Batman #50 Review: Superheaviest

** SPOILERS, BUT I FEEL LIKE IF YOU'RE READING A REVIEW YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT, RIGHT? **

Let's start with the new costume: less a refresh and more of a polish, right? There's not much to say about an outfit that looks more or less the same just with yellow trim, making Batman...less stealthy? I'm ambivalent towards it even knowing that this is one costume update that will very much stick around. On to the story itself. The tenth and final part of "Superheavy" is stuffed with narrative almost to it's own detriment. ALMOST. Scott Snyder deftly handles three plots that all intertwine, leading to the eventual takedown of Mr. Bloom: Bruce Wayne's return to the cowl, Jim Gordon's final act of heroism as the Dark Knight of Gotham, and Duke Thomas' confrontation with the real Mr. Bloom.

Where other issues may have collapsed under the pressure of so many interlocking narratives, Snyder has a talent for bringing together ideas in the end, only it's often not in the fashion readers expect. That said, "Superheavy" might be Snyder's least oddball ending since his run on Batman began -- though it's steeped in a sci-fi quagmire of cosmic jargon, the return of the original Batman and the final battle with Mr. Bloom play out rather predictably, though the specifics are rather interesting.

No one presumed that Jim Gordon would die at the end of Batman #50, so the constant reminders that Jim needs to get to a hospital before he keels over from his wounds get very old very quick. Sure -- that kind of build-up works in certain situations, but again; no one reading this issue thought Jim was going to actually die, so the whole practice becomes moot. This hollow tension makes Jim's monologue near the issue's end a bit stale and concocted. I know Jim was always waiting for Batman to return, but he didn't need to go all diva and recite the speech he'd obviously been practicing in the mirror for some time.

Batman -- the one and only -- is also a rather divisive narrative line in Batman #50. Last month saw Bruce Wayne stand up and accept who he is and what he means to Gotham City, yet none of that passion and/or drive seems present this month. As soon as Bruce jumps back into the thick of battle, Penny-One delivers some rather clunky exposition instead of Bruce's actions speaking for themselves. As much as I like Greg Capullo's artwork, and as fantastic as he's been for most of this series, Batman #50's fight sequences don't convey the same thrill they once did like in "The Court of Owls" or "Death of the Family". Perhaps it's my own bias coming into play having read every issue Capullo has pencilled for this run, but the whole "Batman is actually better than he was before!" angle works against the emotional nuance this issue could have had.

By transforming Bruce Wayne into a more perfect version of himself, Snyder has inadvertently ripped away part of what makes Batman Batman. Some people wear their scars like badges of honor, and while I don't believe Bruce Wayne sees them as such, he does appreciate that they represent something, and taking away the physical scars but not the mental ones simply means DC basically pulled a Marvel and de-aged Bruce Wayne. The difference, of course, being that Snyder is making it a narrative element, which only makes sense on a very basic level. Seriously -- what does this actually mean for Batman? He was already the most impressive human being on the planet (arguably), with a fascinating blend of a litany of martial arts talent, tactically-honed strategic subterfuge, and alarmingly adaptive mental dexterity. So, he's just more of these things now? That's it? I don't see the point other than Snyder fulfilling some dream to outdo Grant Morrison's colloquially-known "Bat God" by literally making Batman BETTER THAN EVER BEEEFFFFOOOOOORE!

All this said, Batman #50 is still a great issue that makes good use of the elements introduced since the finale of "Endgame". Jim Gordon's supporting cast -- Julia Pennyworth, Daryl, and Gerri Powers -- are all present and accounted for, while Duke Thomas plants himself even more firmly into Snyder's Batman mythos. Bloom himself is not really the point because, as Batman even points out, "anyone could be Bloom..." His or her identity isn't important. Very much like how, as we grow older, we come to recognize that much of what is actually said is of little consequence, and that how our words make others feel is what truly matters in the end. Bloom represents the paranoia and anger borne from tragedy and terror, the loss of hope that comes from watching your family, friends, and home burn again and again and again.

Jim Gordon did not solve the mystery of Mr. Bloom. We will never know if Bruce Wayne could have. But that's not the point. Snyder approached BatJim the same way he did Bruce Wayne; the Batman is for Gotham is for Batman, and so on. To Snyder, the two entities are mutually exclusive, and when Jim takes the mantle of Batman, the city doesn't respond well. Bloom is a metaphorical symptom for the militarization, privatization, and corporatization of the Batman ideals. As good a man as Jim Gordon is, even he cannot stop the gears of industry, finances, politics, and traditions from grinding through the wrench thrown into the machine.

SCORE: 8/10

Batman #21 Review (Zero Year, Part 1)

(w) Scott Snyder
(p) Greg Capullo
(i) Danny Miki

Let's get this out of the way right up front: this issue is amazing. Not only does it perfectly set up the entire storyline that's set to last for the next calendar year, but it also introduces a host of new elements to Batman's 'New 52' history. It's a tight race this week for which of Scott Snyder's books -- Superman Unchained #1 or Batman #21 -- is comes out on top. I'm in the Batman camp this time.

I'd like to address an issue I've been seeing online since "Zero Year" was announced, and that now is becoming more prevalent. Many people are upset that Snyder is taking Batman into the past for an entire year's worth of issues. This criticism is two-pronged: the arc is too long, and it's firmly set in the past instead of progressing Batman's current-day adventures. On both counts I'm not convinced.

The allegation that "Zero Year" -- at 11 issues, but taking a full year due to the break in September for Villains Month -- will be too long seems silly at this point in Snyder's career writing Batman. His initial arc on Batman for the 'New 52' was technically also 11 issues in length, though it's considered two arcs. "Death of the Family" may have been only five issues in Batman, but the numerous tie-in issues gave the core narrative a larger breadth than it normally could have achieved by itself. At this point, I trust Scott Snyder to deliver something incredible. And on a purely logistical level, the title page says "Zero Year - Secret City: Part One" alluding to the idea that this mega-arc will be broken into more manageable segments.

On the gripe with Snyder focusing on Batman's past instead of his current day exploits is just redundant. First of all, Batman has been framing the Batman family of titles for most of the 'New 52', if not directly than at least through Snyder's characterization of Batman staying mostly consistent across all the titles he's featured within. Second, Batman is the solo star of two other series -- Detective Comics and Batman: The Dark Knight -- as well as having his name in an additional two others -- Batman and Robin and Batman, Incorporated. All of these titles will be telling current day stories (save for November, from some rumors I've seen online), so why can't Snyder delve into the past? One of the major complaints about the 'New 52', in general, is the lack of information regarding the five to six years between the first appearance of Superman in Metropolis and what's going on in the current day. For the next year, we get to see just that.

Batman: Year One was bout Batman's relationship with Jim Gordon. "Zero Year" is about Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. It's a simple concept that bears a lot of weight because with the condensed nature of the 'New 52', this is the year of Batman's career when he establishes his rogues gallery. Yes, there seems to be a central antagonist here at the starting point, but it would be folly to assume Snyder will only stick to one villain for eleven issues that spans a year of Batman's life.

GRADE

10/10

Spotlight: Superman Unchained #1

(w) Scott Snyder
(p) Jim Lee
(i) Scott Williams

Was it that hard to produce a non-Grant Morrison Superman book, DC?

