this volume were also included in the Batman Rebirth Deluxe Edition—Volume 2.

Tom King’s run on Batman has had moments and it also sometimes feels underdeveloped.  While I totally like the concept of the Riddler and Joker going head to head (as a kid watching the old Batman series, I kind of felt they were very similar in the MO), but I also feel that it was stretched too thin.

Batman (3) #27

The story covers eight issues and includes two “interlude” storylines.  The war is also being told in flashback in a conversation between Catwoman and Batman so there is a bit of a jumble of time and events in addition to the meandering plot.  With lots of splash-esque pages with villains fighting villains etc., it feels that the story could have been boiled down to 4 issues tops.

The story also is a set-up for essentially a Kite Man joke and getting two issues to do that also feels like a waste.  The “Hell Yeah” was funny…the first time, but to turn it into a recurring joke through the story was overkill.  Kite Man is stupid…we get it, and as demonstrated by the Harley Quinn TV series, the joke can be better presented than it is here.

Batman 4:  The War of Jokes and Riddles is a rather meh outing.  It feels like filler for much of the volume and a means to extend Catwoman’s yes or no cliffhanger to Batman’s proposal in Batman (3) #24 (August 2017).  It is also disappointing in the sense that there is potential and there is a good story between Joker and Riddler…but the War of Jokes and Riddles wasn’t it.  Batman 4:  The War of Jokes and Riddles is followed by Batman 5:  The Rules of Engagement.

Preceded By:

Batman 3:  I Am Bane

Followed By:

Batman 5:  The Rules of Engagement