When it was announced that Tom King would be leaving Batman after December’s Batman #85, everyone wondered who DC would tap to take over. Now, thanks to an exclusive over at The Hollywood Reporter, we have the answer: James Tynion IV, who had a lengthy stint with the Dark Knight on Detective Comics at the beginning of DC’s Rebirth initiative. Tynion will be joined by Tony Daniel, who, along with inker Danny Miki and colorist Tomeu Morey, is in the current rotation on Batman, and should therefore provide some visual continuity during the transition. No word yet on whether current series letterer Clayton Cowles will remain, or who will fill out the rest of the art rotation.
Tynion is currently working alongside Scott Snyder on Justice League, which could very well wrap up its overarching story by year’s end. Tynion could certainly write for multiple titles simultaneously, but trying to launch a run on Batman while taking part in something as complex as Justice League would be a challenge for any writer, so we shouldn’t be surprised if Tynion rotates off of that book by January.
The latter half of Tynion’s ‘Tec wasn’t super-popular here at Batman News, but we just about universally loved the beginning. He wouldn’t have been my first pick on Batman, but now that he’s gotten the job, I’m anxious to see what he does with it. We have no details, but having written the character in some capacity for many years now, he no doubt has plot threads and characters that he would like to revisit. I, for one, would be happy to see him bring Clayface back, after having Batwoman put poor Basil on ice during the Rebirth run on ‘Tec. Clayface’s tragic attempt at going straight was some of Tynion’s best work, and putting him back on the board—as an enemy once more—would give Tynion a perfect source of both drama and action.
What about you guys? How do you feel about this news? What do you hope to see in this new team and their new direction? Let us know below!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
