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Batman: Miniseries
Batman: Killing Time
In Batman's second year of his crusade against crime, while he is still changing and perfecting his craft and the art of the vigilante, the cowardly lot of criminals in the city are changing as well—giving rise to darker, specialized rogues.
Two of the new, colorful rogues, Riddler and Catwoman, have just pulled off the heist of the century, robbing Wayne-Gotham Securities, getting away with 1.5 million in cash. After the robbery, after a few dead guards, with all of Gotham including Batman searching for them, they meet with their backer, Penguin, the man who will wash their money, take his cut, and secure their escape. And Riddler shoots Penguin in the gut, grabs the loot, and turns to Catwoman. “It’s ours, all of it. All we got to do is escape this city.”
Riddler and Catwoman take to the road, both weighing how long they can go before they need to take the other out. And as they move about the city they’re hunted by an inexperienced Batman who knows two things: One, he’ll need to be better than he’s ever been to catch these two psychopaths; two, Penguin survived and if he gets to them first, it’ll be a bloodbath like Gotham’s never seen.
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 brings 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...
Batman: Killing Time collects the entire 6-issue limited series!
Two of the new, colorful rogues, Riddler and Catwoman, have just pulled off the heist of the century, robbing Wayne-Gotham Securities, getting away with 1.5 million in cash. After the robbery, after a few dead guards, with all of Gotham including Batman searching for them, they meet with their backer, Penguin, the man who will wash their money, take his cut, and secure their escape. And Riddler shoots Penguin in the gut, grabs the loot, and turns to Catwoman. “It’s ours, all of it. All we got to do is escape this city.”
Riddler and Catwoman take to the road, both weighing how long they can go before they need to take the other out. And as they move about the city they’re hunted by an inexperienced Batman who knows two things: One, he’ll need to be better than he’s ever been to catch these two psychopaths; two, Penguin survived and if he gets to them first, it’ll be a bloodbath like Gotham’s never seen.
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 brings 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...
Batman: Killing Time collects the entire 6-issue limited series!
208 pages, Hardcover
First published December 20, 2022
190 people are currently reading
421 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
May 8, 2024
I love Batman, I love heists and the art was great but it was a huge miss for me.
With a time jump at almost every two panels, I got confused in the first third part of the book and lost interest in the second half of it.
Maybe I missed something but it felt unnecessary complicated. I like a clear storyline I can follow for more than a page.
With a time jump at almost every two panels, I got confused in the first third part of the book and lost interest in the second half of it.
Maybe I missed something but it felt unnecessary complicated. I like a clear storyline I can follow for more than a page.
January 18, 2023
Riddler, Catwoman, and Killer Croc heist something valuable from a safety deposit box belonging to Bruce Wayne, kicking off an intense chase involving backstabbing, the US government, large sums of cash, and many, many deaths. But what is the item and why do so many want it?
Tom King and David Marquez’s Killing Time is a decent done-in-one Batman book that’s always unpredictable and never boring, with fantastic art throughout, though ultimately the story is a forgettable one with a very underwhelming finale.
It seems to be set in the early days of Batman’s career for no real reason. It definitely doesn’t follow King’s Batman run as the Batman/Catwoman relationship is completely non-existent here. In fact Catwoman is written very differently from the Cat in King’s run - here she’s very vicious and quite mad.
That said, Catwoman hasn’t looked quite so striking in some time and that’s fully down to Marquez’s skill as an artist. The Batmobile looks great too as does his Batman. There isn’t any page in the book that looks bad but some stand out more than others, like the double-page shot of Batman on a motorbike. Marquez is a superb illustrator - I have no gripes about his work on this book.
There’s a new villain introduced called The Help, who’s like a slightly zombified mash-up of Alfred and Batman. He’s terrifying - some of the scenes put me in mind of Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men - and I liked how his past ties into Batman’s. He’s a very capable match for Bruce too. I think he’s the best new addition to Batman’s rogues gallery we’ve had in a while and hope to see him in more stuff in the future.
There’s a subplot running in parallel to the modern-day one, set in Ancient Greece and revolving around Euripides’ play The Bacchae. We don’t find out the significance of this until the end not only for its connection to the mystery item but also in understanding the point of the story. The play’s end also mirrors the end of the main storyline.
It could be that the story is about the transient nature of power, how the item passes from one to another, each briefly empowered before losing it to another, and so on. Or perhaps the stupidity of superstition. Or perhaps it’s simply a story meant to kill time, as the title suggests, and that it’s not really about anything more than what we see on the surface. Maybe it’s a commentary on the nature of superhero comics, that are all middle story and no real conclusion, that gets repeated over and over again ad infinitum. As Riddler intones at the end, “What did we… solve? Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.” Maybe it’s a superhero retelling of The Bacchae.
None of these explanations though are especially satisfying for me and that’s partly why I found the final act disappointing. It’s also not the most memorable story. A bank heist, a chase, lots of fighting - it’s well done, but it’s all stuff we’ve seen Batman do before numerous times.