Superman Unchained is exactly what I've been wanting from Superman in the 'New 52'. Now, I loved Morrison's run on Action Comics, but it was a high-concept story that was difficult to follow month to month. Then there's the eponymous series that was mishandled from day one, only to be given to Scott Lobdell who has managed to drive the title even more into the ground than it already was. Letting Scott Snyder take a crack at the Man of Steel was a great decision that has resulted in the single greatest Superman issue of the 'New 52'.


** SPOILERS AHEAD! **


My favorite part of Superman Unchained #1 is when Clark is reentering Earth's atmosphere while attempting to divert a falling satellite from crashing into a populated area. While speeding toward Earth, Superman experiences the same sensation of free falling as he did when he was a boy jumping from a silo into a giant stack of hay. It's not the most bombastic or exciting part of Superman Unchained #1, but it's extremely important to the Superman mythos, in general.

Many writers attempt to humanize Superman through the use of the character's inner psychological conflicts. Since Clark is a god among men, a lot of good storytelling comes from analyzing just how he handles himself beyond fighting villains or stopping alien invasions. Superman: For Tomorrow was one of the most successful examples of this kind of narrative. But then it became commonplace. It felt like Superman's emotional turmoil was becoming the focus instead of the lining that gave meaning to Clark's actions.

Snyder's decision to make Clark reminisce about his life in Smallville is meaningful because it rarely ever happens. Sure, there are flashbacks to random moments here and there, and the Kents are always at the forefront of Clark's thoughts, but specifics have been few and far between. The story of the Colder Jump shows Superman's humanity. And not through the lens of holding back his strength or doling out sage advice to mere humans, but through being human himself. Everyone has triggers that set memories into motion -- Superman's are just a little larger than life. For all the times Clark talks about Smallville, it's great to finally experience a real connection to the Man of Steel's life as just a Man.

This scene is one example of Snyder employing a theme that basically juxtaposes the ordinary against the extraordinary. Clark is remembering life in Smallville at the same time he's literally moving a building-sized satellite through our planet's atmosphere. The theme continues into Superman's conversation with Lex Luthor, which takes place in a helicopter that Clark is holding upside down. Both Clark and Lex speak to each other like they're sipping tea at a Parisian cafe even though one is an alien Jesus figure and the other is a hyper-intelligent sociopath bent on destroying Superman. By the end, it's clear that the theme has been present throughout the issue. More or less, Superman Unchained #1 gives readers a good, basic view of what Superman does day to day. Clark never breaks a sweat, his voice never falters, and his step never misses. An extraordinary life is simply life to Superman.

Superman Unchained #1 is what readers have been waiting for: a true flagship title for the Man of Steel. Scott Snyder so fantastically taps into what makes Superman great that I actually found myself disappointed that the issue was over and that there wasn't any more to read. If Snyder can do with Superman what he's done with Batman in terms of overall character development, Superman Unchained is set to be one of the best series of the 'New 52.'

GRADE

9.5/10

Batman #20

(w) Scott Snyder     (a) Greg Capullo

"Nowhere Man" -- Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's homage to Batman: The Animated Series -- wraps up this month in the pages of Batman #20. It's been nice to see a shorter tale from Snyder, whose epic stories have, for the most part, outlined Batman's overall narrative in the 'New 52'.

It's hard not to like this issue if you were a fan of Batman: TAS in the late 90s. The series was good for presenting excellent fight scenes and highlighting that fact that Batman and Bruce Wayne were always at odds. "Nowhere Man" hits all the right beats that the show would, it included a generous amount of panel time for James Gordon and Lucius Fox, and keeps with the idea that Batman has a more adventurous side that's not always shown.


** SPOILERS AHEAD **


Then there's the Batman Beyond suit.

I'm gonna nerd out for a moment. Bear with me.

Snyder and Capullo like to play head games with readers, but this bit of fan service is not only another great nod to the DC animated universe, but also just really damn awesome. And it's 20 years away from being financially viable? That fits (generally) into the timeline of the animated Batman Beyond. Also, the suit shown in Batman #20 is far more robotic and encapsulating than the one worn by Terry McGuinness in Batman Beyond, suggesting that even though it's 20 years from being viable, it would be at least 50 before it could be slimmed down to body-fitting size.

Nerd-out over.

Thus, Batman #20 isn't the most memorable issue of the series, but it's still a great comic book. And really, that's what ongoing series are all about. Even when the story isn't world-shattering or life-changing, it can still be high quality and have meaning beyond it's plot. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo understand this and work the principle into "Nowhere Man" seamlessly.

GRADE

8/10

Batman #19

(w) Scott Snyder     (a) Greg Capullo

Scott Snyder always has big plans for Batman. Whether it's the multi-layered "Court of Owls" saga, the vicious "Death of the Family", or the sprawling "Year Zero" that begins in a few months, Snyder seems to be producing quality, long-form narratives on a regular basis. That being said, it's refreshing to get a quick story that's only going to last a couple issues. Much in the same way a haiku challenges poets to express more with less, Snyder tweaks his style to fit this tale in just a few issues. 

In multiple interviews, Snyder has stated that this two-part arc would be his homage to Batman: The Animated Series, a fan-favorite TV show that proved a cartoon version of the Batman could be dark, action-packed, introspective, and fun all at the same time. Clayface was a regular villain in B:TAS, making it a wise decision on Snyder's part to unleash an evolved Basil Karlo upon Gotham City.

Batman #19 reflects the pacing and imagery of Batman: TAS fairly well. Most episodes featured a small opening vignette that made way for character and emotional development before segueing into a situation where all the dots begin to connect and Batman has his final showdown with the villain of the week. It's interesting to see how Snyder mirrors this style, but alters it for a two-part tale. 

Greg Capullo's artwork looks cleaner here than it usually does -- more crisp and less hurried-looking. I've always loved the artwork in Batman, but it really feels like Capullo drew things less rounded and more utilitarian in an effort to mirror Batman: TAS's art style like Snyder was mimicking the narrative style. If not, the art is still fantastic. If so, that's just a whole new level to the way Snyder and Capullo produce this book and work together.

GRADE

9/10

Batman #18

(w) Scott Snyder     (a) Andy Kubert

Can we all stop pretending Harper Row isn't going to be the next Robin? Whenever you see "This ends now" or "It's over" without a death afterwards, it means it's not over...and it's not anywhere near being close to over. This element of comic book logic might seem obtuse, but it has merit. Days before the release of Batman #18, Scott Snyder announced his next arc, "Year Zero", and that it would be 11 issues long. Basically, the next year of Batman is going to be about the Dark Knight's earliest days, which means it's going to be a while before Snyder gets around to telling Harper's story. But that's part of the beauty -- now, we've got something to look forward to even after the next thing we have to look forward to, and isn't that what comic books are about?

All joking aside, Batman #18 from Scott Snyder and Andy Kubert is another great look at effect of Damian Wayne's death on his father. After the emotional head-trip that was "Death of the Family", Snyder wisely makes Harper the focus of the issue, leaving a grieving Batman at arms-length from the rest of his family. Losing an immediate family member is incredibly painful and can lead to feelings of resentment toward others who cannot possibly understand that kind of pain. For Batman, this resentment is compounded upon exponentially due to his very nature as well as his overwhelming feeling of responsibility for his own son's death. It would have been a train wreck if Snyder attempted to tackle Bruce's feelings with inner monologue.

