Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)

Court of the owls is a bullet-proof near-perfect story with very little to complain about. I will start off by addressing those of you who don't have much interest in the court of the Owls because they are just "Another group of Supervillains." The court of the owls are a very mysterious organization indeed, and their goals are very similar to those of most bad-guy teams, but there is more to them than what meets the eye. I don't believe it is fair to just lump them off into a category with "a bunch of other bad guys who do the same thing" just yet because Batman's story has just barely Begun. What makes villains interesting are their personalities and back stories because lets face it, most bad guys want the same thing even if they go about getting it in different ways. The Court of Owls still have a lot more back story to go and I am most definitely interested. Everything about Batman vol. 1: Court of the Owls is basically a win. Batman is interesting, but one of my favorite things about this story is the fact that I finally get to see some Bruce Wayne again. I get tired of the way people claim that "Bruce Wayne is just a mask and there is only Batman" because without Bruce Wayne, and what happened to him, there is no Batman. Without the Money Bruce Wayne inherited from his parents and continues to earn because he is an amazing businessman, Batman doesn't have the money or the resources to be Batman. He might pretend to be more of a Party Boy than he really is, he might pretend to be a bigger whore than he really is (Okay maybe not) but Bruce Wayne and Batman still live by the same basic principles. They still have the same basic goals, the only difference is one is exposed by the daylight, and the other is concealed by the night. One creates Buildings, gives money to charities, and tries to bankroll the honest politicians he supports. The other Fights crime, saves lives, and constantly fights the good fight and both make the city he Loves a better place so I don't really see how there is no "Bruce Wayne." They are two parts of the whole character that is Batman so I hope Bruce is never taken for granted again. The art is stunning and I personally don't mind that all of the bat babies have a lot of resemblance to Bruce because this makes them look more like a family. Even Jason Todd, who is not in Batman just yet b/c he has his own comic, looks like his foster father. I believe it was intentional and should not be complained about too much. Also the choice to change the page layout for the labyrinth scene was a ballsy experiment and I actually really like it. It helps emphasize that Batman feels out of his league and is losing his cool, his confidence, and his sanity. In Batman: Court of the Owls Batman is as sharp, cool, and interesting as he always has been. It is a great showcase for the character with a story I cannot wait to keep on reading in Volume 2. If you have any love for Batman at all, then you need to buy this book ASAP! You are missing something great without it!

Straight up awesome. The story is great the visuals are also very great. Seeing Batman at such a low point with super high stakes just grabs the reader and makes them want to know how our hero will defeat the court of owls. Also there are upside down and sideways pages, not a print error, it’s just how they did it to give the readers Batman’s perspective.

In DC Comics, there are many alternate realities (together called the “multiverse), one of which has the heroes of the main DC universe as the villains, and the villains as the heroes. In this universe (Earth-2, I believe), the Batman type of villain is called “Owlman”, because he is Batman's polar opposite, and it's a fun play on the idea that in nature owls hunt bats. In the rebooted, before the latest "relaunch" called "Rebirth", DC Universe of the “new 52”, the writers of *Batman* took the central idea of the owls hunting bats concept to a whole new level. In *Batman, Vol. 1: The Court of Owls*, the Dark Knight finds himself the prey for a change. Both of his personas are being separately hunted by a group of men and women called “the court of owls”. The “court of owls” is the subject of an old children's' rhyme and scary story of some shadowy group that “controls” Gotham, and supposedly has since colonial days. Unfortunately for Batman, they are *quite* real, and after some years of ignoring him, now are turning their attention to the Dark Knight. Their assassin, the Talon, has been sent to do the dirty work of taking out the enemies of the court. The owls want to kill Bruce for funding urban renewal that may harm their plans and they want to kill Batman for interfering with their illegal activities throughout Gotham. What really made this story disturbing was that the comic book writer forced the audience to take a turn in Bruce's psyche when he is even more off-balance than ever before, and let me tell you, it isn't pretty. The moments when Batman seemed to be about to be killed off were unnerving, but the psychological aspects of seeing him hunted and relentlessly worn down were truly chilling. What's more, the way the panels were drawn in a spiraling format every other page for a section of the story accentuated just how bad our hero's mental situation was. Oh, did I forget to tell you that this section of “spiraling panels” occurred *during* Bruce's meltdown while he was being drugged and gaslighted? Brrr! I have to say that this was the really disturbing part, and yet was also what made this story arc worth reading. Yes, Bruce was in physical danger, but the psychological suspense of everything that happened to Bats (and I haven't even scratched the surface yet) was what made this tale so terrific. It was almost like Alfred Hitchcock meets comic books. The artwork wasn't exceptional, by any means, but it was good enough. The pacing of the mystery was exquisite. Each step really drew you in, and had you biting your nails. Even though I *knew* Batman would survive, I still worried. That is probably the best complement one could give to a writer of any comic featuring such an iconic (and therefore one the reader knows won't be truly killed off) character as Batman. Another facet of this story I really liked was how the writers again showed the closeness of the “Batman family” and how much Bruce needs his surrogate father and his children (real and surrogate). They are his anchors that keep the insanity and ruthlessness at bay, and that make this young man (about 28 in the story under the revamp) the hero that he is. I can't *wait* until the next volume comes out. This was a terrific Batman comic. Highly Recommended.

