One of the most prolific comic authors of the last decade – James Tynion IV seems to have done it all. From caped adventures of the world’s greatest detective to grizzly murders mirroring Stephen King, Tynion writes without mercy – and he writes something for everyone.
Finding Horror in the Everyday – The Worlds of James Tynion IV
If there was an election to find Stephen King of the comics world, my vote would go for James Tynion IV. While he started his comics career as the protégé of Scott Snyder in Batman’s New 52 era, he quickly found his own footing in horror and mystery.
Tynion has a great grasp on character work and team dynamics – a thing he has proven again and again while working with DC. But it is in his independent work where he really shines: creating new characters, exploring all their nooks and crannies and showing us that – underneath all the hurt and the wild experiences – they are just as human as you and I.
What makes him my Stephen King, though, is the amount of work this man puts out. There doesn’t seem to be a month that passes by without seeing his name on a book. No Eisner, GLAAD, Ringo or Harvey award go by without Tynion being given a nod (or an award or two). And his comprehensive bibliography can be split into two periods – in and out of DC Comics.
James Tynion IV at DC
Talon
Tynion started his comic book career by facing a great challenge – how do you spin out of Scott Snyder’s fantastic “Court of Owls” (the first New 52 Batman story) and still keep the hype going? His Talon series (with Snyder as co-plotter and Guillem March on art) introduces Calvin Rose – the eponymous Talon – as he tries to break free of Owls’ influence.
The series has the staples that will follow Tynion’s work through the years – action, violence and clood. How far will the clutches of the Owls reach? Find out in Talon by James Tynion IV!
Batman Eternal
After showing his writing chops in Talon, Tynion continued to work in the Bat-universe along Snyder. His next assignment was another big bite – write a weekly Batman book. There are 52 weeks in the year, and the New 52 universe was dawning, so it was only logical that Batman should try and solve a case spanning the whole year, Gotham City and a plethora of supporting characters.
Tynion and Snyder weren’t alone when attempting this feat – with a huge variety of writers (like John Layman, Tim Seeley and Kyle Higgins) and artists (including Jason Fabok, Dustin Nguyen and Mikel Janin) joined the fray.
After the first year, Batman Eternal took a break and returned with Batman and Robin Eternal after a few months. The new story had a heavy focus on Robins and the extended Bat family – which will be something Tynion will successfully return to later as well. This was also the reintroduction of Cassandra Cain into the New 52, and showcased Tynion’s love for both her and Tim Drake.
You can get them both in Omnibus format:
Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Tynion’s journey through Batman continued with him writing the best crossover in the comic book history (and I will not accept any other answers!) – what happens when Krang succeeds in his evil plans and transports our Heroes in a Half Shell to another universe. And of course, who else would they meet but DC’s favorite reptile – Killer Croc!
This is the series for all the fanboys. It will answer the question of who will win in a fight between Batman and Shredder. Will the League of Assassins and the Foot Clan get along? And how nasty can Bebop and Rocksteady get when they gain access to Venom?
Tynion came back to this mash up two more times – both times with the artist Freddie Williams II (not everyone working on the title had a number in their name – I promise!). And as a lifelong fan of both Batman and the Turtles, I can tell you that this was a treat to behold. Tynion does a great work writing these characters, and their interactions felt true to each of them. It also outlines some silimarities between the Turtles and the Robins which were fun for me to ponder about while reading.
The Rise and Fall of Batmen
Around the same time as Batman met the TMNT, the DC universe was having a – shall we call it – Rebirth. Done were the days of New 52, and it was time to lead the universe into something new and exciting. DC Rebirth was a relaunch and a back to form – after many complained about New 52, DC decided to return the feeling of their pre-Flashpoint universe.
Tynion got the Detective Comics title, and created the book that made me fall in love with his writing and his character work. The run as a whole is titled The Rise and Fall of Batmen, and brings the focus back on the Bat family itself. Batman and Kate Kane Batwoman decide to create a new team of crimefighters – including Red Robin (Tim Drake – the best Robin!), Spoiler (Stephanie Brown), Orphan (Cassandra Cain) and – in a move that surprised everybody – Clayface (the Basil Karlo version). The team would shift and change, adding Batwing, Azrael and Zatanna into it as the run went on.