Harper Row is going to be one interesting Robin, to say the least. Each of Batman's Robins has their own unique personality. If Dick was the passionate one, and Jason was the brash one, and if Tim was the witty one, and Damian was the one with the attitude, then Harper Row is the realistic Robin. Harper and Batman's confrontation brings out the darkest in the Dark Knight and most anyone else would have crumbled under the weight of Batman's terrifying reputation. Not Harper. Unlike the songbirds before her, Harper's life has been one obstacle after the other which has made her more rough around the edges than the boys who've held the mantle before (except Damian, perhaps, but his was a more refined talent). She's not afraid to rebuff Gotham's protector and tell him the reality of what's going on around him when no one else will.

While I'm excited for the upcoming "Year Zero" arc, Harper Row is what truly interests me now about Scott Snyder's Batman. Since the 'New 52' launched, Harper has been around and that's no coincidence. I'd be shocked if Snyder killed her off. I'd be even more shocked if she didn't become the next Robin because who else is there? Seriously, it's the next logical step. But it's a good next logical step.

GRADE

9/10

mini Reviews (Feb 6-12, 2013)

------- DC Reviews

Normally, each issue gets four dedicated sentences, but because Animal Man and Swamp Thing interconnect on such a basic level, I've gone ahead and combined them in one, eight-sentence review that covers the entire "Rotworld: Finale."

Animal Man #17
(w) Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire  (a) Steve Pugh, Timothy Green III, and Joseph Silver

Swamp Thing #17
(w) Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire  (a) Andrew Belanger

This week, "Rotworld" finally came to a close with Animal Man #17 and Swamp Thing #17, a one-two punch finale that, unfortunately, succumbs to the law of diminishing returns and just doesn't feel all the satisfying after nearly two years of build-up. Even though the connections between Animal Man and Swamp Thing have only been official over the past six months, these series have been connected since issue one, and the threat of the Rot is starting to become a little long in the tooth. While nearly every other title in the 'New 52' has gone through at least two distinct story arcs, both Animal Man and Swamp Thing have been greatly decompressed to the point where it's hard to imagine either of these series outside their plight against Anton Arcane and the Rot -- when heroes start to be defined by their villains, you know something is wrong. "Rotworld: Finale" just doesn't live up to the hype Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire have been promising for what seems like forever now.

And the truth is, I don't really know why; Snyder and Lemire invested so much time, effort, and energy into crafting this massive crossover that would have lasting ramifications on these characters, yet in the final moments, it all comes down to something that's been in the equation since the beginning. I'm not a fan of "deus ex machina" situations like this where the answer has been sitting there the entire time because that kind of story betrays the intelligence of the characters and, by extension, the readers. I didn't dislike or hate "Rotworld: Finale" as a closing chapter of the ongoing Rotworld saga, but it's just not as explosive as I imagined it would be, and switching out Yannick Paquette for Andrew Belanger for Swamp Thing #17 was a mistake on DC's part because there's now a disconnect between the rest of the arc, which looks beautiful, and this final issue, which looks just passable. I'll continue to read both titles going forward, because Snyder and Lemire have amazing track records with them as well as their other work, but Animal Man #17 and Swamp Thing #17 both dropped the ball when it came to delivering a satisfying conclusion to the months-and-months long "Rotworld" narrative.

GRADE: 7/10 (Animal Man)

GRADE: 6.5/10 (Swamp Thing)


------- Marvel Reviews

Iron Man #6
(w) Kieron Gillen  (a) Greg Land

Kieron Gillen and Greg Land are taking Iron Man into space with "The Godkiller", a story arc designed to preface Tony Stark's membership in the newest iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as provide some proper aftermath to last year's Avengers vs. X-Men. For the most part, Gillen is having fun with Tony in space because it's a setting where the character doesn't have a lot of experience, which means his normal processes -- both on the job and at-play -- have to be adjusted accordingly. Iron Man #6 mostly takes a look at Tony experiencing the wonders of deep space by trying to hook up with a purple alien babe made to look eternally from the 80s by Greg Land. Being the first of only three parts, I expected a bit more plot-wise from Iron Man #6, but it's still an enjoyable issue that fulfills it's goal as a bridge between bigger ideas.

GRADE: 7/10 

REVIEW: BATMAN #16

(w) Scott Snyder
(p) Greg Capullo
(i) Jonathan Glapion

Batman #16 is probably the weakest issue of "Death of the Family" so far. Tie-in issues aside, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Joker narrative has been one of the most intense and terrifying Batman stories in years, bringing the 'New 52' a Joker that has lost the little humanity he may have still possessed and now intends to make the world as meaningless as he perceives it to be. Unfortunately, Batman #16 is pigeonholed as the fill-in issue, complete with guest stars and a cyclical plot point that doesn't amount to anything by issue's end.

A big part of Batman #16 is showing how the Joker's plans are starting to fall apart the closer Batman gets to the heart of the matter -- with every advantage Batman gains, Joker's scheme loses traction. And this month, part of the plan includes some of Batman's most notorious enemies: the Penguin, the Riddler, and Two-Face. Why are these villains included in the plans of a whack-job whose return has been characterized by destroying personal relationships and alliances? Well, because they're important to Batman, and what's important to Bats is important to Joker. Including these rogues in his grand spectacle -- even if only for one act -- is telling of Joker's true emotional disparity when it comes to Batman. Since his return, Joker has insisted that he's necessary to keep Batman strong and to challenge the Dark Knight where others cannot. Batman #16 makes it more clear that it's Joker who needs Batman in a demented hyper-dependency kind of way. Perhaps in the year he was gone, Joker came to realize he was nothing when not standing against Batman. But, that's just the conjecture of one blogger. 

Other than Joker's twisted sensibility, not much goes on this issue. Batman journeys through Arkham Asylum, but the entire sequence feels rushed, like Batman could have spent an entire issue being poked and prodded by Joker's various booby traps and hired men, both regular and super-powered. In fact, Batman's quick trip through the spooky asylum puts Joker's plans in jeopardy as not everything is in place when Batman arrives. Cue extended sequence of monarchy metaphors relating to Batman's place amongst his rogues, and that's basically the entire issue. Near the end, Joker proves that when it comes down to brass tacks, Batman becomes weak as a result of his family, but didn't we already know that? And I'm assuming that's going to be part of next month's big finale, so why did Joker have to point it out to all of his villain friends? It just seemed like unnecessary plot development for an issue that wasn't all that stupendous.

Almost every other review I've read for Batman #16 praises the issue for showing how twisted Joker is, but haven't we been reading about how twisted the Joker is for the past three months? I'm all for taking the time to flesh out a story, but the events of this issue didn't do much more than reinforce already established ideas by throwing more Batman villains at us. I'm all for seeing Greg Capullo draw more Bat-villains. In fact, I'm all for Greg Capullo drawing more of everything because his art is incredible. Joker's stretched-face look has been creepy the entire run of "Death of the Family", but for some reason, he looks even more insane and broken than in previous issues. 