[Adapted from a post on my blog on Tumblr.] The main comics of Marvel and DC are hard to get into--they are notorious for being messes of convoluted decades-long continuities. DC has made efforts to attract to new readers by relaunching and revamping all of its comic series. By most accounts DC is still a mess. However, the Batman series, spearheaded by Scott Snyder, has been described as a bright spot. I downloaded issues for "Death of the Family" via Comixology earlier, but after receiving a twenty-dollar bill as repayment for collecting a neighbor's mail, I put that towards downloading the two volumes for "Court of Owls" directly from Amazon. The latter story arc is what I read on the way to San Diego. Batman uncovers a secret society which, contrary to what he thought much earlier, turns out to be far too real. Once it gets going, the story flows with impressive suspense and some intense turns. A highlight is a scene in the Court of Owls' massive maze. When the Court unleashes its forces, the battles and chases practically compel you. Greg Capullo is the main artist. His human figures take a very slight leaning towards the cartoonish but they are believable enough to convey serious emotions. The overall detailing and texturing convey much grit and the scenery bolsters the atmosphere. The secondary artists, who pop up in different spots within this arc, have different styles that are nonetheless just as effective. Comic Book Girl 19 did me another favor by recommending "Court of Owls."

In every comic characters catalog, they have at least one event that either changes the characters image in a defining factor or is just so well done the whole world is taking notice of it while it's happening. For someone like Batman, he's had his share of both of those qualities numerous times in his lifetime. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Batman: A Death in the Family, and Batman: The Long Halloween or Batman: Knightfall saga, are just a few examples of such stories that come to mind. We might be adding another story to that list in the future. Ever since writer Scott Snyder has come on into the comic scene as a relative little known until his run on The Black Mirror, the man has become synonymous with Batman. BUT...his run was with Dick Grayson as Batman. Not Bruce Wayne. With the DC New 52, Snyder has become a hot community now and has been given the chance to tackle Bruce Wayne as Batman for the first time ever. And let's just say, it's one hell of an introduction. I'll try to keep it spoiler free. BATMAN VOL.1: THE COURT OF OWLS collects issues #1-7 and finds Bruce Wayne back in Gotham, as well as returning to the title of Batman *(everything before the New 52 reboot carry over in Batman. But don't worry, you don't need to have read any of that to understand or enjoy it this book. So new readers should have no problem coming in to this story, even with this little plot detail.)* Batman and Bruce Wayne are on an all-time high: Batman is completely self assured of his position since returning (he just about effortlessly defeats most of his rouges gallery within a jailbreak at Arkham asylum) and Bruce Wayne is looking into the future. Gone is Wayne being haunted by the past and loneliness, now replaced with a positive attitude and outlook into rebuilding a bright shining future for Gotham. Added to his cause, a new candidate for mayor that believes in Bruce's cause as well. But things start happening weirdly in Gotham when the appearance of a deadly assassin by the name The Talon shows up and demonstrates incredible skills that almost rival Batman. The Talon also mentions the court of owls, an urban legend/bedtime story that starts creeping its head into the larger influence on Gotham that Batman ever though possible. The Court of Owls Vol.1 is something of a precursor to a summer blockbuster and the famous Knightfall saga. The main villain is new and shows it's every bit as up to the level of Batman himself, the side effects of working alone, and yes folks...Batman almost physically and mentally gets pushed to the limit (the sold-out issue #5 is something you will truly be stunned by in this regard). All the while bits and pieces Snyder has built up on since Gates of Gotham (and even The Black Mirror) about Gotham's legacy finally come to ahead with the threat of The Talon, combined with the Court of Owls themselves, is something of such dread and scope we haven't feel for since Knightfall and No Man's Land. This is truly epic in perception and depth in Batman that might find its place in the Bat mythos years to come (if Vol.2 ends up just as well as Vol.1, for example). If your one who's become a fan of Snyder's work in Batman, such as Scott Snyder's other Bat-book Pre-52 was the Black Mirror, which was a dark, horror-like take with Dick Grayson as Batman...Snyder's take on Bruce Wayne is more suspenseful, action-packed sort of history lesson on Gotham. This makes Court of Owls a very different beast then Black Mirror. So if your one who