There are myriad storylines intersecting throughout and jumping back and forth in time, a bit like Pulp Fiction, but the overall narration has this pattern of noting very specific times, which feels tedious to read after a spell, not least because who’s really taking in specific dates in relation to the story? It makes sense though when the narrator is revealed at the end - in typical Tom King fashion, he’s resurrected a relatively unknown character from the DC back catalogue.
Killing Time isn’t a bad Batman book. I loved the art, the story was intriguing and I was never bored. But the story also feels quite empty and forgettable with any number of banal interpretations possible to see within it that make it feel overall unimpressive. I’d still say it’s worth a look if you’re a Batman fan but beware the rather flat ending.
Tom King and David Marquez’s Killing Time is a decent done-in-one Batman book that’s always unpredictable and never boring, with fantastic art throughout, though ultimately the story is a forgettable one with a very underwhelming finale.
It seems to be set in the early days of Batman’s career for no real reason. It definitely doesn’t follow King’s Batman run as the Batman/Catwoman relationship is completely non-existent here. In fact Catwoman is written very differently from the Cat in King’s run - here she’s very vicious and quite mad.
That said, Catwoman hasn’t looked quite so striking in some time and that’s fully down to Marquez’s skill as an artist. The Batmobile looks great too as does his Batman. There isn’t any page in the book that looks bad but some stand out more than others, like the double-page shot of Batman on a motorbike. Marquez is a superb illustrator - I have no gripes about his work on this book.
There’s a new villain introduced called The Help, who’s like a slightly zombified mash-up of Alfred and Batman. He’s terrifying - some of the scenes put me in mind of Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men - and I liked how his past ties into Batman’s. He’s a very capable match for Bruce too. I think he’s the best new addition to Batman’s rogues gallery we’ve had in a while and hope to see him in more stuff in the future.
There’s a subplot running in parallel to the modern-day one, set in Ancient Greece and revolving around Euripides’ play The Bacchae. We don’t find out the significance of this until the end not only for its connection to the mystery item but also in understanding the point of the story. The play’s end also mirrors the end of the main storyline.
It could be that the story is about the transient nature of power, how the item passes from one to another, each briefly empowered before losing it to another, and so on. Or perhaps the stupidity of superstition. Or perhaps it’s simply a story meant to kill time, as the title suggests, and that it’s not really about anything more than what we see on the surface. Maybe it’s a commentary on the nature of superhero comics, that are all middle story and no real conclusion, that gets repeated over and over again ad infinitum. As Riddler intones at the end, “What did we… solve? Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.” Maybe it’s a superhero retelling of The Bacchae.
None of these explanations though are especially satisfying for me and that’s partly why I found the final act disappointing. It’s also not the most memorable story. A bank heist, a chase, lots of fighting - it’s well done, but it’s all stuff we’ve seen Batman do before numerous times.
There are myriad storylines intersecting throughout and jumping back and forth in time, a bit like Pulp Fiction, but the overall narration has this pattern of noting very specific times, which feels tedious to read after a spell, not least because who’s really taking in specific dates in relation to the story? It makes sense though when the narrator is revealed at the end - in typical Tom King fashion, he’s resurrected a relatively unknown character from the DC back catalogue.
Killing Time isn’t a bad Batman book. I loved the art, the story was intriguing and I was never bored. But the story also feels quite empty and forgettable with any number of banal interpretations possible to see within it that make it feel overall unimpressive. I’d still say it’s worth a look if you’re a Batman fan but beware the rather flat ending.
February 16, 2023
Having made Kite Man interesting, Tom King tries to burnish the reputation of another of Batman's lesser rogues but with much less success since he goes for grimness instead of humor. Mostly, this is a heist story with Riddler and Catwoman stealing a MacGuffin from Batman and going on the run as they try to sell it to the mysterious mastermind behind the whole affair.
The narration gets tied down in tedious detail that makes sense in the story but gets to be a little much to read.
Still, Catwoman and Riddler's back and forth is fun, the Help -- a new villain with deep retcon roots -- is cool, and the art of David Marquez is magnificent. And the dumb punchline of an ending made me chuckle even as its meta aspects insulted me.
So a lukewarm thumbs up.
The narration gets tied down in tedious detail that makes sense in the story but gets to be a little much to read.
Still, Catwoman and Riddler's back and forth is fun, the Help -- a new villain with deep retcon roots -- is cool, and the art of David Marquez is magnificent. And the dumb punchline of an ending made me chuckle even as its meta aspects insulted me.
So a lukewarm thumbs up.
November 14, 2023
This was good fun, though if you're not a fan of jumping around from one timeframe to another you may find it heavy sledding.
King always brings something interesting to his work with Batman, this one is no exception. Bonus points if you can predict the identity of the real Big Bad before the reveal.
King always brings something interesting to his work with Batman, this one is no exception. Bonus points if you can predict the identity of the real Big Bad before the reveal.
December 22, 2022
Tom King is one of my favourite writers working in comics today, though having read a lot of his work, I notice a bag of tricks he recurrently uses. One of those tricks is his use of non-linear storytelling, which for the most part has been successful, and yet when it comes to a certain Dark Knight Detective, of whom King has done many great things, that type of storytelling doesn’t really work well.