As the title suggest, the first half of the run builds up to the rise of these new Batmen as they face a line of old and new villains alike. Meanwhile, the second half of the book leads to the eventual crash and fall of the team, as they try to pick up the peaces and build themselves back up.
Allow me a personal tangent here – maybe you haven’t noticed this, but I really enjoy the character of Tim Drake. And Tynion does as well. You can see it in all of his writing really! And no book showcases it better than this one. However, Tynion doesn’t only stop with Tim – he makes all the characters interesting and gives them arcs of their own. This is a Bat family book through and through, and the story makes them all shine. This is also the story that made me really enjoy Cassie Cane as well, and is probably one of my favorite books on my shelves.
You can get it all in the:
Batman
And finally, after eight years writing about the Bat-fam and the related stories, Tynion took the reigns and became the writer of the main Batman title. Following from Tom King, his run had big shoes to fill – and Tynion did what he does best. He based the book on action, introducing new characters that have by now become iconic (Punchline! Ghost-Maker! Clownhunter!) and had some amazing artists to boot – his Talon collaborator Guillem March was joined by fantastic Jorge Jiménez.
You can find it in the:
Tynion’s Batman mostly runs through two big arcs – The Joker War and Fear State, is (like many of his works) heavily focused on characters and their interactions – and the first omnibus is hot off the press! Alongside this, Tynion also wrote The Joker, which follows Jim Gordon on a manhunt for the Prince of Crime – however, he is racing against many other factions, and the Clown’s life may be on the line…
Justice League
Snyder and Tynion didn’t only join their forced on Batman – right on the heels of Dark Nights Metal, they also worked on the Justice League (with Tynion writing Legion of Doom issues). This series was fun and exciting, tackling some cosmic concepts as well as questioning the nature of good and evil.
The first omnibus of this run is coming out, and contains the work of some of my all-time favorite artists (Jim Cheung and Jorge Jimenez, just two name two). This is also the book that made me appreciate the art in the comics much more – and made me get the three Deluxe Editions just so I can enjoy it in person. After that…. Well, let’s say I never stopped shopping for the format.
- Justice League by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV Omnibus Vol. 1
- Justice League Book One - Deluxe Edition
- Justice League Book Two - Deluxe Edition
- Justice League Book Three - Deluxe Edition
Justice League Dark
While he would appear to help Snyder spice up the main Justice League title from time to time, Tynion had a Justice League project of his own – taking the Justice League Dark team from 52 and bringing it into the Rebirth era.
The original Justice League Dark was a team of magic users, gathered by Madame Xanadu gather a ragtag group of magicians and occult DC characters (many pulled from the Vertigo imprint) to solve issues the Justice League can’t.
The new iteration of the team was formed by Wonder Woman in the wake of Justice League: No Justice. Zatanna makes a return to co-lead, and Detective Chimp, Man-Bat and Swamp Thing join in. Doctor Fate(s) join later along with Constantine, Animal Man and many more.
Once again, Tynion shows that he can create memorable original characters, and it was during this series that he also flexed his horror muscles. That’s why introduction of the Upside-Down Man will live forever in my nightmares. Other villains include Merlin and Circe, and the book is a wild ride – the Justice League Dark Rebirth Omnibus is probably the biggest omnibus DC has printed.
Tynion-dependent work (now that’s a bad pun if I’ve ever seen one)
The Eight Seal
Apart from having his fingers pulling the strings of the Bat family for over a decade, Tynion has a prolific career on the independent scene as well. His first outing was The Eight Seal – with the artist Jeremy Rock.
The series mixes things Tynion will become very well-known for in the comics world – horror, politics, and bodily harm to children. It follows the story of the First Lady Amelia Greene as she struggles with blurring the line between reality and a demonic entity that seems to be hiding inside of her.
Memetic
Two books put James Tynion on the map – and Memetic was the first one. With Eryk Donovan tackling art, this is the book that scored the duo their GLAAD Media Award nod and showed that Tynion means business.
Memetic is a story of how a single meme can lead to the destruction of the world. Here, Tynion did what he does best – mixed horror scenarios with a disturbing look at modern culture for the fullest effect. The duo would follow with two more stories – Cognetic and Eugenic – which were collected together in a fabulous Apocalyptic Trilogy.
