Tom King had a memorable run on “Batman.”

One may wonder what can anyone write new about Batman? 

The character has been around 80 years and counting. Batman is featured in nearly a handful of monthly titles as well as numerous special projects.

OK, many writers and artists find a new angle that works in a single-shot story or a miniseries.

By finding new angles and embracing the character’s rich history, King made 

“Batman” fresh, monthly, consistently, for more than five years.

But if you think Batman is tough to make new, try Superman.

“Superman: Up in the Sky” is a special project but King uses the same mix of tradition and new twists to make the Man of Steel breathe fresh air.

Batman tells Superman that a small girl named Alice has been abducted by aliens. Batman may be the world’s greatest detective but he cannot travel to worlds. He pushes Superman to find her.

But Superman has a dilemma. Can he balance the fate of one child against the safety of an entire planet? What will happen on Earth while he searches the cosmos? What will happen to Lois? 

What happens is a powerful story of humanity placed on the shoulders of a fictional caped superhero. King and artist Andy Kubert tell the story in an episodic style. 

One chapter may have Superman in an intergalactic boxing match, the next has him suffering a series of nightmares where Lois Lane faces constant peril without him on Earth to save her, the next may have Superman and Clark Kent physically split.

Throughout is the search for little Alice, a search to save a girl, a search that may save more than expected.

King proves again he’s got the talent to tackle generations-old characters with a new eye but always with a deep nod to what has come before.