Tom King Says "Batman" is "Psychotic, Inspiring" and Doesn't Need a Rebirth

[CBR News]

The writer tells CBR he knows what makes the Dark Knight tick and how that's on display in his first issue of "Batman" with artist David Finch.


Full article here.

[JBatmanFan05]

THIS was the interview I was waiting for from Tom King, to get inside his head more, from his own words. Great interview here, well done CBR.

I learned that King is more Scott Snyder-minded than I thought (but makes sense since they're apparently friends), which is not necessarily good or bad, but just interesting. This paragraph really drives that home to me: (a significant Batman writer dividing line is whether Batman is viewed as sane or not)

King: I think that's the core of what makes Batman fascinating. It's all about his mortality. He's any of us. He's all of us. He has that will. Any of us could be Batman if we just had his will; if we just had his determination. And the fact that he's Batman, the fact that he turned what we have into that is psychotic and inspiring. That's Batman in a nutshell. He's psychotic and inspiring at the same time. And that contradiction is why everyone keeps writing him and writing him well. He's clearly the good guy but there is also something about him that's just not right. And that's cool.

My comment: I know at least one poster found Batman's asking about if his parents would be proud to be a bit overdramatic. I'm sure one may figure that Bruce would have & should have answered that question to himself already. Maybe King wanted some overdrama to drive home this point about Batman's mind, that he keeps asking himself these questions and he should be over it all but he isn't. Because he's off in the head a bit. Stuck on his parent's death a bit more than normal people.


Interesting quote about the arc and run's theme(s):

King: The essential question, and this is will be the question that I do throughout the whole series that I do, is "Why is Batman essential?" In a world of superheroes, how can Batman be as key to the DCU as he is? Batman can't save a city from an asteroid crashing down on you. Can he or can't he save himself from a plane crash? If you read it, you know he can save the plane but he can't save himself. He has to die at the end of "Batman" #1 if he wants to save the plane. As far as he pushes the button on his ejector seat, he knows that he is going to die. I think that question occurs to Batman and I think that is a doubt that he himself has. He's just not powerful enough to handle some of threats that face the DCU. Batman coming to terms with what gives him the power to do that and what makes him special is one of the themes at play.
....
He sacrifices himself for us in a way that Superman and Wonder Woman do not. And I want to go right at that theme.

On Bruce vs Batman, mask vs real:

King: It's funny because I think of it in two ways: When I'm inside the character's head as opposed to when I'm inside my head. [Laughs] I feel that Batman himself and Bruce Wayne himself see no difference between the two of them. I think that he sees himself as transforming when he puts on the costume or that he transforms back. His entire life is devoted to that oath that he took by candlelight after his parents died to defeating crime. He sees his work as both Bruce and Batman as going towards that oath. He has that one goal. But that's his own psychology. Looking from the outside, people might see it entirely different. And as a writer, I am allowed to be on the outside. I see the thing that everyone says, which is Bruce Wayne is the mask and Batman is the real person. I tend to agree with that but I think it's a little more complicated than that because I don't think Batman agrees with that.

My comment on this one: This is sorta similar to my thinking in that I think it's a complicated and perhaps not helpful misleading question because there are two Bruces IMHO, a private and public one. I think you might be able to interpret King's answer as saying Batman views Bruce and Batman as both real (not masks) because (private) Bruce is in Batmanmode even without his costume and even when he's fooling people with phony public Bruce.

[PyroTwilight]

I'm not sure psychotic is really the word for it though I otherwise agree. Driven, sure.

And yeah he's right. Batman never really needed a "Rebirth" since his line does so well regardless.

[AlexanderLuthor]

Fascinating interview. I didn't think I could be more excited about King's run, but this took it up another notch. Interesting that the Gothams have a bigger role to play in the DCU as I assumed they were just a plot device for the first arc. I wonder if they truly are new characters or if there is something else going on here, although I can't think of any analogues that have previously appeared in Batman or elsewhere

[JasonTodd428]

Fascinating interview. I didn't think I could be more excited about King's run, but this took it up another notch. Interesting that the Gothams have a bigger role to play in the DCU as I assumed they were just a plot device for the first arc. I wonder if they truly are new characters or if there is something else going on here, although I can't think of any analogues that have previously appeared in Batman or elsewhere

I've been wondering if they are somehow connected to Dr. M in some way myself and this interview only strengthens my belief that they are.

