I’m a sucker for a good heist story which is why I was excited to dive into Batman: Killing Time #1. The story has Catwoman, Riddler, Penguin, and Killer Croc stealing something in the early years of Batman. What the object is? Only Batman knows! And he looks worried.
Written by Tom King, there’s a bit of “cool” about the first issue as it takes us through how our villains go about their heist. We don’t know exactly what they’re stealing but King delivers a step by step blow in how they pull it off.
The debut feels like it owes a bit of gratitude to all of the films and stories that have come before that takes us step by step into how the crime was committed from the criminal’s perspective. That usually happens towards the end of the tale but Batman: Killing Time #1 opens with almost all of the cards on the table. There’s some things you just need to accept but overall, the heist is fun in a twisted way.
That twisted way feels a little over the top for some of the characters and perfect for others. Killer Croc acts as muscle and distraction, Catwoman sneaks in to take care of a hostage, while Riddler cracks the safe. Each has their role and it’s played our purrrrfectly. Catwoman is the only one that feels a little off and a bit more of a “killer” than we normally expect but King delivers a solid Riddler and Croc that’s almost sympathetic.
The art by David Marquez is solid. With color by Alejandro Sánchez and lettering by Clayton Cowles, the art dips into that “slick” look that you’d find in an Ocean‘s film but doesn’t get caught in it. The team balances that slick and cool with a brutal fight between Croc and Batman. Catwoman and Riddler’s stories, while fitting with Croc, feel different visually and even different from each other. Each character has a role and the visuals Marquez puts together has each character delivering a subtle style to their own. It’s interesting to see the actions and body language for each fit the box each checks off.
Batman: Killing Time #1 is a good start. It’s very much a setup of what’s to come taking us through the crime. But, it also delivers solid action and some good twists. There’s a bit of detail the comic delivers, like making it clear this is early in Batman’s career, that make the comic stand out. It doesn’t beat you over the head instead laying almost all of the cards out on the table. It’s a debut that has me coming back to see what’s next.
Story: Tom King Art: David Marquez
Color: Alejandro Sánchez Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.45 Overall: 8.15 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW
