Novelist Gregg Hurwitz, whose comics credits include The Punisher for Marvel and the currently-running DC miniseries Penguin: Pain and Prejudice, will take over writing Batman: The Dark Knight from Paul Jenkins beginning with June’s tenth issue. Series artist David Finch, who began The New 52 as both writer and artist on the title before gradually handing the writing chores over to Jenkins, will remain on the title, according to comments made by Hurwitz at DC Comics’s blog The Source.”Okay. So this is the job I’ve been waiting to get since I was eight years old. I’m thrilled to be tackling one of the world’s greatest characters with one of the industry’s greatest artists,” Hurwitz told The Source. “Finch and I are very fired up to take the Batman into dark and dangerous new terrain, presenting a story that’ll be epic and sweeping and juuust a little bit twisted.”Hurwitz also said that there would be a new perspective offered on Scarecrow, who would serve as “a cornerstone villain” for his run on the series. “As I discovered when writing Penguin: Pain and Prejudice—Batman fits uniquely with the villains in his rogue’s gallery,” he elaborated. “They are two sides of the same coin, yin and yang, ego and shadow. But in some cases, maybe the match is even closer. Maybe instead of ego and shadow, it’s shadow and shadow. Maybe when Batman looks in the mirror, the Scarecrow’s face is looking out. We’re used to Batman teaching his villains a lesson, but this time the Scarecrow might have something to teach Batman, too. Right now, I’m knee deep in straw and burlap, trying to stitch together a tale I hope you’ll find familiar yet new, a twist on a classic. It’s gonna get bumpy and scary and bit unhinged, so buckle up for the ride.”Shortly after the announcement, DC Comics posted a preview of the fifth and final issue of Penguin: Pain and Prejudice, which can be seen below. In the course of that announcement he teased that the story’s conclusion would be dark.”Living with Oswald Cobblepot for five months—you’d think it’d be an unappealing proposition, but it was the most fun I’ve had in comics,” the writer told The Source. “I hope you enjoyed my and Szymon’s dark little tale of the dark little man. I can promise you this: it’s about to get even darker, so buckle up!”All of this leaves the question of where Jenkins will end up; in addition to leaving Batman: The Dark Knight, it was announced earlier this week that his fill-in tenure on Stormwatch would be ending in May when the book is taken over by outgoing Justice League Dark writer Peter Milligan. Jenkins was instrumental in the forthcoming Darkness II video game, based on the Top Cow comics character, and an interview with him went live today at Vice which didn’t seem to give any clues as to the future of his comics work.
