Re-reading The Court of Owls in anticipation of reading the recently published Night of the Owls hardback, I was struck once again of the sheer brilliance of this Batman story that writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo have created. In nearly a year since I first read it, the story retains the energy, intrigue and powerful storytelling to keep me enthralled and reading from page one until the final panel. For those who havent yet had the pleasure, the story features a mythical illuminati group called the Court of Owls who have secretly ruled Gotham City for centuries from the shadows. They are so clandestine that they were unknown even to Bruce Wayne who, like everyone else, dismissed them as a nursery rhyme and nothing more. But when Bruce begins showcasing plans to completely revamp Gotham Citys infrastructure, they begin to reassert their hold over the city through zombie-like master assassins called Talons. Now the Dark Knight is the Courts target and Bruce is going to find out the city he thought he knew so well is something else entirely, a totally strange and unfamiliar place full of nasty surprises... The biggest complaint I had about most of the newly rebooted DC titles was the lack of jumping on points for new readers and even though Batman is one of the few titles that really didnt need an introduction - who doesnt know Bruce Wayne/Batmans story by now? - Snyder provides one anyway, taking the time to introduce the characters and make this book truly accessible to first time Batman readers. This is the approach all of the New 52 titles shouldve taken and is the first indicator that Snyder really understands and knows what hes doing. Snyder gives Bruce a computerised contact lens and in-ear microphone which tells him the names and backgrounds of everyone he meets so at the opening scenes soiree he appears to uncannily know everyone hes introduced to. The captioned intros also familiarises the new reader with the cast without awkwardly forcing that information into the dialogue. The super-advanced tech is a staple of this book as we see Batman using more and more sophisticated gadgets like the laser cutter, the micro-magnet, and a photogrammetric scanner installed in the city morgue, allowing him to view holographic projections of murder victims while in the Batcave. Batman should have advanced gear on hand, he owns Wayne Tech after all, and not having superpowers would have to rely on gadgets to give him the edge against those who do, so its great to see Snyder building on this aspect of Batman and providing him with imaginative tools to tell this fresh and modern Batman story. The focus on futuristic technology is a neat counterpoint to what the Court of Owls represents - that of the unceasing reliance on the past. Their Talons are long-dead elite assassins who can nevertheless be resurrected through an advanced chemical compound that reanimates them as if they had never died. The compound also enables them to regenerate damage to their bodies almost instantaneously making them formidable opponents, even for Batman. Their outfits also look very steampunk-ish, kind of tech-y but in a 19th century fashion and definitely not smoothly refined like the 21st century style. But they are perfectly designed, especially when you think how on earth do you make people dressed as owls scary? and see the finished article - the outfit hints at owl-like features without making them too obvious and it works really well. Look at those glowing, pupil-less eyes!
