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A review by beaconatnight
Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder
5.0
I recently saw The Court of Owls on a list of the best Batman stories. It probably should have been even higher on their list. It's evident how much passion went into its creation and there is something awesome to discover on every single page.
It's refreshing to see the Caped Crusader challenge a new enemy, one defined by its aristocratic attitude and, as is common for right-wing identity movements, claims to literally go back for generations. Because of his personal involvement—the owls built their nests in buildings of a fund established in Alan Wayne's name—Batman is even more obsessed than usual (as Dick Grayson puts it). I loved how the obsession aspect is motivated by the young Master Bruce horror mystery subplot in which he suspects the Court to be responsible for his parents' deaths and then leads to his mental breakdown when he is caught in the maze.
As the story continues I was truly creeped out by those owls. The nursery rhyme already makes you feel quite uncomfortable. They lurk in the shadows preying on the bat, just as the real animals do. After Batman had to kill his self-proclaimed executioner, the Talon, we see him stand up again in the hearse. When Batman discovers all those different hideout chambers you realize that they've been there for decades. With their smug Nazi fraternity social media-like appearance they are the most infuriating in their most recent incarnation. And that "Bruce Wayne, the Court of Owls has sentenced you to die", it's just epic!
Capullo's artwork is nothing short of fist-pumpingly awesome. It's very dark even for the Dark Knight standard. When Batman discovers the mutilated John Doe and they perform the gruesome autopsy, I was very much reminded of the aesthetics of brutal Nordic noir crime thrillers. The day scenes starkly contrast with that. For the occasion of the charity event, Capullo used bright colors to lighten up the mood. Incidentally, it was also smart how they used that moment to casually introduce Batman's team and mayoral candidate of Gotham, Wayne's kindred spirit Lincoln March.
I've already mentioned the detective work of Bruce, but it deserves a mention in visual respect, too. It gave me a Sandman vibe, with his creeping face in the shadows and the black drawings of owls, on pinkish and blueish grey backgrounds. Seriously, how cool did the light of the torch look? It was almost a second origin story of Batman in his role as detective. The subplot plays with the wariness of the reader that they would turn the murder of his parents into something much more than it was. Oh, come on, I found myself thinking, do they now make it some sort of conspiracy instead of a homicide for a couple of dollars and a bit of jewelry by a deeply disturbed attacker? Well, Snyder found a very elegant way to do so.
I've already said that the owls were scary as fuck, but the talons are also great opponents for one-on-one fighting. They are actually quite similar to Batman, with their bulky physical appearance, the heavy armor and superior agility. When we see their disturbing creation by the use of super steroids (that would also grant the healing powers), the Talon became even more scary, not the least because of the megalomaniac speech one of the members is given during the festivities. I enjoyed the resolution, too. It was cool how the story tied in with fascination about all things ancient and how Dick (Nightwing) was supposed to be this era's Talon.
The art went completely bonkers in the fewer dream stay in the labyrinth when the pages start spinning. There must be millions of similar storylines in comics, but it still got to me how trapped Batman completely lost his shit there. It gives you the pump when he slowly gains the upper hand again. And that ending, I cannot wait to read how the arc concludes!
Rating: 4.5/5
It's refreshing to see the Caped Crusader challenge a new enemy, one defined by its aristocratic attitude and, as is common for right-wing identity movements, claims to literally go back for generations. Because of his personal involvement—the owls built their nests in buildings of a fund established in Alan Wayne's name—Batman is even more obsessed than usual (as Dick Grayson puts it). I loved how the obsession aspect is motivated by the young Master Bruce horror mystery subplot in which he suspects the Court to be responsible for his parents' deaths and then leads to his mental breakdown when he is caught in the maze.
As the story continues I was truly creeped out by those owls. The nursery rhyme already makes you feel quite uncomfortable. They lurk in the shadows preying on the bat, just as the real animals do. After Batman had to kill his self-proclaimed executioner, the Talon, we see him stand up again in the hearse. When Batman discovers all those different hideout chambers you realize that they've been there for decades. With their smug Nazi fraternity social media-like appearance they are the most infuriating in their most recent incarnation. And that "Bruce Wayne, the Court of Owls has sentenced you to die", it's just epic!
Capullo's artwork is nothing short of fist-pumpingly awesome. It's very dark even for the Dark Knight standard. When Batman discovers the mutilated John Doe and they perform the gruesome autopsy, I was very much reminded of the aesthetics of brutal Nordic noir crime thrillers. The day scenes starkly contrast with that. For the occasion of the charity event, Capullo used bright colors to lighten up the mood. Incidentally, it was also smart how they used that moment to casually introduce Batman's team and mayoral candidate of Gotham, Wayne's kindred spirit Lincoln March.
I've already mentioned the detective work of Bruce, but it deserves a mention in visual respect, too. It gave me a Sandman vibe, with his creeping face in the shadows and the black drawings of owls, on pinkish and blueish grey backgrounds. Seriously, how cool did the light of the torch look? It was almost a second origin story of Batman in his role as detective. The subplot plays with the wariness of the reader that they would turn the murder of his parents into something much more than it was. Oh, come on, I found myself thinking, do they now make it some sort of conspiracy instead of a homicide for a couple of dollars and a bit of jewelry by a deeply disturbed attacker? Well, Snyder found a very elegant way to do so.
I've already said that the owls were scary as fuck, but the talons are also great opponents for one-on-one fighting. They are actually quite similar to Batman, with their bulky physical appearance, the heavy armor and superior agility. When we see their disturbing creation by the use of super steroids (that would also grant the healing powers), the Talon became even more scary, not the least because of the megalomaniac speech one of the members is given during the festivities. I enjoyed the resolution, too. It was cool how the story tied in with fascination about all things ancient and how Dick (Nightwing) was supposed to be this era's Talon.
The art went completely bonkers in the fewer dream stay in the labyrinth when the pages start spinning. There must be millions of similar storylines in comics, but it still got to me how trapped Batman completely lost his shit there. It gives you the pump when he slowly gains the upper hand again. And that ending, I cannot wait to read how the arc concludes!
Rating: 4.5/5