Batman #9

Writers: Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV

Artists: Greg Capullo & Rafael Albuquerque

More than the closing chapter for "Night of the Owls," this issue is the anchor for the entire event, piecing together several of its tie-ins into a cohesive, understandable, big picture. The backup feature "The Fall of the House of Wayne" in the meantime, starts a significant retcon and makes bold changes to Bruce's childhood, all told from an unexpected, but compelling point of view. The most impacting element in the main story is the development involving Lincoln March, which is still giving me a bad feeling about the possible outcome of the arc; his character is becoming too similar to Tommy Elliot a.k.a. Hush, so I am crossing my fingers in hopes that my concerns are unfounded. Capullo and Albuquerque render the great writing into distinctive and flawless art, making of this issue yet another hit in the overall "Court of Owls" saga.  Nice variant cover by Dale Keown.

Nightwing #9

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artists: Eddy Barrows & Andres Guinaldo

While "The Court of Owls" might be one of Batman's greatest stories ever told, it for sure is the one that redefined the character of Dick Grayson to his core. This tie-in to "Night of the Owls" certainly cements that. Through Talon William Cobb -Dick's ancestor- more of Gotham's past and nature is revealed, as well as Haly's Circus true, sinister purpose. Higgins is able to recreate the Grayson lineage in such an organic, non-forced manner, that it is almost as if it had been designed like that from the very beginning. Barrows and Guinaldo's shared art duties are yet another highlight of this issue, and the crossover in general. Their post-Victorian interpretation of old Gotham is flawless, while the present day fight scenes are crisp and fluid. The impact this secret origin will have on Nightwing is still to be seen; the potential for endless conflict and turmoil is clear, but right now the book is in such good hands, that it should not be seen with any concern.

Batman Annual #1

Writers: Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV

Artist: Jason Fabok

A direct follow up to Red Hood and the Outlaws #9, and tangentially connected to Night of the Owls, the first Batman annual presents a spotlight on Mr. Freeze. In his retconned origin, Bruce Wayne is Fries' worst enemy, not Batman, and the love he has always professed for Nora Fries hides an ugly and disturbing truth; indeed, Victor Fries has always been a damaged individual. Somebody at DC needs to immediately sign up an exclusivity contract with Fabok and Steigerwald, and then put them in a high-profile title. The art in this annual is fantastic; from the exquisite pencils to the impeccable coloring, the story is a visual delight. The subtle effect on Freeze's helmet is a nice, eye-catching touch. Night of the Owls is used only as bait to attract the readers' attention; however, it is fortunate that "First Snow" does not disappoint and is very well executed. A must have.

Dark Knight #9

Writer: Judd Winick

Artist: David Finch

Taking place in the middle of Batman #9, and right after the events of Detective Comics #9, the caped crusader tries to protect mayoral candidate Lincoln March from the deadly attack of a Talon. The story has some flaws, starting with its premise. The issue had been solicited as the return of Red Robin to the Bat-books, which was a thrilling prospect for Tim Drake's fans; and he did show up... in one panel. The plot also points out that Batman had fought a Talon early in his career; which was an unnecessary move, considering that his denial of the Court's existence was a big part of the opening chapters of the saga. This Talon's characterization and origin, however, were superbly done, just as good as the one Batgirl fought. David Finch does a great job on this action-oriented tale with powerful artwork and detailed panels.  Although tightly connected to the main event, still felt like filler.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #9

Writer: Scott Lobdell

Artists: Kenneth Rocafort

08:38 pm in Gotham's Chinatown and the Outlaws are on a stakeout in an attempt to save the Court's most peculiar target yet: Mr. Freeze. A perfect issue for someone who is not a follower of the series, this "Night of the Owls" tie-in is a great conduit to introduce new readers to the Red Hood and his friends. Arsenal is goofy and cool, Starfire powerful and innocent, and the Red Hood, as ambiguous and conflicted as they get. This trio is a fun and adventurous gang, worth of further inspection. The thunder is stolen by colorist Blond and artist Kenneth Rocafort, whose pencils and quasi-rough style are reminiscent of departed comics star Michael Turner. Their Batgirl -who makes a cameo in the issue- is one of the most beautiful I have seen. Speaking of, pages 2 and 3 depict a beautiful and scary landscape covered in ice, and I knew I had seen the concept before, so I did some digging and voilà, Uncanny X-Men #319 and #331 written by Scott Lobdell featured Iceman building equally pretty but disturbing ice landscapes... I'm just saying.

Batman and Robin #9

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Artists: Lee Garbett and Andy Clarke

07:38 pm and Robin's first solo adventure in the DCnU takes him to the city barrens to protect the head of Gotham's army from the reach of the Court of Owls. A different aspect of Damian's personality is channeled through this story: that of a leader and tactician. Even though having a 10 year old take over an army platoon and command it in battle is a possibility hard to swallow, Tomasi makes it a convincing one by placing the characters in a dire enough situation. The Talon's attack in this issue is more incidental than the center of the plot, which is not a bad thing; after all, the world did not have to stop spinning just because there is a Batman crossover. The focus is solely on Damian and what seems to be his slow and imminent descent into the darkness. Garbett's pencils are easy on the eyes and follow the same style Gleason has established for the series, making it a seamless transition.