I won't tell you to not read this issue, because it's one of the main issues of "Death of the Family", but if you're wondering whether it stands on it's own as a good issue, that's up for debate. Sure, it's a penultimate issue to a five-issue-long storyline, but that means there should be a whole lot more going into the end of the issue to ramp up readers for the grand finale! Instead, we get a contrived situation that Batman will obviously escape from because it's Batman. Which is a shame because Scott Snyder truly understands that the Joker's terror doesn't come from his physical prowess, but rather from his mental acuity. Even though the man is a psychopathic, murderous criminal, he's probably the most intelligent, psychopathic, murderous criminal Batman has ever faced.

GRADE

7/10

REVIEW: BATMAN #15

(w) Scott Snyder

(a) Greg Capullo

(i) Jonathan Glapion

"Death of the Family" marches along this week in Batman #15 with a sort-of interlude issue for the whole event. This month, nearly all the Bat-books have a connection to "DotF", meaning there's a whole lot more narrative going on all around Scott Snyder's central plot. Of course, this isn't to say that this issue is boring, or any lesser quality than any other issue, it's just not as action-packed and/or thrilling as last issue's edge-of-the-seat chapter. Snyder knows how this story has to play out and what that means for Batman and his extended crime-fighting family. Batman #15 is really what this Joker-centric story is all about: the disintegration of Batman's support system. 

We know the Joker sees Batman as a king of Gotham who can't be his best because he has weights tying him down in the form of his allies. Each new Bat-hero that emerges becomes one more person Bruce has to worry about, just one more body to inevitably find, according to the Joker. He's not wrong. The best part of "Death of the Family" is that the Joker is absolutely right--while Batman might consider himself a loner (along with DC's editorial staff), the evidence of decades of sidekicks, allies, and frenemies says differently. Bruce's penchant for taking in outcasts and turning them into shadowy vigilantes points more to his obsessive need for family rather than his isolationism. Sure, every time a new Robin pops up, Bats gets pretty defensive about taking on a new partner, and he never really approved of Barbara becoming Batgirl, but the end result says that Batman needs a strong, extensive support system to maintain his desired crime-fighting lifestyle. Heck, he created Batman, Inc. just to have more allies/soldiers around the world. Bruce needs his family, and Joker knows it.

This month, Bruce reveals a shocking secret about his history with the Joker than sends Nightwing, Red Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Robin into a hissy fit. The actual information isn't so important as the fact that Bruce kept a major secret from his allies. Bruce attempts to convince the others that Joker doesn't actually know anyone's identity and that it's all just a twisted mind game. The revelations from the past make Bruce's words somewhat hollow in the eyes of the others, and they start to question Bruce's ability to keep a clear head in the midst of this chaos. It very much feels like a turning point for Batman and his allies, that they might never fully trust each other ever again, that this is how the family falls apart.

GRADE

9/10

REVIEW: BATMAN #14

(w) Scott Snyder
(p) Greg Capullo


And here I thought "The Court of Owls" was a big story. Silly me. "Death of the Family" gets expanded big time this week in Batman #14 (and in Batgirl #14). Scott Snyder reveals, with this issue, how well he knows both Batman and the Joker. Obviously, the Joker's absence from the 'New 52's first year was purposeful, but Snyder isn't letting the cat out of the bag all at once. But unlike the Clown Prince of Crime of the past, "Death of the Family" feels like it's going to be chaos with a meaning.

Joker is a villain who has always been unpredictable. So what's the best way to make a terminally unpredictable character even more unhinged? Make him do something Batman can see coming. Last month, Harley Quinn orchestrated a scenario to drown Batman in the same chemicals that turned the Joker into a psychopath. Bruce picks up on the hint and realizes that Joker is recreating their old encounters. Fans and critics alike have been debating for years whether Batman's crusade is effective, if he's actually making a difference in Gotham City, or simply abetting more crime. This is what speaks to Snyder's ability with the Dark Knight -- drudging up the past is the best way to get under Batman's skin, and Joker knows it.

Batman #14 is a stellar issue from beginning to end. Never before has Bruce's 'extended family' been such a focal point of a Batman story to such a degree. Obviously, Alfred Pennyworth was taken from Wayne Manor at the end of Batman #13, and Jim Gordon gets hit his month with a blood-thinning poison. Even without the big reveal at the end, I would highly recommend this issue. The final pages, though, change everything for Batman and the Joker. Scott Snyder is leading the march on a new era for Batman and his allies, and it's going to be a frightening, sadistic, horrifying, absolutely entertaining road.

GRADE

9/10

BATMAN #13

(W) Scott Snyder
(P) Greg Capullo
(I) Jonathan Glapion

"What?! You've heard this one, too?"

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have brought back the Joker. I have a feeling this plan to keep Batman's archnemesis out of sight and out of mind for a full year was completely deliberate. There have been interviews where Snyder explains how he wanted to do the "Court of Owls" first, but the opening pages of Batman #13 might suggest differently. Not once in the entire "Court of Owls" arc was I as terrified as I was during this issue. Somehow, Snyder has tapped into the most frightening, pathological version of the Joker ever seen, and it's comic book dynamite.

The opening scene revolved around the Joker returning to Gotham City to retrieve his face from the GCPD. If you remember last year, in Detective Comics #1, Joker allowed his face to be cut off by the Dollmaker, a symbolic gesture towards Gotham and it's citizens more than anything, a sign that he was gone but not gone. It's when the lights go out and a mysterious figure stands in the doorframe that Jim Gordon understands what is happening, and he does everything he can to stop the Joker from going on a rampage through the police department, snapping necks as he goes. The entire scene is absolutely chilling. It's hard to write blackout dialogue - the use of darkness makes it hard to discern who is speaking to whom. But the lettering throughout this scene is what makes it so damn scary. The Joker's word balloons are scratchy, jagged, and nearly broken, much like the man himself. It not only makes it easier to read, but it adds that extra layer of creepiness.

The rest of the issue is mostly dedicated to Batman searching for the Clown Prince of Comedy. First, Bruce is forced to field a volley of communications from Nightwing, Red Robin, and Batgirl concerning Joker's return. Batgirl's the only one Bruce is reluctant to contact, but soon gets chewed out by Barbara herself when she discovers her father was attacked at his job. During the investigation, Joker takes over TV broadcasts and forces an innocent civilian to proclaim the Joker's return before he's shot in the temple. Snyder is amazing at writing horrific melodrama, and this might just be some of the best work he's ever done.

I usually don't discuss artwork too much because visual art is so often in the eye of the beholder. There are, of course, times when it's appropriate to discuss the panels and pencilling because they have some important connection to the story in general. In Batman #13, Greg Capullo works overtime to make sure Snyder's gritty scripts are coming across correctly. Without Capullo's intricacies, the scene with Joker in the GCPD wouldn't have been nearly as haunting, and his Joker re-design is simply the most horrifying he's ever looked. Again, without this level of visual quality, Snyder's words wouldn't have nearly as much impact.

