Talon hits the ground running... literally.
Talon #0 is about as good an introduction to a new character that I could imagine. In the sea of New 52 origin books that seem to be rehashes or bad reboots of characters' beginnings that we already know, Talon stands out as fresh and edgy (not edgy in the way that some books are labeled either; I mean legitimately edgy... in a cool way).
The fact that this book spins out of Scott Snyder's uber-successful epic is not lost in this title; however Tynion and Snyder don't beat us over the head with it either. Calvin Rose's story ties nicely into the current mythos and this book does a good job of knowing where it is at all times--Tynion and Snyder use flashbacks really well and transition back to the present without having everything feel rushed as it often does in a single issue origin. The issue also succeeds in being a Batman-related story. Everything just feels right, from the mood of and the setting down to the depiction of the Court of Owls, and you know from page one that this is another Gotham City story at heart.
In terms of characterization, in my opinion, Rose is instantly relateable and written well enough such that his somewhat generic "assassin gone good" storyline is interesting and engaging. One of my fears going into this book was that it was going to come off as too generic and too much like a cheap cash grab (as many have stated previously); thankfully this issue dispels both of those fears swiftly mostly through great characterization. Calvin's emotional rollercoaster is captivating and when he finally hits his breaking point, you feel for him and understand why he would risk everything and go on the run from the Court.
Guillem March's art is very good. There were some points where I thought that the angles chosen in certain panels were kind of weird, but nothing that detracted from the story. His depiction of Court and the couple of Talons that we see in this issue did a good job of fitting into the aesthetic that Greg Capullo laid out in the original story, and after seeing Calvin's costume in this issue, I'm not at all bothered by the elements that I originally disliked (the collar, the chainmail, etc.), and it all makes a lot of sense.
Overall, this is one of my favorite books to come along in months. I cannot stress enough how much of a relief it is to see this book executed well, and it finally gives shows the potential of what The New 52 can offer. I'm genuinely intrigued to follow Calvin's story and I cannot wait to see how Tynion deepens the character emotionally and morally.
