Writer: Tom King
Art: David Marquez, Alejandro Sánchez, and Clayton Cowles
Price: $4.99
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Tom King and David Marquez are joining forces to bring fans BATMAN: KILLING TIME #1 as some of Gotham’s most notorious villains band together to pull off what may be the greatest heist of all time. Let’s dive into this opening installment as fans follow a young BATMAN in search of what we may discover to be his most prized possession.
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THE DISPATCH
Tom King is back with another BATMAN tale that appears to be a fun, smash and grab, heist invoking a plethora of Gotham’s vicarious Rogues. Readers get a rather thorough opening with details that are very uncharacteristic of King’s writing… and I liked it. For the first time in a long time involving King’s writing style, I feel like I’m being told a story physically on the page in front of me without having to speculate or imagine what’s happening off-panel. This go-around was a bit more straightforward, easy to follow, and packed with details that made it entertaining. Plus, the layout and design orchestrated by this creative team perfectly fit the heist mantra King was looking for.
However, there were some simple aspects of BATMAN: KILLING TIME #1 that just bothered me a bit. It was implied that an accident changed Waylon Jones into Killer Croc. Nevertheless, it’s been my impression, as well as the creator of Killer Croc Gerry Conway, that Croc was born this way. Now, unless it’s been retconned (which could be the case), this seemed out of place. Plus, this little nugget wasn’t necessary for the flow of the story. So, King didn’t need to even place it into BATMAN: KILLING TIME in order for the story to make sense.
Additionally, if this story takes place early on in BATMAN’S career, why does the Riddler look like the old Riddler and not the version King himself created? And why is CATWOMAN working with the Riddler? What specifically comes to my mind is the WAR OF JOKES AND RIDDLES and how none of these seems to jive or connect to that narrative at all especially if this is a young BATMAN. There just appears to be some holes in the flow of the narrative that shouldn’t be there since it was his own story. Or, is BATMAN: KILLING TIME merely a BATMAN tale set in his early years but from a different Earth or reality? If so, that would elevate my score and disconnect many of my misgivings of the issue.
ART
How does King always find the best artists? David Marquez and Alejandro Sánchez are outstanding. The colors are vibrant and the intricate realism of the characters involved is spectacular. From tennis lessons to BATMAN free-falling in the pouring rain, Marquez and Sánchez provide an array of high-quality renderings and illustrations that are practically worth the price alone.
Readers, Killer Croc’s scales looked incredibly thick along with his deep, yellow, reptilian eyes. Moreover, the zoom-in on the Penguin’s teeth while eating fish was some of the most grotesquely gruesome illustrations I’ve seen in quite some time. Moreover, words can’t do justice for what this art team was able to accomplish in this week’s issue of BATMAN: KILLING TIME #1. Even if you’ve had your misgivings with King in the past, you may still want to check out the issue for the art alone.
FINAL THOUGHTS
On the surface, BATMAN: KILLING TIME #1 appears to be exactly what King wrote on Twitter: “I wrote BATMAN for 5 years exploring the emotional depth of this most interesting man. KILLING TIME has nothing to do with any of that. This is a badass, heist, action epic. Mean folk on the run, Batman close behind.” As of now, that’s exactly what this story is with art by Marquez that’s truly astonishing. Marquez and Sánchez provide some of the rawest and most vivid displays that make you forget where you are and throw your dead center into the story.
Together, BATMAN: KILLING TIME #1 appears to be loads of fun. However, the hiccups mentioned earlier about where and how this fits within what King already wrote, as well as some character details had me pumping the breaks a bit. Plus, past practice from King also shows that his story beats oftentimes get lost in the shuffle as his vision unfolds. So, I leave BATMAN: KILLING TIME #1 hesitatingly optimistic and excited for issue two with hopes that more clarity will transpire for the questions I had above and a score that simply can’t get enough of this art team. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!