Is Bruce going number-two on the cover? Wait, it looks like they all have to go, or are going; either that, or maybe Batman just crossed the equator for the first time and the sailors are giving him the rite of passage. But, no matter how you look at it, this cover is bothersome, and makes you a bit uncomfortable (just not as uncomfortable as Bats.)

As the final installment in the “Riddle me That” storyline, this issue is full of surprises, trickery and double-backs. It is really the perfect starting point for this new incarnation of the Riddler, and a perfect setup for deception to come.

I really think that this was a great series, and that while it is sometimes hard to accept the boy-band style of the made-over Nigma, it was truly a breakthrough. The old Riddler of green bowling hat fame, was tired, and beginning to be sidelined, until the “Hush” story arc in Batman. After this however, certain people in the biz decided that a Riddler with a more active hand in things (NOTE: the cover above illustrates this point perfectly) needs to have a stronger presence, and viola, youthful-playboy Riddler.

Check out the art on the second page – see the skull stuff up by the margins and the question marks? I really love the peripheral

Before I end this review, I have to say that McCarthy really fooled me in this one. I was definitely taken for a loop, as I read along and saw things play out exactly not how I had expected. This is a credit to McCarthy, not because I am a genius, but because I am a genius who reads and knows some Batman. To be duped is to have fun, unless you call what is happening to Batman (above) duped – in that case: not so fun.

-Peblee