Batman: The Court of Owls Review: Still good over a decade later

It can be difficult to read comic books years after they’re released. Sometimes the artwork doesn’t hold up, the language is outdated, and the villains look weaker. That isn’t close to the case with New 52 Batman: The Court of Owls. Over a decade later (released in it's 2011) it still holds up.

This article will explain why Batman: The Court of Owls is one of the better comic books starring The Dark Knight. Among the highlighted parts will be the villain (the best part of the comic), the writing(it wouldn’t be a great series without writer Scott Snyder), and, of course, the hero. Let’s start with the enigmatic Court of Owls.

The villain

French poet Charles Baudelaire said, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.” It speaks volumes in this story because the Court has ruled Gotham from behind the scenes longer than anyone knows. However, they didn’t necessarily conceal their existence. They hid in plain sight by telling people that anyone who believed a child’s poem was a fool. Meanwhile, they were sending their goon the Talon for their head. So, they existed, but not really.

“Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowy perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send the Talon for your head.” -Court of Owls children's poem

Capturing Batman is a feat in itself. Keeping him trapped for over a week is unheard of. Yet, the Court did that and more. Without food, clean water, and natural sunlight, Bruce was driven crazy. Adding to his mania were random photos of him each time he drifted further into madness. It was a continuous reminder that he was trapped. Of course, Batman eventually survived, but not without being tortured by a villain he'd never faced.

The hero

When a new universe is created, differences should be made clear. While there aren’t many changes, the main one is Bruce’s attitude. If you thought Bruce Wayne was a jerk before, you haven’t seen anything yet.

"Let's just admit that both of us know the person you're really protecting is yourself. From needing to have a damn human emotion!" -Nightwing to Batman

For example (in the finale of The Court of Owls), Batman punches Nightwing out of frustration and knocks a tooth out of his mouth. This revealed the Court of Owls' marker. Bruce says he did it to show Dick Grayson that he was destined to become a Talon, but there was an easier way to go about it. He could have used one of the dozens of photography machines in the Batcave or something as simple as a dental mirror. Instead, he went with a backhand.

Beyond the changes, one thing remained the same. Batman will always be Batman. Being sleep-deprived, starved, and nearly dehydrated didn’t stop The Caped Crusader from eventually defeating the powerful and healing-factored goon, the Talon. This shows that The Dark Knight is still a force with or without his tools and is physically and mentally exhausted. Like life, Batman finds a way. However, the damage the Court of Owls inflicted lasted beyond their defeat.

Bruce began to think that the Court of Owls were the real rulers of Gotham and that nothing he’d done mattered. And then, as he’s trying to heal from his defeat, the Court sends an army of Talons all over Gotham to cause terror. One of those places was Wayne Manor to fulfill their goal of killing Bruce Wayne. It was an amazing setup for the next story arc, Batman: The City of Owls (which will be reviewed at a later date).

Scott Synder

Lastly, we have the guy who made it all happen, writer Scott Snyder. He did a lot of great things throughout this series. Chief among them making the Court of Owls’ lore.

Creating a myth isn’t an easy thing. You have to establish who and what they are, why they exist and need to remain a mystery, and how they’ve done it. On top of that, Snyder had to do it quickly while connecting them to Gotham City and the Wayne Family. Thankfully, Snyder is a brilliant writer who had artist Greg Capullo to help him explain things visually so they wouldn’t seem complicated or overly detailed.

There were moments throughout the arc when Batman talked about one thing and the art furthered the story. For instance, when Batman was visiting the 13th floor of multiple buildings that the Court had taken over. As Bruce explains things to Alfred, the background shows that the Owls have been around at least since the 1920s and used the Wayne Family to maintain anonymity and gain power under their nose.

Another fantastic moment was Bruce telling Dick Grayson how he tried to expose the Court of Owls as a child. Bruce refused to believe his parents’ murder was random. This leads to him being trapped without food and water and almost dying. Not only does this remind readers that he was always obsessive, and stubborn, but a genius from a young age and that he once believed the Court existed before this madness started decades later.

Batman: Court of Owls grade: A-

If you’re a Batman die-hard, there will be things you aren’t going to like throughout Batman: The Court of Owls. The Dark Knight’s personality was changed, he looked weak at times, and he treated some of his family members worse than normal. There was also the moment when the pages were sideways and upside down. A cool moment to show things from Bruce's weakened perspective but it was annoying to read.

Nevertheless, this is still a must-read story. You’ll learn who the Court of Owls are and why they’re one of Gotham’s premiere villains. And since Chip Zdarsky is using them in his current run of Batman, it's a good idea to know who they are, where they came from, and why they're dangerous.

Did you enjoy Batman: The Court of Owls? Would you recommend it to new readers? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Blue Sky, Instagram, and Twitter.