After the disappointing Batman/Catwoman, which served as King’s conclusion to his ongoing narrative during the main Batman title whilst playing with non-linear storytelling, Batman: Killing Time is basically a repeat of that storytelling. When Catwoman, The Riddler and The Penguin join forces to pull off the greatest robbery in the history of Gotham City, Batman investigates the deadly heist that goes wrong.
Despite Batman being the titular character, in which he has been the Caped Crusader for a couple of years, he isn’t really the main character, continuing a recent streak of King not that interested in Batman as a character. King is clearly more interested in the villains who are always double-crossing one another and no doubt there is some fun with the banter between them, but because the comic is so fixated on being non-linear, it’s ultimately hard to care.
Throughout the six issues, whilst you may have the main narrative of these villains trying to resolve this heist that has gone wrong, as well as a plethora of new characters such as the Help, who seems like a formidable foe for everyone he confronts, the story keeps going off in these detours. There’s a whole subplot about Killer Croc’s fiancée, which I don’t think is a big deal, but there’s also sections where we cut to periods of ancient history, which supposedly ties in with the current heist. The final issue does reveal some answers, but reading through the other issues is a chore to get through.
Having made a name for himself at DC as one of the best Batman artists, David Marquez’s work is top-notch here, presenting hyper-realistic, hugely detailed art. When you look at his work of numerous Spider-Man comics, Marquez can illustrate action and that applies here with Batman being a figure of theatrics through his cape.
As somewhat a Tom King completist, I found Batman: Killing Time to be one of his most disappointing titles, which gets too fixated in its experimental storytelling that the whole experience feels emotionally cold.
After the disappointing Batman/Catwoman, which served as King’s conclusion to his ongoing narrative during the main Batman title whilst playing with non-linear storytelling, Batman: Killing Time is basically a repeat of that storytelling. When Catwoman, The Riddler and The Penguin join forces to pull off the greatest robbery in the history of Gotham City, Batman investigates the deadly heist that goes wrong.
Despite Batman being the titular character, in which he has been the Caped Crusader for a couple of years, he isn’t really the main character, continuing a recent streak of King not that interested in Batman as a character. King is clearly more interested in the villains who are always double-crossing one another and no doubt there is some fun with the banter between them, but because the comic is so fixated on being non-linear, it’s ultimately hard to care.
Throughout the six issues, whilst you may have the main narrative of these villains trying to resolve this heist that has gone wrong, as well as a plethora of new characters such as the Help, who seems like a formidable foe for everyone he confronts, the story keeps going off in these detours. There’s a whole subplot about Killer Croc’s fiancée, which I don’t think is a big deal, but there’s also sections where we cut to periods of ancient history, which supposedly ties in with the current heist. The final issue does reveal some answers, but reading through the other issues is a chore to get through.
Having made a name for himself at DC as one of the best Batman artists, David Marquez’s work is top-notch here, presenting hyper-realistic, hugely detailed art. When you look at his work of numerous Spider-Man comics, Marquez can illustrate action and that applies here with Batman being a figure of theatrics through his cape.
As somewhat a Tom King completist, I found Batman: Killing Time to be one of his most disappointing titles, which gets too fixated in its experimental storytelling that the whole experience feels emotionally cold.
June 16, 2023
A really fun ride with a okay destination.
Batman is basically on the trails of both Riddler and Catwoman after they stole something TERRIBLE that now everyone wants. It's basically a giant Heist comic with superheroes and villains and Batman trying his best to deal with all these fuckers. The art is fantastic, the Help, a new villain as far as I know, is awesome. Batman himself figuring shit out like a true detective is great. The ending, the whole reasoning, is a bit silly but makes sense with the title but I won't like if it took out some of the momentum the series had going for it.
This is a brutal take into a crazy heist with a lot of killers, so be ready. A 3.5 out of 5.
Batman is basically on the trails of both Riddler and Catwoman after they stole something TERRIBLE that now everyone wants. It's basically a giant Heist comic with superheroes and villains and Batman trying his best to deal with all these fuckers. The art is fantastic, the Help, a new villain as far as I know, is awesome. Batman himself figuring shit out like a true detective is great. The ending, the whole reasoning, is a bit silly but makes sense with the title but I won't like if it took out some of the momentum the series had going for it.
This is a brutal take into a crazy heist with a lot of killers, so be ready. A 3.5 out of 5.
November 17, 2023
I enjoyed the book. It is a good chase book with great artwork and a good story. Personally, I do not like the present and then jumping back to the past used so much. Used sparingly would have been great, but all the time is overkill.
Bruce Wayne/Batman has been all over the world and has learned from many masters and picked up a few treasures along the way. Now a daring heist has one of these treasures stolen. However, there is no honour among thieves. Everyone is double-crossing everyone. This is also an extremely high body count.
If it is going to be a black-label book with swearing and self-contained. For me, there is a lot of unfinished business in this book. I would love for there to be a sequel and a final rematch, but I don't think it is going to happen.
