A more recent addition to the Batman mythology in the comic books, the Court Of Owls is actually an organisation whose origins would actually make sense to explore in Gotham. After all, they didn't show up when Bruce Wayne was all grown and fighting crime whilst dressed as a flying rodent. No, the reason the Court Of Owls are scary and such a threat to the Dark Knight is they've been there all along. It's still not been made clear exactly how long they've been about, but in the comics it's been suggested that the Court Of Owls have been around as long as the city has, manipulating it from behind the scenes thanks to placing its members in positions of power (Illuminati-style) and breeding a team of invincible, immortal super-powered enforcers. Apparently the showrunners had been trying to get the Court Of Owls incorporated into the first season, but struggled with the scope. Now that the world's been established it makes more sense to introduce them, perhaps involving them in the plot against the Waynes the first season was built around and it's been implied they were involved with in the comics...
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
