'Batman' #86 Preview: James Tynion IV promises to take Dark Knight into uncharted territory with horror twist
Starting with the upcoming Issue 86, James Tynion IV of 'Detective Comics' and 'Justice League Dark' fame will be taking over from Tom King as the writer for DC's 'Batman' comic series and he's already got a plan to transform the Caped Crusader into something we've never seen before.
King's epic run on the comics was some of the best writing we've seen from DC in recent years, although it did divide the fans with the intense psychological deconstruction it subjected our dark hero to and the shocking death of Alfred Pennyworth.
"I want to say cheers to Tom King and all the incredible artists he’s worked with over the last 85 issues for doing some really exciting and daring things with Batman as a character," Tynion wrote in his newsletter The Empire of the Tiny Onion in December. "I think the story I’ll always remember the most is COLD DAYS which pits Bruce Wayne as a juror deciding whether Mr. Freeze or Batman was culpable for the crime committed. 12 Angry Men with Batman and Mr. Freeze. Just a smart, simple story with stunningly good Lee Weeks art. It’s definitely worth a revisit this week as the current run comes to an end."
King completed his time on 'Batman' with Issue 85, which beautifully tied together everything the writer has been building up to. We don't know how traditional fans of 'Batman' are going to take to Tynion's plans for the character but we're certainly excited to see what he has in store for us, including new villains and a more horror-oriented take on the Dark Knight.
"Batman is an Action Horror Superhero Comic," the writer revealed. "This is going to be the guiding principle for the story we’re telling, on every page of the book. This should feel like a scary book. The villains are Action Horror villains, and when Batman arrives on the page, he should feel scarier than all of them."
"Issue 86 introduces two of the four new costumed characters I’m creating in my run... assassins by the names of Gunsmith and Mr. Teeth," he teased in another post. "The next two characters who appear in my run are the Designer, who is the defacto big bad of Their Dark Designs, and Punchline, who is operating in the shadows of this arc and will get her cover debut in the next round of solicits. I’m really really excited for you to meet all of them, but Punchline is the one I am especially eager for you to meet."
Mark your calendars, comic book lovers. This is one story you don't want to miss. Here's the official synopsis for the upcoming comic:
"It's a new day in Gotham City, but not the same old Batman. With Bane vanquished and one of his longtime allies gone, Batman has to start picking up the pieces and stepping up his game. Batman has a new plan for Gotham City, but he's not the only one. Deathstroke has returned as well, under a mysterious new contract that could change everything. Beginning a whole new chapter in the life of the Dark Knight, the epic art team of Tony S. Daniel and Danny Miki are joined by new series writer James Tynion IV!"
'Batman' #86 will be released on January 8.