Bruce Wayne/Batman has been all over the world and has learned from many masters and picked up a few treasures along the way. Now a daring heist has one of these treasures stolen. However, there is no honour among thieves. Everyone is double-crossing everyone. This is also an extremely high body count.
If it is going to be a black-label book with swearing and self-contained. For me, there is a lot of unfinished business in this book. I would love for there to be a sequel and a final rematch, but I don't think it is going to happen.
January 2, 2026
Summary: Batman: Killing Time takes place just two years after Bruce Wayne decided to function as Gotham's Caped Crusader. Facing the new threat of the Batman, Gotham's rogue, here Catwoman, Riddler, Clock King, and Penguin, conspire to steal the Eye of God from Bruce Wayne and sell it to the government, interfacing with ludicrously foul-mouthed agent Nuri Espinoza. Riddler and Catwoman betray Penguin, leading to Penguin sending an ancient but absolutely deadly villain, the Help, after them. The Help and Batman team up reluctantly to chase Catwoman and Riddler but cannot stop a complete bloodbath when the US Government forces meet with hundreds of Penguin's hired goons, leading to well over a hundred murders. Batman captures all the criminals responsible, but Clock King gives the Eye of God away since it was all just a way for him to kill time.
Opinion: This was fun as hell. As you guys know, I love Tom King's storytelling and I really vibe with how he portrays Bruce/Batman as a character. I also love when many villains show up and Penguin, Catwoman and Riddler are among my favorites anyways. Especially the dynamic between Cat and Riddler worked really well here. I loved the two of them teaming up, lowkey constantly alert that they may betray one another. And their banter was hella fun! (R: "Do you want to see it?" C: "I didn't pick you up for the company.") I hadn't read that much about Clock King, Croc and the Help (he's a Tom King OG, right?) but all three were fun additions to this story. The plot was thrilling as hell and I didn't even mind the constant jumps in time. Good stuff!
Opinion: This was fun as hell. As you guys know, I love Tom King's storytelling and I really vibe with how he portrays Bruce/Batman as a character. I also love when many villains show up and Penguin, Catwoman and Riddler are among my favorites anyways. Especially the dynamic between Cat and Riddler worked really well here. I loved the two of them teaming up, lowkey constantly alert that they may betray one another. And their banter was hella fun! (R: "Do you want to see it?" C: "I didn't pick you up for the company.") I hadn't read that much about Clock King, Croc and the Help (he's a Tom King OG, right?) but all three were fun additions to this story. The plot was thrilling as hell and I didn't even mind the constant jumps in time. Good stuff!
June 5, 2023
A Tom King special that, much like Batman/Catwoman, feels like a lost storyline from when King was writing the main Batman series. All your favorite villains are here, plus a MacGuffin, plus a new villain who gives Batman a run for his money (hoping The Help returns somewhere!).
The plot is fairly simple: Catwoman gets a tip from the Joker about the MacGuffin. She recruits the Riddler to set up a buy for the MacGuffin. Batman catches wind of the heist and is especially upset the MacGuffin has been stolen. Penguin, who has been double-crossed in the midst of all this, calls in reinforcements in the form of The Help, who also becomes interested in the MacGuffin. These narratives converge in a big kerfuffle.
Needless to say, the MacGuffin never matters, though King spends several baffling pages in ancient Greece, somehow in relation to the MacGuffin. Killing Time is also a Tom King special in that the narrative timeline is goofy as hell (though easier to follow than Batman/Catwoman) and the "final villain" is purposefully lame (I think). The journey is the destination, man! As ever with Tom King.
David Marquez's artwork is fantastic and King's storytelling chops are sufficient to keep you engaged, even as you begin to realize that none of Killing Time will really matter in the long run.
The plot is fairly simple: Catwoman gets a tip from the Joker about the MacGuffin. She recruits the Riddler to set up a buy for the MacGuffin. Batman catches wind of the heist and is especially upset the MacGuffin has been stolen. Penguin, who has been double-crossed in the midst of all this, calls in reinforcements in the form of The Help, who also becomes interested in the MacGuffin. These narratives converge in a big kerfuffle.
Needless to say, the MacGuffin never matters, though King spends several baffling pages in ancient Greece, somehow in relation to the MacGuffin. Killing Time is also a Tom King special in that the narrative timeline is goofy as hell (though easier to follow than Batman/Catwoman) and the "final villain" is purposefully lame (I think). The journey is the destination, man! As ever with Tom King.
David Marquez's artwork is fantastic and King's storytelling chops are sufficient to keep you engaged, even as you begin to realize that none of Killing Time will really matter in the long run.
April 2, 2023
If you can deal with the non linear story..cutting through time....sometimes two or three times a page..then you're probably going to like this.
I did.
I like the take on The Riddler...younger..cooler and hip..
And The Help....master of well just about every martial art and fight style you can imagine.
I did.
I like the take on The Riddler...younger..cooler and hip..
And The Help....master of well just about every martial art and fight style you can imagine.
