Batman: The Curse of King Tut

A series of gruesome killings preceded by riddles has attracted the attentions of the Dark Knight. However, the infamous Edward Nigma is still in captivity; indeed, he shows no signs of knowing who or what is behind the murders. But if the Riddler isn't behind it, who is?

Plot Summary:
One by one, members of Gotham's Museum are being murdered, with riddles being told to the people who view their deaths. When Batman begins to investigate, all the evidence points to one person; the infamous Riddler, who is currently residing in Arkham. However, Edward Nigma appears not to know of the crimes, and even offers to help solve them due to what he calls "professional pride." When Riddler escapes, Batman hunts him down, only to find that Nigma was in fact telling the truth; a new villain, dressed in the garb of an Egyptian Pharaoh, is behind the murders. King Tut, as he is labelled, is on a quest for revenge, and as Batman and his unlikely ally Riddler race to stop him from killing his next target, the reasons behind his hatred of the Museum's board of trustees is revealed.

Dramatis Personnae:
Batman
Commissioner Gordon
King Tut
The Riddler

Verdict:
This is a very slick and well-executed re-imagining of an old supervillain. For those of you who don't know, King Tut first made his debut as part of the 1960's TV rogue's gallery; to see him re-imagined from a comical and clumsy criminal to a sadistic killer. The plot itself is very well done, and the initial intrigue caused by the riddles adds to the sense of urgency. In general, the tension between the Riddler and Batman is very well done; despite their common cause, there's a lot of bad blood here and believe me, it shows. For everything the Riddler says, Bats has a sarcastic put-down, and even when it is clear that Nigma is not the threat, he is still just cold and uncaring enough for both Batman and the readers to question just how trustworthy he is.
The art in this series is very good, as art goes, with the colouring and positioning of the characters being natural and seamless between panels, which is only a good thing. The rendition of Tut's new costume is very impressive, too; gone is the stupid headress, replaced by a sinister and emotionless face mask styled after the death-masks of the Pharaoahs. Creepy.
Overall, then, a very fine read and a solid addition to anyone's Batman collection, especially if you like riddles.

Rating: 7.8/10