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Batman 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles Paperback – December 19, 2017

by Tom King (Author), Mikel Janin (Illustrator), Danny Miki (Illustrator),
4.6 out of 5 stars 1,209 ratings
Early in Batman’s career, the Joker and the Riddler would seemingly be natural allies. But each man determined that he and he alone must be the one to kill the Bat... and either would sooner burn down Gotham than be beaten to the punch line.
 
Untold until now, one of the darkest chapters in Batman’s history sees all of Gotham’s villains choosing sides in a battle of wits that soon turns into a full-blown war—complete with civilian casualties. In the War of Jokes and Riddles, only one side can claim victory... but the scars it leaves will shape Batman’s future as he makes the most important decision of his life.
 
From the critically acclaimed, best-selling creative team of Tom King (Grayson, The Vision) and Mikel Janin (Justice League Dark), the epic graphic tale Batman: The War Of Jokes And Riddles has quickly embedded itself as one of the great stories in the Dark Knight’s mythology. Collects issues #25-32.
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  1. Part of Series
    Batman (2016-)
  2. Print length
    200 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Dc Comics
  5. Publication date
    December 19, 2017
  6. Dimensions
    6.7 x 0.3 x 10.2 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1401273610
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1401273613
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The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

Review

“One needs only the barest bit of Bat-knowledge to take in this epic about the Dark Knight.” —Library Journal
 
“Stories of this nature require a writer to slip into the personage of a genius—or in this case, three geniuses. King is one of the few writers whose cerebral approach can do it justice.” —Paste Magazine

“Smart, exciting, satisfying, and gorgeously drawn.” —SYFY Wire
 
"Another classic Batman tale for King and Janin.” —IGN
  

About the Author

Tom King is a comic book writer and novelist, best known for his work at DC Comics including Batman, Grayson and Omega Men. He often relies on his experience as an ex-CIA agent and experiences during the recent conflicts in the Middle East in his writing, especially apparent in Grayson (alongside co-writer Tim Seeley), Omega Men and in Sheriff of Babylon, published under the Vertigo imprint.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dc Comics; Illustrated edition (December 19, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1401273610
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1401273613
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.7 x 0.3 x 10.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 1,209 ratings

About the author

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Tom King

Tom King

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Tom King is the New York Times best selling author and multiple Eisner Award winning writer of Batman, Superman, Mister Miracle, Vision, The Sheriff of Babylon, Omega Men, Strange Adventures, and many others.

Prior to becoming a writer, King served in the CIA as an operation officer in the Counterterrorism Center. He lives in Washington DC with his wife and three children.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,209 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story engaging, with one review highlighting its thematic approach, and they appreciate its entertainment value and good art quality. The character development receives mixed reactions, with some praising the deft character study while others criticize the writing quality, describing it as bad fan fiction. The pacing also gets mixed reviews, with one customer noting how the promising start descends into mediocrity.

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58 customers mention "Story quality"54 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, describing it as one of the best Batman stories with a good premise, decent narrative, and an ending that lives up to expectations.

"...Nice twist @ the end" Read more

"Tom King continues his absolutely astonishing run on Batman with the fourth volume that picks up right from where "I am Bane" left off...." Read more

"Negatives: -The overall story was clever and I liked the big finish, but the weak part, unfortunately, was the choice of actual jokes and..." Read more

"...Batman is presented as emotionally vulnerable and personally aware; this is one of the most accessible versions of Batman I've seen...." Read more

15 customers mention "Fun read"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, with one specifically mentioning its good jokes.

"...I bought it. -when the villains do actually talk and interact, it's good fun...." Read more

"...flat, but these were for me minor concerns in what is overall a fantastic comic...." Read more

"I'm not great at book reviews. This one was fun. Cool callbacks and self-references. Overall a fun ride with some serious moments mixed in." Read more

"...I didn't like I still recommend its reading, 'the War of Jokes and Riddles' is entertaining...." Read more

14 customers mention "Art quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers generally like the art quality of the book, with one noting it's average for a DC artist.

"Negatives: -The overall story was clever and I liked the big finish, but the weak part, unfortunately, was the choice of actual jokes and..." Read more

"A decent story with average art for DC artist. Worth a go but nothing to write home about. (Read Digitally)" Read more

"...The graphic novel’s writing is bad, but the artwork is average or good (depending on your taste)...." Read more

"...That aside, there are some incredible visuals, scenes, and tragic moments in this arc, like the origins of Kite Man, who had been built up in this..." Read more

15 customers mention "Character development"10 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some appreciating the deft character study and interesting hero portrayal, while others find it weak.

"...Along with the standout two villains is plenty of great character work with Batman..." Read more

"...But really enjoyed this story. It was dark and I enjoyed the characterization of the Joker and the Riddler...." Read more

"...Untold until now, one of the darkest chapters in Batman’s history sees all of Gotham’s villains choosing sides in a battle of wits that soon turns..." Read more

"...thematic story that skips through time and pulls in dozens of familiar characters...." Read more

13 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive9 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it very well written while others describe it as painfully terrible and reading like bad fan fiction.