The Woods
While the GLAAD Media Award passed him by in 2015, the following year saw Tynion’s first win – GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book with The Woods. This is the book for all who love Stephen King – a small town, a mistery that will chill you to the bones – and a handful of fun and interesting characters.
Michael Dialynas’ art gives the story a whimsical feeling before the eventual horror twist – the disappearance of a midwestern school. Where did they vanish? What horrors await them in the unexplored, alien woods? Find out – if you dare!
Something Is Killing the Children
If horror and putting kids in scary, dangerous situations is something you enjoy, then Something Is Killing the Children will be the thing you are looking for. I could gush about this book for days – but I will spare you from it. Nevertheless, this is probably my favorite Tynion book!
The premise is simple – and it’s in the title. You will have horror and blood galore. Another silent town (which is brought to life in a breathtaking fashion by Wether Dell’Edara and Miquel Muerto), and another protagonist that you will not be able to get enough. Erica Slaughter is the beating heart of this story – complicated, tough as nails but with a huge heart of her own – and soon enough she will pull you in and you will want to drown in her wider universe.
And you will be able to do that with a book like House of Slaughter. Tynion has been hard at work at expanding the universe, adding new writers, new monsters… and the people who hunt them. The real question, though, is – as always – who is the real monster here? (The writers. It’s always the writers!)
- Something Is Killing The Children Deluxe Edition HC Slipcase Book 01
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Something Is Killing The Children Deluxe Edition HC Slipcase Book 02
The Nice House On The Lake
A year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit us, Tynion came out with a comic that strangely paralleled the world we all found ourselves in – and would score Tynion an Eisner Award for Best New Series and Best Writer. The Nice House On The Lake (and its follow up, The Nice House by the Sea) poses a simple premise – Walter invites ten of his friends from different walks of life for a weekend they will never forget.
What will happen when these ten strangers, estranged friends and sometimes lovers are faced with a simple problem – the apocalypse has happened, and now they are forced to spend the rest of their lives stuck in the same house. Soon enough, the house (and the situation they find themselves in), might turn out to not be so nice…
The Department of Truth
Horror and politics seem to mash well (as we can all witness) – and Tynion decided to revisit these topics well in The Department of Truth. All of us ran into conspiracy theories – from Flat Earth to JFK Assassination. And we all giggle and shrug them off – but Cole Turner has studied them all his life. However, soon he will find out that they might not be that funny – and much more real and dangerous – than he ever thought.
What stood out the most to me about this series was the art – Martin Simmonds is the main artist, and he has this painterly quality very similar to Bill Sienkiewicz to me. At first, it took me a bit to get used to it, but as I read on it grew on me more and more (and it helped that I snatched that big deluxe edition to admire it better).
W0rldtr33
Another book about the dark underbelly of the internet, W0rldtr33 introduces the secret architecture known as Undernet. Gabriel and his friends explore it until things spyral out of control – and years later, the same evil they thought they defeated comes back to haunt them. If this sounds like another Stephen King book – you would be right. If “It” was written in the age of the internet, It would probably take form of PH34R.
WYND
The team that brought The Woods joined again to gift us with Wynd. This is their venture into young adult fantasy – introducing us to the titular character who lives a quiet life in Pipetown. However, Wynd has a secret he’s keeping – magical blood stirring inside him, which is not welcome in Pipetown. Along with his friends, he will need to go on a journey that will change their lives and introduce the readers to a wonderfully illustrated magical world.
Deviant
Tynion’s most recent work, Deviant is a murder mystery that spans decades. In Milwaukee in 1972, a series of grizzly murders was stopped after a man in a Santa Claus costume was arrested. Fifty years later, the “Deviant Killer” will strike again, while the original – Randall Olsen – still claims his innocense. Who will end up having a Merry Christmas this year?
Tynion’s Horror is coming to the TV near you!
So, there you have it, some of Tynion’s most important works. There are more that I could write about – but let’s leave that for the next time. And if reading isn’t your forte (in which case – how are you still here?), Tynion’s work has also expanded past the borders of comics – with his Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles already getting a (not-too-faithful) adaptation. He is the one to look out for, though, since multiple works of Tynion’s are yet to visit our screens: Memetic, The Woods and Something Is Killing the Children are just the tip of the iceberg!
