Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Batman: One Bad Day

Batman: One Bad Day - Mr. Freeze #1

Rate this book
Going back to the Dark Knight's early days in Gotham Batman and Robin, Dick Grayson, face down the coldest winter Gotham City has ever seen. A winter so cold that Mr. Freeze, Victor Fries, no longer needs his containment suit to survive; he is in an element where he can thrive. Robin empathizes with Mr. Freeze-all Freeze wants to do is save his wife, Nora-but Batman warns Robin not to give his empathy to Victor Fries. He’s a man who decided his own fate a long time ago and he deserves none of our warmth. And this winter... he will show his true wickedness and power. The powerhouse creative team of bestselling writer Gerry Duggan (X-Men, Deadpool, Arkham Manor) and Matteo Scalera (White Knight Harley Quinn, Black Science) brings you Mr. Freeze’s most frigid story yet.

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2023

97 people are currently reading
407 people want to read

About the author

Gerry Duggan

1,452 books363 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
354 (22%)
4 stars
702 (45%)
3 stars
397 (25%)
2 stars
79 (5%)
1 star
12 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
Profile Image for Anne.
4,739 reviews71.2k followers
March 26, 2023
Decent story that shows Victor Fries in a new light.

description

We're sort of used to seeing Mr. Freeze as someone whose tragic circumstances (his wife's illness) coupled with an accident caused him to turn to crime.
In Duggan's version, Fries was a controlling asshole from the start, and keeping his dying wife in cryo was just another way that he refused to let her get away from him.

description

I thought this did what it was supposed to do, in that Duggan gave us something new. I actually prefer Fries as a brokenhearted sob story, but I appreciated this new twist.
I also enjoyed the Christmas-y vibe and Batman & Robin's back-and-forth. The art was great, too.
For me, this one was a winner.
Recommended.
Profile Image for Jim Ef.
433 reviews104 followers
February 11, 2023
7.2/10
Mr.Freeze is one of Batman's most fearsome enemies and yet he is a very compelling one too.
In 'One Bad Day' you can see why is that.
The story depicts he's villainous side, but you also see what drove him there and what kind of man he was before.

I also like the interactions and the dynamic between Batman, Alfred and Dick. It's always great to see those three together.

Overall it's a solid story with nice art and for someone who is unfamiliar with the Mr.Freeze that can be a good starting point.
Profile Image for Lyn.
2,009 reviews17.6k followers
November 29, 2024
Batman: One Bad Day is a series of one shots that focuses on Batman villains and with the concept, borrowed from Alan Moore’s brilliant Killing Joke where Moore had Joker talk about how we’re all just one bad day away from becoming something else, possibly a descent into monstrosity. Or by expansion, anyone is one bad day from losing it.

I had a client years ago who had severe mental and emotional disorders. And. This dude was 6’6 and almost 300 pounds of muscle. If he has a bad day, it could go bad for a lot of people within arms reach of a Hulk level melt down. Fun fact: he liked to troll the internet to find people to argue with. So the weird guy on Twitter who espouses wild conspiracy theories and likes to blow you up with argument? Yeah, watch out, and DO NOT agree to meet him in a road rage style error that could affect how you spend the rest of your life.

If a supervillain has a bad day, how bad can it be?

This also made me think of The Shadow of the Bat series back in the 90s that focused on villains. I’ve always been partial to Flash’ rogues gallery, so I have read more about Captain Cold than Mr. Freeze, but this was exceptional.

Writer Gerry Duggan does a nice job telling the Victor Freeze story with some new twists. I liked his work on the Uncanny Avengers but felt that was limited by what seemed to be an injected agenda to tell a certain kind of story. Here, he plays fast and loose with both Freeze and the dynamic duo’s reaction to him and I especially liked the way he wrote for Robin.

Even a casual Batman fan will know that Freeze was compelled towards evil because of the illness of his wife but here, Duggan adds some complexity to the marriage relationship that makes this even better and adds greater depth to Freeze’ villainy.

And the art was amazing, kudos to Matteo Scalera and team.

I’m off to find another of these to read.

description
Profile Image for Sud666.
2,330 reviews198 followers
February 4, 2024
Gerry Duggan pens a poignant and quite good story.

This is the story of Viktor Freeze. During a mission, a young Robin (Dick Grayson) has a conversation with Batman and Alfred about the possibility of an arch-criminal finding redemption or, at the very least, a change in their outlook. This premise sees Batman give Mr. Freeze a chance to make up for past mistakes and perhaps save his wife. But this shows a very interesting side to the relationship between Mr. Freeze and his wife. No more spoilers.

