Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: Batman, batmanonebadday, dc comics, Mitch Gerads, one bad day, riddler, Tom King

Exclusive Look At Tom King & Mitch Gerads' Batman One Bad Day Riddler

Published Sat, 21 May 2022 13:17:11 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:15:07 -0500

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Batman: One Bad Day: The Riddler: Dreadful Reins by Tom King and Mitch Gerads is the first in a series of graphic novellas from DC Comics, each featuring one of Batman's rogue gallery, in the manner of Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. Like the Killing Joke, each is a 64-page story, the "One Bad Day" refers to the Killing Joke line that both the Joker and the Batman are the result of them both having bad days, and the logo is modelled on the killing Joke logo too.

Mitch states, "My genuine long-time dream book, and Tom King delivered the absolute perfect script for it. I've never been this excited to get a book into your mitts! I've been putting everything I have into every page." Tom King added, "Mitch Gerads and I are giving you the scariest f-cking Riddler of all time. #BatmanOneBadDay THE RIDDLER, a new 64-page OGN out in August. Some questions don't have answers. The subtitle for the story is Dreadful Reins. If you know, you know." Edward Nygma's meticulous rules and systems go out the window when he kills seemingly at random, but Batman isn't buying it! This tense intellectual thriller sees Batman unravel as he tries to decode the Riddler's motivation!

But what's inside the pages? Well, Bleeding Cool has an exclusive look inside Batman: One Bad Day: The Riddler: Dreadful Reins with an unlettered preview. We look forward to the Hollywood Reporter running it as an exclusive on Monday. Here are the exclusive new pages:

Here is another page that Mitch Gerads previously released;

The name of the book:

The main cover:

The other covers:

And a comparison of the logo to that of The Killing Joke to make the point.

The Riddler was first Edward Nigma, later Edward Nygma as well as Edward Nashton. One of Batman's main rogue gallery, he was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang for Detective Comics #140 in October 1948. A criminal mastermind obsessed with setting u crimes that can be solved through the examination of complex riddles, he became popular after his portrayal in the Batman 1966 TV series played first by Frank Gorshin and then John Astin, with Jim Carrey playing him in the 1995 Joel Schumacher movie Batman Forever, Cory Michael Smith in the 2014 TV series Gotham, and most recently a starring role by Paul Dano in this year's The Batman.

Batman: The Killing Joke was a 1988 DC Comics one-shot graphic novel that gave an origin to the Joker, but also saw him attempt to drive Commissioner Gordon mad with grief, the idea that the Joker became the Joker because of one very bad day – and the same with true of Batman as well. It is considered the definitive Joker story, I guess DC would really like the same for The Riddler, and do it in the comics rather than wait for the TV show spinoffs.

And here are looks at other upcoming Batman One Bad Day graphic novellaa. With Batman One Bad Day: Bane by Josh Williamson and Howard Porter, Batman One Bad Day: Two-Face by Mariko Tamaki, Javier Fernandez, and Jordie Bellaire, One Bad Day: The Penguin by John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Arif Prianto, and Batman One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze by Gerry Duggan and Matteo Scalera. Catwoman by G Willow Wilson and Jamie McKelvie. Batman One Bad Day: Clayface by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing, Xermanico & Romulo Fajardo Jr. And Batman One Bad Day: Ra's Al Ghul by Ivan Reis and Tom Taylor.

January 2023: Batman One Bad Day: Bane by Josh Williamson and Howard Porter. "The man who broke the Bat! Here's a sneak peek at the cover art for an all new Bane one-shot by Josh Williamson and Howard Porter, coming in January 2023!" Howard Porter says "BOOM!"

September: Batman One Bad Day: Two-Face by Mariko Tamaki, Javier Fernandez, & Jordie Bellaire. "Harvey Dent is back, but is he here to save Gotham City? Head or Tails, Batman can't win when it comes to Two-Face! This September, Mariko Tamaki and Javier Fernandez team up for a new one-shot comic where the fate of a city rests on a coin flip. Heads or Tails, when it comes to Two-Face Batman always loses! Is Harvey Dent back to save Gotham City? In a new 64-page one-shot comic this September, Mariko Tamaki and Javier Fernandez's tragic noir Two-Face epic will flip that iconic coin…on its head?!

October: Batman One Bad Day: The Penguin by John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Arif Prianto. "When The Penguin's criminal empire is stolen by a former associate, Batman faces both Oswald and The Umbrella Man on the burning streets of Gotham!" When the Penguin's criminal empire is stolen by a former associate, Batman faces both Cobblepot and THE UMBRELLA MAN on the burning streets of Gotham! John Ridley and Giuseppe Camuncoli's ONE BAD DAY one-shot arrives this October!

November: Batman One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze by Gerry Duggan and Matteo Scalera out in November. "Save your sympathies, Batman and Robin! Years ago, Gotham City experienced a winter so icy that Mr. Freeze could live without his containment suit. " On his Substack, Gerry Duggan writes;

Back in 2014 Matteo Scalera and I were invited to collaborate with Scott Snyder on Batman 34, and if you haven't checked it out it's worth finding for Matteo & Lee Loughridge alone. Love telling one-and-done stories. And now I'm proud to announce that Matteo and I are reuniting for a second one-shot in Gotham. Batman: One Bad Day Mr. Freeze will arrive during the holidays and is meant to be the meanest, baddest, best Mr. Freeze tale ever told. We have some stiff competition, but that's our goal. This time we're joined by Dave Stewart, and what a hell of a team Matteo and Dave make. Buckle up, you're in for a hell of a ride. Plan to join us this November in Gotham, and this isn't the last big announcement I have on tap. The X-Men is ongoing, I have another Marvel surprise, a video game I've helped write, and a completed unannounced creator-owned comic that is the funniest thing I've been a part of. All that, plus maybe some news shortly from Hollywood about one of my previous collaborations.

Save your sympathies, Batman and Robin! Years ago, Gotham City experienced a winter so icy that Mr. Freeze could live without his containment suit! Gerry Duggan and Matteo Scalera deliver a cold new take on Mr. Freeze this November!

December: Catwoman by G Willow Wilson and Jamie McKelvie. "A brooch Selina Kyle's mother once pawned for pennies is now part of a high-bid auction, and Catwoman will steal it back at any cost. The stakes are personal this December in G Willow Wilson and Jamie McKelvie's new one-shot!" Wilson says "Weather's nice. Let's go on a heist. ONE BAD DAY: CATWOMAN, coming this December" and McKelvie adds "Hello! G. Willow Wilson and I are doing a Catwoman comic together! Should have some art for you soon. Delighted to be working with Willow again."

February Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing, Xermanico & Romulo Fajardo Jr. Clayface's dream was to be famous, but Gotham's stars don't always shine bright! Batman chases Basil Karlo to L.A. where Clayface is killing his way to fame in Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing and Xermanico's ONE BAD DAY February one-shot! Lanzung tweeted ""This town'll kill your soul… unless you kill it first." 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐃𝐀𝐘: 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 is our brutal truth after 15 years in the Hollywood machine. @cpkelly & I are putting every bitter tear on the page for @Xermanico – this book is a challenge and a catharsis."