Batman: Arkham - Everything You Need To Know About The Court Of Owls
5. They Feel Threatened By Batman's Legend
DC Comics
The Court of Owls crash into Batman's world as a challenge not just to his authority, but to his legend. It's a through-line during Snyder and Capullo's Court of Owls work, and it's a fascinating concept to explore. After all, the Dark Knight is synonymous with Gotham, but what if there was a competing legend long before him, and one that could threaten to survive Batman's altogether if he isn't careful?
The Arkham games have really lent into the idea of the Caped Crusader as a symbol, but never to the extent of exploring his relationship with Gotham and how the two are intrinsically linked. Snyder and Capullo's work, meanwhile, centres the story around Gotham itself, and reminds the reader that Batman is merely just another figure who's arrived at a certain point in the city's history.
The presence of the Owls speaks to a version of the city that is self-sustaining, sprawling, and ominous. All too often we tend to see Batman as the only figure who can capably navigate the city's expanse in a confident, unwavering manner. The Court throws that version of the character completely out the window, by illustrating that he doesn't know everything, and that there are still forces that can evade the Dark Knight's watchful eye.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
