Imagine Batman seeing a shrink? According to DC Comic writer Tom King, that might really happen.
During the "Aftermath" panel at DC in DC a few days ago, Tom King, the writer behind Batman and Mister Miracle, shared his plans to create a place within the DC universe where heroes and villains alike can have the place to heal and deal with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a common mental health issue which arises from the trauma gained from excess violence.
"Every DC comic is full of violence. It's fun and exciting and I love reading about that, but do we talk about the consequences of that, both on the characters and the readers, and they [DC Comics] asked me to think about that and do something with it. And we are. We've created something, it's called Sanctuary," King said during the panel.
"We're creating something where it's sort of like a crisis center for superheroes. And it's going to be DC wide, all the superheroes and it's going to be a place where these superheroes who are living violent lives every single day."
King further shared that it's foolish to ignore the psychological impact the life of violence DC superheroes deal with every day. That's why he wants a place where superheroes can rest and admit that all the battles they fight can exact a toll on them.
He also noted that DC superheroes are today's children's inspiration, therefore it's only right to set an example that fighting battles and violence has consequences, therefore a safe space for superheroes to admit that yes, they also suffer from mental difficulties, is essential in the DC universe.
King is a former CIA officer who spent years in the counter-terrorism unit. His comic, "Mister Miracle," has an underlying theme of post-traumatic stress. It's unknown whether how the concept will be portrayed, and if it's going to be a stand-alone comic in and of itself.
Everyone on the panel and audience responded well with King's concept, including former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Gotham's JW Cortés. Although everything is still kept under wraps, a person familiar project stated that the Sanctuary will be built lavishly with complete Amazonian knowledge, Kryptonian technology, and Wayne money, because heroes don't deserve less.
