Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » DC Comics » REVIEW: ‘Batman: Killing Time,’ Issue #5

REVIEW: ‘Batman: Killing Time,’ Issue #5

William TuckerBy William Tucker07/05/20224 Mins Read
Batman Killing Time #5 - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Batman Killing Time #5 - But Why Tho

Batman: Killing Time #5 is published by DC Comics, written by Tom King, art by David Marquez, colours by Alejandro Sánchez, and letters by Clayton Cowles. War comes to Gotham in this issue as the deal between Riddler, Catwoman and their buyer is interrupted by the Penguin and an army of goons, with Batman and The Help thrown in the mix.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The issue’s plot may have reached the darkest low in an already bloody series. It begins with an incredibly frank and bloody opening that is truly shocking in its execution, depicting a huge amount of death and carnage right from the start. It’s quite grim on a new level, escalating the entire situation quickly. The series then jumps backward, slowly introducing all of the elements that then lead to the meeting at the beginning. Any comments made about an inability to focus during the first four issues are erased by Batman: Killing Time #5, as the ferocity of the first pages snaps you to attention. The tension of this confrontation in the park is altered by the foreshadowing. We know that something chaotic is going to happen, but it is the precise entails that remained a secret.

The battles reignite by the end of the comic with a revitalised intensity. Whilst many questions are answered, King leaves us with countless left. The beginning of the issue does also do something different that previous chapters have not done. The opening plays out at a different pace to the constant changing of setting on every page. This does not shift for long, however, moving through periods of time with hundreds of years of difference. But as the battle builds, the scenes move between different sides of the same place.

For five issues of this miniseries, Batman has been almost wholly irrelevant to the story. He very minimally affects the timeline, appearing much more like a bit-part of the whole event. It is the fascinating politics and power struggle between the villains that makes the comic so gripping. Catwoman and Riddler’s betrayal of Penguin finally comes back to bite them. Riddler’s faith in his plan and Selina’s completely fractured nerves increases the tension of every scene they’re in. The narration in the opening in particular is what makes that part of the comic so evocative. It describes the death of each person in gruesome, intricate detail, mentioning their injuries and the family they leave behind. It gives the entire piece a haunting, upsetting quality.

The art continues to be phenomenal. The incredibly violent first scene is a mixture of depicting an event just before the grizzly conclusion, such as a person pointing a gun, to showcasing the horrific injury in full. What it depicts is a battle bereft of morality or sense, merging Tarantino with Batman. The costumes of each character cause confusion until it is explained later in the comic. After this period, Marquez makes the art clearer, calming the situation down for a while. The art style again brings a gorgeous realism to faces and body language, which manipulates the sadness I felt seeing the brutality on display. When there are only glimpses of the action, it creates a feeling of speed, like they are flashes of movement.

The colours are simply stunning. It is distinctly beautiful during the timezone when the sun begins to set. There is a blend of purple and orange that illuminates the area from street lights. It accentuates the shadows whilst also being achingly pretty. But it heralds a looming disaster. The lettering is easy to read and I am now used to looking for the caption boxes.

Batman: Killing Time #5 is a beautifully brutal comic. It is this intensely explosive release from all of the tension that had been brewing since the start of the comic. The diatribes about Ancient Greece and the tiger brawling were all leading to this confrontation. King’s scripting is excellent but the art may just be some of the best in any book DC has to offer right now. The first several pages are highly detailed about extremely graphic things, which was definitely unexpected and may take many by surprise. 

Batman: Killing Time #5 is available where comics are sold.

Batman: Killing Time #5
4.5

TL;DR

Batman: Killing Time #5 is a beautifully brutal comic. It is this intensely explosive release from all of the tension that had been brewing since the start of the comic. The diatribes about Ancient Greece and the tiger brawling were all leading to this confrontation. King’s scripting is excellent but the art may just be some of the best in any book DC has to offer right now. The first several pages are highly detailed about extremely graphic things, which was definitely unexpected and may take many by surprise. 

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Dark Crisis,’ Issue #2
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Batman,’ Issue #125
William Tucker

William is a screenwriter with a love of comics and movies. Once referred to Wuthering Heights as "the one with the Rabbits."

Related Posts

Absolute Batman Issue 12 cover

REVIEW: ‘Absolute Batman’ Issue 12

09/10/2025
Red Hood Issue 1 cover

REVIEW: ‘Red Hood’ Issue 1

09/10/2025
Cover of Absolute Green Lantern Issue 6

REVIEW: ‘Absolute Green Lantern’ Issue 6

09/03/2025
Cover of Absolute Superman Issue 11 that features an image of Brainiac

REVIEW: ‘Absolute Superman’ Issue 11

09/03/2025
Absolute Wonder Woman Issue 11

REVIEW: ‘Absolute Wonder Woman’ Issue 11

08/27/2025
Justice League Unlimited Issue 10

REVIEW: ‘Justice League Unlimited’ Issue 10

08/27/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here