Batman: The Court of Owls (USA) di Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo

[Azrael]

Scusate, io la vorrei iniziare a leggere quanto prima, vorrei però sapere se è fortemente collegata con le altre serie del reboot oppure segue la sua strada in modo indipendente. Adesso che ho gli albetti di tutti i primi story-arc delle serie che mi interessano, vorrei capire se devo seguire un ordine preciso di lettura oppure posso andare tranquillo.

Vai tranquillo, leggi solo "Batman" e non dovresti avere problemi 

[Bruce Wayne]

Preview: Batman #8

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[Doktor Sleepless]

Perfetto, grazie!
Credo che inizierò con la JLA giusto per ambientarmi un po' e proseguirò con la serie di Snyder.  

[Azrael]

Bella  

L'ultima mi piace molto  

[Matches Malone]

Perfetto, grazie!
Credo che inizierò con la JLA giusto per ambientarmi un po' e proseguirò con la serie di Snyder. 

Lascia stare la JL, conoscendo un minimo i tuoi gusti ti farà vomitare...ha deluso persino i johnsiani, figurati voi vertighiani!

[Murnau]

Perfetto, grazie!
Credo che inizierò con la JLA giusto per ambientarmi un po' e proseguirò con la serie di Snyder. 

Lascia stare la JL, conoscendo un minimo i tuoi gusti ti farà vomitare...ha deluso persino i johnsiani, figurati voi vertighiani!

ormai l'ha comprata.

[Bobby Drake]

Caxxo, ma Batman con:

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è figo quanto

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[Azrael]

Batman barely survived the battle of his career. We should be seeing Batman getting the chance to recover, right? Not with Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo running the show.
Last issue Batman managed to find his way back to the Batcave. The Court of Owls have made their next move. Poor Batman never gets a chance to rest.

The Good
Comic book stories often are cyclical. We see the heroes involved in a big epic battles and then they usually get some time off. There's moments we get some "quiet time" in order to gain a little insight or see some character development. With Batman barely escaping being trapped by the Court of Owls, he did get a little time to recover. But Scott Snyder is making sure the action continues to be at the forefront as the Court makes their next move.

If you've seen the cover (and the final page), you know the Court is indeed making their next move. It won't be Batman fighting them this time but Bruce Wayne...sort of.

What's great about the action here is there's a slight slow build. That's not meant to sound like it could be boring. It's quite the opposite. As you see each event unfold, the entire situation becomes more and more intense. There's also something to be said about seeing Bruce Wayne in action. We all know that Batman has moves but whether it was because we're seeing Bruce perform them, it almost felt like he had some new ones. Bruce may be at a disadvantage against the number of Talons the Court sends but at least he gets to fight on familiar territory.

Of course the crazy action is made so much sweeter with Greg Capullo's art cramming the action in your face. You can feel the intensity of each scene and I feel like Greg must go through a lot of pencils in bringing all the action to life.

As things heat up, we're left with a cliffhanger ending. What makes this issue even better is there is a back up story by Snyder and James Tynion IV with art by Rafael Albuquerque. It's not just a regular back up story, it's a continuation where the cliffhanger left off. Instead of having to wait a month, we get an immediate answer to 'what happens next.'

The Bad
The question I would have is how much time has gone by between the end of issue 6 and this one. Batman was missing for quite some time, at the mercy of the Court. He barely managed to escape and make his way back to the Cave. While he's still in the recovery stage, he is attacked by several Talons at the same time. But he is Batman after all.

The Verdict
Can Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo continue the consistent level of storytelling they've been doing since the "New 52" started? The answer is, "Of course!" If you think back to the old Batman stories, there's usually been a common theme. Many of the stories and storytelling have been similar. With Snyder, the presentation, storytelling and overall presentation has been varied from issue to issue. You might think you know where the story is going to go but Snyder manages to throw curve balls at you each time. The fact that it's Bruce Wayne taking part in the action rather than Batman adds another different element to the story. Capullo gives the art duties his typical furious vigor that adds the icing to the cake that Snyder delivers each month. There is a big cliffhanger at the end but to make it all even sweeter, this issue contains a back up by Snyder and James Tynion IV with art by Rafael Albuquerque. More Batman story with Snyder can only make a good thing even better. The Night of the Owls begins here and seeing the pieces all begin to fall into place is a glorious sight.

5 su 5

Da CVine

[Buddy Baker]

Can't wait!