While not a very long story, this short one shot is a pleasure to read. Matteo Scalera's cool artwork is a perfect complement to this story. Highly recommended for Batman fans
Profile Image for Molly™☺.
971 reviews109 followers
November 3, 2024
A re-telling of Mr. Freeze's backstory that loses the romance and drills down on the tragic. Whilst it looks fantastic, and the snowy vibes are immaculately portrayed through visual presentation, the refresh of the relationship isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. The heroes draw a better straw when it comes to dynamics, with the highlight being Dick Grayson. Solid, but not a favourite, it's a decent entry with a lot to like once you can dig it out of the snow that attempts to bury it.

actual rating 3.5 stars
Profile Image for Nymphe.
42 reviews3 followers
April 4, 2023
Mr. Freeze has always been the most forgivable Batman villain for me, simply because of his backstory. His crimes are motivated by the wish to cure his wife's illness. Accordingly, it's interesting to see how this comic addresses that while still taking a different approach.

Seeing Batman act in his Matches Malone disguise was just as exciting as watching him do his little stunt as Santa Claus.

In general, I think the characters in this comic were very well written. Alfred in particular once again brought a smile to my face.

The drawing style suited the atmosphere of the story well. The bright colours of the snow and the cold contrasted nicely with the night and Batman's black suit.
Profile Image for Diz.
1,860 reviews138 followers
January 16, 2024
This provides an interesting twist on the Mr. Freeze story that makes him feel a bit more villainous than he's been portrayed in recent years. Additionally, the art is fantastic in this volume.
Profile Image for Robert.
2,191 reviews148 followers
January 22, 2024
Another good exploration of one of the Caped Crusader's legendary Rogues Gallery, this time by one of the most traditionally sympathetic of the lot, Dr. Victor Fries.


No Austrian-accent inflected puns detected here, alas.
Profile Image for Valéria..
1,018 reviews37 followers
February 3, 2023
Once more One Bad Day story that’s worth to read. Robin here is absolutely great.
Profile Image for Mia.
2,867 reviews1,049 followers
February 19, 2024
I don't know how I feel about Mr. Freeze characterization, but the story was good. I especially enjoyed Robin.
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
7,352 reviews281 followers
April 13, 2024
Another reboot of the relationship between Victor and Nora Fries. I find this one particularly unappealing as it makes Mr. Freeze less tragic and more a complete asshole. No sympathy here.

And why does a young Bruce Wayne from the era when Dick Grayson was Robin have my middle-aged, overweight body type. The artist has drawn him comically bloated with man-boobs and a roll of neck fat. Are those supposed to be muscles? Fail!
Profile Image for Ehsan'Shokraie'.
763 reviews221 followers
April 15, 2023
Amazing how this story manages to show Mr.Freeze in a diffrent light..it shatters the old romantic story but feels much more real
Profile Image for Khurram.
2,363 reviews6,690 followers
October 30, 2024
Change of heart?

A great Batman and Robin vs. Mr. Freeze story. A darker look at Freeze's life before he became a super village. I really like this story, which shows why Batmsn needs Robin. Not just as another fighter but to see things he does not. Good artwork that fits perfectly with the story and an excellent story. The book finishes with a varient covers gallery and a sketchbook.
Profile Image for It's just Deano.
184 reviews8 followers
December 7, 2022
Mr Freeze is technically the fourth installment to the Batman: One Bad Day series of one shot comic books and if I'm being honest I think this was my second favourite so far.

Despite loving the initial Riddler issue I've not really had much love for this series - Penguin and Two-Face issues didn't quite hit the bar for me - but Mr Freeze at least feels like a step in the right direction.

This is new reader friendly and essentially just gives the reader a retelling of Mr Freeze's origin story with a little spin on it. And that's where this gets tricky. If you're new to Mr Freeze then this is a great introduction, however, I don't think it quite offers much for the more experienced reader.

The Christmas atmosphere here was a nice touch and definitely fits, but again, it's not something we haven't seen before when it comes to everyone's favourite man-popsicle.

That said, I enjoyed the artwork here. It's not as gritty as some issues we've seen so far, but it does fit the plot and feels like a nice fit for a Batman book.

Overall, like most of the One Bad Day books, I wasn't blown away with Mr Freeze, however, it does feel like an improvement regarding storytelling. There's not much new here, but it's a quick and fun read.
___________________

My Score: 6/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐
___________________
Profile Image for Adam Fisher.
3,594 reviews23 followers
September 26, 2023
My favorite entry in the "One Bad Day" series so far.
Robin decides to do something nice for Mr Freeze, both in the spirit of Christmas, but also in the hopes to turn him back to the good. He and Batman give him access to research and lab materials to try and discover a cure for Nora. It ultimately backfires, but Victor does gift his findings (the ability to more easily cool vaccines for transport) to Wayne Enterprises.
I've always found Mr Freeze's story to be so tragic. Very fond memories of The Animated Series Freeze stories.
Excellent read. Strong recommend.
Profile Image for leynes.
1,316 reviews3,685 followers
June 5, 2025
Victor Fries, better known as Mr. Freeze, is a popular tragic Batman villain. As a scientist in Gotham City who suffered a lab accident while trying to cryogenically preserve his terminally ill wife, Nora, Victor turns to crime to fund his research in his obsessive quest to cure Nora by any means necessary, which brings him into conflict with Batman and the GCPD.