One of the best things about Batman #13 is how much Snyder is able to stuff into one issue without coming across as detail-obsessed (William Faulkner, anyone?) The murder of a man on live television and the claim that Mayor Hady would be dead at midnight all connects back to the Joker's first appearance (according to Batman) and must have some importance in the present. Then there's the Harley sequence! Yes, Harley Quinn adorns the original Red Hood outfit - worn by Joker before he was Joker - to confront Batman, hoping to catch him off-guard and get him away from his cave. That's all I want to give away because the final pages are just so damn amazing.

GRADE

9/10

SHADOWY HAPPENINGS, VOL. 1 (OCT 3, 2012)

This is 'Shadowy Happenings', the (mostly) weekly column looking at DC's "The Dark" line of titles from the 'New 52'. Along with high-visibility titles like Swamp Thing, Justice League Dark, and Animal Man, i'll also be covering the rest of the series included in this category: Demon Knights, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., The Phantom Stranger, Sword of Sorcery, and I, Vampire. This is the side of the DC universe even the regular superheroes tend not to tread.


Animal Man #13
"Rotworld: The Red Kingdom" Part 1 of 4
(W) Jeff Lemire
(P) Steve Pugh and Timothy Green II
(I) Steve Pugh and Joseph Silver

Swamp Thing #13
"Rotworld: The Green Kingdom" Part 1 of 4
(W) Scott Snyder
(P) Yanick Paquette
(I) Nathan Fairbairn

For the next five months, I may as well call this column 'Rotworld LIVE!' because both Animal Man and Swamp Thing will be fully entrenched in their respective Rotworld adventures at least through the first quarter of 2013. Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire have both insinuated that this is bigger than their respective titles - this is bigger, this is more. And that fact comes glaringly apparent in Animal Man #13 and Swamp Thing #13, both of which feature multiple guest stars fighting against the Rot.

Back in August, the "Rotworld Prologue" told us that Buddy Baker and Alec Holland descended into the realm of the Rot hoping to eliminate the decay at it's source. Unfortunately, Anton Arcane - the avatar of the Rot - had other plans, and the Animal Man and Swamp Thing were stuck in the world of death for over a year while the Rot spread rampantly across our Earth. It was a lot to take in - Snyder and Lemire are laying this out for the long haul. Buddy and Alec come out from the Rot (for what felt like only hours to them) to a new world. The Rot has already won; this is no longer a mission of preemptive measures, this is a quest to destroy the evil slowly strangling the planet.

In Animal Man #13, Buddy is forced to fight the Rotling Hawkman before being saved by Steel, Beast Boy, and Black Orchid (who looks to be a regular, recurring character now that she's part of the Justice League Dark). In Swamp Thing #13, it's Poison Ivy and Deadman that show up to lend a helping hand to Alec Holland. And in both titles, these guest characters begin criticizing their respective protagonists about being gone for so long. Both Buddy and Alex have to explain their situation to their newfound friends before being fully trusted.

If I have any complaint about the "Rotworld" crossover thus far, it's that Animal Man and Swamp Thing are mirroring each other too much. This month, both titles literally have the exact same set-up and pay off when Buddy and Alec reach the Red Kingdom and Green Kingdom, respectively. Both the Red and the Green - the power of the flora and fauna - have created physical strongholds on the Earthly plane to better stand against the spread of the Rot, and by the end of the issue, both the avatars have reached their kingdoms. I understand the need to cohesion, not only on a grand scale, but on a scale such as this, but this stunt takes things a bit too far. I don't feel like I read to separate comic book issues this week pertaining to "Rotworld". I mean, if Snyder and Lemire are going to stay so parallel, why not just combine the series for five month, have them travel together, and make it more exciting and high-stakes?

At the moment, "Rotworld" has been a lot of build-up. Both series have been at least foreshadowing this event since their first issues. A lot of time and effort has been put into this so far, but all into the 'prologue' part. Now is the time when we really get to see how "Rotworld" will pay off, from a narrative perspective. Unfortunately, "The Red Kingdom, Part 1" and "The Green Kingdom, Part 1" are such mirror images of each other that I wonder if all the hype has been worth it. Are these stories going to have the same narrative cues for the next five months? Because if so, I'll just read one series and get highlights from the other. It's no fun to read the same comic twice in a row (usually), but Snyder and Lemire and dancing dangerously close to the phenomenon of being uninventive, and that's not acceptable from two of DC's best writing talents.

STORY: B (AM), B (ST)
ART: A (AM), B- (ST)

TALON #0

STORY: James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder
ART: Guillem March

It's got to be his costume. For a while now, I've been inexplicably averse to Talon, a series that spins out of Scott Snyder's "Court of Owls" arc on Batman that quickly turned a large part of the Batman mythos - Gotham City itself - onto it's head. The Court represented everything Bruce doesn't know about his hometown, and that's a frightening venture for the man labeled Gotham's Son. Honestly, I don't know why I was so skeptical about Talon. Perhaps it was the fact that another series had been cancelled to make way for one more Batman-related title. Maybe it was the relative freshness of the Court of Owls as a concept that made me question it's ability to act as a premise for a stand-alone series. But like I mentioned above, I think it's just his costume. Like the other three "Third Wave" titles beginning this month, it's difficult to gauge Talon's effectiveness as an ongoing title because this "Issue Zero" is technically the series' first, meaning there's no 'issue one' to base a prequel story upon. It's a bit wonky, but the system worked for The Phantom Stranger, so why can't it work here too?

Talon #0 introduces Calvin Rose, the only person to ever escape the Court of Owls (besides Batman, I'm assuming we're meant to know). Rose is an escape artists, able to free himself from even the most binding of situations, which is an interesting way to make his escape from the Court all the more believable. Though a lot of information is given in the pages of this prequel issue, it's obvious that this series is going to be well-paced, balancing Rose's personal journey to use his abilities to protect people with a focus on the Court and it's many facets throughout. At the end of the issue, it's evident how well James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder have crafted this story. Snyder is just co-plotting, so his influence is only slightly felt while Tynion's impressive writing style shines through from the first page.

Predictably, the story of Talon #0, "The Long Run", takes place five years in the past, when Calvin Rose first escapes the Court and strikes out on his own, always on the run. Tynion does an admirable job conveying Calvin's growing uncomfortableness over the Court's violent methods and murderous ways. Of course, there are some points that could have been slowed down/sped up, but in the end, Tynion gets his point across. Calvin's personal ethics get in the way of the Court's desires, and he ends of saving the lives of a mother and daughter he was specifically assigned to kill. Talk about walking off the job, huh?

Talon #0 does an adequate job introducing readers the Calvin Rose and the world we'll be following each month going forward, and while this series is technically tied to Batman (who I'm sure we'll be seeing at some point soon), it's already created it's own mood and tone that differs from the Dark Knight's - while Batman is about the pain and the fear, Talon seems to be about hope and moving forward. Calvin Rose is already interesting and already has my sympathies. With a traumatic (but not too traumatic) childhood, a similar training regiment to Batman, and a conscience that beats out any Court of Owls brainwashing, Calvin might just be one of the more interesting characters in the 'New 52' so far.

