In May, Batman fans were hit with some surprising news. Tom King, the writer who had been writing Batman since the Rebirth launch in 2016, would be leaving the title with the upcoming Batman #85, his run on the title cut short from the 100 issue story promised to fans. At the time no new writer had been announced for Batman, but on Saturday, DC officially revealed who will be taking over the series as part of Batman Day celebrations in New York. James Tynion IV will be taking over Batman in January.
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The announcement came as part of a panel at the Union Square Barnes and Noble on Saturday. The panel, hosted by DC Publisher Dan DiDio also featured Scott Snyder and current Detective Comics team Peter J. Tomasi and Brad Walker in addition to Tynion, who had teased earlier this week on Twitter that “some very very big news” was coming.
Tynion is no stranger to the Batman character. Fans of the character will well recall his work with the relaunch of Detective Comics during DC’s Rebirth. By his own count, Tynion has worked on hundreds of issues of Batman and Bat-Family-related comics since 2012, something he noted in a tweet on Friday. In addition to his previous work on Detective Comics, Tynion is currently writing Justice League Dark and Justice League (with Snyder).
“I loved writing stories for [Batman] Eternal, Detective Comics, and even Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but my desire to tell a Batman story, one focusing solely on Bruce Wayne instead of an ensemble, is what drove me back to the Batcave,” Tynion said in a statement. “I want to dig deep into the Bat himself and tell an epic story that pushes him to his absolute limits. I want to tell a Batman story like the kinds I grew up loving, one that embraces the horror and gothic elegance of Gotham and dives deep into Batman’s greatest villains.”
Tynion will be joined on the title by artist Tony S. Daniel. Like Tynion, Daniel himself has a long history with the Dark Knight and has drawn various Batman comics and stories since 2007. He’s occasionally written for the character as well. Danny Miki will serve as inker while Tomeu Morey will serve as colorist.
“I’ve been fortunate to have contributed quite a bit of my work to Batman over the last twelve years, from working with Grant Morrison on Batman R.I.P. to writing Batman myself to working with Tom King over the last year,” Daniel said. “Each run was amazing and special in its own way. I’m super excited to work with James Tynion IV, and I’m even more excited about what we have in store for Bat-fans everywhere this January.”
“I am very excited about this new stage for Batman and about being able to work with the entire creative team,” Morey said. “Tony manages to create iconic images of Batman that, along with Danny’s inks, will remain memorable to fans everywhere, and I can’t wait to work on stories with James. It’s a great challenge to live up to so much talent, but great motivation, too!”
“I’m totally excited about reuniting with Tony Daniel and Tomeu Morey,” added Miki. “I’m looking forward to returning to Gotham after Batman stories such as Zero Year, Endgame, All-Star Batman, I Am Bane, and others. Getting to work on Batman with along with Tony, Tomeu, and James is going to be a great ride! Gotham City is my home and it’s good to be home.”
With King’s run on Batman ending with Batman #85 — King will go on to complete his planned storyline with a 12-issue Batman/Catwoman series — Tynion and Daniel will make their debut on the title with Batman #86, expected to arrive in comic book shops on January 8, 2020.
What do you think about the news that Tynion and Daniel are taking over Batman? Let us know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @lifeinpolaroid to chat all things Batman.
