Tom King has been wowing readers as the current writer of DC's Batman and Mister Miracle, with stellar runs on both series. His next big project, currently being called "Sanctuary" will focus what years of crimefighting does to superheroes. Specifically how it can lead to a form of superhero PTSD, and other emotional and psychological effects. Years of violent confrontations have got to get to you eventually right?
At this year's DC Comics event in Washington D.C., cleverly titled "DC in D.C." Tom King announced the project, saying this at the panel:
"The DCU has a bunch of superheroes and all they do is fight, every time, and that must have a psychological effect on them, right? You can’t live a life of violence and not feel that violence deep in your heart—and we also have a group of superheroes, the Trinity, who care about these other heroes. They sort of feel like parental figures, the foundation that stands beneath them. And they care about them for two reasons: one, because they’re good people, but two, if superheroes feel trauma and it drives them a little mad, that’s a danger. So, as both a practical and a compassionate matter, they’ve set up something called Sanctuary, which is a place that you can go, modelled on veterans’ crisis centers—which is an interesting name for them—and talk about this trauma and admit that this had an effect on you ; where you can admit that being a superhero and seeing a life of violence and seeing people get hurt around you, that that has some sort of impact on you—and Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman can help you."
With the Big Three setting up these "crisis centers" for the heroes to vent some interesting stories could come up. How does one deal with stepping into the legacy of a dead or legendary hero? How do you not give into the violence and become overly violent yourself? How do you deal with coming back from the dead? Is all the fighting and damage even worth it?
The idea alone is an interesting way of handling a subject rarely seen in DC Comics outside of the Bat-Family. But with what little we do know is that there is a possibility of this connecting to another of his upcoming work as well.
Look for more news on Tom Kings "Sanctuary" project in the coming months!
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