COMIC BOOK REVIEW - Batman: The Court of Owls

When I first heard about the New 52 Reboot, I thought to myself it would be a perfect time to take my knowledge of comics to the next level but starting to read the actual novels. Batman has always been one of my favourite characters and I was excited to start this series.

The novel, ‘The Court of Owls’ sees Batman faced with a mystery that he cannot immediately solve. After a number of different crimes implicate the fictional “Court of Owls”, Batman begins to get frustrated at his lack of success in locating the real culprit, believing this “Court” to be an old wives’ tale. But when Bruce Wayne himself is named a target, it becomes time to look into whether there was any fact behind the fiction.

I have to admit, this novel felt like a real detective story. You see a lot of that aspect of Batman’s character as he carries out a number of investigations with the police and in his Bat-cave to get to the bottom of the case. You also see a side of the character that isn’t shown much, which is this impatient and dismissive vigilante.

The artwork, done by Greg Capullo, was very unique. Capullo has a distinct style, which although is not one of my favourites, it’s difficult not to appreciate his talent. This cover, also by Capullo, really stuck out to me. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, and if reputation is anything to go on, this series is going to be awesome!

Favourite Panel:

There’s a real vulnerability you see here, which I thought was highly interesting!

Favourite Character:

Batman. Not that there’s a lot of choice, but I really appreciated the growth of the character in this novel!

Rating:

• Story Arc: ★★★★

• Character Development: ★★★½

• Artwork: ★★★½

• Enjoyability: ★★★★

• Re-readability: ★★★½

Level: Beginner