Comic Books

James Tynion IV to write one-shot origin story for the newest Dark Knight, the Grim Knight

Tynion will pen the story of an encounter we’ve never imagined between a young Bruce Wayne and his parent’s killer.

October 10, 2018

I had the opportunity to interview Scott Snyder at New York Comic Con this past weekend, and during the interview Snyder revealed to me that his close friend and fellow DC Comics writer James Tynion IV, will be writing a one-shot for Snyder’s upcoming six issue The Batman Who Laughs mini-series:

AiPT!:James Tynion’s The Batman Who Laughs was one of the best one-shots, and one of the darkest DC Comics I’ve read in years and I loved it. I’ve re-read it like ten times.

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Snyder: Oh yeah. By the way, I’ll tell you a spoiler: James is actually going to be doing a one-shot for the Grim Knight, the same way he did for this. So you’ll get his origin on his world as well.

Tynion’s one-shot will focus on the newest Dark Knight to be recruited by The Batman Who Laughs, The Grim Knight — a Bruce Wayne who as a child picked up the gun Joe Chill used to murder Thomas and Martha Wayne, and turned it on their murderer, breaking the most sacred rule and conviction Batman follows — no killing.

James Tynion IV to write one-shot origin story for the newest Dark Knight, the Grim Knight

Snyder has described this Batman as akin to the Punisher, toting a vast array of guns, and having no qualms in using them to mow down criminals. But perhaps even more dangerous is the immense wealth and resources of his multi-billion corporation and the military industrial complex behind him. In addition to his arsenal of weapons, Wayne Enterprises allows him to be in your car’s GPS, your home’s air conditioning and your work’s telephones — there are so many ways this Batman can kill you, it’s not even funny.

“The greatest challenge that he will face in a Dark Knight is the Grim Knight, the Punisher Batman,” said Snyder. “Just to be clear, he’s not a character that we’re trying to celebrate with his violence and lethality and all of that stuff. He is Bruce’s nightmare because he is essentially Bruce having gone down that slope, to the absolute illogical or logical extension.”

This isn’t the first time Tynion will be writing an origin story for one of Snyder’s creations and it isn’t his first experience with Metal storytelling either. The Batman Who Laughs’ one-shot origin story which received high praise from critics and fans alike, was penned by Tynion. He also wrote Batman Lost, and co-wrote Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt, Dark Days: The Casting, and Dark Days: The Forge.

There’s no official word from DC at this time on when the book will be released, but given that issue one of Snyder’s new The Batman Who Laughs series goes on sale December 12, the holiday season is a safe bet.