It makes for a good shock when Batman hits Nightwing to knock out his tooth where an owl symbol had been hidden, but the reader might quickly wonder why Batman doesn't just say, 'Hey Nightwing, let's check out your tooth' instead. Nightwing chides Batman for being unemotional, something that had largely long-since been handled in the aforementioned Murderer/Fugitive days. Batman is largely in the wrong in handling this case, and Snyder portrays him as willing to just give up and let the Owls kill him after a few days in their labyrinth. This depiction of Batman who falls victim to the Owls largely due to his own hubris may not be to every reader's liking. Nightwing tries to convince Batman that the Owls are 'just another bad guy,' but at the end of the book Batman remains inconsolable.

It's only when the Owls choose to reveal themselves that Batman learns the truth this is a massive blow to the ego of the 'World's Greatest Detective,' a truth Batman says in the conclusion that he wishes he hadn't learned.

As a child, the reader learns, Bruce sought the Court of Owls and couldn't find them he's searched for them over time and always concluded they were a myth. At first Bruce refuses to believe the Court of Owls exists then, trapped in their labyrinth, he reminds himself that Gotham is 'your city, your story' and affirms 'I invented all the tricks.' Not only do the owls seems to have a greater history with Gotham and know the city better than he does, but they have lairs all over the city like Bruce's satellite Bat-caves they even usurp, to an extent, Bruce's own sidekick, Nightwing Dick Grayson.Īll of this appears to make Batman, put quite simply, jealous, and furious to boot. Snyder proves he's unafraid to show both Bruce's good and bad qualities, something that serves the story well but may be troubling to some fans.Īn evil cabal is killing Gothan's citizens, an immortal assassin roams the streets, but what seems to bother Batman the most is that they're stealing his shtick. Snyder's first crack at Batman Bruce Wayne explores layers of the hero that remarkably may never have been explored before. This is abetted by Greg Capullo's art, evoking Rick Burchett penciling Greg Rucka's stories during the Batman: Murderer/Fugitive era it all serves to make Court of Owls feel more naturally in line with the Batman stories that came before.Ĭourt of Owls is no less psychologically complex than Black Mirror, however.

Court of Owls, the first DC New 52 collection of the relaunched Batman title, has a more superheroic aesthetic, built in large part from Batman fighting a new foe over the rooftops of Gotham.

Scott Snyder's Batman: The Court of Owls is a different kind of book than his Batman: The Black Mirror, but that's not a bad thing.īlack Mirror was a wonderful horror story, with gore lurking for the reader just beyond the next page.

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