Batman and Robin #23.2 Court of Owls courtesy DC Comics
Villains Month is a feast for fans of evil icons like Joker, Zod and Darkseid. This week Batman and Robin #23.2 Court of Owls stars the malevolent secret society that could inspire fear in the rest of DC’s solo super villains.
James Tynion IV and Jorge Lucas craft a visually and tonally dark stand-alone issue that could be the most terrifying tale of this month of all-star evil.
Exquisite Dread is a chilling tale set in the past and present of Gotham City. 3 stories of poor souls who dare to defy the Court of Owls woven through the current day storyline as the Court reacts to a world in chaos after the death of the Justice League. Continue reading Batman and Robin #23.2 Court of Owls Review
The Court of Owls have been manipulating Gotham City for decades using their Talons to enforce their sinister agendas. This September during Villains Month, DC Comics will give you a behind-the-scenes look at just how involved with Gotham’s history the Court has really been.
A horrific new Bat-family is born in Detective Comics #19 this week. An all-star cast of creators celebrate the 900th issue of Detective Comics with four chilling stories of the Dark Knight and stunning pinup art.
John Layman and Jason Fabok are the mad scientists behind The 900. An outbreak of Man-Bats, a serial killer makes a monstrous evolution and Batman’s alliances are tested in the aftermath of Death of the Family. John Layman and Andy Clarke give us a tale of love, relationships and twisted science starring Kirk Langstrom and the debut of a new threat in the skies over Gotham City.
Batman: The Court of Owlswas just the beginning! Bruce Wayne defeated the sinister society and their army of assassins. Calvin Rose is the only servant of the Court to break free and it’s payback time in this week’s Talon #2.
Calvin is the ultimate insider. He’s one of the Court’s assassins. In the premiere issue Calvin found a new partner in his mission to bring down the Court forever. This week they invade one of the Court’s most powerful fortresses and discover another of its most twisted mysteries and tragic victims.
Writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV are plotting out like story like a seductive trap worthy of the Court’s most devious minds. Calvin’s heist turns into a life or death fight with another Talon with a sick connection to the mysterious organization. Calvin strikes a powerful blow to the Owls – and they’re ready to strike back.
What’s even more deadly than a Talon? The Court unleashes a different kind of killer from their Tomb of the Unworthy and sets the stage for a vicious showdown in upcoming issues. If you love the twisted mystery of the Court of Owls epic in Batman then check out Talon to uncover more of the cabal’s secrets and root for a new DC anti-hero.
When the Batman movie franchise begins again – producers should definitely consider the Court of Owls for a movie – it’s that good!
Batgirl Annual #1 features a first time meeting and a deadly reunion for Barbara Gordon this week! Batgirl and Catwoman will cross paths for the first time in The New 52! Will Barbara and Selena Kyle connect or clash?
That’s not the only potential threat!
In Batgirl #9 Gail Simone wrote one of my favorite tie-ins to the Batman: Night of the Owls crossover. The Talon Barbara faced on the Night of the Owls is back with a vengeance in this issue too!
A+X #1 Let the healing begin! A brand new team-up series in the post-Avengers vs. X-Men world! Wolverine teams up with the Hulk. Captain America and Cable? Did Nathan recently tried to take out the Avengers?
Batgirl Annual #1 The first meeting of Barbara Gordon and Catwoman in the New 52! Will they clash when they cross paths? Plus, the Talon from Night of the Owls is stalking Barbara and wants a rematch!
Doctor Who #2An evil force is stealing time from anyone it touches. Can the Doctor save the next victim? It looks like this new Time Lord tale could be a sequel of sorts to one of my favorite Tom Baker serials The Pyramids of Mars. All the visual clues are there! We’ll see.
Fatale #9Get ready for one HELL of a showdown as Jo confronts the demonic force that’s been stalking her through the decades. Sex, death, and cults in seedy 1970’s Hollywood. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips wrap their latest arc of horror noir that’s not like anything else in the comic shop!
Wolverine and the X-Men #19 After last issue’s shocking murder how will Logan pull the students and staff of the Jean Grey School together? What does the Hellfire Club have planned next?
Talon – a new series spinning from the Court of Owls crossover in the Batman family of books. In last month’s Talon #0 we learn how Calvin Rose escaped the Court of Owls – for now. In this week’s Talon #1 Rose returns to Gotham City.
On The Source co-writers James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder and artist Guillem March reveal their creative process and share what to expect from this hero.
“We felt that with #0, we could give you a real sense of Calvin’s history and who he was before the inciting event of “Night of the Owls.” That battle with Batman really hurt the Court, and that’s what #1 is about – Calvin, for the first time in years, thinking it might be safe to stop running because of what he sees on the news about this battle in Gotham between the Batman and the Owls. So #0 gave us an opportunity to show you how harrowing it’s been for Calvin these past years, on the run, hunted because he did the right thing. Issue #1 is where it all comes to a head. So excited for what James Tynion IV has planned for you!” Snyder said.
“Launching with a zero was a really interesting proposition from the start, because we knew that the first two issues had to be places you could jump onboard the series, without doubling down on any of the same material. So the way I started thinking about it is that issue #0 introduces our leading man, Calvin Rose, and issue #1 introduces the story in the present day that will drive our series issue-to-issue. So when the next issue comes out, people who have read the zero issue will have a special understanding of Calvin and his history that helps frame the premise of the actual monthly series. It helps to read both, but if you missed the zero issue, you should be able to jump on board with issue #1 and be fine,” Tynion added.
“I love drawing dark and solitary characters, more than groups of colorful superheroes, so I love working in the Bat family. I’m also really excited by the fact this is a new character, so I’m somehow establishing his world, instead of sticking to what a previous artist has done with him. That’s a responsibility I enjoy a lot, March revealed.
Talon #1 courtesy DC Comics
Talon is the first book in The New 52 to star a brand new character. The Batman writer and co-writer talk about the challenge of adding a new hero to the DC Universe.
“There’s always pressure. Writing Batman is like a ton of pressure on you all the time. The only way to do it is block it out and just dive into the story – pretend you’re writing it for yourself and no one else is going to read it. Just assume if you love it, and have really invested in it, emotionally, intellectually, they’ll love it too,” said Snyder.
“Absolutely! Rather than reinterpreting and recreating a figure known and loved for decades, we have to hook the readers from the start and show them why Calvin Rose deserves a place in the pantheon of DC heroes. I remember a conversation that Scott and I would have over and over when we were in the early stages of the book, about looking forward with the character. It wasn’t about building him up so we can reach issue #12, because we have a big story that will take us right up through the first year. It was about building a character that could last well beyond what we have planned, and about building a series that still has big stories to tell when it gets to issue #26 and even issue #58. If we were going to create this new character, it had to be someone with the potential and the personality to stick around the DC Universe for years, otherwise it wouldn’t be worth creating him in the first place. If the readers dig the series and support it, I honestly believe that there are years and years of great stories for Calvin, and a real chance that he will be sticking around for quite some time, Tynion adds.
