The Riddle of the Beast

Justice League: One-Shots

by Alan Grant

Warned by the Riddler that the Beast has returned to the Earth, Robin Drake sets out to gather heroes including Queen Diana of Amazonia, King Kal'el of Kryptonia, and the insane Batman to stop him.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Dc Comics, Fiction, Superheroes, Adventure

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Alan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.

Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.

The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.

By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.

Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac

Reviews

[Traci · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned something about myself today. For me, great graphics cannot make up for lazy writing. Though the pages are gorgeous, the plot is less than original and the characters have no depth. I was initially excited to see some well known comic characters reimagined in a different setting but it seems that the writers figured that we already knew the characters and so they didn't need development. Shame.

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐. Si hubiera tenido un mejor desarrollo de guion por parte de Alan Grant, y única y exclusivamente al dibujo a Carl Critchlow, Rafael Garrés, Saverio Tenuta, John Watson, Greg Staples y Simon Davis desde luego que tendría por mi parte todas las estrellas. Y es que, de los 15 dibujantes, para mí solo esos 6 ya citados son de sobresaliente: resto no llegan a su altura, al menos según mis preferencias pictóricas.


A su favor he de reconocer que es un Elseworld muy original, representando de forma más o menos acertada a los miembros de la Justice League of America (Robin, Zatanna, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, etc), y también a sus villanos (Acertijo, Killer Croc, Doscaras, Joker, Darkseid, etc).


En su contra está que no puede competir con otros Elseworlds, con un planteamiento igual de original, un mejor desarrollo de guion y un dibujo excelso en todo momento a cargo de un solo dibujante, como "Superman: Hijo rojo", "Batman: Gotham a luz de gas" e "Identidad secreta". Tengo pendientes de leer "Superman: el último hijo de la Tierra" y "Superman: la última familia de Krypton", entre otros, que estoy segura también superarán a "JLA: el acertijo de la Bestia", cuyos altibajos en dibujo por el constante cambio de dibujantes, y un guion demasiado condensado y que sigue la estructura del viaje del héroe, con sus clichés, todo mil veces ya visto en fantasía, le quitan estar entre lo más top de la línea de DC Otros Mundos, a diferencia de los títulos anteriormente mencionados.

[Q. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this one is a bit hard to grade, as its main purpose (disclosed in a postscript along with Kaluta's designs) was to showcase painted art in comics, by as many of that era's greats as possible. That it achieves very well and almost all of it is a beauty to look at.

On the other hand, despite being written by Alan Grant and despite following (again, as stated) the tropes of fantasy while using the DC heroes and villains, it is entirely too hasty. If it were anything other than a showcase with a plot used merely to hang the pictures on, it would have needed to be at least double in size to accommodate the story. Hence, dramatic events, deaths, revelations and reunions all happen in fast forward (and it is never clear how the Beast is defeated).

A fun piece to own, but bit of a pity when you imagine what it could have been.

[Galen · Rating 3 out of 5]

All start this review off with the good the art is exceptional. There are lot of different style's at work and it's fun to see how some of characters were re-imagined appearance wise. The problem is the story pretty simple. There is a horrible evil monster and to defeat we need unify land together to fight it. So you have a simple story, characters are exactly the same, but the art is great. Good for short read and I got for from library for free.

Also the joker was great as usual.

[Zachary King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. The painted art is absolutely gorgeous and lush, but the high fantasy story did not hold me (as the genre so often proves unable to do). Robin sets out to unite the kingdoms against the return of Etrigan The Beast, with transplanted cameos from all the major DC heroes. It all proceeds about how you'd expect, and it probably resonates more for fans of /Lord of the Rings/ (again, not my cup of tea).

[DeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a huge DC fan (I've read more Marvel but I dabble in DC) and I think this graphic novel would be most appreciated by DC fans. They would understand the more subtle nods to the standard DCEU. I also wasn't real big on the artwork.
Overall not a bad book, I'm just not the target audience.

[Wren]

This one was a nice surprise actually! Elseworlds stuff usually rolls right off of my brain but I'm such a sucker for high fantasy that this one worked for me. This also contains the horniest art of Etrigan ever drawn.

[Dena Burnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for the art - it' gorgeous.
2 stars for the story - it's good, but it's not my bag. Elseworlds is hit or miss. This one was a miss.

[Kasey Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

meh.

[Jen-Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was truly, a weird little fucking book.

[Mohamed Nazirudeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Justice League meets Lord of the Rings.

A tale Tolkien would have been proud of.

[Kate (Looking Glass Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew nothing about this graphic novel when I picked it up at the library. All I knew was that it was a fantasy story and I liked the art when I was flipping through it. That was certainly enough for me, and I’m happy I took a chance on this title. JLA: Riddle of the Beast is written by Alan Grant with art by Michael Wm. Kaluta, Carl Critchlow, Simon Davis,s Glenn Fabry, Jon Foster, Rafa Garres, D. Alexander Gregory, Alex Horley, Kenny Lopez, Liam R. McCormack-Sharp, Hermann Mejia, Jim Murray, Andrew Robinson, Greg Staples, Saverio Tenuta, John Watson, and Martin T. William.

