What’s next for ‘Batman’? With Tynion leaving, DC taps new creative team for flagship series

Earlier this month, Batman writer James Tynion IV announced that he will be leaving Gotham City behind this fall to pursue other comics projects, including a new creator-owned deal at Substack, leaving the driver's seat to one of DC Comics' most iconic titles open.

Now, we know who will fill it.

Joshua Williamson, whose credits include a lengthy run on The Flash and the current DC event series Infinite Frontier, announced on Twitter Wednesday that he will be taking the reins of Batman beginning in December with issue #118. He'll be joined by artist Jorge Molina, who's perhaps best known for his work on Marvel titles like A-Force and Spider-Geddon, as well as recent DC contributions like Batman: Urban Legends.

Williamson and Molina's run on the title will begin with a new story titled "Abyss," which will feature Bruce Wayne's departure from Gotham City as well as the debut of a brand-new villain.

"We’re honoring the plan that the other books in the bat-line are doing while telling a brand-new story for Bruce Wayne as Batman in the DCU," Williamson wrote.

You can check out Molina's covers for both Batman #118 and #119, featuring a first look at the new villain (also called Abyss) in the gallery below. And, as Williamson himself noted on Twitter, these covers also feature the return of Batman's beloved yellow oval.

Williamson and Molina's tenure on Batman will follow nearly two years of stories from Tynion, who launched his run on the title in January 2020 alongside collaborators including artist Jorge Jimenez. Tynion's tenure, which followed a successful run on Detective Comics, has been marked by several major stories, including Joker War and the upcoming Fear State, as well as the introduction of numerous new characters including the vigilante Ghost-Maker, the Joker ally Punchline, and the cyberpunk futurist Miracle Molly. After Williamson's announcement, Tynion took a moment on his own Twitter page to congratulate his successor and hype what's coming on the main Bat-title.

"Stepping back over to my main twitter for a hot second just to say how excited I am for you all to see what Josh and Jorge Molina are building for you on the Batman title," Tynion wrote. "I've read his first issue and it kicks ass, and yes, that costume is a clue about what this arc is about."

For those following DC Comics over the last five years or so, the selection of Williamson as the next Batman writer might feel like a fairly obvious choice, but that doesn't make it any less exciting. He knows how to build lengthy cohesive superhero runs, something he proved on The Flash, he's got Bat-family experience thanks to titles like Future State: Gotham and Robin, and he's become one of DC's go-to guys for major stories through books like Infinite Frontier and the upcoming Justice League Incarnate. Now, he's got the keys to the Batmobile, and it'll be very interesting to see where he and Molina take it come December.