Scott's Take: Batman and Robin: Year One by Mark Waid and Illustrator Chris Samnee

Batman and Robin: Year One by Mark Waid, Illustrator Chris Samnee is a miniseries that is set in the past of the current DC Universe. In this story, Robin (Dick Grayson) and Bruce Wayne are still in the early days of their partnership and do not fully trust or understand each other. Can they become true partners? Is Robin ready to be a hero for Gotham? Can they become a family?  Is Bruce ready to be a father? These major questions are at the heart of their dynamic in this story.

 

The actual plot is way more complicated than the plot synopsis. I can’t explain how without including details that are not in the little plot synopsis snippet. To avoid any chance of spoilers, I would say that this is more of a conspiracy/mystery read with those character beats as part of the ongoing narrative.

 

There are a few villains in this story. The art is pretty good with good character expression. This is a humorous story, overall, with some dark elements and a lot of death.

 

Robin is funny as he is a showman throughout the story. Bruce gets to play the exasperated partner and father figure. Alfred and Bruce Gordon also get to play major roles which is nice since in the present day both are currently benched and not prominent anymore.

 

Mark Waid works best when he can write stories set far away from current time so he really shines here. I very much enjoyed this limited miniseries. I think people who are a fan of the duo will enjoy this read.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dbtPrX

 

I read this twelve-issue miniseries as it released on the DC Infinite App.

 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2026

Scott's Take: The Boy Wonder by Juni Ba

 

The Boy Wonder by Juni Ba is an Elseworld’s tale with a unique art style focused on the youngest Robin Damian Wayne as he once again deals with his family issues. Told as part fairytale and part real time story with the two story halves being described on the same page, this is a complex read. There is a demon abducting people across the city of Gotham. Damian Wayne attempts to stop it. Along the way interacts with various members of his family and tries to work on his issues.

 

I read this through the DC Infinite app as each of the five issues were released on the app. The art is very different than I am used to. I liked it for the most part, but I could see why someone would not. It is a good tale despite the fact that a lot of this was retreading stuff covered by other writers. It could have been more original. Overall, I recommend it for fans of Robin.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4iGB10s

 

As noted, my reading copy through the DC Infinite App.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2025

Scott's Take: Batman: City of Madness by Christian Ward

Batman: City of Madness by Christian Ward, who also illustrated it, is the first book I have read by him. He does a really good job on both aspects. This is another standalone elseworlds Batman book. In this comic, Batman of the surface teams up with The Court Of Owls to stop the Batman Below. Secretly, there is another Gotham city below the main Gotham. This dark mirror world’s Batman has left his city to train a Robin in the above. He seeks to merge these two Gotham into one. Doing that would damage reality for all and cause widespread insanity in both levels. Batman of the surface and the Court of Owls will attempt to stop him.

 

This graphic novel is an atmospheric read featuring a decent number of characters. Several characters play a bigger role than the synopsis implies.  Unfortunately, because it is only three issues, there is not a lot of time to go into much detail in this fast paced read. I am a little disappointed that the Gotham Below is not explored as much as it could be.

 

The art is excellent and depicts the cosmic horror really well. There are several disturbing scenes for some readers in regards to body horror. There is a clear setup for a sequel. That setup causes the read to abruptly end. I hate this trend of teasing a sequel that may not even happen.

 

I enjoyed this read despite its flaws. It really needed a longer time to explore the ideas presented, but it is worth reading. 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4gv1RIE

 

My reading copy came from Hoopla through the Dallas Public Library System. 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2024 

Scott's Take: Batman: The Court Of Owls Saga by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

Batman: The Court Of Owls Saga by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo collects the first 11 issues of the New 52 Batman run by Snyder and Capullo plus bonus material such as a script and sketches. This edition only includes the main issues and not the various tie ins that take place and add to the story. In this book, Batman and company face off against the Court Of Owls. They are a secret society that allegedly controls Gotham though many folks believe they are a myth. Even Batman believed them to not exist and be a myth until he is forced to reconsider as the Court of Owls make their move to take back Gotham city.

While that is the basic plot premise, far more is going on in the read. It is hard to go into much detail without ruining various plot points. One can say that the read is an action-packed tale that utilizes the history of Gotham and the Wayne family to tell a story full of intrigue and suspense. It will take Batman and his allies everything they have to stop the Court of Owls.

The art is amazing and the writing is spectacular. There is plenty of violence and cinematic battles between Batman and the assassins of the Court of Owls. The villains created in this tale are great.

I highly recommend Batman: The Court Of Owls Saga by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo for Batman fans.

 

 

My reading copy came from the Arcadia Park Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple © 2022

Gotham Justice

Scott's Take: Batman: The Court Of Owls by Greg Cox

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

http://www.gregcox-author.com/

Titan Books

https://titanbooks.com/

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

WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: Same Old Same Old

WELCOME TO HELL ~ by Glenn Walker: Same Old Same Old: With the end of this summer's "Big Brother," featuring the dumbest cast of housemates in over a decade, it's time for t...