loved BM, you might quite not be into CoO's as much (though I doubt it. Snyder's work is still solid). And if you're a new reader, this will be a great jumping on point (the other Snyder Bat-book is Gates of Gotham which isn't necessary, but still an interesting read). Greg Cappullo's art work flourishes here that is a mix of sketchy and precision at the same time. I've seen his work from years of doing Spawn, but it never awed me in anyway. I like his art; I just never was blown away from him. His current work for Batman has changed my mind. His artistry holds up just fine without seeming scary or too simple. His highest compliment for his art narrative, combined with Snyder's script comes to ahead in issue #5 for example (again, issue #5 is an exceptional issue). If there's any faults I can think of, there minor and personal on my behalf. I feel Batman is a tinny-bit too arrogant then I think he would be or I can remember in most Batman books. Also his attitude toward much of the Bat-family feels disconnected for no reason at all, considering Batman's attitude toward his fellow Bat-crime fighters has been reasonably tight ever since Jason Todd's death (his rebirth doesn't change this notion). The other thing is Batman is considered the worlds greatest detective, yet --*SPOILER*-- He disregards the Court of Owls existence. Even worse, after being attacked by The Talon and finding evidence of The Court itself...he still denies them.--*SPOLIER END*--. It just doesn't sit right with me on that information, but Snyder backs up these problems I have as well. Batman's arrogance stems from single-handedly taking out his entire Rouges gallery, so this does seem possible.*SPOILER* And my qualms with Bat's denial of The Court are told by Snyder by through a flashback explaining his reasons for denying the Court*SPOILER END*. So my problems are counteracted by Snyder's explanations (and even furthered when Vol.2 comes out), added with so many of the positives that I still keep my score at a perfect 5. BATMAN VOL.1: THE COURT OF OWLS is an event that is fresh, exciting, epic, mysterious, and just plain fun. Heck, I bought the single issues upon release and bought this collected book because I enjoyed it so much. Old Batman readers will easily enjoy this (considering most fans accepted Snyder from his work on The Black Mirror) and new readers will have a blast coming into a new legacy of the Batman-lore. Hopefully, just hopefully the entire arc that finishes off in Vol.2 known as the "Night of the Owls" will be as powerful as Vol.1. Either way, this is a great book that I highly recommend.

I have only recently (at least timewise) forayed into comics, but I have a sound understanding of what has been happening in the DC Universe. My favorite heroes being Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, and Tim Drake (in that order), I've stuck to the Batbooks so far and this collection provides evidence as to why. This is an excellent jumping point for those wanting to get into the Batman series, as it has reset the continuity and only a basic knowledge of the goings on will get you very far. That said, I've been a Batman fan all my life, in numerous media forms, but never have I encountered a story quite like this. This story will draw you in with its talons (pun intended) and not let you go. This story sees Batman facing one of his greatest challenges ever and they break him in a way no other villain has been able to before. This is as close a genuine look as you're going to get into the psyche of what makes and breaks the Dark Knight. As you know, typically, Batman always seems to have a plan and always seems ready for the challenge of any scenario; this collection makes you feel the fear which Batman experiences when he is wholly unprepared and it manifests into something that is truly haunting. All that and it left me with my mouth watering in anticipation of the upcoming crossover event, Night of the Owls. That is all I will say so as not to reveal any more. The art was excellent, though in certain situations, it seemed out of place. But the justice which it does to the story far outweighs the few awkwardly drawn scenes. This is the kind of art that escalates the story into something truly worthwhile. There do seem to be some departures is how characters are drawn by comparison to what most people are used to (particularly, Riddler, in my case,) but Snyder and Capullo have made such an excellent reading experience here that they are easily forgiven. As for the collection itself, I love hardcovers, so I have very little complaints. Owning the Grant Morrison Batman and Robin collections, there's a shortage of extra art here, though I'm grateful for the alternative covers. As always, DC provides top notch hardcovers in terms of material. This is definitely one of my top five Batman stories from what I've read so far. This has encouraged me to take a step towards more of Snyder's work, particularly his run on Detective Comics pre-new 52 and American Vampire.