[Azrael]

WRITER JAMES TYNION IV ON THE "NIGHT OF THE OWLS" CROSSOVER

The wait is over, and the war for Gotham City is about to begin. Pitting Batman and the extended Bat-family against the Court of Owls and their sinister agents, the long-awaited "Night of the Owls" crossover kicks off this week.

A shadowy secret society with deathless assassins known as Talons to execute its malevolent will, the Court has roots that reach back into Gotham's deep past – and now this cadre of killers has mounted an all-out assault to exert its influence on the city's present. It's the Court of Owls versus the Allies of the Bat to determine once and for all who will rule the shadows of Gotham City.

BATMAN back-up co-writer James Tynion IV discusses the dream job of getting flesh out the Bat-mythology – and the history of the Wayne family, in particular.

I could see the epic size and shape of the story as it began last September. I was devouring every issue waiting to see what might happen next. When Scott offered me the chance to help him build the mythology of the Court with the backups, and help launch "Night of the Owls," how could I have ever said no? The Court and their Talons are my favorite additions to the Bat-Mythos in ages, with each of those awesome assassins offering a glimpse of Gotham's history. We're launching "Night of the Owls" this week in BATMAN #8, and using the back-up to lead right from the action of the feature into the other Bat-family titles with "The Call." And with "The Fall of the House of Wayne," Scott and I are exploring the pre-Alfred years at stately Wayne Manor, with some incredible art by Rafael Albuquerque. I can't wait for everyone to check it out.

(Art by Rafael Albuquerque for BATMAN #9)

The "Night of the Owls" begins this week in BATMAN #8 and NIGHTWING #8, exploding across the rest of the Bat-books in May. Stay tuned to The Source all this week for more insights from the architects of this epic event.

Da Source

[Daredevil]

A me sinceramente ha fatto schifo, orribile

Edit:

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[Matches Malone]

IGN: My last question: can you say how long you'll be sticking around on Batman with Scott?

Capullo: Well, when I signed up it was certainly just for a short duration. But Batman is a lot like crack. Not that I've ever done crack, and I want to put that out there right now. Never done crack! But I have done Batman now and I imagine it's similar to doing crack in the fact that once you pick it up, you don't want to put it down, you know? You just want to suck on more Batman crack pipe.

IGN: [laughs]

Capullo: Geez, that sounds so bad, I need to watch that. [laughs] Now I'm really wound up. So anyway, Scott knew that I was coming to an end with this Court of Owls thing, and he goes, "I would love to keep working with you, it's great." And I go, "Yeah, I'm having a good time with you." And so he pitched me his next idea, and it's just so awesome and so dark and so twisted – I guess I am type cast, I'm going right back into it – but I just had to do it. As a matter of fact, my nipples are getting stiff right now just talking to you about it.

IGN: [laughs]

Capullo: The most I can say is it's one of everyone's favorite rogues and it's going to be... well, you think the Court of Owls is dark and twisted, this is going to transcend even that.

[Azrael]

The "Night of the Owls" Bat-book crossover kicks off in the pages of "Batman" #8 with an (almost) unexpected attack on Bruce Wayne's home as the billionaire recovers from his Court of the Owls-induced physical and psychological injuries. As such, Scott Snyder shoves Bruce Wayne front and center in the skirmish under the premise of truly being surprised and not having a chance to don cape and cowl.

Snyder investigates stately Wayne Manor, treating the reader to some fun and fabulous Greg Capullo-drawn and John Glapion-inked secrets, tricks, and surprises, like moving the minute hand on the grandfather clock to reveal the secret passage from the manor to the Batcave. Those reveals are nice homages to the prior interpretations of Batman updated for a new generation, but aware and celebrating what once was. The opening chapter of "Night of the Owls" features Bruce and Alfred against a parliament of Talons. The exact number of foes and their locations are unknown, deftly raising the tension and suspense of the pending battle.

While Wayne struggles to comprehend what has become of Gotham, how it has slipped from his purview, the reader is afforded the opportunity to see Batman start to crack a little bit. In this setting, Snyder's interpretation of Bruce's relationship with Alfred and the voices he instills in both men is confident and comforting, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Snyder shows Alfred beginning to sweat things out a bit by the end of the issue, but Bruce simply finds more confidence to share and decides to hold his ground, defending Wayne Manor at all costs.

