Batman: Killing Time asks whether can the perfect heist exist in Gotham City. That theory gets put to the test by Catwoman, Croc, Penguin and Riddler. Can they work together and baffle the Dark Knight, or will they fail as all the others have done?
DC Comics
Written by: Tom King
Art by: David Marquez
Colors by: Alejandro Sanchez
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
The issue is your standard setup that introduces the setting and villains. We see how involved the heist was and how quickly it looks to be falling apart. The villains selected for the series are unique and different and having it set in the early part of Batman and Jim Gordon’s time in Gotham allows us to see their growth together.
The story starts as your typical King crime mystery, but with a twist as there is no murder but a stolen item is the true mystery. Using an object to move the story is different from what is generally expected from his previous Batman work. What makes this issue suitable is how King sets up everything, including those involved from the start.
The art matches the themes and style of the story that King is creating. Marquez’s art balances actions, character profiles, and backgrounds wonderfully. As the story includes many iconic villains, his style works perfectly for them. What makes the art unique is how well the background characters look different and not just an unassuming copy with slight color variation.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Batman Killing Time is an excellent start to the mini-series. With a unique McGuffin being introduced, King can focus on Batman’s detective skills and solve the case. With the art balanced by Marquez’s fantastic work, we can only expect more of Batman’s Rogue Gallery to make an appearance.