Read All the Comics!: Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four, Tom King Batman

Batman 25-32

“The War of Jokes and Riddles” is a great title for an arc. Unfortunately, specific moments outshine what could have been a phenomenal story. There are too many missed possibilities. (A lot like Scott Snyder’s Death of the Family. I’ll get to that when I get to those issues.) First off, the awesome parts:

Amazing setup. The Riddler’s escape sets him up as a threat who demands to be taken seriously. It’s been a while since I’ve read a story with him, it was neat to see him not as a punchline. The Joker is written with the proper menace as well. And the meeting between the two of them has an epic quality to it, largely due to the double splash pages by Janin.

The running knock knock jokes are actually funny, and tie the issues together nicely, as does the underlying question of the difference between a joke and a riddle.

Janin’s Joker is a gorgeous extension of Bolland’s version. The fine line work and the cropped hair on the sides really make the similarities stand out.

From The Killing Joke

The facial expressions are spot on.

The high schooler in me loved the nostalgic return of Jim Balent’s Catwoman costume. Classic. (As terrifying as it is to use that label on something from the 90s…)

Ahh, memories.

So there was a point to Kite Man after all! Love the callback to his civilian name of Charlie Brown (and his ability to screw anything up):

Heh. "Good grief."

King stops using him as just a whipping boy, and gives him a sad sack backstory. No problems there - it’s well told, and the conversation with his son about being called a joke is heartbreaking. I can’t imagine the humiliation as a father to have to go through that experience. But as with the rest of the story, it’s a powerful moment amidst a weaker plot. Kite Man is given his moment of glory, and immediately reverts back to a literal punching bag. After seeing him with gravitas added to his characterization, it feels tonally off to have him return to his old form.

The sight of Bruce Wayne hosting a dinner with the Joker and Riddler is worth the price of the trade.

Who has it worse as butlers go, Alfred or Jarvis?

Joker preventing Batman from committing his first murder. It’s a wonderful twist on their dynamic. I haven’t spent enough time thinking about it yet, but as a first reaction, I love how messed up it is.

So what didn’t work? The actual war itself felt shunted to the background. It makes sense on a certain level; my expectations for a full out conflict among Batman’s rogues gallery could never be fulfilled, and it’s probably better that King didn’t try. But part of me still wants to see it in its drawn out entirety, a nineteen-part story like Knightfall, showing every little detail.

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Pretty good

Fantastic Four 52-55

I am so sick of this title. It’s a slog to get through each issue. As I wrote previously, Stan Lee’s ideas continue to build the foundations of the Marvel Universe. This time around, he introduces Black Panther, Wakanda, and Klaw to the world. The movie coming out in a week is a testament to the staying power of those creations.

But the relationships! They are pissing me off to no end. Crystal and Johnny Storm can’t stop mooning over each other, and how their separation is ruining their lives. Their time together consists of an introduction to the Inhumans and a fight against Maximus. No time to have any sort of conversation or get to know each other. Apparently half an hour with a pretty person is enough to fall in love. Hate.

And then there’s Ben and Alicia. Again, here are two people who never seem to have a conversation. Their entire relationship consists of meeting up whenever a fight conveniently happens around Alicia’s apartment. Alicia is always thinking about how much she loves Ben, yet I don’t think she’s ever told him, because he always assumes that she’s about to leave him for someone prettier. And then he gets jealous and picks a fight with the Silver Surfer. I don’t care if the rest of the FF call him out on his idiocy, it’s zero fun to read. Never ever ever reading this again.