[AlexanderLuthor]

I've been wondering if they are somehow connected to Dr. M in some way myself and this interview only strengthens my belief that they are.

I'm starting to wonder if Dr. M is testing each hero - the Gothams show up, Doomsday is suddenly released by someone, Godspeed is created in Flash, etc...

[Prof. Warren]

King is a great writer but this first issue just didn't do it for me. It's not that it was awful, per se, it just didn't sell me. King's take on Batman himself just seemed...off (I rolled my eyes at the "Would my parents be proud of me?" line). And whoever the Gotham Guardians are, I just can't bring myself to care about finding out. For those who liked this issue, I hope King's run won't disappoint but I think I'll just get off here.

[JasonTodd428]

I'm starting to wonder if Dr. M is testing each hero - the Gothams show up, Doomsday is suddenly released by someone, Godspeed is created in Flash, etc...

That thought had crossed my mind as well. He's either testing them or keeping them distracted so that they don't have time to do anything with the information Wally returned with.

[LGBoex]

If Kings understands what makes Batman tick, why did he give us an issue of Batman saving a plane?
It didn't feel right at all.

The Gothams were introduced as some big cliffhanger, but they are far too generic and we already know Batman will overcome...

I absolutely hates Finch on Wonder woman, but in all fairness, his art here wasn't horrible.

[BearBomb]

Tom King is the right writer right now for Batman, because he knows how to build a world around an iconic character! Tom did this with Dick Grayson, Tom did this with The Vision, Tom will do this with Batman because nobody since Bob Haney has eagerly paired him with a superhero like "oh, of course". This kind of brave and bold thinking will serve Tom King well!

[Hawkgirl]

(I rolled my eyes at the "Would my parents be proud of me?" line).

I have to agree with that. I'm a big fan of Tom King, but his Batman was pretty strange. Seemed not quite defeatist, but pretty quick to accept his own sacrifice - kinda not in control of the situation - and then he got kinda mopey about his parents.

Will see what happens next. Maybe teething problems with issue 1.

[Drz]

If Kings understands what makes Batman tick, why did he give us an issue of Batman saving a plane?

Well, why not?

The Gothams were introduced as some big cliffhanger, but they are far too generic and we already know Batman will overcome...

Batman will overcome any obstacle, he's done that for the past 75 years.

[DGraysonWorldsGreatestSpy]

When people complain about Batman saving a plane or Super powered Gotham & Gotham Girl do they not realize that Snyder had Batman go up against Zombie Assassins, Beat the Justice League, a Nigh Immortal Joker, & a meta-human in Mr. Bloom who grew as tall as building and tried to save the city by giving everyone superpowers? If you did not like Snyder's run then I understand. Batman will always overcome even when he dies so most writer's have to be more unique in their story telling and constantly push new or interesting boundaries. A Super powered hero taking the name of his city and swearing to defend it from all threats including you is a very interesting angle.

[Atlanta96]

If Kings understands what makes Batman tick, why did he give us an issue of Batman saving a plane?
It didn't feel right at all.

The Gothams were introduced as some big cliffhanger, but they are far too generic and we already know Batman will overcome...

I absolutely hates Finch on Wonder woman, but in all fairness, his art here wasn't horrible.

The plane scene felt like a Superman parallel, showing the difference between his methods and those of superpowered heroes. This was taken a step further when the Gothams, who appear to be conventional superheroes, showed up and saved the plane like Superman would have.

[BruceWayneJr.]

My favorite version of Batman is the Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams version, who was more well-rounded and self-actualized. I also love the original BTAS rendition. DC keeps flirting with the idea of bringing the bat closer to manhood and sanity, but then that's always thrown away when the next writer comes on and reverts him back to stereotype.

I've given up on waiting for a better version of Batman. The wacky nutjob seems to be the only thing that DC wants to publish, and the only thing these writers want to present. It's gotten dull, and frankly this is a character that doesn't deserve the grand position that he has.