"...It’s a bad use of characters and either bad writing or a lack of understanding of their status in the Batman mythos...." Read more

"...Mann & Janin really complement each other. They intermittently weave a cohesive visual narrative...." Read more

"...The only downer for me is Tom Kings narration style can be hard to follow...." Read more

"The first three chapters of this graphic novel were hard to read. They were violent and meaningless...." Read more

9 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with one finding it promising at the start while another notes it descends into mediocrity.

"...Felt unnecessary and sometimes was more an interruption than an aid...." Read more

"...It starts off very promising and maintaines a steady atmosphere...." Read more

"...from the last twenty years, the premise is intriguing, but the execution is poor...." Read more

"...of each other... 🤦‍♂️ It seems both are equally skilled but not that smart, as if one of them had pointed to the head the bullet would have hit its..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Wyrm
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, dark
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Great!
    Tom King gets a lot of flack, but i like his writing & plotting.
    Nice twist @ the end
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  • clairetoldmetochangemyscreenname
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous New Chapter from Tom King Featuring his Masterful New Origin for Kite Man (Hell Yeah!)
    Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Tom King continues his absolutely astonishing run on Batman with the fourth volume that picks up right from where "I am Bane" left off. With Bats having finally proposed to on-again-off-again flame Catwoman, he decides to recount the story of the War of Jokes and Riddles. This retconned story (all told via flashback narration from Bats to Cat) takes place shortly after the events of the New 52 story arc Zero Year wherein the Riddler had briefly taken over the city of Gotham and left it a would-be no mans land. The Joker and Riddler end up on a collision course over the right to be the one that kills Batman and their feud over which one of them is truly deserving to be the man who kills Batman draws in almost every other criminal from Gotham. While a lot of the action and bloodshed does take place in the background, King's story is crucial in building a new mythos around the Riddler. After Scott Snyder's New 52 run gave the classically buffoonish villain an exciting retcon, King continues to build on a meaner, crueler Riddler who can potentially match the Joker's insanity. Along with the standout two villains is plenty of great character work with Batman (including the volume's stand out issue in which Bruce Wayne attempts to hold a peace talk dinner between the two criminals which plays out in a darkly comic manner over the eight course meal) is the crowning achievement of the book: King's breakdown of the Kite Man character. A joke of a golden and silver age character, Kite Man has had a few funny cameos in the first three volumes of King's run and now we get the full, tragic origin of this villain. How King takes a punch line character like Kite Man and makes him the standout character of the book is just genius. As Kite Man would say "hell yeah!"
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not much action and weak jokes/riddles keep a great story from being fantastic.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Negatives:
    -The overall story was clever and I liked the big finish, but the weak part, unfortunately, was the choice of actual jokes and riddles they used. I wish they had outsourced those to actual comedians/puzzle writers because some of the riddles they casually included (as dialogue, not as big plot points) are ones I heard as a kid more than fifteen years ago. Ever heard the interrupting cow knock knock joke? Well you'll hear it here, too. Ever hear the riddle where you're trapped in a room with just a mirror and a table, so you look in the mirror, see what you saw, take the saw, cut the table in half, two halves make a whole, escape through the hole? Yeah they dusted that one off. It's like instead of working anything smart or new, they took material from an actual joke book. Very disappointing for the genius Riddler to use stuff from easily a decade ago.
    -Batman's inner monologue that narrates the story can also be over the top melodramatic, but I've come to expect that from these bigger titles.
    -a lot of the actual war and chaos and fights are described instead of shown. There is very little transition between the war starting and it being full swing with mass evacuations and the like. Also disappointing. It makes some of the story pacing jump around at maybe a third way through. Can be confusing if you're not going show enough.
    -the frame story was, to me, a little cheap way to try and make it sexier by showing a girl in a bedroom every chapter or so, as though our attention can't be kept otherwise. Felt unnecessary and sometimes was more an interruption than an aid. Like, can Batman have personal conflict without there being a relationship on the line? We already know his future happiness can be effected by the choices he makes. They played this card better in the phantom movie.