This is a re-imagining of the Justice League. In this version, the world is a fantasy world one with a very tentative peace after years of war. Now the monsters have returned, and it is up to a young man named Robin to save the world and fight off this evil once and for all.

Familiar faces make appearances throughout the graphic novel. Names are largely the same, with character design and background changed to fit a high fantasy setting. Batman’s character design and background I especially loved. That said, you will get the most out of this graphic novel if you are already familiar with the Justice League and DC characters. It will also help if you are familiar with how high fantasy stories generally play out.

The story is a quick read. Maybe a little too quick. Another one or two graphic novels could have been used to really flesh out the story and explore the many characters who drift in and out of the story. Yet, in a lot of ways, it’s just fine as it is.

The thing this most closely resembles is fanfiction, and I say that with the utmost love. It is something often seen in the realms of fanfiction – take familiar characters, change the setting, use common, familiar tropes and craft a fun, exciting story around them. And very well crafted, officially recognized fanfiction is more or less what this is. If you enjoy fanfiction, I would highly recommend reading this graphic novel. It is a truly fun read.

The art was, by and large, wonderful. I didn’t enjoy every panel. Some styles weren’t exactly my cup of tea. But overall the art really worked to the stories advantage. Color pallets changed depending on the location and characters shown. The bright orange and yellow flames that surround the villains jump off the page. The human cities dark, depressing gray and blue tones are subdued and have an air of sadness about them.

In all, I would suggest giving JLA: Riddle of the Beast a read if you like the justice league and high fantasy stories. As a standalone graphic novel its easy to get into and doesn’t require as much commitment as other superhero series. It’s short. It’s fun. And I’m glad I picked it up.

This review can originally be found on Looking Glass Reads.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan Grant explores the realm of the JLA through a Lord of the Rings Style epic dubbed Riddle of the Beast. Summoned by the spider-like creature known as the Riddler, young Robin of Haven is tasked with a mission. The wizened creature has foreseen that the Beast who once decimated the lands is rising once again. Sent out to warn the various kingdoms and rise up an army against this threat, Robin seeks to unite the splintered realms. Along his route, the youthful emissary teams up a familiar mistress of magic, emerald-clad archer, and twin hawk-people. As the mystical Beast seemingly rises from the dead, faces of heroes from another world must put aside old differences and unite against a common foe once more. The writing by Grant does allow for some unique looks at old face: Batman as the keeper of a dead kingdom of souls, Wonder Woman reigning over a powerful society sans compassion, and Superman trapped in the form of a frail prince. The character design offered by Michael Kaluta are echoes of fantasy realms blended with superheroic tropes, yielding visual magic. The key issue with this tome is the variety of artists and painters thrown into the mix. The goal was to allow each realm to have its own look and fell; the end result is a mash-up of varied styles that force the reader out of the story and relocate key characters. With that in mind, this Riddle was one to be enjoyed.

[Doc · Rating 4 out of 5]

DC Comics gets a fantasy adventure in this book based in the popular Elseworld Series from writer Alan Grant. I for one have always been a fan of parody works and it is rare to see an Elseworld tale fail to impress me as comic book favorites are put into new environments depending on the imagination of the team. Not held to the real world story lines the imagination is the only limit these books are restricted by(and page counts unfortunately).

Riddle of the Beast is a tale of a young man thrown against impossible odds to unite the land against an evil once thought dead. While I imagine this story could have been more epic I still enjoyed the climax of the tale although it seemed a little flat. All that aside if you want to see classic DC characters as you have not seen them before then don't be shy in picking up this book.

My favorite part of the book would have to be the Jester(see Creeper by my guess) who sings tales of the legends the book is based on and still seems to have that subtle insanity I can really enjoy. :)

[Indika de Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel could be described in the following manner. What would happen if a DC universe adventure happens in the style of Lord of The Rings or Wheel of Time?

You will meet your favorite DC universe characters in weird costumes and unusual names. Half of the fun is attempting to figure out who is who?

Graphics are rather mixed and usual mainly because there are several artists working in a single book. But that doesn't halt the flow of the tale.

The only negative point regarding whole the book is that it is rather short. Stories of the fantasy genre allows character growth and descriptions that allows its reader get immersed in the unfolding adventure. The following tale does not allow its reader the above pleasure.

If you are a fan of fantasy, Elseworlds and of the Justice League; this the book for you.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story, and the re-imagined versions of each character are pretty interesting. The main character, Robin Drake, is sent out to warn the world that the evil creature that was thought to be dead has come back. Along the way he encounters his fellow JLA members in their own modified roles, and receives help in his quest.
The book tends to focus on a small handful of characters leaving the others with not a lot of time, and because of the different interpretations I would have liked to see a little more of each character.
I like the idea of a bunch of artists collaborating, and the end result is amazing.

[Tif · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the concept but some of the characters were too fantasy-generic, and the story was a bit rushed.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this 3 out of 5 for two simple reasons:

1. It's a really really good fantasy graphic novel.

2. It's a bad Elseworlds-DC piece.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the art style of this graphic novel. The story was an interesting take on the well known.