Batman’s long night continues as The Riddler begins the deadliest game of crossword that Gotham has ever seen. Spoilers for Batman #92 follow.
It’s been almost three months since the release of Batman #91, so it really felt like it was about time for a new issue to be released as DC has begun to slowly roll out new issues after taking April off of release due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Now that the series has returned to the stands though, it comes as no surprise that the story kicks off right where the previous issue ended. To that end though, like the issues before, this issue simply feels like another prelude issue to “Joker War.” A decent issue sure, but a prelude issue nonetheless.
So, the best part of this issue is when it picks up directly where the previous issue left off with The Riddler. Riddler is a very hit-or-miss type of villain depending on how he’s written. He can either be a criminal mastermind and one of Batman’s toughest foes or an annoying joke of villain. Somehow, this issue manages to balance the two versions of Riddler incredibly well. He’s intimidating, yet Batman still manages to defeat him easily by answering some clever riddles along the way. It’s not my personal favorite incarnation of Riddler, but it’s still a very fun version to read.
As for the other half of the issue though, this focuses on Catwoman and Harley along with the first significant appearance of Punchline. Yes, she does appear in Batman #89 and Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #3, but those are minor, minor roles, so this really feels like her first real appearance. And, as such, this is the half of the issue that feels like a prelude to “Joker War,” for better or worse.
There’s not a lot going on with this portion of the issue beyond some fight scenes and the introduction of Punchline, but the characterizations of each character are great. Harley and Punchline have some great immediate chemistry and it’s very clear that Punchline isn’t just another Harley, which is good. So, as far as a prelude goes, it does a good job of setting up the players, but not much else.
As for the art, Guillem March handles duties in this issue and does a pretty solid job throughout it. Each character, from Batman to Punchline have their own distinct mannerisms that fit the characters well and make the issue much more visually interesting. His storytelling is solid enough as well too, punching the script in solid ways when it felt a bit lacking. If reading the series in trade though, it will be a drastic shift in style though reading this issue after issue #91, which was drawn by Jorge Jimenez. This isn’t a criticism of March’s art though, just some editorial choices.
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