Batgirl #9

Writer: Gail Simone

Artist: Ardian Syaf 

Holy Cats! 06:07 pm in Gotham, and Batgirl's chapter of "Night of the Owls" is the most intense yet, and the one where the Court's assault on the city reaches a chilling crescendo. The writers behind this crossover have taken great measures to give their respective Talons independent personalities and traits; Gail Simone is not the exception. Using the Fire Balloon attacks of WWII as backdrop -a real life event- she gives her Talon a tragic story that inspires in the reader a great deal of compassion. Ardyan Syaf also delivers his best pencils thus far in the series. Here, Batgirl looks simply stunning, and with the tweaks made to her uniform last issue, the character just pops out of the page; the art is just beautiful. Storywise, the issue has great thrilling moments for Jim Gordon, while the final scene featuring the dominoed daredoll is a spine-shivering moment that makes one go "O-M-G!"

   

   

Batwing #9

Writer: Judd Winick

Artist: Marcus To

07:40 pm in Gotham City. Talk about wrong time and place. During his stay in America, Batwing finds himself tackling one of the Talons rampaging the city; but this is no cookie-cutter, random Talon; Judd Winick takes the time to build a history and a distinctiveness to the assassin, which gives the fight much more significance. Despite having its main character in a foreign land, the story has a subplot that anchors it to the ongoing theme of the book.  While the first half of the issue is mostly setup, the second half is all-out action, and that works out well, because it makes it a self-contained story even though it is part of a crossover. This issue also marks the debut of Marcus To in the series; and boy, is his work a welcome sight. Let's hope this is a long stint, because once he gets acclimated to the title, his pencils will be stunning.

      

Detective Comics #9

Writer and Artist: Tony S. Daniel

It's 08:26 pm in Gotham, just about 90 minutes after the attack on Wayne Manor, and the Talons invade Arkham Asylum to pass judgment on its enigmatic owner. Several inmates are introduced to new readers, with a focus on Black Mask. I did not follow the title prior to the relaunch, so more backstory would have been appropriate to explain his relationship with Dr. Arkham. The Talons' onslaught is pretty convincing and well staged, as well as Batman's timely arrival. This issue evidently takes place after Batman #9, which has not come out yet, so it kind of spoils on what happened at the mansion. The artwork, as always, is A+. Daniel's style creates this idea in the readers that they are reading an old, old book. As a tie-in, the story is clean, has a clear resolution, passes the plot over to Nightwing, and moves on to the next thing. Felt like a quick read, but overall was very good.

   

Nightwing #8

Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artist: Eddy Barrows

A secret chapter of Gotham's past is revealed in "Bloodlines," and told from quite an unexpected point of view: that of a Talon's. Connected directly to the crisis in Batman #8, Nightwing enters into the "Night of the Owls" by responding to Alfred's distress call and rushing to City Hall to protect Mayor Hady. The entire issue switches back and forth between events that took place over a century ago, and those occurring the night the Talons strike Gotham; both equally compelling and thrilling. Eddy Barrows illustrates the whole story with intricate and detailed traces; particularly worthy of mention are those of the flashback sequences. Drawing clothing and architecture for a period piece is extremely challenging, and Rod Reis' colors are the perfect complement to provide the right ambiance. With a double cliffhanger, the issue builds great momentum for this crossover.

Batman #8

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

DC needs to get in the business of writing horror stories for its characters, because its most recent couple of attempts have been outstanding; case in point: "Attack on Wayne Manor." In the best style of movies like "When a Stranger Calls," Snyder and Capullo take the Talons inside Bruce Wayne's abode using every single panel to keep the readers at the edge of their seats. Bruce is portrayed as collected and in control of himself -at least in the surface- with just a hint of uneasiness and even dread in him. The Talons are spine-chilling and eerie as they infest the mansion. The true instrument to convey the sense of terror, however, is loyal Alfred Pennyworth; who despite having the living hell scared out of him, finds the courage to carry out his master's instructions, and even protect him. A fantastic opening chapter for Gotham's longest and scariest night.

Justice League #8

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artists: Carlos D'anda, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado

What a fun issue! This story does more for the characterization of guest star Green Arrow than his own title has done in eight months. He is funny, irreverent, with a social conscience, and even more important, controversial. This issue confirms what had already been implied: The League has remained static, unchanged, for the past five years; not a very convincing move, but on the other hand, an exciting one if the prospect of a roster expansion is on the horizon. Strangely enough, this is also an unofficial tie-in of sorts for "Night of the Owls," and as brief as this sequence was, it does a lot to make the events in the Bat books more convincing; after all, how could Batman face such a menace and not be helped by the League? This takes care of that. A dark chapter of the League's past is revealed with beautiful pencils by Ivan Reis. What a fun issue!