Batman: Killing Time #6 is the final issue of the series published by DC Comics, written by Tom King, art by David Marquez, colours by Alejandro Sánchez and letters by Clayton Cowles. After the massacre in the park, Batman begins his chase for those responsible.
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Out of all of the issues, this is the one that is the most streamlined. Whilst the plot still jumps between scenes, beginning with the battle in the park, there is a much more defined intention. And with the final member of the cabal of super-villains and true narrator being revealed as the Clock King, the obsession with timing makes sense. The wrap-up of the slaughter that started in the last issue, is explosive, sombre and violent. The pacing after this is slow and methodical as Batman starts taking control. King has created a story filled with plot threads, and many of them are completed in a circular fashion that is satisfying. Some, especially those set in the far past, weren’t really worth the long struggle it took to get there. However, the bookmarking enacted by the writer does make the ending effective.
The rewarding part of Batman: Killing Time #6 is that the title character truly takes command in this final chapter. For so long, this young Batman has been struggling to keep up with his enemies. But here he starts making moves that shows a maturity he will maintain for years to come. That sensitivity towards life is made clear in a really brutal series, depicting Batman’s need to save people over any other objective. While there is narration, there is little dialogue from Bruce as he performs his actions. As for the villains, the devolution of their relationships is fascinating to see. As with the plot threads, the character arcs are a mixed bag of satisfactions. The Help fizzled out despite being one of the most prominent figures. Clock King was a big surprise, but I was left confused by his final moments.
The art is the part of the comic that has remained glorious. There are large parts of the book that are silent from dialogue, so the storytelling is provided beautifully by Marquez. There’s a superb ability to control noise. The quiet areas are poised and eloquent, then the loud moments are chaotic. The passage of time and camera movements provide the book with cinematic quality, There’s a brilliant partnership between the foreground and background, with things either getting slowly zoomed in to as the panels go by, or objects getting closer behind a focal point. Because of this, each page feels like a flipbook of movement. The different variations of Batman’s presence in this book is also fascinating, from full-bodied shots to shadows.
The colours are simply stunning. The sheer precision that Sánchez implements is incredible, with some excellent and unique shades being included. The gorgeous use of lighting and shadows are merged with alterations to the naturalistic tones. The in-depth shadows on characters’ faces is awesome for affecting the proportions and perspective of the page. The lettering looks uniform and official and matches the art style perfectly.
Batman: Killing Time #6 does not leave with the same majesty as it started with, but it tried really hard to. What is certain is the glorious art by both Marquez and Sánchez has made this comic a visual masterpiece. And for the majority of the comic the plot is well-crafted and poetic in its narration. The characters are interesting, but their conclusion does not always fit the power they had in earlier chapters of the series. All of these roads were meant to land in the same destination, but many of them hit a dead end.
Batman: Killing Time #6 is available where comics are sold.
Batman: Killing Time #6
TL;DR
Batman: Killing Time #6 does not leave with the same majesty as it started with, but it tried really hard to. What is certain is the glorious art by both Marquez and Sáanchez has made this comic a visual masterpiece. And for the majority of the comic the plot is well-crafted and poetic in its narration. The characters are interesting, but their conclusion does not always fit the power they had in earlier chapters of the series. All of these roads were meant to land in the same destination, but many of them hit a dead end.
