The Riddler: Year One #2: Numbers Don’t Lie

The Riddler: Year One is a great example of how to do a movie tie-in as well as bringing in a celebrity writer. I’m often weary of both types of books, but I am pleased with The Riddler: Year One and issue #2 continues to develop an interesting story with stunning and intense imagery. It helps to have a figure like Paul Dano attached  to draw attention to the book, but the entire creative team also deserves full praise. Along with Paul Dano writing, the creative team is Stevan Subic on art duties and Clayton Cowles as letterer. Clayton Cowles does an excellent job retaining the darker tone of the series. Nashton’s narration boxes are almost black with white lettering and are constant throughout and brilliantly act as the little voice in the back of his head. Cowles also gets creative in a sequence where Nashton is spying on someone through binoculars. He had slipped an earbud into the person’s pocket and was able to overhear the conversation between said person and Nashton’s boss. The sequence is clever and well done in showing that Nashton is smart but not necessarily high tech.

Stevan Subic’s art is perfect for this series. He captures the likeness of Nashton and gritty realism of the world he inhabits without feeling distracting or daunting. Along with the gritty realism, Subic provides some really terrifying and horrific imagery ranging from gore and body horror and even some cosmic horror type creatures.  It is unclear if this is actually what Nashton sees, but the delusions bridge the gap between the grounded and fantastical aspects of the Batman mythos but still feel appropriate for the world of Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Personally, I think it would be a great idea if Stevan Subic was brought on to produce some concept art for future films. I would love for the films to lean in on the horror and fantastical elements we see here.

Dano has a keen understanding of the character and is giving readers a deeply personal look at the man we saw in the film. Even going into The Riddler: Year One #2, I was still a little worried about what this series would do for the character.  Luckily, Dano doesn’t glorify or change the meaning behind his actions in the film, but does add some believable development and a nice glimpse at the nightmare it is to live and work in Gotham City. Imagine if Dwayne Johnson was given the chance to write a Black Adam tie-in? Things could get very out of hand but Dano is respectful to source material as well as the comic medium.