What I love best about this book is the way Snyder and Capullo bring horror - true horror - back to Batman. Batman bases his entire appearance around fear and his stories are often dark but its been a long time since a Batman story has been truly disturbing, a quality not essential for every Batman story but one that shouldnt be completely left out. Snyders Court are first presented through old photographs going back to the 19th century, Capullo drawing them as well-to-do people wearing creepy owl masks whose expressions are blank and featureless - the effect is stark and chilling. Snyder is actively re-writing Batman mythology to suit his story so that the Court of Owls isnt just another new foe for Batman to defeat but is something that has always been a part of his life without knowing it. From the suggestion that Joe Chill wasnt just some lowly street mugger to the reimagining of Halys Circus as a breeding ground for recruiting new Talons which completely puts a new slant on how Bruce and Dick Grayson first met (Dick was destine to become a Talon until Bruce took him in) - Snyder is single-handedly re-creating the world of Batman. An excellent companion piece to this book is The Gates of Gotham which goes back to the early days of Gotham City when it was being built by its ruling families, the Waynes, the Cobblepots, the Kanes and the Elliotts. Snyder links Gothams past in that book to the Court through Bruces ancestor Alan Wayne who died in mysterious circumstances. Its a masterful connection and even though Gates isnt necessary to read in order to understand this book, it shows how rich Snyders story is and how much he has planned this arc. Alan Waynes peculiar death leads Bruce to investigate the spot where his ancestors body was found and brings us to what is rightfully the most talked about part of the book - the Labyrinth of the Owls. Greg Capullos art up to this point has been outstanding. Matching Snyders script with innovation and stylistic verve, there are numerous moments up to this point that showcase Capullos enormous talent like the way he draws glass breaking when Bruce is kicked out of the top floor of Old Wayne Tower or Batman thrown through a window at Arkham, and not least for his Talon design. But as good as his art was, I felt Snyders script took centre stage in the book - until the Labyrinth sequence. In this part of the book Snyders script is spare on dialogue and features short, clipped statements of Batmans inner monologue. Like a great tag team, Capullo steps in to carry this section and, boy, does he pull it off! Batman wanders the shadowy labyrinth for days, totally lost in this construct, the complexity of which he has never encountered before, unsure even where in Gotham he is. When we catch up with him the left eye in his cowl has shattered and we see his human eye shining through fiercely, his growing fear clearly visible. He has gone without food and water for who knows how long. From the dark opening pages of this sequence Batman and the reader are suddenly thrust into room dominated by a nightmarishly bright, white, giant owl statue spewing clear blue water out of its beak. It's such a startling and powerful image - it is perfectly drawn and very effective in setting the tone. The water is probably drugged but Batman, desperate, takes a sip... From there Capullos panels switch from predominantly black to garishly white in his transitions as Batman leaves one disturbing set-up to the next. From the owl statue to the room of photos showing previous inhabitants of the maze - Bruces ancestors - as they became more dishevelled the more they remained trapped in the labyrinth until they went insane and died. And this is when Snyder and Capullo begin to play around with the format of the comic, arranging the panels sideways so you have to turn the book sideways (trickier if youre reading on a tablet!) until youve flipped the book upside down and begun reading it backwards! Its an ingenious way of presenting the disorientation Batman is experiencing. Batman then goes into full-on hallucinations and were treated to fantastical and haunting imagery as the Court appear to be physically part-owl, Batman even begins to morph into avian form himself like a character from Roald Dahls The Magic Finger, before becoming monstrously bat-like. Its an amazing sequence that my words cant do justice to but really has to be seen to be believed.
Which isnt to say I was blinded to not notice a few oddities in the script but that they were small enough not to limit my enjoyment of the book. For example, Bruce tells Dick that he began investigating the Court shortly after his parents were killed by Joe Chill, so convinced was he that Chill couldnt have been working alone. His investigations led him nowhere and so he was satisfied that he had proved the Court did not exist. How old was Bruce when he was orphaned, 10 years old? So his investigation at age 10 was enough to dismiss the Court outright - he was that good a detective at that age? To be fair, Bruce does mention that hes looked into the Courts existence many times over the years so he didnt just accept his pre-pubescent findings as the definitive conclusion - but then again he is the worlds greatest detective even as a child. Right? And then theres the nursery rhyme about the Court: Beware the Court of Owls that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed. Speak not a whispered word of them or theyll send the Talon for your head. What the hell kind of nursery rhyme is that?! Its definitely not a rhyme you would utter in a nursery! Nursery rhymes are like Baa-Baa Black Sheep and Jack and Jill, theyre definitely not that dark and specific as the Court of Owls rhyme in this book. Its an unconvincing detail. Aside from these minor idiosyncrasies, the book is near flawless. The character-rich story, the superb atmosphere of horror and action, the incredible art, the pacing, it all comes together beautifully in what was easily one of the finest books in the DC relaunch. The Court of Owls is one hell of a Batman book that any Batman fan should read and if you havent, bump it to the top of your reading list. Batman, Volume 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo is out now in hardback.