In Batman: One Bad Day - Mr. Freeze, Gerry Duggan takes on this origin myth by trying to humanise the character even more and make readers feel empathy for him. Unlike in the other instalments of this sereis, Robin (here in the form of Dick Grayson) plays a vital role as he is the one empathising with Victor, whereas Batman remains unforgiving. According to him, Victor has decided his own fate a long time ago (when he turned to crime and preserved his wife's body without her consent) and deserves none of our warmth.

Personally, I found this issue delightful and heartwarming. Sure, it's a bit cheesy here and there ("Promise me, Victor, that you'll use your big brain to change the world and leave this trouble hind and spread your wings." paired with a panel that literally shows Victor lying in the snow making a snow angel, bahaha), but it did warm my stone-cold heart. I always love when Alfred (MY BELOVED!) and Robin show up as they humanise Bruce so much more. Among my favorite scenes were Alfred making/building a Christmas tree out of Bat claws and Bruce and Dick dressing up as Santa and his Elf as a disguise. Methinks this would make a perfect Christmas read.

Also, huge shout out to Matteo Scalera. His art was WONDERFUL. Truly among the best in this limited series. The colors, the play with light, the whimsiness when appropriate, the tragedy when necessary. He did it all. Beautiful to look at from start to finish!
Profile Image for Guilherme Smee.
Author 27 books189 followers
August 26, 2023
Chegamos ao quarto volume da edição da série Um Dia Ruim, focado nos supervilões do Universo do Batman. Nesta edição, o foco é no Senhor Frio, e traz uma história natalina de quando Dick Grayson ainda era o Robin. Nela, Gerry Duggan trabalha as motivações do Senhor Frio, Victor Fries, demonstrando para um leitor um personagem mais cruel e ingrato do que o batfã poderia supor que ele era. Principalmente em relação a sua amada Nora, que foi o estopim para sua condição e seus poderes de gelo. Este é um dos roteiros bons de Gerry Duggan, que costuma oscilar entre roteiros bons e outros sofríveis, principalmente ao desenvolver os personagens de grupo da Marvel. Outro destaque positivo são os desenhos de Matteo Scalera, que tem um estilo que narra de forma eficiente as cenas noturnas e com neve que o roteiro de Duggan exige. Até aqui, três volumes desta coleção foram positivos e somente um, o do Duas-Caras, foi negativo. Então é um bom incentivo para continuar acompanhando a série.
Profile Image for Danny.
294 reviews3 followers
December 14, 2022
Not bad. A new interpretation of Mr Freeze I can get behind. In fact it makes the idea of him going to Arkham much more reasonable than past iterations. But it's straightforward to a fault. The action isn't very awe inspiring and Robin feels kinda thrown in there. Also Batman is kind of a prick in this.
Profile Image for Dakota Morgan.
3,390 reviews53 followers
September 26, 2023
Mr. Freeze's One Bad Day entry is unexpectedly a Christmas treat! Matteo Scalera's art does most of the legwork here, helping a somewhat predictable story exceed its boundaries.

At Robin's prompting, Batman decides to give Mr. Freeze another chance, setting him up with a research center in which he can find a cure for Nora. The glimpses of Freeze's backstory are compelling and tie neatly into the twisty reveal

A smart take on a complex character, and the book looks great. Another One Bad Day winner.
Profile Image for Jay.
288 reviews7 followers
November 19, 2022
Best in the series so far. Great spin on Freeze's motivations, and I always love it when Robin isn't the "kid who needs saving" but instead is a dangerous and competent asset.
Profile Image for Axel.
39 reviews
December 7, 2025
Qué precioso y perfecto. Hay una cosa de la caracterización de Bruce que me preocupaba un poco, pero, aunque la resolución de esta pequeña cosa específica no es del todo perfecta, el final del cómic consigue solucionarlo y cerrarlo de manera muy bonita (y casi lloro!!!!).

No estoy muy familiarizado con Mr Freeze como villano (creo que es el segundo cómic que me leo con él) y me ha parecido muy muy interesante y lleno de defectos. La historia de Nora es muy trágica y gran parte de la culpa es de Victor.

Todas las escenas de Dick han sido perfectas!!!! Su caracterización, su humor, su empatía y su rabia están escritos de manera maravillosa (y lo mismo con Bruce). Ay ay son mi familia. Puede que esté en mi top 3 de cómics de Dickbin y en el top 5 por lo menos seguro que sí.

