Tom King, Former CIA Agent and Comic Book Writer, Talks DCU: ‘It Feels Like a DC Renaissance’

James Gunn has revamped the former DCEU into the DCU, with its official launch set for next week. While we haven’t seen much of the DCU yet, there are many exciting projects on the horizon, including the highly anticipated Lanterns series.

Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country) will serve as showrunner and executive producer, working alongside Damon Lindelof (Watchmen) and comic book writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, former Batman writer) on the series.

This article will focus on Tom King, delving into his personal life and sharing insights from two intriguing interviews about the upcoming Lanterns project.

Tom King, born on July 15, 1978, is a renowned American comic book author best known for his work on The Vision (Marvel Comics), The Sheriff of Babylon (DC’s Vertigo imprint), Batman, Mister Miracle, and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (DC Comics). He is also the author of the novel A Once Crowded Sky and an Eisner Award winner.

While King is celebrated for his storytelling, he has a surprising background as a former undercover CIA agent.

As he shared with Business Insider, King initially started his career in comics, but after being told by a Marvel editor that comics were “dead,” he pursued philosophy and history at Columbia University, worked at the Department of Justice, and eventually joined the CIA, inspired by his grandfather’s World War II service.

King expected to land a desk job, but instead became a counterterrorism officer, spending seven years working in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan during the post-9/11 era.

Initially, he was assigned to pose as a chemistry businessman while undercover, but he rejected this role, as he revealed:

I thought it was such bullshit. ‘Tom, you’re a pretend chemistry businessman.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know shit about the chemistry business!’ So I threw that away and I’d be like, ‘Oh, I’m a comic writer.’ If I ever got interrogated, they’d be like, ‘Let me talk to you about comics.’ I’d be like, ‘Let’s go!’

I love writing. I really liked the CIA, I very much enjoyed the work. But I thought ‘I like this even more.’ This feels so natural to me. The most important thing about being a CIA officer is not the gunplay and all that stuff — the most important part is empathy. I was what they call a case officer, which means you’re trying to get people to spy on other people.

I had to find what was in common with them, and I had to get inside their head and immediately understand what they wanted, how to make their lives better, what their motivations were.

Source: Business Insider

As you can imagine, King’s life was both exciting and intense, but after the birth of his first child, he left the CIA to return to his true passion—comics. How did that turn out? He went on to lead several successful series and win numerous awards, making his career a resounding success.

Currently, Tom King is working on the upcoming HBO series Lanterns, and in a recent interview, he shared some intriguing details about the show:

I was friends with Neal Adams, the co-creator of John Stewart, and every time I was in the room, I felt Neal yelling at me: ‘Don’t forget where you come from kid.’

Damon, Chris, and I came with a lot of love for the material and we wanted to do what I’ve always done in comics, which is take these original creations and show why they’re still relevant today, and why they can speak to both the audience and the issues of everything we’re dealing with.

He also described the DCU as “feeling like a DC renaissance,” adding, “We’re at the beginning of creating an entirely brilliant world.” He expressed his excitement for the upcoming projects, including one that he’s personally working on. In a previous interview with ComicBookMovie.com, King made his enthusiasm clear:

I mean, I would say I’m over the moon but that’s not far enough for a Lantern. I guess I’m over Oa? That’s pretty far. You should see these two together. They have amazing chemistry and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m not allowed to say anything except that I can say it’s awesome! We’ve got the perfect cast.

When you look at Kyle, you see someone who used to fly jetplanes and embodies Hal. When you look at Aaron, his heart, his soul, and his strength are so John Stewart. He’s so perfect. It’s going to be great.

Source: ComicBookMovie.com

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