Wednesday, August 22, 2012

GRAPHIC NOVEL for ADULTS: Batman - The Court of Owls

Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)

[Another post from my husband, Scott]

Batman: Volume 1 The Court of Owls is a collection of the first seven issues of "The New 52" Batman series by Scott Snyder, writer; Greg Capullo, penciler; and Jonathan Glapion, inker. The series begins in a Gotham City reminiscent of what you might find in the Tim Burton Batman films. It is a dark city but one where Batman keeps crime in check and Bruce Wayne is using his influence to start a renewal of Gotham to make it a better city with a grand future. Bruce quickly finds out, though, that someone doesn't share the same desire for Gotham as he does, or at least would prefer a Gotham without Bruce in it. Signs point toward the Court of Owls, a long rumored secret society of powerful individuals who have influenced the course of Gotham, but have been the subject of myth and legend. Bruce is not a believer at first, but as he dives further into this mystery, he faces off with one of the Court's powerful assassins known as a Talon. As Batman, Bruce is pushed to the brink of his skills as the Court attempts to break his will before killing him.

This book contains the first half of the Court of Owls story arc and leaves you hanging, waiting for the next half. Personally I've been a Batman fan all of my life. The Batmobile was one of the first toys that I had purchased for myself as a kid. I've been a fan of the multiple reboots over the years, especially the Christopher Nolan features. In spite of all of this, I've never been a big follower of the Comic books. Especially with so many incarnations and different series in the comics; I really didn't want to try and dive in and figure out what I might like or enjoy. I wouldn't have started into this series if not for receiving it as a Father's day gift from my wife and son. I was immediately hooked. After finishing the book, the next time in my local Comic Shop I asked more questions about this series as well as purchased the remaining individual comics to complete the Court of Owls story. Multiple individuals took part in the discussion, and the general consensus was that Scott Snyder has the best current Batman series going as well as being the best Batman writer to come along in the last few years. I would have to agree after my own experience reading this series. The Court of Owls has some very interesting twists and turns that will keep you coming back. I believe that if you are a fan of the Nolan films, I think you will definitely enjoy this series.

This series is rated Teen+. There is definitely some violent content. I would rate this a 4.5 out of 5.

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