There is often this stereotype that comics are childish, immature stories in which strong men, women, and people outside this binary punch each other until they cannot punch anymore. But from time to time, a story sneaks into the medium that is deep, psychological, and mature, exploring topics that cannot really be explored in the same way in any other medium. These are the stories that Tom King thrives in.
From CIA to Comics
Starting his career as an intern for both Marvel and DC, as well as an assistant to the legendary Chris Claremont of X-Men fame, King quickly traded his pencil for secret ops work in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. He worked for the CIA in the counterterrorism unit for seven years before quitting and returning to writing.
It is this experience, however, that shaped his career and writing style. Throughout his stories, you will see heroes you thought you knew appear more fragile than ever before. He revels in exploring themes of trauma and grief. His protagonists are often morally ambiguous, struggling with many dualities within themselves.
This approach has been both very successful and very controversial. While some enjoy the quiet suburban horror of The Vision, others crave more action and less psychology and PTSD in their Batman. And yet, King perseveres.
His stories are also full of poetry and symbolism, often infusing literary works into the words his characters speak. Sometimes, for good measure, he plays with timelines and messes with readers’ heads. But whichever character he tackles – from synthezoid to human to New God – they are all deeply human and even more troubled, and this makes them so interesting to examine and read about.
Vision
The first story by King I ever read was Vision, and I immediately fell in love. It’s a wild mix of superheroes and suburban horror, and it is oh so delicious! The premise is simple – Vision creates a synthezoid wife and two kids, and decides to move into a house in the suburbs of DC. But soon, the whole family tree is shaken when tragedy strikes.
The art is (for the most part) handled by Gabriel Hernandez Walta with Jordie Bellaire on colors – and what a delightful mix it is! They strike just the right balance of dynamic and uncanny, exactly what you'd expect from such a story. I was lucky to snatch the hardcover years ago, but Vision: The Complete Collection trade is still available and is a must-have on every shelf!
Batman
Oh boy, here we go. If there’s something divisive about King’s writing – it’s his run on Batman. From reassessing the vow Bruce makes to his parents to the constant repetition of “Bat” and “Cat” – people have tried to poke many holes in the run. Me, however? I had a blast!
The first arc, with David Finch on art, feels like something you’d see in theaters. His linework serves as a fantastic canvas for Matt Banning’s inks and Jordie Bellaire’s colors – the characters are detailed and realistic, even when surfing on an airplane or flying mid-air.
Mikel Janín took over for most of the run after the first arc, alternating from time to time with Finch and other artists (like the phenomenal Clay Mann, for example). His linework is finer and often gives a 3D model appearance that can take some getting used to, but I really enjoy it.
There are many standout arcs and issues during this run, and King went on to write some extra material as well. For example, the double date issue with Clark and Lois is a truly memorable moment, and the unexpected crossover with Elmer Fudd was a real standout!
King also wrote two “follow-up” stories: Batman/Catwoman (exploring the relationship in three different timelines) and Batman: Killing Time (a mind-bending mystery that takes you from modern-day Gotham to 405 B.C. Greece).
The run has been collected in multiple formats. There are deluxe hardcovers and trade paperbacks, as well as two big books and Omnis coming out soon. The easiest way to collect it right now is probably the Batman By Tom King Omnibus Vol 1.
Grayson
Before King tackled Batman, he needed to sharpen his pen with his first protégé – Dick Grayson – Nightwing! However, King arrived a little too late – during the events of Forever Evil, Nightwing is unmasked and killed by the Crime Syndicate… or so they thought. Dick is revived and sent on a secret mission – infiltrate the spy organization Spyral and gather information about them. Enter: Agent 37, or Grayson.
Tom King was the perfect fit for a spy thriller set in the DC Universe. Written alongside Tim Seeley, with art by Mikel Janín, Stephen Mooney, Roge Antonio, and Alvaro Martinez, Grayson is a non-stop, action-packed romp. Double-crosses, nightly rooftop runs, and discussions on the need for killing – you’ll find it all here. The art serves the story well too (probably why King continued working with Janín when moving to Batman) – it’s energetic and full of charm. It’s 007, but better! The whole run has been collected in Grayson – The Superspy Omnibus.
The Penguin
Whenever death hits the characters in Gotham, Tom King seems to follow soon after – or so it seems. After yet another alleged death – this time of long-time villain Oswald Cobblepot – Tom King was given the task of rebuilding The Penguin’s empire. Exploring themes like power and control, the story is filled with betrayals and manipulations, and it’s a dark, gritty read.
The art is handled by Rafael de Latorre with Marcelo Maiolo on colors. They present Os not as a caricature of a villain, but as the competent gangster he is (likely inspired by Colin Farrell’s captivating performance in 2022’s The Batman). It’s moody, with darker tones filling the pages until a splash of red showcases a moment of violence – just the way I love my crime books to be. The maxi-series is collected in two trades:
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is a weird one, and not really something you’d expect from a Supergirl story (at least from what I know – I don’t claim to be an expert on the topic). This is, before everything else, a revenge story.
Kara is stranded on a planet with an alien girl, and they are chasing the same man – a man who hurt them both. Along the way, they learn how to deal with each other, but also discover things about themselves. The journey tests Kara’s powers, will, and morality, and it’s a really fun romp. There’s a reason it will serve as the template for the movie version of Supergirl!
The art in this book is out of this world (pun intended). Bilquis Evely (art) and Matheus Lopes (colors) present a stunning display of artistic talent. Think high fantasy meets illustrated storybook – the design is elegant, whether it’s characters or alien planets. Kara is both powerful and graceful in every moment, and every page offers a new reason to be stunned and marvel at it.
