Who Should Write Batman After Tom King?

[Timothy Hunter]

Which comic book writer do you think should take the helms of the Batman franchise after Tom King finishes his run on the title?

[Restingvoice]

Who's currently writing the best story about any member of the Batman family in any Batman family title that's also not writing Justice League, Superman, or Batman?

[Korath]

Who's currently writing the best story about any member of the Batman family in any Batman family title that's also not writing Justice League, Superman, or Batman?

Currently ? Lobdell in Red Hood and the Outlaws.

[Zaresh]

Currently ? Lobdell in Red Hood and the Outlaws.

I've also read that the current Batgirl is promising.

If we move writers from books, I want Warren Ellis in a batbook. I'm just a diehard fan, I admit it. But eh, I had to say it.

Now, more seriously.
For when King ends his run, I'm guessing we will have a new writer in DC hired for that book alone. In a year and half. We may even not know that writer as someone with some fame yet.

[MajorHoy]

I've also read that the current Batgirl is promising.

That's the only Batman-Family title (in fact, the only regular DC Universe book) I'm currently buying for what that's worth.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

I would guess it's going to be Bendis.

[Kurisu]

Currently ? Lobdell in Red Hood and the Outlaws.

Lmao.

Jody Houser.

[Sergard]

Who's currently writing the best story about any member of the Batman family in any Batman family title that's also not writing Justice League, Superman, or Batman?

By "currently" you mean "now" or when King's run is over? The latter is a little problematic because it would mean that you'd take away a writer of a celebrated run, or?
And both options are restrictive in the sense that there are good writers who have proven themselves in the past but aren't currently writing any batfam title.

[Restingvoice]

By "currently" you mean "now" or when King's run is over? The latter is a little problematic because it would mean that you'd take away a writer of a celebrated run, or?
And both options are restrictive in the sense that there are good writers who have proven themselves in the past but aren't currently writing any batfam title.

Currently I mean now. Right now, because we don't know who will be the best in the future.
I want someone who's familiar with the workings of the Batman family.
The last Batman writers came from Dick Grayson writers. Tom King from Grayson, Snyder from Black Mirror, and Tony Daniel from Battle for The Cowl.
...I should've just saved some words and say the last best writer to write Dick Grayson.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Christopher Priest.

I can see them giving it to Bendis.

[BatmanJones]

Christopher Priest.

I agree he's the best choice among DC's current stable of writers though I also like Tom Taylor or Mark Russell for the job.

My preference would be that King writes Batman forever though. His run on Batman has been my favorite of all time and no other run even comes close. I say that with tremendous respect and admiration for the work that Kane/Finger/Robinson, O'Neil, Englehart, Moench, Miller, Dixon, Morrison, Snyder, and so many other writers have done with Batman and family.

As the CBR homepage often does I'll use a Bob Dylan lyric to describe my feelings about King's run as compared to many, many brilliant runs: "The game is the same, it's just up on another level."

CBR's article of today on Batman in 2018 sums up my feelings perfectly:

https://www.cbr.com/batman-high-water-mark-2018/

DC's Batman Reached a New High-Water Mark in 2018
by Renaldo Matadeen – on Jan 06, 2019 in CBR Exclusives

As one of DC's flagship titles and characters, Batman will always garner immense scrutiny. Over the years, these stories -- as good as they've been -- have just never felt like anything groundbreaking enough to truly place the Dark Knight in a spotlight of his own.

RELATED: Tom King Is Revolutionizing the DC Universe By Making It More Human

Until 2018, when Tom King, Mikel Janin and company took the emotional stakes up a notch by deconstructing the man under the cowl like never before. In doing so, the bar has been raised so high for Batman that it'll be interesting to see how other creatives teams (even the current one) try to top this year's work.

Now, that's not to say we didn't enjoy the emotionally-driven stories from previous writers, because we can point to Grant Morrison's killing of Bruce Wayne and taking him on a trip through time and Scott Snyder's assault on the entire Bat-family at the hands of Joker as tales that shook us to the core. But in terms of really redefining the Dark Knight, 2018 feels like the first year this has happened since the "Knightfall" saga in the '90s. And that's because it wasn't about Batman having contingency plans left, right and center, or being unbeatable. It was all about him failing and his humanity slipping away.

The BatCat wedding, for instance, got mainstream press like never before, as the world wanted to see Bruce and Catwoman finally tie the knot. It didn't happen, which ticked off a large portion of fans, but it showed the unpredictable nature of love and got so many people invested. And the way some of the haters even jumped back on the title after Selina left him at the altar made it clear King's decision wasn't for gimmicky shock value -- it was substance over style. He's already said they'll end up together at some point, but right now it's about deconstructing a psyche we previously thought invulnerable.

RELATED: Batman: Tom King Has Transformed Bane Into the Greatest Bat-Villain, Ever

Bruce's psychological breakdown in the wake of this has been remarkable because so many watershed moments have emerged as a result. No longer is he invincible mentally and physically, which has had a ripple effect throughout the entire Bat-family. The depressed hero lost his grip on understudies like Batwoman and Red Hood, and he isn't even sure if he can groom the next generation of vigilantes (ergo why he's recruited Black Lightning to lead the Outsiders). Damian's also started torturing criminals, and Bruce even redeveloped trust issues with his Justice League colleagues.

This all stems from the way King has taken away Bruce's belief in the future, not to mention seeing Dick Grayson take a bullet to the head, which is the ideal way to send Batman off his rocker. In fact, just a couple issues later, the Dark Knight punched Jim Gordon out and became an enemy of the city, making it clear that 2019 will be about finding that light once more inside.

It won't be easy, as we've even seen the genius Bane outdo the Joker and rise up as the architect of all Bruce's suffering via a meticulous plan involving multiple allies; something no other villain has ever come close to achieving. The point is, we've never seen Bruce's universe crumble like this, and it all feels natural. It's as if King took breaking points from the last decade to create one huge seismic shift. And putting him through these tests like never before makes the book appeal on a deeper level, rather than being just another superhero book.

RELATED: Batman Has Become An Official Enemy of Gotham City

No other DC book was able to pack with such aplomb the hooks, twists, romances, horror, comedy (yes, we're looking at you Kite Man), violence towards criminals (like KGBeast and Mr. Freeze) and threat of the final boss lurking like Batman in 2018. The scary thing is it's merely the beginning for yet another tumultuous chapter in Bruce's life. By finely needling down into the very concept of family and love, King made the book not just a fight for the very soul of Bruce, but for the the soul of Gotham, which, for the first time, feels like a losing battle.

[adrikito]

Christopher Priest.

I can see them giving it to Bendis.

I would like this but...

Unfortunatelly I can see Bendis obtaining this comic too..

[CPSparkles]

Who's currently writing the best story about any member of the Batman family in any Batman family title that's also not writing Justice League, Superman, or Batman?

Shouldn't that be who at DC has written the best Batman that's not currently on.....

Williamson, priest or Orlando get my vote.