GRADE

A

BATMAN #0

STORY: Scott Snyder
ART: Greg Capullo

It truly is astonishing how good Scott Snyder is on Batman. He has such an fantastic hold on the character - as both Batman and Bruce Wayne - that anything he writes seems so natural, so organic in it's flow and content. This is the 'New 52', and as such, it's not uncommon for things to feel awkward and out of place. Not Batman, though. While Snyder's epic "City of Owls" mega-arc spanned the first year of the title (not to mention most of the other Bat-books for a month in May), it was hard to gauge how this title could read on a less cerebral level. That is, could this Batman be personal, or would it continue to be Snyder's outlet for the more sensational Batman stories? While last month's "Bat Box" issue was incredibly satisfying, I truly missed Greg Capullo's artwork, which comes back this month, making Batman #0 the best of the two non-Owl themed issues yet.

I'd like to reiterate how great Scott Snyder is at writing this title because last week, I wrote in my review for Action Comics that there seems to be a few distinct types of "Zero Month" issues: the ones that gave a semi-comprehensive origin story (i.e. - Stormwatch, Animal Man, The Phantom Stranger, etc.), the ones that only focus on a particular episode from the past (i.e. - World's Finest, Earth 2, Action Comics), and the increasingly rare ones that find a way to balance both sides into a solid issue that offers some revelations into how things began, but don't resort to grand history lessons each page.

Batman #0 falls into this third category. Without an actual new origin, the writers of Batman books had to find new ways to exploit "Zero Month" - they don't get the luxury of rewriting history. In Detective Comics, we met Bruce's final teacher before he returned to Gotham. In Batman and Robin, we get a history of Damian's upbringing in the League of Assassins, and in Batman, we get Snyder's take on Bruce's earliest days fighting crime in his home city. He isn't Batman yet, and in fact, Bruce has moved him and Alfred from the mansion into Crime Alley because, "this is where I have to be, Alfred. This is where my war begins." It's a technically appropriate sentiment, but one that seems childish, even to Alfred at that moment. "And how is that war going so far, sir?"

In a surprising bit of fan service, Snyder has resurrected the original Red Hood! Yep, before Jason Todd took that moniker and built himself a cool looking red helmet, another villain had that name, albeit with a lot less swagger and talent. In Batman #0, the original Red Hood shows up with his gang to rob a bank and soon enough, he realizes that Red Hood Five is an impostor. In fact, it's Bruce Wayne trying to put a stop to criminal activity before taking on the cowl. Again, it seems childish and less thought out than we're used to from Bruce Wayne. But that's kind of the point of this issue, isn't it? Readers get a glimpse into how Bruce stumbled around before truly understanding who he was and how to fight the darkness spread throughout Gotham. This is an issue about uncertainties and how that leads to failure.

The only part of this issue that felt forced was the conversation between Bruce and Jim Gordon. After being back for three months, Bruce has moved himself into the most dangerous part of Gotham and hasn't been seen living the high life like all the other billionaires. Add to that sightings of a vigilante attempting to take the law into his own hands and Gordon begins to have a pretty good circumstantial case against the current Mr. Wayne. Of course, it's just that - circumstantial. In the end, Bruce denies everything and Gordon seemingly believes him without much of a huff. It feels like this is supposed to be Gordon eliminating Bruce Wayne as s suspect of being the vigilante (and eventually, Batman), but it feels cheap. If all these elements were adding up and equaling Bruce Wayne, what was stopping Gordon from looking into it further? The word of an insanely rich trust fund baby who just went missing for six years and now lives in Crime Alley? It all just seems a bit too much to suspend disbelief.  I understand that often, a comic book world is simply more fantastical than ours, but simple human deduction would have eventually led Gordon back to Bruce. Of course, there's always the possibility that Gordon just assumes Bruce is Batman without ever actually revealing his true thoughts.

Batman #0 does a fantastic job giving readers a history without being boring or unimportant. Batman-related books could have suffered terrible setbacks with these "Zero Month" issues. Instead, Snyder is leading the pack in terms of quality and type of story that should be told. Us readers already know how Bruce's parents died and how he becomes Batman, so these issues should be more about building up a world that leads into the present day, and Scott Snyder has done this in spades.

GRADE

A-

BATMAN #12

STORY: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
ART: Becky Cloonan, Andy Clarke,  and Sandu Florea

Scott Snyder is slowly turning into the Christopher Nolan of the comic book industry - in more ways than one, Snyder has influenced not only Batman's world, but the DC universe at-large. Even before the 'New 52' reboot, Snyder was toying with Gotham City as a focal point of Batman's stories. Though this might seem cliched and overused, Gotham as a part of the story has become less and less pertinent to Batman arcs over the years. Really, the last time the city itself was the focal point was during the incredible "War Games" story that turned Bruce's hometown into a raging warzone in the battle between Gotham's criminal organizations. Snyder has revived Gotham City as a sort-of tertiary character that has a part to play in the story beyond the setting. As the first issue not having to do with the Court of Owls, Batman #12 is a phenomenal stand-alone issue that excellently blends deep comic knowledge with more well-known, broader ideas that all work together to successfully introduce a new character, Harper Row, into the Batman mythos.

I'll start with what I didn't like. I was immediately put off by Becky Cloonan's artwork, and also Andy Clarke's later on. After 11 great issues with Greg Capullo's unique style, Cloonan's work looks like Japanese manga, and sloppy manga at that. When Harper's younger brother, Cullen, is harassed and beat up, the kids cut his hair awkwardly, yet until Andy Clarke took over, neither Cullen's - nor Harper's after she cuts it to match out of solidarity - looks terribly bad. Sure, the kids at school laugh at them, but it's not really evident why. Once Clark takes over, his overly-realistic technique finally conveys the sentiment behind the head-shaving, but sacrifices any beauty in character faces.

Beyond the art, this issue is superb. Harper Row showed up briefly in issue one and seven during Bruce's 'let's change Gotham' speech where he unveiled his plans to upgrade the city, and she's back as the focus of this issue. Snyder is one of the few select writers who strikes an amazing balance between showing and telling audiences what is going on in a given narrative.

Batman #12 sets the gears into motion concerning the expansion of Batman's supporting cast. While unmemorable figures, like Bruce's girlfriend over in Batman: The Dark Knight, have started popping up in a bunch of the Bat Family books, Harper Row is already one of the most interesting ones in the group. Harper and Cullen live in the Narrows, which you'll remember as the run-down part of Gotham that was heavily featured in 2005's Batman Begins. Harper works for Gotham's electric company, spending her days below ground surveying and maintaining the power grid that runs through the entire city. After a run-in with the Batman, Harper realizes that the Dark Knight has a system to hack into the grid and use it for his own purposes. Because of the grid's age, Harper knows it can't be remote access, so she takes to the sewers to find evidence of Batman's tinkering.

While not an exceptionally flashy piece of tech, Harper finds a 'Batbox', one of many such devices that old Bats has placed at strategic junctures all over the city's grid. While it's primary use seems to be making sure images of the Batman stay off security feeds and the such, Harper also discovers that they are also sapping power from Wayne Industry buildings and reappropriating it for Gotham's grid - in effect, they're helping keep Gotham's energy infrastructure afloat.

