By Steve Baxi — When Tom King was announced as the new Batman writer for the Rebirth era, he was coming off The Vision and The Omega Men, two of the most emotionally engaging and narratively complex comics works of the last decade. King once described his Batman as a Kierkgaardian epic, swaying through highs and lows of faith, vulnerability, the price of love, and the essence of living a good life. Over nearly 100 issues from the main book, one-shots, annuals, and Batman/Catwoman, Batman was taken to some of his darkest places and challenged to overcome his fears at every turn. Issue after issue, Batman asserts “I am still here,” issue after issue he tries to be brave, he tries to be Batman. In short, Tom King’s Batman was about being thrown into the depths of despair and seeing what it takes to emerge a hero.

Batman: Killing Time #1 is not that.

In a new mini-series, by Tom King, David Marquez, Alejandro Sánchez, and Clayton Cowles, the Dark Knight is put into a classic hollywood heist, facing down Riddler, Catwoman and Penguin during his early years operating in Gotham City. Killing Time serves as a tie-in to the newly released, The Batman (2022) which uses the same villains and basic context. Interestingly, King is no stranger to tie-ins as The Vision series that catapulted him into critical acclaim was released in late 2015 as a tie-in to the character appearing in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). As tie-in comics go, Batman: Killing Time #1 is a more evergreen title, not anchored in continuity, not even in the context of King’s own Batman run (is this before the War of Jokes and Riddles? After? It's unclear). But if DC has a signature strength, it's their ability to release a constant stream of universally approachable books, and in a perfect world screenings of The Batman would come with a copy of Killing Time. 

This series is, without a doubt, some of the best work King has ever done on Batman, the best art Marquez has produced for DC thus far and takes full advantage of the consist partnership between Cowles and King with journal-esque lettering that fragments and spreads across a page to keep pace with King’s cadence. Killing Time is a Stanely Kubrick inspired, action-packed thrill ride that never loses the voice and intimacy King has shown with his work on Batman. Indeed, while this is not the soul crushing heft of Cold Days, or the heartwarming highs of Batman (2016) Annual #4, it is a perfect capsule of what makes Batman fun, and in particular what makes him a character King enjoys writing.

Killing Time takes Batman’s well established haunts and imbues them with the atmosphere and structure of classic hollywood films. The narrative is non-linear, but fluid in how each action clearly demonstrates a cause and effect that propels the plot forward. The book is laid out masterfully with an engaging narration that sucks us into the ticking clock and the stakes for each scene. The timing is so well executed and immersive, I caught myself rooting for Riddler as he tries to crack a safe and I was riveted by the Catwoman plot that perfectly lines up with Riddler’s carefully laid out timing. The “how” of it all becomes as fascinating as the events themselves.

Both Batman/Catwoman and Killing Time are non-linear, and Marquez’s art utilizes a similar technique to Clay Mann where characters often transcend panels. However, here they are accompanied by time-stamps via narration that allows the book to create concrete expectations and payoffs for each time-line. Actions do not hang in space-time, they dance around it with precision. Each environment is also roughly color coded by Sánchez, helping to easily identify where and at what time of day Catwoman, Riddler, and Penguin are located . Every location feels representative of its characters while also providing appropriate geographic markers.

Marquez proves to be a stellar partner for King in this particular book, as both are aiming for a Batman that feels large, intimidating, and frankly just plain cool. The action is dynamic, the shadows loom large, and Batman has all the grace and presence of an MMA fighter turned olympic gymnast. That balance is hard to strike, as different artists render Batman with attention to whatever attribute is appropriate for the story: the shadowy, lurking detective; the brawny fighter going toe-to-toe with Bane; the sleepless scientist hunched over his computer, etc. But here both Marquez and King portray a Batman that lives up to the original concept of someone who has mastered every human skill. The creatives disappear behind a story that wants you to see just how absolutely unstoppable Batman is. His suit, his vehicles, his superhero poses, all serve the narrative but also have the makings of a poster book.

That said, I think King has a particular idea in mind for what makes Batman cool to him. In the early arcs of his run, the motif of Batman doing the impossible was more present than in later stories, and oftentimes these impossible tasks like riding a plane into the water or breaking out of Bane’s prison carried both a quality of impressive action but also inspiration. Batman not only does the impossible because of how capable he is, but he energizes you as he does it. At their heart, superhero comics are power fantasies and so when characters like Batman shine, they need to be careful of what exactly they inspire in us. It's certainly not fun to lose teeth when Killer Croc punches you in the jaw. But it’s absolutely exciting to have the will power to go 12 rounds with someone bigger than you only to come out on top through ingenuity and persistence.

When Tom King pitched this comic as sidestepping the philosophical questions of Batman for something more fun, I wasn’t convinced he had that in him. I’ve read too much of his work not to expect at least some subtextual musings on the nature of the characters present. And so far, I think that still holds truel. Time will tell what the story ultimately says about Batman, but even in this first issue which focuses mostly on the villains, there are seeds of rich thematic potential. There’s a sense of scope to the harm villains do, to the guilt Batman feels for failing, and the pure ecstasy of success in the face of insurmountable odds that makes the book just as intellectually engaging as it is fun. If Killing Time is viewed as an extension on King’s Batman run, I think it represents the best parts of the character when they’re allowed to flourish. Who is Tom King’s Batman when self doubt is replaced with pure drive? The answer, unsurprisingly, is a force of nature that will hound criminals until their last breath, and will look cool as hell while doing it.

Overall: The opening act of Batman: Killing Time is stacked with great moments, potential and a creative combo that brings out the best of everyone involved. 9/10.

Review: Batman: Killing Time #1

Batman: Killing Time #1
Writer: Tom King
Artist: David Marquez
Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99
Three villains, one Dark Knight, and a deadly heist gone wrong.
Catwoman, the Riddler, and the Penguin join forces to pull off the greatest robbery in the history of Gotham City. And their prize? A mysterious and priceless artifact in the secret possession of Bruce Wayne! But, as the events unfold, what fun is a heist without a bloody double cross or two?
The blockbuster team of Tom King and David Marquez bring an epic, white-knuckled, action-packed tale of a young Batman desperate to recover his most prized possession from a host of violent rogues before the clock strikes the Killing Time...
Buy It Here: Batman - Killing Time #1

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Steve Baxi has a Masters in Ethics and Applied Philosophy, with focuses in 20th Century Aesthetics and Politics. Steve creates video essays and operates a subscription based blog where he writes on pop culture through a philosophy lens. He tweets through @SteveSBaxi.