Court of Owls: A thrilling, thought-provoking and sinister new Dark Knight tale.
When DC hired American Vampire and Detective Comics writer Scott Snyder to pen the first Batman #1 in over 70 years, there’s bound to be pressure. But instead of calling upon famous, already-existing rogues, Snyder and penciller Greg Capullo have created a harrowing and thrilling new Dark Knight tale that ultimately delivers.
The tight plot is best kept vague, so here goes: a wave of mysterious murders rocks Gotham City, and the Caped Crusader uncovers a brutal new threat: the Court of Owls, but it seems like they’ve already been there a long time...
It starts out as an intriguing detective story, similar to the ones Snyder told in his pre-reboot runs, but The Court of Owls transforms into a gruesome and pulse-pounding horror story that forces both Batman and the reader to sit on the edge of their seat. There’s a lot of talk of owls, obviously. The eponymous Court challenge the Caped Crusader in a horrendous way, proving mental and physical equals (or even superior in places). But make no mistake - this is a confident, skilled and wise-cracking Bats, with a strong personality, too. Batman’s created a legend around himself, but that’s about to change. The Owls believe the town ain’t big enough for the both of them... and the Bat agrees.
Capullo brings the perfect style to the table, with artwork that soars and terrifies in the right places for the right reasons. He draws a wonderful, brooding Bruce, solving a near-insolvable crime, a triumphant Dark Knight, gliding across rooftops and pounding criminals the pulp, and also creates a horrifying Bat-like creature when things turn to the torturous side. His work is highlighted by Jonathan Glapion’s fitting work with inks and FCO’s perfectly moody colours.
The only few criticisms are that both issues #6 and #7 are obvious weak links, and the book ends on a cliffhanger that will inspire many a desperate cry: “how does it end?!” But The Court of Owls remains the best of the relaunch, with a kinetic collaboration between two high-class acts that results in a brilliantly sinister addition to the mythos.