August 20, 2022
I've been a bit tepid with some of King's recent output—except for his and Bilquis Evely's Supergirl, which is excellent—but reading this reminded me why I love his take on the Batman and Gotham as much as I do. It's very much a Tom King book, with all the poetic narration, semi-untraditional narrative structure, and literary references he's known for at this point, but they're all in top form.
This isn't a simple, dime-a-dozen caper meant to coast off the recent movie's coattails, either. It still hits the "greatest hits" notes but mixes them with a compelling mystery that contextualizes the way King plays with the timeline. It makes the cuts between days, minutes, months, and even years feel like an extension of the story instead of a gimmick. I can see how it could be frustrating for people expecting or hoping for something more straightforward. I'm not one of those, though, so the storytelling structure totally landed for me.
Marquez's art is stellar, too, and makes the book look like a blockbuster spectacle. Sánchez's colors and Cowles' reliably exciting lettering make the pages even better and give the story vibrant, dynamic energy and momentum. The art manages to balance the inherent silliness of a Batman comic without losing any of its edges, which is crucial for any Batman story and this one in particular. There are some jaw-dropping images on these pages, and every issue has at least 2-3 pages or panels that I had to stop and bask in. If you want to see some badass hero shots, Marquez has you covered.
The comic is also far more violent than I expected, to the point where I kept checking if it was a Black Label title. There's a considerable body count, quite a bit of obvious bloodshed, and it's framed in a very matter-of-fact way, making it pack an even harder punch. It also works as a great counter to the occasional silliness of King's script, which I dug. Any story that focuses on Batman's rogues' gallery should be a little silly, and King has always done an excellent job at recognizing that without forgetting that these villains are also homicidal powder kegs. He even introduces what I think might be a new villain into the mix—a new one to me, at least—that I hope to see more of. The reveals might not be as earth-shattering as you think, but they serve the story and are satisfyingly unsatisfying in a way that feels appropriate.
I really dug this, even more than I expected. It's been a while since I've vibed this hard with a Batman comic, and it felt good. It's weird, dark, unpredictable, occasionally poetic, and always badass—a rock-solid 4.5.
This isn't a simple, dime-a-dozen caper meant to coast off the recent movie's coattails, either. It still hits the "greatest hits" notes but mixes them with a compelling mystery that contextualizes the way King plays with the timeline. It makes the cuts between days, minutes, months, and even years feel like an extension of the story instead of a gimmick. I can see how it could be frustrating for people expecting or hoping for something more straightforward. I'm not one of those, though, so the storytelling structure totally landed for me.
Marquez's art is stellar, too, and makes the book look like a blockbuster spectacle. Sánchez's colors and Cowles' reliably exciting lettering make the pages even better and give the story vibrant, dynamic energy and momentum. The art manages to balance the inherent silliness of a Batman comic without losing any of its edges, which is crucial for any Batman story and this one in particular. There are some jaw-dropping images on these pages, and every issue has at least 2-3 pages or panels that I had to stop and bask in. If you want to see some badass hero shots, Marquez has you covered.
The comic is also far more violent than I expected, to the point where I kept checking if it was a Black Label title. There's a considerable body count, quite a bit of obvious bloodshed, and it's framed in a very matter-of-fact way, making it pack an even harder punch. It also works as a great counter to the occasional silliness of King's script, which I dug. Any story that focuses on Batman's rogues' gallery should be a little silly, and King has always done an excellent job at recognizing that without forgetting that these villains are also homicidal powder kegs. He even introduces what I think might be a new villain into the mix—a new one to me, at least—that I hope to see more of. The reveals might not be as earth-shattering as you think, but they serve the story and are satisfyingly unsatisfying in a way that feels appropriate.
I really dug this, even more than I expected. It's been a while since I've vibed this hard with a Batman comic, and it felt good. It's weird, dark, unpredictable, occasionally poetic, and always badass—a rock-solid 4.5.
March 1, 2023
It's too long and convoluted, and it has a bunch of useless scenes and characters (I hated The Help so much). However, it does have some really entertaining scenes, an interesting non-linear form of storytelling and a great ending, that I found quite meaningful. It's an ambitious comic, even though far from perfect.
May 24, 2024
(Zero spoiler review)
It's quite amazing really, that for all the supposed mature themes contained within Tom King's writing, just how confoundingly childish he makes it seem at the same time. If you have ever wanted DC to completely dispel the notion that they write for kids as well (because we all know kids neither give a shit, nor could afford a modern comic book), then Tom King is the absolute antidote to such malady. Just read Killing Time and you'll be begging for the camp as fuck 60's Batman to come mincing his way back into Gotham and consign this turgid dreck to the bin where it belongs. 'Look, Selina Kyle swears (bleeped out) every other line she says'. Man, DC really gets me and my unrestrained edginess. I'm gonna buy two copies I love it that much...
What a waste of some pretty outstanding David Marquez art, though his Riddler model is dreadful.
I said I was giving this overrated poser one more chance, and he went and broke my poor little comic loving heart again.
Fool me seven times, Tom King, shame on you. Fool me eight or more times, shame on me. 2/5
OmniBen.
