6. Entering the Labyrinth
I wont be alone when I say that someone should totally make a movie version of the very recent Court of Owls Batman storyline. Despite being a massive Batfan, I dont think Ive ever been as excited about a modern Batman story-arc as I am when I read Scott Snyders incredible run on the series. Basically, for the uninitiated, The Court of Owls is an ancient, illuminate-like organisation that has existed within the very walls of Gotham City since even before Bruce Wayne donned the Cape and Cowl. And when its deadly enforcers, The Talons, are sent after Wayne, he may just have finally met his match. Theres a particular moment within this arc that, more out of my own curiosity, Id love to see adapted for screen. In issue 5, Batman is trapped in an ancient, seemingly inescapable labyrinth underneath Gotham which has claimed many souls previously, and almost claims his. As youre reading this issue, and as Batmans sanity fails him, each new page itself is printed upside down, or across the centre-fold, forcing you to turn the book as you read on. More than once, you see identical pages and panels to ones youve seen earlier, making you question if youve turned back through the book by mistake. And when you finish, you release youre holding the comic backwards. Just like Batman, youve been well and truly bamboozled. What a genius way to convey Batmans situation without even using text or art; by using innovative layout design. Id love to see this whole storyline on screen, but perhaps what Id look forward to most is seeing exactly how theyd emulate this incredible moment for a cinematic audience.