Writer Tom King Addresses Batman’s Supposed Atheism

When last week’s issue of Batman pretty much confirmed that Bruce Wayne is an atheist, I’d expected for fans to spill more blood in comments sections than the Joker did in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns – and I was correct, for the most part.

Now, I’m not going to join in on your philosophical arguments because I’m merely here to report the news. What I can tell you, though, is that writer Tom King has taken to Twitter, thus making the situation all the more interesting. Needless to say, one of the best scribes currently employed by DC no doubt fanned the flames of the veritable brushfire by posting the following:

“Lot of people saying Batman 53 (which I wrote) shows Batman is an atheist. That’s not how I read that comic. But I don’t think my reading of it is the most important one. Anyway, I hope you read the whole thing for yourself and decide for yourself.”

Though there were past tales that implied the Caped Crusader as being an atheist, one could argue that his worldview is ultimately up to whomever is writing for him. I do, however, like how King just hinted that his work is open to interpretation, just as any form of art is.

Personally, I think that Bruce would be an atheist because it fits with his profile for a number of reasons, yet I agree with those of you who say it’s contradictory because he’s dealt with the supernatural on so many occasions, not to mention having met gods for himself. Perhaps the concept would work better in stories where he’s the only superhero who exists in a grounded universe, but that’s not up to me.

Batman #53 is now available in comic shops.