Tom King Opens Up About Missed Opportunities with Batman

Tom King reveals one major aspect that is missing from his Batman run.

Renowned comic book writer Tom King revealed his biggest regret about his Batman run.

King has returned to Gotham City with DC's new series, The Penguin. And, the series' version of the dark city is said to strongly resonate with the atmosphere of Mean Streets. This shift from stories of caped superheroes to the gritty underbelly of Gotham has sparked inquiries about King's motives and inspirations.

Tom King Wants a Grounded Batman Story

In an exclusive interview with CBR, King spoke about his missed opportunities with Bruce Wayne. The author expressed his regret about neglecting the more grounded side of the character during his 85-issue run. He acknowledged that his Batman tales often leaned towards elaborate superhero narratives, involving clashes with villains like Bane and long-running rivalries with the Joker and the Riddler. Nevertheless, King felt a strong desire to write stories deeply rooted in the street-level crimes of Gotham. "What makes Batman unique -- and maybe I missed this in my Batman run -- is that he is this noir, shadow character, and you can tell these grounded crime stories. I think people really like that about Batman. They like the John Wick aspect that he doesn't fly -- though he doesn't kill -- and this is another one in that genre," he said.

King's new take on Gotham in The Penguin series is linked to his longtime aspiration to capture Batman as a character who thrives in the shadows and embodies the noir elements of crime. The success of his collaborations with Mitch Gerads, Phil Hester, and others further reinforced his belief in the strength of these down-to-earth narratives. "After I left, whenever I go back to Gotham, I've rotated to the other side and want to tell street-level Batman stories. I want to put him in crime stories."

Tom King's contributions to Batman comics include his work on Batman Vol. 3 from 2016 to 2020, collaborating with various artists like Gerads, Mikel Janín, David Finch, Riley Rossmo, and more. He also contributed to Detective Comics, creating stories like Batman's Greatest Case. King's work extended to other titles like Batman/Catwoman under DC Black Label, Batman: Black and White, Batman: Killing Time, and Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1.

King's current Penguin series commits to embracing the noir side of the Dark Knight's world. Through his exploration of Oswald Cobblepot's perspective on Gotham's criminal underworld, King aims to show readers a different and darker side of Gotham City.

The Penguin #1 is available for purchase in comic book stores from DC Comics.