It's quite amazing really, that for all the supposed mature themes contained within Tom King's writing, just how confoundingly childish he makes it seem at the same time. If you have ever wanted DC to completely dispel the notion that they write for kids as well (because we all know kids neither give a shit, nor could afford a modern comic book), then Tom King is the absolute antidote to such malady. Just read Killing Time and you'll be begging for the camp as fuck 60's Batman to come mincing his way back into Gotham and consign this turgid dreck to the bin where it belongs. 'Look, Selina Kyle swears (bleeped out) every other line she says'. Man, DC really gets me and my unrestrained edginess. I'm gonna buy two copies I love it that much...
What a waste of some pretty outstanding David Marquez art, though his Riddler model is dreadful.
I said I was giving this overrated poser one more chance, and he went and broke my poor little comic loving heart again.
Fool me seven times, Tom King, shame on you. Fool me eight or more times, shame on me. 2/5
OmniBen.
Read
August 3, 2022Tom King vuelve a cambiar de estilo (quien diga que no está ciego) y plantea un cómic lleno de acción e intriga por ver cómo conectan las diferentes idas y venidas en el tiempo. Me ha gustado este recurso, aunque también he de decir que se entenderá mejor todo leído de seguido y no a lo largo de meses, ya que hay detalles que me bailan y convendría tener más frescos.
Aun así es un tebeo espectacular en cuanto a dibujo y color, y ojalá David Marquez y Alejandro Sánchez repitan pronto con King. No ha habido unos Catwoman y Acertijo más guapos que estos y los de Mikel Janín.
En fin, que es un complemento estupendo a su etapa principal en Batman. Por mí que King siga escribiendo miniseries de este palo con el murciélago y la gata siempre que quiera. Nunca hay bastante BatCat firmado por él y sus colaboradores.
Aun así es un tebeo espectacular en cuanto a dibujo y color, y ojalá David Marquez y Alejandro Sánchez repitan pronto con King. No ha habido unos Catwoman y Acertijo más guapos que estos y los de Mikel Janín.
En fin, que es un complemento estupendo a su etapa principal en Batman. Por mí que King siga escribiendo miniseries de este palo con el murciélago y la gata siempre que quiera. Nunca hay bastante BatCat firmado por él y sus colaboradores.
February 19, 2023
Other than my general opinion of Tom King's writing, I didn't have any idea of what to expect of this story, no clue what it was about. Primarily taking place early in Batman's career, the story is written so that it jumps backwards and forwards through time, but also switches between subplots, resulting in some confusion up front. Each switch is prefaced with the date and time that quickly becomes annoying when binge reading. King introduces a new character called The Help, who is both formidable and intriguing and I suspect will be used in future stories by King. Overall, the story does come together in the end and serves primarily to give a new introduction to a lesser tier villain. It's one of King's more palatable stories, but without much of a deeper meaning that he occasionally adds.
August 13, 2023
One of the weaker efforts from King, that I’ve read so far. There is a dual timeline thing happening with an Ancient Greek play, as well as a few super villains teaming up to steal an item of some importance to Batman. A new villain is introduced, the execution was fine—but it’s definitely too convoluted and has little pay off, despite the constant drawing out of the mystery and its parallels, making it feel underwhelming and a bit forgettable.
October 2, 2022
I'm a massive Batman and Tom King fan, which makes judging a book featuring the first and written by the second a guaranteed win in my book.
Luckily the brilliantly twisty plot, solid art, and phenomenal action make this a Batman story that I'm sure will be a win in any Batman fan's book.
Luckily the brilliantly twisty plot, solid art, and phenomenal action make this a Batman story that I'm sure will be a win in any Batman fan's book.
September 30, 2023
Samo Tom King ume da napravi savrsenu, nelinearnu, heist pricu, da u sve uplete grcku tragediju i da to na kraju fenomenalno proradi.
May 20, 2024
Tom King continues to put his stamp on Batman and also continues to mine the masterpiece that is Watchmen. This is just as much a Batman story as it is a riff on the Doctor Manhattan sections of Watchmen. The look of the narrative blocks are the big giveaway, but the (sometimes too cute) story structure and ultimate big bad are the other things clearly done as an ode. There’s a lot to like here, not least of all is the incredible artwork. Some of the stuff set in the past was a little lost on me, but I did like the bit about Constantine (not that one) changing the origin of the mcguffin.
July 1, 2023
Good, all they up to a somewhat muddy ending that kind of sours the whole experience.
August 9, 2024
A decent Batman story, with King’s trademark literary stylings (this time with references to Greek tragedy). I liked the use of a little-known Bat-villain to tie the narrative together, although I still believe certain aspects of the plot weren’t explained well.
November 12, 2022
Крок, Риддлер и Кэтвумен грабят банк, но так хитро, что за ними явно кто-то стоит. Кто? Это лишь одна из интриг новой мини-серии Тома Кинга, которая понравилась мне куда больше, чем я ожидал.
