Go to your comic shop now and buy all 7 issues of the relaunched Batman title!!
Or if you’re low on cash, wait until May and get the hardcover collection for $14 through Amazon.
Written by Scott Snyder (American Vampire) and drawn by Greg Capullo (Spawn), “Court Of Owls” is the current storyline in Batman. I’m not going to spoil the plot but the caped crusader goes against a new foe called the Talon. The villain belongs to a bigger mysterious organization that has a secret past in Gotham.
I thought the story would get crappier as it went along but it actually got better.
Here are the reasons why you should read “Court Of Owls”:
1) Psychological – In previous epic tales like Knightfall and Hush, Batman mostly beats up a different villain in every issue. In this story, Snyder lets us understand what Batman goes through dealing with a new mysterious villain. It made me feel sorry and scared for Bruce Wayne. The things Batman goes through also made me respect him even more and raises the question whether he’d put his allies at risk to get the job done.
2) Creepy – The vibe of the story is dark, it reminded me of Se7en. It’s a bit depressing because everything is so personal to Batman. I could see his transformation from a crime fighter to a broken man (not in a Bane way but psychologically). Talon just uses swords and throwing knives. I’m sure Snyder chose the weapons on purpose because he wanted the fights to be more personal. Unlike most of Batman’s villains that are a bit crazy like Joker and Two Face, the mysterious group in the current plotline is just plain evil. It seems like they enjoy tormenting people because they’re bored with their lives.
3) Twists – There’s plenty of twists in comics but this one is different. Again, all the credit goes to Snyder. He takes his time telling the story that the twists doesn’t even feel like twists. It feels more like “Oh I get it, now it makes sense why character A and B did that.” The twists are there because it makes the story even more complex, not as a cheap ploy aka M. Night….
4) Art – I wasn’t a fan of Capullo’s #1 cover when I first saw it. It took me a while to get used to his interpretation on the Batman universe because it reminded me so much of Spawn. It’s so dynamic. I think after issue 3, I finally became familiar with his take on Gotham and I could finally enjoy his art. By issue 7, I was fully engulfed in the amazing art. The way he draws Batman and the page layouts made me question what our hero was going through.
5) Movie – With the Dark Knight Rises being the final movie in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, I think “Court Of Owls” has a good chance of being a great Batman standalone flick. There are great scenes in the comic that would translate well into the silver screen. The characters, including the villains, are fleshed out enough that it doesn’t need changes. With the creepy vibe, it would be an interesting and fresh approach to the Batman movies.
6) Excitement – I’ve never felt this excitement in comics since Knightfall came out. I didn’t want the last issue to end because the story was so captivating. Issue #8 comes out April 18th…damn that’s a long time. I’m really looking forward to the conclusion of because the characters are so well written. Snyder said at a WonderCon panel that “the best villain is a culmination of the hero’s worst fear.” I totally agree but he forgot to add that it also makes for a damn great story.
Snyder showing Talon what happens to him next.
If you’re into great story, do yourself a favor and check out Court Of Owls. And if you don’t…well don’t be that person!
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