Night of the Owls – Prelude by Jared
Batman #8 (2012)
Writer- Scott Snyder
Pencils- Greg Capullo
“The Call”
Writers- Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
Pencils- Rafael Albuquerque
The second major DC crossover for the New 52 is “Night of the Owls” that begins with Batman issue 8. The issue begins with a discussion between Alfred and Bruce about the condition of Gotham City. The conversation is cut short with an attack by the Court of Owls. This leads to some tough fights for Bruce without his Bat Gear. The issue concludes with an extra story entitled “The Call” wherein Alfred calls upon the various Bat-allies to stop the numerous Talon assassins that have begun to hunt and kill key politicians, social elites, and those with influence throughout Gotham City.
The writing is top notch and it works as a great kick-off to this event. The opening discussion feels a little like filler, but when the attack occurs the story has great pacing and there is no wasted dialogue. The number and ability of the assassins creates a very serious threat to the Bat-family and all of Gotham. The art is top notch as well with some great looking fight scenes and emotional reactions. The character reactions are very well done especially the look on Alfred’s face in “The Call” when he realizes how many targets the Court of Owls has put hits upon.
This is how you open a crossover event. A well written, well drawn title that clearly shows the magnitude of the threat, lets the reader know who will be involved, and clearly states what is at stake in this battle. If you are a Bat-fan then you have no excuse to skip this event. If you are not a big fan of Batman, this issue may change your mind. Bravo on a good start to the “Night of the Owls” crossover.
Bizarro Approved!!
Nightwing #8 (2012)
Writer- Kyle Higgins
Artist- Eddy Barrows
The first book to officially crossover in “Night of the Owls” is Nightwing issue 8. The story begins after the hanging ending from issue 7 where Dick Grayson was informed that there had been a murder by someone using one of his escrima sticks. However, his investigation is interrupted by Alfred sending his message from “The Call” and Dick rushes to protect the Mayor. In addition, as this story progresses we are given the back story of William Cobb, a man referenced in previous issues. This ties in well with the Nightwing story and the issue concludes with a very bloody cliffhanger.
The writing is well done, especially the flashback that the story cuts to throughout the book. While, this issue does reference previous story threads, it is done in a way that does not hinder a new reader from knowing what is going on. William explains his connection to Dick Grayson and Dick explains about learning that his primary weapon was used in a murder. The artwork is fairly good, but still has some of those oddly shaped panels that seem to fall into every Nightwing book. However, the story is easy to follow and the battle between Nightwing and the Talon assassins is very well drawn.
While the first arc of Nightwing took Dick Grayson around the country this story works as a nice homecoming as it forces Dick Grayson to confront the sins of his family. While it does feel a little jagged jumping from the murder investigation to the battle with the Court of Owls it is still a well done story. Also, those who have been keeping up with Nightwing will get more out of this issue than those who have been skipping this great series. Overall, the issue is well done and along with Batman #8 sets the standard by which all other tie-in books will be judged. The “Night of the Owls” crossover is likely to be the best event DC will run this year.
Bizarro Approved!!