The fate of Harper Row is still to be determined. Though she's just been introduced, she already has a (somewhat) direct line to Batman, something not many people can claim. It's almost as if Snyder is setting the stage for Harper to put on a cape and become another ally in Batman's army against crime. In interviews, Snyder has hinted that Harper will be a big part of Batman in the coming months along with the "true" debut of the Joker in the 'New 52' universe.

GRADE

B+

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (AUG 1-7)

Animal Man #12
(Lemire, Snyder, Pugh)

DC promoted Animal Man #12 as a recap of the series for new readers before Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder dive into the "Rotworld" story arc in October. Buddy Baker does reminisce about some things that have happened to him in this run, but the idea that this is a recap is somewhat of a mislead - indeed, this issue spends most of it's time uniting Animal Man and Swamp Thing, giving them each a visceral and concrete reason to help the other. It's nice that Lemire and Snyder are working together on these issues - you can even see Swamp Thing's artistic influence throughout Animal Man - for the sake of cohesion and general story advancement. Along with Swamp Thing #12, the "Rotworld Prologue" does a fine job of getting us ready for the event readers have been waiting for since each of these series started last September.

GRADE: A

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #2 of 4

(Straczynski, Kubert)

Brian Azzarello's Comedian aside, this whole Before Watchmen thing is coming along pretty well, and Nite Owl has been giving readers a lot of insight into the Watchmen's earliest days. J. Michael Straczynski's palpable take on Dan and Rorschach's relationship is spot-on, playing their different methods and pathologies against each other while also showing how their situation gets results; both Nite Owl and Rorschach had traumatic lives growing up, but it's their choices in how they dealt with that trauma that defines their adult selves and how they view the world. Kubert & Son falter this month, unfortunately, as Joe's pencilling looks severely rushed, coupled with Andy's apparent obsession with facial line work that makes characters in their mid-twenties look like they're ready to move into a home. However, the story more than makes up for awkwardly shaded breasts and Were-Nite Owl (seriously though, those face lines are everywhere!), meaning Nite Owl gets a pass this week in hopes the Kuberts can step it up next time.

GRADE: B-

Red Lanterns #12
(Milligan, Sepulveda)

For a series that's supposed to be all about rage, Red Lanterns has been wallowing in it's own pity for quite some time now - lot's of "poor me"s and "we are victims!" talk going around. Fortunately, things are looking up this month for Atrocitus and his Red Lantern Corps, as Peter Milligan finally delivers the rage-filled ones to their rightful place as a fully-powered Corps. Atrocitus' first experiment in creating the Red Lanterns, Abysmus, is finally throwing down and Atrocitus isn't taking to kindly to the beating, until Jack Moore (a.k.a. - Rankorr) shows up and ignites the spark of rage in Atrocitus once again. The Red Master grabs a 'rage seed' (or something. It's honestly not that important) from the belly of his first, hideous mistake, and uses it reboot the Red Lantern battery.

GRADE: A

BATMAN #11

STORY: Scott Snyder
ART: Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion

This month, Scott Snyder wraps up "City of Owls", the mega-arc that has spanned all eleven current issues of Batman as well as all the other Bat-books during the "Night of the Owls" crossover in May. It's difficult to explain just how significant the Cour of Owls has become in less than a year. While (pretty much) every other book is showcasing character history, new threats, or reimagined ideas, Snyder has built a new entity in the DC universe akin - in narrative scope - to the Green Lantern Corps or the Legion of Superheroes. The Court is now a major player in the going-ons of more than just Batman, and that's a remarkable achievement. DC is so invested in the Court affecting the future, that it's debuting Talon - a new ongoing series based on the Court of Owls - as part of the "Third Wave" of titles slated for a September premier. Along with last month's revelation about Bruce Wayne's younger brother, Snyder has truly made a significant impact on the DC universe.


Batman #11 is split into to distinct acts: Batman vs. Owlman, and Bruce's epilogue-y lament about the Court. While Snyder's inter-character dynamic has been phenomenal thus far, he slips a bit here with Owlman's monologue. The first 15 pages are dedicated to Lincoln March (I'm going to call him that because it sounds cooler than Thomas Wayne Jr.) and his issues with Bruce, his father, and Gotham City at-large. After a few pages, March's angry rant starts sounding whiney and pathetic. The whole speech is supposedly meant to give the readers a sense of how sad March's life has been. Unfortunately, condensing this aspect of the arc to a single issue makes it come across as a little disingenuous. March has spent years and years hating Bruce, so having a few choice words for his older brother wouldn't be that abnormal, but to seemingly have an entire speech memorized - one that has an ascending and descending flow - whilst dragging another person through the sky is a bit far-fetched, even for Batman.

Which brings me to my second big gripe with their battle. March's Owlman suit gives him flight abilities, so he jets around Gotham with Bruce flailing behind him connected to some tether. At one point, March shoots into the sky and dangled Bruce in front of a passenger plane turbine engine. It's a dramatically drawn scene, but the reality of having a conversation only inches away from a furiously spinning plane engine is that it couldn't possibly happen. The sheer noise emitted from the engine would drown out anything else. While this might seem trivial on some level, it's a sloppy mistake that should have been changed. There wasn't any meaningful reason why March decides to use a plane as a torture device, so there's no reason why the scene couldn't have been made to be more realistic. Fortunately, Act II fares a lot better than the Owlman fight.


Bruised and (mostly) broken, Bruce is visited by Dick Grayson. Their awkward conversation stems from their last meeting, in which Bruce bitch-slapped a Court of Owls gold tooth cap out of Dick's mouth. Dick has a vivid memory of this, while Bruce tries to breeze right past this subject and into his feelings about the Court. While I normally don't condone pages filled with speech bubbles, it's nice to see Bruce out of the suit and a little more relaxed than usual. Snyder recognizes that he's been putting old Bats through the ringer for some time now, and that a little downtime is needed. That being said, Batman's downtime is all about debriefing. Bruce understands that Gotham isn't his - or Batman's, for that matter - and that he can't know everything about the city he thought was familiar - "Part of me was doing [the Gotham expansion initiative] to have more lookouts. More bases for Batman rather than the city itself. But I see now that I was wrong." Snyder deftly handles this scene, giving an honest portrayal of a man finally understands his place in his own world.


The Court of Owls is poised to be a major part of the DC universe moving forward. Scott Snyder has done what many writers only dream of doing - making a significant impact on a character and their universe. If all comic books were this good, there would be a whole new mainstream appreciation for this form.

GRADE

 A-

(COMIC) BATMAN #10

STORY: Scott Snyder
ART: Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion

** HEAVY SPOILERS. READ ISSUE BFORE READING REVIEW**



Now that "Night of the Owls" is over, most of the other Bat-books have gotten back to their regularly-scheduled story arcs, except for Batman, Scott Snyder's golden series that cannot seem to do any wrong. Every month, Snyder and Greg Capullo combine intricate, devastatingly good narrative with sharp, clean art that actually conveys emotion and behavior. Basically, Batman has been a joy to read and look at since issue one. Every month, I sit back after reading Snyder's work and just think about how good it was - I don't write the review immediately, and I don't reread it again for a few hours. I like to go over the events, think about how Capullo's artwork makes Snyder's words even better, and how everything is always leading to something bigger.  Batman #10 keeps Bruce on the trail of the Court of Owls, intent to take them down for good.