Она очень ловко устроена сразу по многим фронтам — и крепкому повествованию с тарантиновской мешаниной во времени. И напряжённому криминальному сюжету в духе Эда Брубейкера (и самое удивительное, что Бэтмен тут далеко не главный персонаж — он играет наравне со всеми). И необычной нарративной манере (разнообразие в этих манерах становится новой визитной карточкой Кинга) — боевые сцены так и вовсе описываются будто бы с точки зрения патологоанатома, что ощутимо отдаёт "Хранителями". Автор даже находит место под древнегреческую трагедию, а также тонкие шуточки — и в адрес самого Бэтмена, и даже будто бы в адрес себя, именитого рассказчика, литературного демиурга.
Нарисовано вполне по современным стандартам ААА-серий, разве что меня умилило, сколько внимания художники уделяют деталям типа перчаток или ботинка, в отличие от лиц персонажей. В целом, перед нами безусловно одна из лучших серий года. Прикладываю ознакомительный фрагмент.
Она очень ловко устроена сразу по многим фронтам — и крепкому повествованию с тарантиновской мешаниной во времени. И напряжённому криминальному сюжету в духе Эда Брубейкера (и самое удивительное, что Бэтмен тут далеко не главный персонаж — он играет наравне со всеми). И необычной нарративной манере (разнообразие в этих манерах становится новой визитной карточкой Кинга) — боевые сцены так и вовсе описываются будто бы с точки зрения патологоанатома, что ощутимо отдаёт "Хранителями". Автор даже находит место под древнегреческую трагедию, а также тонкие шуточки — и в адрес самого Бэтмена, и даже будто бы в адрес себя, именитого рассказчика, литературного демиурга.
Нарисовано вполне по современным стандартам ААА-серий, разве что меня умилило, сколько внимания художники уделяют деталям типа перчаток или ботинка, в отличие от лиц персонажей. В целом, перед нами безусловно одна из лучших серий года. Прикладываю ознакомительный фрагмент.
January 30, 2023
Good read and very fun. A bit more violent than your typical Batman story but has some aspects of Indiana Jones/Pulp Fiction. I like the way the story is told with a little jumping back/forth to move the story along. The Help, a character I never heard if before, reminds me of The Wolf in the Tarantino classic.
August 11, 2022
So this was a wild ride. I loved the hell out of the first two issues. Croc was dope. Catwoman and Riddler were fun. And it was started as generally a nice dark and gritty Batman detective story. I mostly didn't mind the "overuse" of additional descriptions. Marquez's art is gorgeous. Issues 2 & 3 created some problems. The Help was rather boring and I feel like I missed something because Batman went from getting his ass beat by The Help to teaming up with him with no time frame in-between? Also Batman never discovered the body of the worker that The Help killed? ALSO Batman said The Help would be over after this yet that never happened and Batman didn't even try to keep an eye on him? AND if Batman was confident enough to beat him, why would he not attempt to beat him to put another threat behind bars? AND The Help says he would be able to benefit Batman but all he did was enter a diner. That entire thing was honestly just so stupid. I feel it was just a way to keep The Help in the comic even though the "main" villain was actually Clock King in the end. However, Issue 5 was incredible. The opening sequence was just insanely good. The chaos all being calmly explained by descriptions. At this point I was pretty sure that Clock King would appear and when he did I was very excited. Not only did that last panel look amazing, but I love a lot of obscure Batman villains. Like Gentleman Ghost and the star of the show Clock King. So I was disappointed with Issue 6. He didn't do much. The ending was lackluster. The flashbacks being all tied together was just lazy and not as intricate as I was hoping. And Clock King's final speech before the end was some stupid shit. "Just something to help me pass the time" Please shut up. The second Clock King gets the spotlight he's out of it. Why does this keep happening to the villains I like. This is the same shit that happened with Fear State and Scarecrow being tossed aside for some no good boring new character. Overall, the highs were highs and the lows were lows and Marquez & Sanchez helped me through the bad parts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2022
This was a five star book until the final issue. I cant remember the last time I was so disappointed by an ending.
July 8, 2023
Interesting story and takes a rarely used Bat Villain and shows they could be a tough opponent when done correctly.
March 14, 2024
Batman: Killing Time collects issues 1-6 of the DC Comics series written by Tom King with art by David Marquez.
Killer Croc, The Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler have joined forces to steal a mysterious and powerful ancient artifact from a Gotham bank vault. After successfully stealing the item, the villains are on the run from Batman as they try to sell the item to a major benefactor. But things quickly go haywire and the group will be fighting to just make it out alive.
I thought this was a fantastic premise but Tom King got way over zealous in the time jumping gimmick. I get that because this is a mysterious heist, there had to be some jumps to account for twists in the story, but it is over utilized. I don't need the story to jump 8 times in 3 pages during a single fight. That just makes it confusing to the reader to determine what the hell is happening. I'm tempted to count the number of time jumps in the 6-issue series. It has to be over a hundred.
Marquez's art is beautiful throughout. He does a great job capturing the action as well as the tension in serious scenes. I also really enjoyed a new adversary created for this book, The Help. The Help had also previously travelled the world training - and usurping - many of the best fighters in the their fields, so he gave Batman a run for his money in their battles. I think this story would have actually been perfect in the three-issue oversized Black Series format.