Y el arte!!!!! QUÉ MARAVILLA. Tenía que detenerme con cada página y panel para apreciar las líneas y los colores. Es tan expresivo. Es de ese arte que me motiva a dibujar a mí mismo y lo agradezco mucho en estos tiempos de sequía creativa.
180 reviews
September 21, 2025
Incredibly short but equally sweet. I’ve always been interested in Freeze’s origin, and this book combines stylish artwork with a punchy story to tell it in a really cool way. If anything, it was far too short - could have done with more of the same.
7,002 reviews83 followers
November 19, 2022
Good start and it had a lot of potential, but the cozy style and the Christmas background just turn it into a Christmas special that was way too light for my taste.
Profile Image for Wyatt.
97 reviews
June 20, 2024
This felt like it could’ve been a Batman animated series Holiday Special. I loved the vibe and tone of this one. Some very emotional beats as well as funny ones too. Overall an excellent Batman story and unique take on Mr Freeze that I feel was his best origin so far.
Profile Image for Marius.
327 reviews1 follower
December 20, 2022
A Tragic Life

This series of one shots is starting to get better again. Following the disaster that was the Penguin story this one hits the feels and shows Victor Fries development from a cold hearted man to a cold hearted villain. The difference between his and Nora's lifestyle is well shown. I also enjoyed Dick getting a big role in this one. Childisch light-heartedness is exactly what was missing in Freeze's life. The art is dark and light at the same time and it's amazing. 3/5

Profile Image for Mohan Vemulapalli.
1,148 reviews
August 12, 2023
"Batman - One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze" is a competently, though unimaginatively, written one-shot with gritty and foreboding artwork that sheds new light on the psychological motivations of Dr. Victor Fries (AKA Mr. Freeze) for villainy but ultimately results in a story that fails to be fully convincing or engaging.
\
Three and a half stars rounded to three.
Profile Image for Alexander Lisovsky.
654 reviews38 followers
January 4, 2023
Мистер Фриз всегда был самым трагичным персонажем Готема, и я ждал здесь по-настоящему трогательный рассказ, но автор решил соригинальничать, и пустил традиционную историю на совсем уж мрачные рельсы, перекроив сверху донизу и все акценты, и мотивацию. В итоге Пингвин из предыдущего выпуска вызывает больше симпатий, чем здешний потерявший жену учёный. К тому же, в отличие от других ван-шотов, тут практически на главных ролях Бэтмен с Робином, и читается выпуск почти как номер основной линейки.

Короче, автор, несмотря на пару удачных моментов, всё бездарно слил, отрадой для глаз всю дорогу был только рисунок с эффектными ракурсами, умело подчёркнутыми деталями и общей приглушённой стилистикой. Прикладываю небольшое превью.
Profile Image for Will Brown.
498 reviews12 followers
June 1, 2024
A really solid short story about Mr. Freeze that encompasses everything fans enjoy about the character, while adding some additional context for why Freeze’s motives aren’t exactly pure. Writers have tried several times now to find a reason for why Freeze is always put in the villain role, and for my money this is the best attempt so far. It also draws some interesting parallels between Bruce and Victor. Both experienced tragedy, but Bruce engaged with others and grew as a person while Freeze withdrew and became more destructive. These One Bad Day stories have all tried to give Batman’s rogues their own Killing Joke story, and I think this one’s the closest to accomplishing that goal. Highly recommended.
97 reviews
January 29, 2025
Ich hatte tatsächlich gedacht, das wird mit Abstand der beste Band der Reihe.
Die Erwartung unterstützt die starke Enttäuschung.
Mr Freeze ist mit einer der besten Gegner im DARK Knight Universum und P. Dini hat ihm eine großartige komplexe Origin gegeben. Eine emotional und bewegend Geschichte zwischen ihm und Nora und seine Wandlung zu Freeze. Es geht um Aufopferung und Liebe.
Diese Geschichte hat eigentlich kaum Entwicklungen Freeze ist nur das, was Fries immer schon war, nur jetzt kann er es ausleben. Eine großartiger Background würde nicht genutzt, eher kaputt gemacht.
Schade eigentlich. Man kann es natürlich als großartige elseworld Geschichte sehen, die atemberaubende gezeichnet ist, aber selbst das wird dem nicht so richtig gerecht. 2,5*
Profile Image for Kent.
51 reviews1 follower
February 7, 2025
Hands-down, the best One Bad Day story I've read so far. Sure, a lot of story elements are ones we've seen from a Mr. Freeze storyline before, but such a yarn never really gets old. Perhaps it has more to do with me having a better connection with Freeze than other villains due to his character being portrayed in a more objective light/human being than most other villains. I appreciate the fact that the twist is, instead of trying to find a cure and save Nora, he is possesive of her and would rather keep her alive and on ice due to complications in their marriage.

The artwork is great, as well.

Definitely a recommend!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.