In fact, Bruce tracks them down to Harbor House, the building he ventured into decades earlier, hoping to connect the Court of Owls to the murders of his parents. As a boy, he found nothing, but this time, Batman knows the Court is there; he knows that he's got them all cornered.

Until he discovers they're already dead.

Honestly, this first act of the issue is pretty anti-climactic. The Court has been a chilling presence to be reckoned with since it's first images in Batman #1 back in September. Their owl masks and dapper appearances made them villains with an intense duality of enigmatic means and public wealth. Not unlike the best secret societies throughout the history of human culture, the Court's power comes from their secrecy and their secrecy comes from their power. Snyder is forced to take out the entire Court with a mass suicide through poisoned wine in order to advance the story to it's conclusion. Ever the skeptic, Bruce makes sure the members of the Court are legitimate before descending into frustration.

The second - and shortest - act of the issue shows us Bruce's detective skills telling him it doesn't add up; the Court's collective suicide was a facade for something bigger.

I'm just going to come out and say it:

LINCOLN MARCH IS BRUCE'S BROTHER, THOMAS WAYNE JR.!

The final act of Batman #10 brings back Lincoln March after his swift death at the hands of a Talon last month. In a grand, final twist in the entire "Court of Owls" saga, Scott Snyder reveals that Lincoln March is actually the youngest Wayne son, defective at birth and sent to live at a children's hospital to heal. When the Wayne's were suddenly murdered, Junior was lost to the system, leaving him ripe for the picking by the Court as a moldable man - someone they could build and change to suit their needs. It's a pretty devastating reveal (one that will have ramifications for years to come, I'm sure), not to mention Lincoln/Tommy-J. injected himself with the reanimation syrum before the Talon got to him. Yep, he's a zombie now. And he's got the Court's newest Talon armor they had been developing before they decided to reanimate the old Talons. The issue ends with the new Owlman lunging toward Batman with the hate only a long-lost brother can harbor.

It was a pretty bold decision to not only introduce Bruce's brother, but also to revamp him as Owlman, a character that has traditionally been an evil, alternate version of Batman from the parallel Earth-3. I'm not sure how much I like these decisions yet, but they're HUGE nonetheless.

GRADE:

A

(NIGHT OF THE OWLS) BATMAN ANNUAL #1

STORY: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
ART: Jason Fabok

While not exactly a tie-in to "Night of the Owls", Batman Annual #1 does a fantastic job of bookending the event and bringing a revised Mr. Freeze into the 'New 52' with a mixture of elegance and horror that is impossible to put down. Scott Snyder has been deftly handling Batman since the relaunch, and this first Annual really delves into the characterization of one of the Dark Knight's most notorious villains. In Red Hood and The Outlaws, we learned that Mr. Freeze invented the compound that the Court of Owls was using to resurrect their legions of Talons. It was a quick revelation, and Freeze is quickly defeated by Jason Todd and taken to Batgirl for transport to Arkham Asylum, which is where Batman Annual #1 begins.

Snyder and James Tynion IV take us six years into the past, when Victor Fries worked for Wayne Industries and hadn't become all iced out yet. Upon Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham City - after his initial globetrotting training expedition - Fries explains his research to Wayne's complete dismay. Bruce doesn't much care for cryogenics research and wants it halted in favor of newer procedures like organ vitrification. Fries is none too happy about this and fights to keep his program going, and Bruce reluctantly gives in. A short jump forward in time takes us to Fries continuing his research after Bruce finally decided to end the cryogenics work. Bruce confronts Fries and fires him, even after Fries begs on behalf of his frozen wife, Nora, who he wishes to reanimate.

The entire scenario is chilling (not to get too punny) and masterfully shows how Fries could develop a grudge against Bruce Wayne. Honestly, it's hard to spend a lot of time creating rich histories for most characters these days. More often than not, readers have to learn to love their favorite heroes while said hero is growing one issue at a time. Snyder and Tynion IV handle Mr. Freeze with such care and dedication that all I want is to read more Batman/Mr. Freeze stories. Hell, I'd even settle for a viewing of Batman: Sub-Zero.

Freeze is super-pissed at the Court of Owls, who used his compound before attempting to assassinate him (in the pages of Red Hood and The Outlaws #9). Now he just wants to retrieve Nora and get out of Gotham. Nightwing and Robin show up at Wayne Industries and switch Nora's cryogenic tank, and hold of Freeze until Batman arrives

This final confrontation between Batman and Mr. Freeze is the gut-punch point of the entire issue. Freeze is a lot more nutty than his pre-'New 52' self. Turns out, Nora isn't his wife at all! She's actually the first human ever cryogenically frozen and she was put under almost 100 years ago. Snyder and Tynion take the old Freeze mythos and make him even more demented. Of course, the man is still a scientific genius - he did invent the reanimation process, after all - but the meaning he has prescribed to his relationship with Nora is disturbing. Freeze is no longer a good man with a frozen heart, but rather a demented psychopath with a wholly perverted notion of love.

Along with his newfound neuroses, Snyder and Tynion have given Freeze more than just a biological condition and an ice gun. His skin now exudes cold and he can spit ice from his mout. While Greg Capullo's artwork in Batman has been fantastic thus far, Jason Fabok does a ridiculously good job conveying the sub-zero temperatures and all the insane new ways Freeze has at his disposal to kill people. All around, Batman Annual #1 is great - Mr. Freeze is not firmly established, not only in the 'New 52', but as a reimagined horror that has been part of Bruce Wayne's life for years.

GRADE:
A+

(NIGHT OF THE OWLS) BATMAN #9

STORY: Scott Snyder
ART: Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion

The shit has hit the fan.

Scott Snyder has spent the last year crafting one of the best Batman storylines in years - and it didn't involve a death of a main character! Snyder's Court of Owls is such a great metaphor for the unknown, the uncovered. This month puts Bruce right into the thick of the "Night of the Owls", first by finishing up his fight in the Batcave, then to save Lincoln March, a character Snyder developed fantastically early on in the series and is just now coming back...only to die.

Batman #9 is probably one of the least plot-heavy issues of the series to date, relying mostly on action sequences to push it forward. While this might normally be a problem, "Night of the Owls" continues on through issue eleven in Batman - while only crossing over with the other Bat books this month - so stretching out Bruce's plot isn't as detrimental as it could be. The first half of the issue is spent wrapping up the attack on Wayne Manor, pitting Mecha-Batman against a half-dozen Talons. Alfred is dropping the cave's temperature as fast as he can to counteract the Talons' regenerative abilities and the Bat-Gundam is slowly being torn to pieces. 

Of course, the Talons finally freeze and Bruce makes his escape to go and save Jeremiah Arkham - a plot point added at the eleventh hour - before going after March. Bruce's visit to Arkham Asylum is depicted in the pages of last week's Detective Comics in rather dull detail. Fortunately, March's panels at the end of the issue are superb, and while his time in the Batman universe has been brief, he was such a good foil to Bruce that I still felt upset when he died. His last words are about how great Gotham can be, telling Batman to make sure Bruce Wayne knows that the dream shouldn't die. It's probably one of the best emotional moments in the series so far, and it simply pushes Bruce past the edge.

GRADE:

A+