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Main Story
Written by Ty Templeton
Pencils by Rick Burchett
Inked by Terry Beatty
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Lettered by Phil Felix
Cover by Bruce Timm
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty
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Back-Up
Written by Dan Slott
Penciled by Ty Templeton
Inked by Terry Beatty
Colored by Zylonol
Lettered by Phil Felix
Asst. Editor Harvey Richards
Editor Joan Hilty |
Issue #02 - Free Man / Fowl Play
Cover Date - July 2003. Released on May 17th
Hunted mercilessly by shadow assassins, The Riddler turns to Batman for help - but even a Riddler on good behavior can't resist playing games with the Dark Knight. Also, follow a day in the life of The Penguin......Gotham's newest mayor. |
Review
The Riddler, in many ways, is an
ideal litmus test for Batman writers. The character is
an inherent challenge to write. Those who pen his
escapades must not only be smart enough to concoct
bizarre yet utterly logical motifs for him to play out,
but must also be smart enough to dream up ways to get
out of them. It’s not an easy thing to do, and weaker
writers and creators struggle with him, often leading to
the charming-yet-two-dimensional characterization that
viewers of Superfriends, the 60’s Batman
series, and Batman Forever are familiar with. The
finer scribes, however, rise to the challenge with
gusto, crafting a character immensely complex and
strangely endearing in his manic brilliance.
Fortunately, Ty Templeton “gets” Edward Nygma, and the
result is Batman Adventures #2, an entertaining
Riddler yarn which gets to the core of the character
while advancing a grander overall plot.
The “reformed villain” angle is not a new one to Batman
stories. In fact, it’s a recurring theme, and that’s no
surprise. After all, there’s an inherent promise to such
a premise. Does this former criminal really have
good intentions? Have they really beaten their
problem? And if so, can they stay free from evil’s
influence? These questions have been posed time and time
again for most of Batman’s rogues, notably Two-Face and
The Ventriloquist. It’s an ideal setup for the Riddler.
After all, here is a man who has no inherent desire to
commit crime or perform acts of unspeakable evil. Though
his actions are never altruistic, they are scarcely ever
malicious either. His sole aim to play out a series of
riddles on the grandest, most audacious scale
imaginable, a goal which often places him on the
opposing side of what’s right. If anybody in the Rogue’s
Gallery would have a shot at redemption, it would
probably be him. After all, he must beat just one
compulsion, one addiction, to transcend his villain
status. We all have our recurring pratfalls in life,
overriding flaws the drag us down from true greatness.
In a sense, we’re no different from Edward Nygma,
struggling to overcome that one thing, that lack of
ambition or that overconfidence or that tendency to
procrastinate, that holds us back.
This is why, as Batman Adventures #2 opens, and
we find a reformed Riddler attempting to make it in the
world outside of Arkham, we almost want to root for him.
He’s a likable guy, and though we know it’s unlikely at
best, true reform seems so close for him. But such a
thing is not meant to be. In a wonderful two-page
splash, the Riddler’s efforts at respectability are
dashed almost before they begin, as a group of assassins
sent by Ra’s Al Ghul immediately throw the kind of drama
into his life that’s almost guaranteed to make normalcy
an impossibility. If the Riddler had a shot before, it’s
almost certainly gone now. When drama and action are
thrown into the story, all hope is lost, because once
again, Edward Nygma is doomed to suffer under the laws
of fiction. As long as the story is his, he will
definitely be the Riddler, because he’s just so much
more interesting that way.
After that exciting opening, the main story becomes an
amusing, extended chase sequence, as Batman tracks the
Riddler across Gotham, attempting to save one of his
most persistent villains from certain death. It moves
skillfully from set piece to set piece. The Riddler
rightfully assumes that only Batman can protect him, and
so alludes to his location and state of duress through a
series of riddles only Batman can solve. It’s a clever
way to structure an issue. Not only does it make logical
sense, but it speaks volumes about Nygma’s addiction.
Even with his life in peril, the Riddler can’t abandon
his modus operandi. One can’t help but simultaneously
admire his dedication while pitying his foolishness.
Ty Templeton also advances two ongoing plots in this
issue: Batman’s relationship with the GCPD and Al Ghul’s
mysterious plans. Both are handled rather deftly. A nice
moment of tension enters the story when a museum guard
confronts (and even takes a shot at) Batman. The mystery
behind the League of Assassins and their intention in
wiping out the Rogue’s Gallery is merely hinted at, but
there’s an overriding sense that the puzzle pieces are
being moved intelligently and logically into place.
The art is predictably solid. The aforementioned
two-page splash is a wonderful introduction to the main
story, while the assassins’ hoverbikes are a delightful
mix between steampunk and vintage Kirbytech. Faces are
expressive, particularly in a scene in which Batman's
grapple line is cut, a moment both suspenseful and
deeply comedic.
The issue is not without fault. A crucial coloring error
towards the end, involving the shade of Nygma’s jacket,
nearly ruins the climax of the story. The assassins,
meanwhile, though clearly more effective than standard
comic book henchmen, don’t come off as particularly
menacing. Regardless, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable read
that cuts straight to the core of who Edward Nygma is.
Dan Slott’s backup, “Fowl Play”, advances the other
lingering subplot, the Penguin-as-mayor angle. We are
teased with the possibility of a quick resolution in
this story, as Rupert Thorne visits Cobblepot expecting
a few favors. But Slott’s more daring than that, and
what we wind up with nicely calls into question all of
the reader’s assumptions about the Penguin and his
motivations. Is this guy for real? It sure feels like
it, and the reader is left wanting to know more. Slott
also takes advantage of one of Batman’s more
under-utilized abilities (he’s a master of disguise, you
see), which provides a surprising moment while nicely
foreshadowing Slott’s later storyarc on the title. Good
work all around. |
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