    Positives:
    -this isn't a spoiler because you find out first thing, but part of the premise is that joker isn't laughing and is finding it hard to find things funny, even when he's trying. It was a bold choice to make a title villain act out of character the whole time, but it absolutely worked. Great way to freshen him up without having to make him do something ridiculously noncanonical and over the top. I bought it.
    -when the villains do actually talk and interact, it's good fun. The first fifth is pretty serious/dramatic, but they start having fun with it the deeper in you get. A dinner scene in particular was good ole fun having villains interact.
    -the art as usual was fantastic. We're all used to the main stream style of these graphic novels by now. The artists know what they're doing and I was never confused by what I was looking at. I just wish parts of the story had been more carefully crafted if they were going to invest so much talent in it. It won't be in my top five, but I will revisit it when I'm looking for some villain banter. Not for the action, though, as there's little to be found.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Daniel Reade
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Emotional Raw and Powerful Look at Early Batman
    Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    In a dark bedroom, Batman confesses to Catwoman. The two are in a relationship and Batman feels there is a part of his history Catwoman must understand before they move their relationship to the next level. Batman proceeds to tell the story of an all-out war between Joker and Riddler that erupted during Batman's second year wearing the cowl. Batman reveals the measures he went to in order to end the war, and how he almost lost his soul. Within all this is the story of Kite Man, a little known comic book villain here given a deeply tragic back story.

    The War of Jokes and Riddles is in the top three Batman stories I've read. Its dialogue is sharp and powerful, filled with pathos and allusions to previous Batman stories and movies. Batman is presented as emotionally vulnerable and personally aware; this is one of the most accessible versions of Batman I've seen. Somewhat strangely, then, it is perhaps the story of Kite Man ("Hell yeah!) that is one of the story's most emotionally moving parts. The individual who becomes Kite Man struggles against incredible disappointment and loss, his the story of one small individual caught in a war between titans.

    In terms of critiques, I personally was not always a huge fan of the art work--it felt overly clean and computerized--and the ultimate reason for Batman's confession felt, in the end, a bit flat, but these were for me minor concerns in what is overall a fantastic comic. Especially for those who are interested in character- and emotion-based graphic novels, this is an excellent choice
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Garrett
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cool story bro
    Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I'm not great at book reviews. This one was fun. Cool callbacks and self-references. Overall a fun ride with some serious moments mixed in.
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Decent Fun
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A decent story with average art for DC artist. Worth a go but nothing to write home about. (Read Digitally)
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Sean
    5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant Batman Graphic Novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 24, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I am rereading the vast volume of the Batman Graphic Novels, and as always I thoroughly enjoyed reading these books again as each one is enriched with lots of colorful drawings, story plot and dialogue as well.
    Overall a brilliantly written Batman comic series. Best wishes
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  • しましま
    5.0 out of 5 stars 面白かった！
    Reviewed in Japan on April 24, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    バットマン、ジョーカー、リドラー。
    この三つ巴は最高にテンションが上がりました。

    ジョーカーとリドラーというゴッサムの強力なヴィラン2人が、各々の協力者を集め戦争をするストーリー。互いに起こす行動も面白い！
    笑わないジョーカー、笑ったままのリドラーという対比も良い！バットマンはかなり迷惑そうでしたが、そこはそれ彼らはヴィランですし。
    「彼は笑ったか？」なんて、やっぱりあの男が異常者である事を改めて再認識してしまいます。
    でも突然のキャットウーマンとのそれは唐突に感じて、少し驚きました。いや目出度いけども。

    全体的に面白かったです！最後の殴り合いのめちゃくちゃさなんて、楽しくないわけがない！
    あとこの話には名脇役がいるので、彼を是非見て欲しいです。
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  • Stenio franklin
    3.0 out of 5 stars Descrecendo
    Reviewed in Brazil on October 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Gee, Tom King is a hit and miss
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  • KGBeast
    5.0 out of 5 stars Baddies are often more interesting - especially here
    Reviewed in Germany on December 24, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Der Joker und der Riddler kommen einander ein Jahr nach Batmans Start als Gothams Ritter mehr und mehr ins Gehege - insbesondere, weil der Joker über Batmans Eingriffe in sein Leben mehr und mehr frustriert ist, denn dadurch werden die möglichen Ausgänge seiner Aktionen überaus vorhersagbar. Nach einiger Zeit wächst sich die Auseinandersetzung zwischen den beiden zu einem regelrechten Krieg mit zunehmenden Lateralschäden aus, so dass das GCPD und der Dunkle Ritter immer kreativer in ihren Lösungsansätzen werden müssen. Aber Real-Schach auf dem Gothamer Schachbrett mit zwei der intelligentesten und kreativsten Widersacher ist nicht so einfach aufzulösen - noch nicht einmal als Bruce Wayne eine riesige Menge Geld auf dieses Problem wirft.

    Die beiden Kriminellen kommen hier wesentlich besser in den Vordergrund als die Ordnungshüter - und auch die sich entwickelnde Beziehung zwischen Batman und Catwoman kann diese in dieser Geschichte nicht wirklich interessanter machen. Aber auf jeden Fall ein guter Beitrag zur übergreifenden Batman-Erzählung.
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  • Matt Mozgiel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun from start to finish!
    Reviewed in Canada on April 12, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book is just fun! It's big, it's loud and it's a really fun Batman story. Mikel Janin and Clay Mann deliver some great visuals over top a Tom King yarn.
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