So if it wasn’t obvious for the last 115 posts I love comics. Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, you name it I’m all over it. However, as much as I’ve delved deep into the characters, I haven’t really talked about the people behind them. The writers and artists that are behind these amazing stories are greater than the heroes in the colourful spandex that save the world.
I could go on a bunch about how all the classic writers like Stan Lee shaped the comic book industry, however, I’m not going to do that, instead, I’m going to talk about my favourite comic writer. If you haven’t guessed already, my favourite writer is Tom King. The guy has written stories for characters like Mr Miracle, Batman, Adam Strange and so much more. I think he’s a genius but this intro is getting a little bit long so let’s get started.
Growing up in Southern California, King had a mom who spurred his storytelling along as she was a filmmaker (I’m getting this off Wikipedia so sorry if I get this wrong). He interned at both Marvel and DC Comics, as he was the assistant of Chris Claremont, the guy who made the X-Men a household hit. After he graduated from Columbia University in 2000, he joined the CIA and worked in the counterterrorism unit. After 7 years, he left and wrote his first book “A Once Crowded Sky”, it’s available on Amazon and it’s next on my comic bucket list.
Now you know who he is let’s talk about why out of all the people who have written comic books over the decades he stands out from the rest.
Tom King is a great story teller because he knows how to make some of the most outlandish and tough as nails characters painfully human. Now, I have complained about some DC projects that claim to do this (*cough* *cough* The Snyderverse) but there is a difference. Films like the Joker, Batman vs Superman and Man of Steel take away stuff from the characters, almost demoralising Superman to the point where he’s unlikeable. As many people state with the Joker it’s “giving a man everything and slowly taking it away”. Realistically, that is life but not in the way that the movie puts it, instead, life is a slow burn with the chance to build yourself back up.
Now that I’ve done a sort of generalisation of his writing I though I’d talk two of my favourite stories that he’s written.
Mr Miracle
Tom King puts emphasis on this, giving his heroes a chance to hoist themselves up out of the darkness. No story displays that better than Mr Miracle as it handles themes of self-realisation and the action of self-harm but instead of making a human character go through this, as Scott Free, a New God goes through very human struggles whilst his family can’t understand why he did what he did.
I experienced loss at a young age because of an act like suicide, Tom King’s story gave me closure on what that person might have been feeling. The story helped me progress into manhood by letting go of my past demons and live with acceptance. I’ll always be grateful for his work and his depiction of these characters
Now, when you open a comic, you expect to read stories of amazing titans, combatting unimaginable evils. However, King almost gives you a life lesson when reading Mr Miracle, giving you empathy and understanding of why people go through depression. The comic deals with the trauma and pressure that Scott has had to face in his life, delving into the horrors that he faced on Apokolypse and the relationship that he has with his brother Orion.
The expectation of what his family wants him to be is always there as a war takes place at the background of the comic. Not putting the war centre stage is a genius move because King makes the war look pointless in Scott’s mind, all these family traditions are nothing to him because all he’s ever had is heartache, all that matters to him is his life with Barda and his newborn son.
I won’t be doing a full-blown review of this comic because I’ve done one before (I’ll put the link down below) but I’m trying to highlight what makes these stories work so it will all make sense later. Okay, now…onto Vision.
Vision
I’m going to be truthfully honest, I brought the Vision series so I could be placated between each Friday, however, I was heavily impressed when I opened it. Being about the Avenger Vision and his new robot family, the story displayed their life in suburbia and how the family slowly caused chaos by just existing. There are some bits of the comic that I find unsettling, like when Vision’s family repeat words over and over again, it’s a creepy touch but it’s sort of charming when you realise that they are robots.
I don’t know what others got from the comic but Vision is another comic that’s a learning curve for society. I won’t spoil the comic because I know it’s in high demand, however, this story perfectly displays how humans are destructive when they feel threatened, going out of their way to intimidate or incite violence when they see something that they don’t like.
Speaking of violence, murder is highlighted in a way that is unique to comics. I think over time, characters like Deadpool, Lobo and The Punisher have sort of desensitised comic fans to murder because it’s in just about every book when either taking down hoards of henchmen or defeating the main enemy, the hero either murders or brutally maims the bad guy. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re a fan of stories with violence, good for you. However, Vision’s series makes the act of violence murder swift yet devastating, every action is taken further and that’s something you don’t see in comics. Yes, the Marvel Universe isn’t our reality but some rules have to apply.
You can’t help but compare the Vision’s to minorities as they are just trying to co-exist in a country/world that doesn’t want anything to do with them, King creates characters that you empathise with whilst reminding you that Vision was meant to be a murder bot…and now there are four of them. As the reader, I was confused because, on one hand, I wanted to side with the robots and say how destructive humans are…but then it’s human nature to be mindful of the unknown.
Tom Kings Criticisms
Alright, now that I’ve explained to you why I like two of his stories it’s interesting to see the fans criticise him for the way he tells a story. Like I said before when reading a comic you do it for escapism. You read it for these amazing stories like Superman fighting Lex Luthor for the 100th time or the Fantastic 4 looking onto a brand new world. This is why there are many reviews saying that King is too depressing with the way he tells his stories, looking through the more critical reviews for Mr Miracle.
One person stated: “ I was looking forward to this because I always thought MM was an underutilized character and was hoping they’d show him to be the badass he’s capable of.
Nope. Lots of comments about an adult story, etc. I like adult stories, That is good. This was thoroughly depressing. It was not at all what I was hoping for this character. Colour me disappointed, to say the least. The bright spot was Big Barda. They did her proud. Especially her ‘interactions’ with Lightray. Loved it. That’s the only reason I gave more than 1 star”
Another said: “It’s the definition of pretension. It’s a grueling, depressing slog of a run with no interesting narrative or character development to carry that tone and make it a good read. It’s clear that, between the meta-textuality and the 9-panel layout that King fancies Mister Miracle as his Watchmen, but Watchmen this is not. There’s not much to it beyond Mister Miracle hating himself.
As for King himself, he seemed like such a revelation after Vision and The Omega Men, but he’s only embraced his worst tendencies with this and his Batman run.”
You get the gist. An acquired taste, King comes across as pessimistic but deep down he’s just telling human stories that display issues that someone might go through in everyday life.
Conclusion
In my opinion, Tom King is a great storyteller and every time I read his stories I learn something new, not about the Marvel or DC Universe but about humanity. The guy makes me grow with every story I read, whether that’s my outlook of mental health, society as a whole or the way I see my friends, family or people who aren’t good for me.
I experienced loss at a young age because of an act like suicide, Mr Miracle gave me closure on what that person might have been feeling. The story helped me progress into manhood by letting go of my past demons and live with acceptance. I’ll always be grateful for his work and his depiction of these characters. King has helped shape me into the man I am with every story he pens and I can’t wait to read what he writes next.
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