Killer Croc, The Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler have joined forces to steal a mysterious and powerful ancient artifact from a Gotham bank vault. After successfully stealing the item, the villains are on the run from Batman as they try to sell the item to a major benefactor. But things quickly go haywire and the group will be fighting to just make it out alive.
I thought this was a fantastic premise but Tom King got way over zealous in the time jumping gimmick. I get that because this is a mysterious heist, there had to be some jumps to account for twists in the story, but it is over utilized. I don't need the story to jump 8 times in 3 pages during a single fight. That just makes it confusing to the reader to determine what the hell is happening. I'm tempted to count the number of time jumps in the 6-issue series. It has to be over a hundred.
Marquez's art is beautiful throughout. He does a great job capturing the action as well as the tension in serious scenes. I also really enjoyed a new adversary created for this book, The Help. The Help had also previously travelled the world training - and usurping - many of the best fighters in the their fields, so he gave Batman a run for his money in their battles. I think this story would have actually been perfect in the three-issue oversized Black Series format.
February 23, 2025
This is a fun read with plenty of action and several good moments of humor. The narrative device of jumping around chronologically sometimes works for me and other times seems to make grasping the content and meaning of events more difficult than it likely needs to be. I have a lot of appreciation for how King writes these characters, and this limited series kept that appreciation strong. The introduction of the character The Help is superbly executed, and I would appreciate seeing King make use of him in a future story. What he wants the reader to take away from this particular tale isn't entirely clear to me, and yet the final issue suggests that maybe we aren't meant to delve for something more profound than the joy of the ride itself.
Marquez's art matches the story well. King assigns him the task of envisioning a few challenging scenes, and I think he answers the challenge skillfully. In the final analysis, this is a stand-alone Batman story worth checking out.
Marquez's art matches the story well. King assigns him the task of envisioning a few challenging scenes, and I think he answers the challenge skillfully. In the final analysis, this is a stand-alone Batman story worth checking out.
June 1, 2025
“At 5:03 P. M., Gordon turns on the Bat-Signal.”
Career #500 and a 5 ⭐️to boot! I kinda love that symmetry. As do I love Tom King and David Marquez doing a full on Kubrick riff with Batman! Had I known basically any of that before now I would have read the absolute shit out of this.
But I’m here now and that’s the important bit. Seriously, this is a really fun time. And I think maybe solidified my thesis that King works better in the shorter end of issue orders. Like this is punchy, it looks phenomenal, and genuinely had me hooked the whole time. Even more so as King continues to reveal his B:TAS fandom, making yet another scene-stealing villain from there canon alongside newcomer The Help, who I really was charmed a bunch by.
We need more just like open riffs on “heists gone wrong” starring people in masks. It’s always fun and sometimes you get one that really sings like this (and doesn’t seem padded out over six more issues than it should be).
Career #500 and a 5 ⭐️to boot! I kinda love that symmetry. As do I love Tom King and David Marquez doing a full on Kubrick riff with Batman! Had I known basically any of that before now I would have read the absolute shit out of this.
But I’m here now and that’s the important bit. Seriously, this is a really fun time. And I think maybe solidified my thesis that King works better in the shorter end of issue orders. Like this is punchy, it looks phenomenal, and genuinely had me hooked the whole time. Even more so as King continues to reveal his B:TAS fandom, making yet another scene-stealing villain from there canon alongside newcomer The Help, who I really was charmed a bunch by.
We need more just like open riffs on “heists gone wrong” starring people in masks. It’s always fun and sometimes you get one that really sings like this (and doesn’t seem padded out over six more issues than it should be).
July 21, 2023
You know I'm a big of Tom King, so I had high hopes for this.
IT DID NOT DISAPOINT.
A true masterpiece. A non linear story happening in the early years of Batman's adventures. Riddler is still young and hip, Catwoman is still a psychotic freak. It's essentially a heist story that feels epic and smart and very, very elegant. I just love how much style King's writing has, I feel like I'm watching the most elitist European-director movie. So good!
The comics is also CRAZY beautiful, like just amazing. With art by David Marquez and colours by Alejandro Sánchez you know you're in for a wonderful journey!
The ending is... brave. At first I thought it was just okay and a bit silly but seeing how many people feel INSULTED by it... yeah, i appreciated it more :D
All in all, a great story. Tom King is still my king <3
IT DID NOT DISAPOINT.
A true masterpiece. A non linear story happening in the early years of Batman's adventures. Riddler is still young and hip, Catwoman is still a psychotic freak. It's essentially a heist story that feels epic and smart and very, very elegant. I just love how much style King's writing has, I feel like I'm watching the most elitist European-director movie. So good!
The comics is also CRAZY beautiful, like just amazing. With art by David Marquez and colours by Alejandro Sánchez you know you're in for a wonderful journey!
The ending is... brave. At first I thought it was just okay and a bit silly but seeing how many people feel INSULTED by it... yeah, i appreciated it more :D
All in all, a great story. Tom King is still my king <3
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