Confirmed: Tom King Off Batman – Will Continue “Bat/Cat Romance” in Batman and Catwoman Series
John F. Trent
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DC Comics confirmed that writer Tom King will no longer be writing Batman following Batman #85.
Reports indicated King had been taken off Batman earlier this week.
Batman and Catwoman
While DC Comics confirmed King would be off Batman, they announced a new 12-issue Batman/Catwoman series that will continue the “ongoing Bat/Cat romance.”
The 12-issue series will be written by Tom King with art by Clay Mann and will pick up after King’s “City of Bane” arc concludes in Batman #85.
“Batman and Catwoman is a chance to do what Morrison and Quietly did in Batman and Robin: launch an ambitious, accessible, beautiful, thrilling new series that concludes years of stories and defines what Batman is, can, and will be,” said Tom King. “This will be a comic about what the best Batman comics are always been about, how our greatest hero turns fear into bravery, pain into hope, trauma into love. It’s the story I always wanted to tell, and I’m telling it with the man I consider to be the greatest artist in comics, my brother Clay Mann.”
King confirmed he was off the Batman book, which will begin shipping monthly beginning in January 2020.
King stated, “It’s tough to leave Batman.” He added, “It’s a gift and a joy to be on that book. But I’m leaving it to work on the biggest, most ambitious projects of my career, comics I get to make with the best collaborators in comics. And that’s a gift and a joy too.”
King posted the statement on Twitter.
Statement on the next thing: Batman and Catwoman with @Clay_Mann_. To quote King Kirby, “I was looking for the awesome.” I found it.
Thank you all for the kindness. Thank you all for everything. pic.twitter.com/9EQY9KbpW5
— Tom King (@TomKingTK) May 24, 2019
DC Comics Changes to Batman
In a press release DC Comics indicated the change to Batman was to incorporate “the monthly Batman title into the larger DC universe and continuity.”
DC’s editor-in-chief Bob Harras explained:
“We’re making changes to our comic book publishing line to set DC up for continued success. We’re starting with the bestselling BATMAN comic after ‘City of Bane’ wraps up in December. ‘City of Bane’ is an incredible story and an integral part of our overall ‘Year of the Villain’ campaign, and a new Tom King and Clay Mann Bat/Cat series in 2020 fills the gap once BATMAN begins to ship monthly.”
Harras added:
“We’re excited for fans to get more of what they love from DC. With Joëlle Jones continuing on CATWOMAN, a new creative team on BATMAN, plus titles like DETECTIVE COMICS, BATGIRL, NIGHTWING, RED HOOD: OUTLAW and BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS, our Gotham City protectors and the talent behind them will continue to offer great stories that cater to the tastes of as many Bat-fans as possible in 2020 and beyond.”
The City of Bane
The City of Bane arc will be an 11-issue run beginning in Batman #75 with art by Tony S. Daniel.
The story will see Bane’s minions move into Gotham City after Bane has brought Bruce Wayne to his lowest point. In fact, Batman is nowhere to be found as Bane’s minions begin ruling the city with an iron fist.
Batman #75 will be an extra-sized anniversary issue and DC promises it will tie “together all threads of the first 74 issues of Tom King’s epic Batman run.”
Batman #75 will hit comic book shelves on July 17, 2019. The City of Bane arc will conclude with Batman #85 in December 2019.
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