There are two ways to enjoy this story:
The Sheriff of Babylon
King infuses a lot of his CIA experience into his stories – but The Sheriff of Babylon is primarily and explicitly based on it. Every issue even had to be sent to and approved by the CIA before being published.
Chris Henry is a military consultant who served as a San Diego police officer, and one of his Iraqi police recruits has been murdered. Now, it’s up to Chris to solve the crime.
Mitch Gerads handles the art, and it is as spectacular as always – no wonder he became one of King’s long-term collaborators. At first glance, his pages might seem messy or “dirty,” but that’s a mistaken impression. There’s a lot of precision in everything he does – faces are expressive, the angles he chooses feel cinematic, and the colors are highly intentional. Reading a King + Gerads story is always a wild ride, and this is no exception!
Mister Miracle
Scott Free is the son of Highfather of the New Gods, raised by Darkseid on Apokolips. Now, he’s an escape artist and a superhero on Earth – able to escape anything… except death? There is something very wrong with (and in the life of) Scott Free, and Tom King and Mitch Gerads take the character and the mythology and flip it upside down in this book.
And my (New) Gods, this is a book you will never forget. It’s gritty, it’s gruesome, it’s deeply touching and charming – mundane and fantastic all at once. The maxi-series follows Scott as he deals with depression and anxiety – that feeling in the pit of your stomach that something just isn’t quite right. And as the events around the New Gods begin to shift and change, the reader will start to feel it too.
Again, Gerads shines at his job – whether he draws Scott and his wife Barda stuck in traffic or fighting an alien invasion, he captures them with so much emotion and style. The book is done in a Watchmen-style 9-panel grid, with many static effects signifying outside interference – like watching a TV during bad weather. And among all of this, the unforgettable black panels with a simple message: Darkseid is.
The book has been collected again and again – and you NEED IT on your shelf. If there’s one book from King’s work I’d recommend, it would be this one – or Vision.
Human Target
Working on Mister Miracle, King showed that he can do wonders when given free rein to tell compelling stories with lesser-known characters from the DC mythos. Human Target is just such a book.
Meet Christopher Chance – the Human Target. He’s the guy who takes a hit for you – literally. But when Lex Luthor’s life is on the line, Christopher receives an unusual task: he has 12 days to solve his own murder before time runs out. What follows are 12 days (and 12 issues) of mystery, intrigue, backstabbing, and everything in between.
It’s a pulp noir story through and through – and Greg Smallwood’s art fits it perfectly. The figures are realistic, but it’s the colors that do it for me. The neon screams the 80s, and the lighting (or is it shading?) is rendered in very intentional, triangular shapes. The colors, lights, and textures all evoke classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons – and I think that’s intentional, since the suspects come from Justice League International, a very 80s comic book.
The story is collected in:
Strange Adventures
Adam Strange is another classic hero who received the Tom King treatment – with (once again) polarizing results. The story is told in two timelines: in the past, we follow Adam Strange’s pulpy adventures on the planet Rann, fighting off an alien invasion. In the present, Adam and his wife Alanna are on Earth, where Adam is accosted and accused of war crimes – and later also accused of murdering his accuser. Did he do it? (And by “it” – do I mean the crimes or the murder?) Find out in the book.
The art is split between two artists – and I bet you can guess one of them. The gritty Earth storyline is handled by Mitch Gerards. Meanwhile, Evan “Doc” Shaner takes on the Rann sequences – his style is expressive, colorful, and dramatic. It’s a stark contrast to Gerards’ more realistic approach, and it works oh. So. Well. As someone who had never read any Adam Strange books before, I really enjoyed it – the characters were compelling, and there were layers upon layers of mystery to unravel. And just like Mister Miracle, there are multiple ways to get the book.
Rorschach
Watchmen is held on a pedestal in the world of comic stories – and for good reason. While DC has tried to capitalize on spin-offs, the response has rarely been positive. And then, Tom King wrote the Rorschach maxi-series.
King approached this the right way – don’t touch the original mythos, but work within the world Moore created (much like the HBO TV show did). Thirty-five years after the original story, a man dressed as Rorschach tries to assassinate a presidential candidate. An unnamed detective must uncover the conspiracy behind the event, and answer the question: why would anyone put on the now-mythological mask?
Jorge Fornés handles the art with Dave Stewart on colors. The work is detailed, the linework bold, with subdued and atmospheric colors. It’s an exemplary piece of crime thriller storytelling, and I can’t wait to get it in an oversized format.
The story is collected as:
Danger Street
Another collaboration with Jorge Fornés, Danger Street is a weird one. The team uses characters – as well as the writing – from the 1st Issue Special comics anthology, blending them into one thrilling story. There are four innocent kids, four not-so-innocent ones, some jaded superheroes, a PTSD-ridden Lady Cop, Manhunters… it’s a wild ride, and tough to explain. While it was coming out, I found it hard to follow, but reading it back as a collected edition was a joy!
There are two trades collecting the story:
Wonder Woman
With the start of Dawn of DC, Tom King began writing Wonder Woman. An Amazonian is accused of murder, and now all Amazons are barred from entering the United States. This means Diana is now an outlaw, protecting a country that doesn’t want her there.
Daniel Sampere’s art is very dynamic – and it needs to be in a story like this. The motions have momentum – you can feel every punch thrown. At the same time, Diana remains regal and graceful, standing imposingly against her foes. The colors by Tomeu Morey only elevate this further.
This is an ongoing book – and so far, there have been two trades:
Uncovering Superhero Humanity
And there you have it – my (not so) short overview of all things Tom King. From blood-pumping action to deeply introspective and personal moments, the man writes something for everyone. With just a sprinkle of controversy, he always keeps things interesting and finds new ways to surprise us!
