Writer: Tom King
Art: David Marquez, Alejandro Sánchez, and Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Price:$3.99
Release Date: April 5th, 2022
The heist resumes, and blood will overflow, as CATWOMAN and the Riddler continue to pull off the perfect crime of all crimes. This leaves this new treacherous duo in the custody of what some deem the most important item in the DCU. Let’s dive into BATMAN: KILLING TIME #2 by Tom King and David Marquez as readers begin to see these two squirm wondering just how long they can hold on to it without BATMAN knowing. And, hints of a new terrifying villain are dropped as King brings this issue to a close?
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THE DISPATCH
There is a lot of jumping around with the time frames as this story unfolds. Truthfully, a bit too much bouncing around. So much so that I’d argue almost every page has a time-hop making it completely unnecessary. One minute you are in the present and the next you are one hour earlier. Afterward, your three months ahead, then you’re in an interrogation room. Moreover, you’re bouncing back to the year 1157 B.C. and then back to the safe house with the Riddler and CATWOMAN.
Really? I understand the “feel” King is going for but it just became a bit tiring and confusing at times. And if in the end, this “confusion” amounts to “mystery” that’s a bald-faced lie. Making a story confusing just to be confusing doesn’t amount to intrigue and mystery. Frankly, it just angers me and turned me off from the comic.
Hopefully, he tones it down in the later issues of BATMAN: KILLING TIME. Why? Well readers, because you learn nothing from this issue. We don’t discover who else is really involved. We receive little to no clues about this “new villain”. And, we get no new hints as to what the item is. All we know is that the plan was developed months in advance and it “may” involve the Joker and Croc’s girlfriend. Moreover, we know it involves Ancient Greece… but we don’t know why or how. So, I found myself leaving BATMAN: KILLING TIME #2 wondering, what’s the point? An issue is supposed to drop some type of nugget and this story felt like it, not only confused fans on purpose, but it additionally gave us nothing on purpose too.
ART
David Marquez is flippin’ outstanding. His art is crisp, sleek, and detailed with a modern twist. The colors by Alejandro Sánchez are so incredibly bright and pop off the page. Together, these two truly dazzle the eyes. However, I have one minor hook-up that I just couldn’t shake. The Joker looks… too normal.
He actually looks almost as if he’s in his early 20s, sophisticated, clean-cut, and a bit too stylish for his own good, which didn’t jive well with his dialogue. His dialogue was that of a psychopath but on the cover of GQ Magazine. It just didn’t fit. However, literally, everything else was lights out! But if there are any props I can give King it’s that he knows how to connect with amazing artists.
FINAL THOUGHTS
BATMAN: KILLING TIME #2 by King and Marquez continues to be a visual gem and draws readers in with its writer’s credentials and crisp design. However, after looking under the hood, I can’t help but wonder what this comic is truly about? Is it really a heist? And why would CATWOMAN participate? How was the heist done? Who’s involved? And what does Ancient Greece really have to do with all of this? All readers will find is confusion and zero answers to any questions.
The story doesn’t develop at all and absolutely no plot beats are explained. Yet, no one who has read King should be surprised by this pattern. If you’re a King BATMAN fan, this will feel like home. If not, you may want to just pass. But being close to halfway through this tale and not knowing any more about this story than when it started, I can’t help but wonder if it’s worth the ride as well as the price. Visually, it’s right on! Narrative-wise, it needs some work. Let me know what you think, have a great week, and God Bless!