Batman:
The Court Of Owls by Greg Cox is a recently
released original novel that acts as quasi-sequel to the Court of Owls debut
comics by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Those comics are highly recommended
and started off an acclaimed Batman run by that team during the New 52 which
ran for several years as well as numerous other tie-in books. While I recommend
the Court
of Owls comic series, the first two volumes are the best. However, one
does not have to have ever read those volumes since the Court Of Owls and
Batman’s history with them is explained in the first few chapters of Batman:
The Court Of Owls.
The
Court Of Owls and their fearsome servants, The Talons, are some of the best
villains to make their debut in recent years. They are a great addition to
Batman’s rogue gallery. For those who do not know, a “rogue’s gallery” is the
term used to describe the collection of villains, antagonists, and
ne’er-do-wells that work against the superhero.
The
Court of Owls is an evil society of rich people that have controlled Gotham
from the shadows since the founding of Gotham. They are the power and force
behind everything that happens and they seek to maintain their control of
everything in the age of Superheroes and Supervillains. Serving them are their
fearsome assassins called Talon’s. These are children that have been trained
and brainwashed and raised to do the bidding of the Court of Owls. These now
adults have also been augmented with a significant healing factor that allows
them to, despite the severity of injury that would kill a normal person within
minutes, regenerate what is needed to live and fight again.
The
Court has a long history with Gotham and with the Wayne family and therefore
things are very personal between the two groups. They pose a serious threat to
Batman as well as Bruce Wayne. They know that Bruce Wayne is Batman. They have
the numbers, the soldiers, the tech, the resources, and more to match Batman
and his team of heroes pound for pound.
In
this novel Batman investigates the torture and murder of a college professor by
one of the Talons. Why would a fearsome society of evil kill a college
professor? What information were they trying to extract from him? What happened
and why are just some of the questions in this novel. The professor’s death was
also very unusual even for Gotham. He apparently died as a result of being
burned from the inside out. It appears that either just after or during
torture, he spontaneously combusted. How is that possible? Each answer Batman
uncovers raises more questions.
Batman:
The Court Of Owls also raises fundamental
questions such as is Gotham Batman’s city or the Courts? If the bad guys have
controlled Gotham since the founding, can Batman really ever save the city?
Will Gotham always belong to the Court of Owls? Can Batman, Alfred, and Nightwing
ignore the family history with the Court and focus on how best to deal with the
Court of Owls. If members of their families fell to the Court, what chance do
they have against the descendants of the Court? This fight is not just about
the city, but it is about the legacy of their families and the history of
Gotham.
Batman:
The Court Of Owls by Greg Cox is a
novel that is equal parts action and detective work. A lot of Batman stories
ignore the detective aspects of Batman. This novel does not do that and is
filled with multiple mysteries at work. The read features Jim Gordon, Alfred,
Batgirl, and Nightwing and those characters are also extremely well done. The novel
is also filled with less important details that are fun for Batman nerds who
enjoy the lesser known parts of Gotham’s history.
I
also enjoyed the fact that Batgirl and Nightwing were capable heroes in their
own right throughout the novel. In a lot of Batman novels I have read, there is
tendency to make the younger heroes appear incompetent or a burden to Batman.
This author understands that if they were either then Batman would never have trained
them in the first place.
I
also enjoyed how Batman cares about the people he saves and how he watches over
them throughout their life. This mystery read is a really good book featuring a
newer villain that many outside of the comic reading public are not aware
exists. Batman: The Court Of Owls by Greg Cox is a great Batman novel
and well worth your time.
Batman: The Court Of Owls
Greg
Cox
Titan
Books
February
2019
ISBN#
9781785658167
Hardback
(also available in digital and paperback formats)
Pages
336 Pages
Material supplied by the Bachman Lake Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2019
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