Batman VS Riddler By Eduardo Risso

Unlike most, I actually discovered Eduardo Risso’s art here, on CAF. I remember looking at everyone’s pickups from NYCC 2020 and a “Batman VS Talon” commission caught my eye. I’ve always been a fan of dark inks and found Risso’s manipulation of shadows and negative space intriguing. I spent the next hour or so looking at both commissions and published work, and eventually stumbled upon his contact info. I reached out to his son Nico, and got on his at home commission list. Other than my brief review of Eduardo’s work on CAF, my first real experience with his art did not come until much later.

Sometime in May 2022, I was preparing to make a deal for a grail page with a fellow collector, Jared Michalski. I had spent countless hours, most of my time on CAF actually, looking over his gallery, specifically his collection of Tim Sale pieces. We have similar tastes in art, often preferring the smaller moment pages over the big flashy splashes…heavy inks, and sequential story telling. After the trade, Jared shared some of his personal collection with me. It was there that I saw Eduardo’s art in person for the first time. There were some published Batman and 100 Bullet pages, along with a myriad of commissions. I remember my eyes widening while looking at a three or four page sequence, THE sequence from Batman: Flashpoint. Talk about sequential storytelling! Jared was schooling me on this guy, telling me what works to buy, as well as sharing stories about the long lines at his booth during conventions because he never refuses a signature and signs his name so intricately. I didn’t even realize that I was already on his list at the time. That evening, I emailed Nico, his son, who told me my name would be up by the end of the year.

A few months later, I got an email from Nico stating that his dad would be taking a small commission list for NYCC 2022. I was ecstatic, hoping to cash in on my place in line while saving on shipping/bank fees. I had patiently waited for two years, and emailed Nico with my usual request, “artist’s choice”. I wanted Batman to go up against a villain of Eduardo’s choosing.

By the time NYCC rolled around the following month, I was super eager to get to Risso’s booth. The commission was a complete surprise to me, so I had no idea who Eduardo would pick or where he would go with the piece. When I arrived at his booth, I introduced myself to his son Nico who was busy managing the art portfolios, and helping the fans with purchases. He was so gracious and genuine, and even Eduardo, who was already busy doing head sketches, was greeting each fan. When Nico pulled my commission from a file behind him in all its’ inky glory, I was stunned. I would have never guessed that Eduardo would pick the Riddler, especially in his movie costume (I found out later that he had been wanting to draw that version for a while).

Risso’s art is heavily influenced by noir cinema, and his work features stark, moody visuals often depicting dark storylines. One of the most distinctive elements of Risso’s art (and what I think makes him a modern master) is his use of shadows, which often play a key role in setting the mood and atmosphere of a scene. His characters are often silhouetted against dark, inky backgrounds, and his use of shadows often creates a feeling of unease and tension. Here, Risso cleverly uses the negative space to convey the light shining from Batman’s flashlight. Since the inks are so deep, it visually makes the “light” feel extra bright, so bright that it shines over Batman’s chest. Similarly, the absence of ink illuminates his utility belt, gloves, and Riddler’s “?”. It cleverly draws the eye due to the stark contrast from the shadows. The minimal details are loud and speak volumes.

In my opinion, this commission represents all of the best elements Eduardo Risso is known for. Special thanks to Nico for facilitating the process, and of course, to Eduardo for creating it. A few days after NYCC, I emailed Nico to get back on Eduardo’s list. To my surprise, I was informed that the comic-con list was different than the at-home commission list, meaning I hadn’t lost my spot.