Tag: Council of Owls

Top 5 Picks for 5/30/12

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 courtesy IDW Publishing

America’s Got Powers #2 Super teens compete in the world’s biggest reality game show. A kid who thought he’d only be comic relief has the chance to be the ultimate hero. This is an action packed cautionary tale that skewers our obsession with youth, reality television and media manipulation.

Batman Annual #1 Forget Ar-NULD – this Mr. Freeze is not joke. The ice-cold criminal makes his New 52 debut. How it he connected to the of Court of Owls? Is Freeze an ally or a target for assassination.

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who Assimilation #1 Two of the biggest science fiction franchises together! The Captain Picard and crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise and Doctor Who join forces when Borg and Cybermen form an unholy alliance threatening the galaxy.

Wolverine and the X-Men #11 Will the Red Hulk turn Iceman into crushed ice? Kid Gladiator takes on the Avengers! Which side will Logan’s students choose in the war between Avengers and X-Men? They better choose quick. Gladiator and the Shiar Death Commandos are headed for Earth.

X-Men Legacy #267 Rogue vs She-Hulk was just a warm up! When Avengers showed up at the Jean Grey School to put the students under house arrest it didn’t sit well with the X-Men. I love Rogue but can she defeat Iron Man?

Batman Court of Owls Conclusion Teased

  The Night of the Owls is set to begin this month as the Court of Owls unleash an army of Talons on Batman, his allies and Gotham City. DC Comics is already teasing the final chapter with the July solicits for the the Batman family of titles.

 

Batman #11 courtesy DC Comics

  This is cover of Batman #11 which DC calls the “stunning conclusion to the Court of Owls epic.”

  Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have created a modern classic. It’s unlike any Batman story I’ve ever experienced. Issue #5 alone was a breakthrough in comic book storytelling. I can’t wait for this crossover.

  Meeting Capullo at Emerald City Comicon recently was one of my top highlights. I got to ask him about the process of creating looks for so many Talons from different eras. Every Capullo cover is a haunting pop art masterpiece and this latest cover is a perfect addition to his gallery.

by Editor

Batman Vs Zombie Owls

Batman #8 variant courtesy DC Comics

  Batman must survive the Night of the Owls, an upcoming crossover clawing into all the Batman family of books. Batman #8 includes the first of a series of back-up stories exploring history of the Court of Owls, the mysterious secret society manipulating Gotham City. DC Comics revealed a first look at the issue’s variant cover by fan-favorite artist Jason Fabok.

 “The description for this cover was that Batman was being tackled, or smothered by the Court of Owls,” Fabok told THE SOURCE. “The idea of the court reaching down to Batman in a zombie like manner immediately sprang to mind.  Artistically I really wanted to play with the shadows on both Batman and the owl-masked men so I added a strong source light on one side to light the shot. I used my camera on my Macbook to get some rough shadow reference and went from there. I penciled the piece traditionally but inked it digitally on my cintiq. Peter did a great job as usual on colors. I’m very humbled to have had the opportunity to do a Batman cover, especially in connection with such an excellent Batman run.”

   Batman #8 is by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. The back-up story is co-written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV and illustrated by Snyder’s American Vampire artistic partner Rafael Albuquerque. The issue flies into stores on April 18th.

 

Batman Talon Triple Shot: 3 Lethal Looks

Talon design courtesy DC Comics

  The Night of the Owls event affects the Batman family of books as the secret society unleashes an army of assassins knows as Talons on Gotham City’s heroes. Talons from different eras will attack different members of the Bat-family. The Source revealed three new designs a century apart.

  Scott Snyder’s American Vampire collaborator Rafael Albuquerque created the 1980’s version of the Court’s Talon appearing in the back-up stories in Batman.

  “I’ve tried to bring a clerical look,” he said. “Ceremonial, but also, something an assassin could use. Needless to say that I’ve followed what Greg awesomely did on the original Talon design, but also tried to do something different, with more leather than metal, and a cloak, to resemble almost a religious look to him.”

Talon design courtesy DC Comics

  Jason Todd, Arsenal and Starfire will face a slick almost reptilian version of the eternal assassin.

  “Our Talon is from the 1980s, so I think it reflects a very modern look,” said Bobbie Chase, Red Hood and the Outlaws series editor. “Our character is also an acrobat, and Kenneth [Rocafort] did a great, dynamic job with the design.”