This collection contains Batman issue 1-7, the first chapter of the main Batman title of DC comics relaunch of September 2011. Bruce Wayne is very confident in his abilities as the Batman to contain crime in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne is confident in his ability as a billionaire philanthropist to make his beloved city a better place to live. Bruce Wayne knows Gotham City. Or at least he thought did... As Batman, he is plagued by some unusual events, a random breakout at Arkham Asylum, a grisly murder of a John Doe, all the while an old urban legend of a group of powerful people pulling Gotham's strings keeps popping up. They are known as The Court of Owls and Bruce refuses to believe they exist. Bruce will be forced to change his mind when the Court calls for him to kneel before them. Scott Snyder is really dominating the graphic story medium with everything he does. And of course, credit the artists he works with as well. His American Vampire series gets better and better with each trade. His first journey into Batman, during his run on Detective Comics right before the relaunch in Batman: The Black Mirror , is one of the most pulse pounding adventures I've ever read. He also did such a great job on characterization with Batman (at that time Dick Grayson) and James Gordon by making them drive the story in a tense unforgiving narrative. I cannot wait to read the first trade of his highly acclaimed run on Swampthing. Ok, back to this story. Snyder, again, weaves an incredible tale that really challenges Batman (back to Bruce Wayne) and keeps the reader twisting, turning, and craving more. Snyder is also great at adding to the Batman mythos. There are some big shockers here but it does not detract from previous stories or the legend we know, again, it adds another jaw-dropping layer. Another trait Snyder does so well that I have only really seen Grant Morrison pull off so well during his run, is to be able to balance the man and the dark knight. We get a nice dose of scenes with Bruce Wayne being Bruce Wayne and doing what he needs and wants to do as that persona. It's not all a guy in a really cool military costume with a bat-theme for an entire issue. We get both worlds and Snyder manages to mix both as crucial parts of the unfolding story as a nice payoff. Now to give credit to the fine art of Greg Capullo. This man can really draw a deep psychological Batman story. He manages to set great tones and mood for however the story is going. A Wayne fundraiser is a joyous event with beautiful people and clean surroundings. Arkham Asylum is a slime ridden hellhole crawling with the worst the world has to offer. The agony and torment Batman goes through in issues 5 and 6 is some of the best art I've ever seen in a comic book. It cannot be described other than unnerving. This is an incredible Batman story, making it a great time to be a Batman fan. Bring on the Night of the Owls!!!

I've been a Batman fan ever since I was a kid, I haven't been a comics fan until recently. I always wanted to get into reading Batman in an ongoing series I just couldn't find the right jumping on point and so instead limited myself to self contained Batman stories such as 'The Long Halloween' and 'The Killing Joke' I can safely say that this book is the perfect jumping on point I have been looking for. Although it is supposedly a 'reboot' of the character for 'The New 52' this isn't an origin story, Batman is already well established as Gotham Citys protector and a clever little device in the opening pages introduces the reader to some of the other members of the Batman family easily without too much exposition. Simply put anyone with even just a cursory understanding of the character and his history should be able to get into this book without any trouble. As for the actual story here I think it was very good that this book as an introduction didn't simply deal with Batman battling one of his well known adversaries (No Joker or the Riddler here) Instead introducing the Dark Knight to a new enemy in the Court of Owls a "very" secret society which has supposedly been running Gotham from the shadows for centuries. Without giving anything awat the story is tense and exciting and delves into the past of Gotham City itself with the Court of Owls remaining an enigmatic threat right up until the final revelation set to continue the story in Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls. Overall the book is well paced though it is also quite brief, if you were to sit down and read it all in one sitting it may feel like it is over too quickly... thats just how I felt anyway. The illustrations by Greg Capullo is excellent and I liked seeing the covers for each individual issue included in the volume, the artwork remains consistent throughout the book and the layout of the panels from page to page rarely felt cluttered or hard to follow. Overall this is a very good read and one that I would recommend to anyone interested in The Dark Knight, I feel it is a perfect place to begin for anyone is like me who is looking to get into comics but isn't sure where to begin. Check it out.