Night of the Owls begins this week with Batman #8 and Nightwing #8. The Court of Owls and their army of enforcers, the Talons, launch a full-scale assault on Gotham City and the Batman family.
Batman writer Scott Snyder previews the battle for Gotham’s soul and massive crossover.
“Night of the Owls is here, and it’s about time.”
“I think that’s what a lot us on team Batman have been feeling these last few days. Because for us, this is the moment – the moment we’ve been excitedly working on and building towards for months. This is it, and now it’s really here! This is the night when the Court of Owls makes its move, sending close to 60 Talons out into the skies of Gotham, each with a deadly mission designed to help bring the city to its knees. Of course, the missions will also bring the Talons crashing into conflict with almost every member of the Bat-family, and even though this whole story takes place on one single night, for many of Gotham’s heroes, these clashes will have terrifying consequences that linger long after Gotham’s fate is decided.
“Night of the Owls is here, and it’s about time.”
“There’s another reason that phrase sticks with me, though. And that’s because the story itself is about time, about history. For one thing, with every Talon having come from a different era of Gotham’s past, they’ll be plenty of glimpses literally and figuratively into Gotham’s history, with a lot of shocking secrets from the past being revealed. Basically, the story is about Gotham’s dark past being brought to bear against the heroes of the present – about the evil from decades, even centuries of corruption emerging from the shadows to crush the spirit of the city – and the Bat-family – once and for all, in one single night, now.”
For the entire interview here’s the DC Comics link.
This Geek’s Opinion: The Court of Owls story is one of the most gripping stories I’ve read. As much as I enjoy Batman’s Rogues Gallery, it’s a credit to Snyder and artist Greg Capullo that they’ve taken an enemy (in this case, it’s an organization, an idea of evil) and made them so impactful. Greg Capullo deserves huge accolades for his incredible, haunting art. The Owl masked Council members and the Talon are so simple yet terrifying. And Batman #5 alone is a stunning achievement in storytelling. Capullo has designed an intricate army of Talons from various eras.
Most fans suffer from event-fatigue but we still buy the crossover anyway. I’m anticipating and eagerly excited for every chapter of Night of the Owls.
By Editor