By Connor Lālea Hampton, Feb. 4, 2025
In 2018, Tom King, ex-CIA officer, received his first Eisner Award, recognizing him as one of the best comic writers in the industry. In 2003, he planned the invasion of Iraq, an event that has become largely criticized for the war crimes and unnecessary torture the United States engaged in during the conflict.
And though 66% of Americans now agree that the war wasn’t worth it, and others claim the invasion lacked legal and ethical basis, there is no repercussion heading toward the U.S. government, including King.
“I was 22 at the time in charge of the [f——] Iraq invasion,” King said in an interview with wordballoon on YouTube.
In a GamesRadar interview, he said: “It was the greatest honor of my life. I very much enjoyed the job.”
King has received recognition for his writing in comics like “Batman,” “The Human Target” and “Mister Miracle.” However, he has received some criticism for his latest DC Black Label series, “Jenny Sparks.” The series follows Sparks, a metaphorical embodiment of the 20th century who was jolted awake by the events of 9/11. King also sparked controversy because of his latest “Wonder Woman” run, where he included Diana of Themyscira patriotically sobbing into the American flag — a choice that would probably make more sense if she was American.
King inserts his war experience into many of his comics. Fans are saying they’re tired of this. They’re also concerned that someone who ordered such acts of violence can still succeed in the comic industry with little backlash.
One comic fan and social media advocate for Palestinians and other Southwest Asian and North African countries affected by violence from the West commented on how she feels to know people like King can still attract so much success in the comics industry. Her internet name, which is the name she prefers to go by, is Zahra, also known as user @spinninggaround.
“It is so demoralizing,” Zahra said. “As an Arab fan, I do not feel like my voice and people are at all valued in comic books spaces. How can I? Someone whose career was spent murdering my people and justifying our mass murders is praised constantly.”
The Iraq War led to the deaths of approximately half a million Iraqi civilians, according to the National Library of Medicine.
King is just one example of a pattern we’ve become far too comfortable with. Those responsible for atrocities in war don’t face the consequences of them because Western society has normalized their behavior. King can fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a comic writer, whereas child victims of war crimes are forced to be martyrs in a war they never asked for.
But again, it’s not just King’s fault. This is part of a bigger issue. America has been involved in many war crimes, including the deployment of atomic weapons in Japan, the excessive force used in Iraq, mass killings in Haiti and the billions of dollars spent to fuel Israel’s genocide. That is not an exhaustive list. So why do certain countries, and individuals by extension, get away with war crimes while others are aggressively persecuted?
The answer, for the U.S. at least, is that the country is not a member of the International Criminal Court, hence it cannot be tried.
Following World War II, international law was enacted to prosecute Nazi officials. The Geneva Conventions provided a list of what should be considered war crimes, although no institutions were established to police it. To establish a permanent court, the U.N. General Assembly later devised and accepted the Rome Statute, a treaty meant to investigate and prosecute war criminals.
America voted against this, and still to this day, is not on board with the ICC, according to Al Jazeera+. It did contribute to a few cases, until of course, the ICC started investigating the U.S. crimes in Afghanistan and Palestine.
The U.N. also can’t bring cases to the ICC that involve security council members, which includes the U.S. These members can veto the decision, giving more powerful countries such as the U.S. and Russia the advantage.
This institution needs to be rethought. There must be stronger ethical boundaries regarding crimes committed in war, and policies supporting them must be implemented quickly.
How many innocent Palestinians would not have been martyred if international law could intervene and punish the governments who continue to kill them? How about in Iraq, or Afghanistan? It might be uncomfortable to think about, but it’s an important question to ask. The normalization of war crimes exemplified by the popularity of figures like King is disturbing, and until international law can hold all perpetrators accountable, violence will persist. We must redefine what we are willing to accept, because until then, even alleged war criminals can — and will — write their own stories, but the truth surrounding them will remain untold.
Feature image by Connor Lālea Hampton