  The Talons were back in the 1880’s along with Jonah Hex. Here’s the design for the henchman appearing in All-Star Western.

 “I first went to Racinet’s history of western costume. Then I looked a little harder at Ospery’s armies of the Napoleonic wars,” teased All Star Western artist Moritat, tongue firmly in cheek. “After several sketches I leaned toward  Prussian cavalry, specifically Borstell’s Pomeranian brigade.”

Do you have a favorite Talon look yet? Night of the Owls begins this May.

By Editor

Batman’s New Enemy in Gotham City’s Wild West Era

 

 

All-Star Western #9 courtesy Marvel

Batman writer Scott Snyder is revealing how the Council of Owls has a grip on Bruce Wayne’s hometown. But the secret society has been manipulating Gotham City since the 1880’s. When the Night of the Owls crossover hits this May even All Star Western will be in the grip of the Talons.

  Writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti shared how the event affects their book on The Source. And they reference my all time favorite sci-fi epic to describe it!

  “Plans within plans.” That’s one of my favorite lines from Frank Herbert’s eco-sci-fi epic, Dune. It is also one of the hardest things to convey in a monthly comic where readers are often second-guessing the outcome or direction of a series. There is always a larger plan at work and things are never quite what they seem,” says Gray. “Both Batman and Jonah Hex have been discovering this fact in their own unique ways. Having chosen Gotham City as the unlikely setting for All-Star Western, Jimmy and I thought long and hard about the different ways we could make the book interesting to both new readers and the Jonah Hex faithful. To do that we began our initial arc with the secret society called The Crime Bible trying to establish its roots in 1880’s Gotham. At the same time over in Batman, readers were introduced to The Court of Owls.”

 Gray continues, “By now you know both organizations existed long before the caped crusader launched his one-man campaign to save the soul of a city. So starting in May, The Court of Owls, the Talon, the secret history of Gotham, Crime Bible, Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham…some of the most unlikely and surprising elements start falling seamlessly in to place. It has been months and months in the making, but the plans within plans are coming to fruition and even the most cynical fan has to admit this New 52 thing is pretty damn exciting.”

 “This is the best of both worlds for comic fans and us, and we plan on delivering the goods. Everything about this crossover makes sense and is planned brilliantly. We are happy to make Jonah and the gang part of comic book history once again,” said Palmiotti.

 See how the Council of Owls affected Gotham City circa 1880 in All-Star Western #9. This cool retro cover is by Ladronn.

Batman Artist Jack the Ripper Inspired Talon

Courtesy DC Comics

Batman artist Greg Capullo created the Talon – ruthless assassin for the Court of Owls. This May the secret society unleashes an army of Talons against Batman and his DC family in the Night of the Owls crossover.

All this week Capullo shares his designs for Talons from different time periods resurrected to fight the Bat-family. The latest reveal on The Source shows the Talon from the 1840’s.

“Now I’m thinking Jack the Ripper,” says Capullo of the mid-Victorian Talon that threatens the Birds of Prey during the crossover. “Cloaks and lots of layers. A bird’s feathers are all layered. Perfect.”

 By Editor

Batman Artist Designing Evil

The Talon sketch by Greg Capullo courtesy DC Comics

   The Batman family of titles will invaded by the Court of Owls and their ruthless assassins, The Talons in May’s crossover Night of the Owls. The Court has been a secret manipulator of Gotham City for years. The Talons will sport different looks from the past. Batman artist Greg Capullo is revealing his designs for the Talon on The Source.

  “Same approach as the 1660s owl, basically,” said Batman artist Greg Capullo of the 1770s Talon, who will be resurrected to menace Batman and Robin. “I looked at that period’s military. I was happy to find less frilly stuff. Overall, the period looks more bad-ass, despite the stockings.”

Batman’s Death Sentence

  “Hurt him…more.”

 

Batman #6 courtesy DC Comics

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s macabre masterpiece that is Batman Vs The Court of Owls continues with a bloody night at the theater . After last month’s mind warping journey through the Owls’ labyrinth Batman takes a vicious beating while the Court cheers on their sinister champion, the Talon.

  Capullo makes you feel the pain in Bruce’s battered body and you get uncomfortably close enough to his bloodshot eyes. We see just how massive, depraved and creepy the Council is and their surprise they’re about to unleash on Gotham City and Batman is chilling.