Review: Batman: Killing Time #4
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Tom King
Artist: David Marquez
Colors:Â Â Alejandro Sanchez
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
“Earlier that morning, Batman is fighting tigers.” –Narrator
“I’m fighting tigers.” – Batman to Alfred over his communicator
Positives
Tom King. This man has done more for Bruce Wayne lately to make Batman so relevant in the DC landscape. Not only does King write one of the strongest stories for Batman, but the rhythm., the pace, the narration. Then we get the jumps from page to page;”Earlier that day”, “two hours ago,” “2000 years ago”.
King puts your held on a swivel. Love his humor (see quote above), but more importantly, he has introduced The Help which is the coolest and most confident villain I have ever seen. Picture a sane Joker… a slender Bane…an evil Alfred. Nothing really can describe The Help as we have never seen anything like him. This book provides the origin and it is a powerful one!
In this day and age…remember when Bane was first introduced and how we were all like…he broke The Bat! Well, mark down this series with The Help.
Clayton Cowles’ lettering aids in King’s story so much. I absolutely love the narration and he definitely is an artist in this arena!
David Marquez pencils are reminiscent of prior artists. Batman’s features are larger in some instances and slender in others. But overall, his attention to detail and his renderings of classic villains as well as The Help is what makes this comic jump off the page!
Negatives Â
I never knew Selina to be so brutal, but King writes Selina on the same level as Penguin and Joker. While she is arguably softer in her books, this particular outing has a Selina that is pure brutal. Not a negative per se, but be on the lookout for a Selina that is unlike what you are used to!
Verdict
Tom King’s leaving his stamp on the Batman universe. This intense pace of narration back and forth with time stamps, battles, and name-dropping galore is repainting the Batman landscape. You may need to take a hit from an oxygen tank as your heart flutters with every turn of the page!