Capullo brilliantly draws all things Batman and Bruce Wayne from the "lucky" penny down in the Batcave up to the roof of Wayne Manor and everything in between in the exaggerated, energetic style we've come to expect from him. Glapion's inks lock the imagery into shadows and FCO Plascencia fills the world with all of the drab colors you would expect to be associated with the words "manor" and "cave" -- browns and grays, blues and muted purples. It's a very moody looking book, all building to a final page reveal that breaks out of the standard set throughout the previous nineteen pages. Snyder does manage to save a surprise for the end of the lead-in tale certain to put a smile on many a Batfan's face.

This issue, in addition to costing you an extra buck, also offers up the first in a series of "Night of the Owls" related backup tales. The initial installment is co-written by Snyder and James Tynion IV. Focusing in tightly on Alfred, the story continues straight ahead from the lead-in tale, only with a leap in art style from Capullo, Glapion and Plascencia to Rafael Albuquerque and Nathan Fairbairn. More starkly rendered than the lead tale, this installment features Albuquerque's rougher and more tense linework. Fairbairn's color palette is a visual explosion in comparison to what Plascencia offers up front. The panic Alfred feels as he realizes what is coming together is quite evident in the visuals presented throughout this initial chapter.

As kickoffs to events go, "Batman" #8 delivers a good set-up and sincere motivation for extending the story beyond the pages of one title. "Night of Owls" takes shape organically, and given the trouble Batman has had with the Court of Owls and their Talons to this point, it's a good thing he has his own crimefighting network to call upon. How the various members of the Bat-Family handle the Talons is certain to be central to the story moving forward, but in this issue it is clearly established to be a cafeteria-style option, allowing the reader to determine their own level of comfort and involvement in the event that Snyder has meticulously crafted.

4,5 su 5

Da CBR

[Green Hankey]

voglio una serie di Zeb Wells e Capullo  

[Azrael]

"Get the hell out of my house."

This is how you start a crossover event. Since the relaunch of Batman, he's come to terms with learning about a secret society that is hatching plans for complete domination. They have broken him mentally and left him physically drained. The Court of Owls. Leading up to this moment, Bruce Wayne went after them on their turf, but here, the Court comes a knockin' and Bruce and Alfred defend the manor and cave the best they can. Although they are outnumbered, they aren't unmatched.

Starting right off the first few pages, Greg Capullo's panel structure breathes some cinematic air onto the pages. The multitude of shots used to cover Gotham City is beautiful right next to the stern silhouette of Bruce standing alone in his parlor. An image I'm sure will be a classic, given time. Another good example of this is Bruce going into the cave and seeing that they are already in there. Scott Snyder handles Batman as we haven't seen him in a long while: at wit's end and nearly defeated. But quick on his feet and hands, ready to take down the foes invading his home with some pretty good results. Snyder upped his dialog here and we really see Alfred and Bruce working as a team, at times showing the famed butler's more comedic side. There is a distinct difference in how Snyder writes Batman and Bruce Wayne this time around. There are mild echoes of Dick Grayson as Batman as Bruce takes down some attackers. Almost quipping away as he breaks a man's arm. Of course, the back up having Snyder team up with his American Vampire collaborator, Rafael Albuquerque as well as newcomer James Tynion IV. It's weird to see Dave McCaig's colors layer his work, but Nathan Fairburn does great work here, still implementing a warmer pallet than FCO and it's interesting to see the two worlds collide like that. Along with all of that, you see that sort of stranglehold the Court has Gotham in.

Capullo and Glapion's art is brilliant here. Together, they do some great layouts and double-page spreads. This issue heavy on the action, and the art teams pulls no punches. Capullo's eye for detail is in top form here. The crooks and nannies of the cave and Bruce's furniture are highlighted, but doesn't come across as overbearing. Glapion's inks are consistent, and very sharp. There's a lot of energy going on in almost every page. The back-up, "The Call", features Albuquerque's usual style of broad strokes, and heavy inks, really go hand in hand with the heaviness of the situation at large. We're treated to his great handle of facial expressions and some more double-page spreads. The last one of these setting the groundwork for what's to come with the crossover for Night of the Owls. It's just old-fashioned cool with a modern polish.

Bruce fighting off the Court in just his night robe for the majority of the issue, shows you the fortitude this man possess. The Batcave is supposed to be his impenetrable fortress, but having the Court overwhelming Bruce, also displays their cunning and strength in numbers. With Snyder multitasking duties on books, you'd think he'd run thin eventually. Batman #8 proves that the best is yet to come.

10 su 10

Da Newsarama