Batman #8 Night of the owls

It's finally here, the start of Batman's major story arc that will crossover to different members of the bat families comics and what a start it is. Much like the end of he Nightfall series, this kicks off with a weakened Bruce/Batman who is back in Wayne manor trying to rest. The talons attack fast as Bruce and Alfred quickly try to escape, Alfred heads to the bat cave where Bruce tries to fight off each owl member as he can but makes an escape for the roof. Again like Knightfall, Bruce is not wearing the bat suit but a dressing gown and doing his best to fight. Ultimately outnumbered he makes an escape for the chimney and leads to a secret entrance to the bat cave to meet up with Alfred. Unfortunately he is followed and the court of owls find out that it is Bruce Wayne who is the batman. Bruce at this point in time could care less about the court knowing that he is batman, he is just trying to survive.

Locking them self's in a room in the bat cave Bruce opens the door to reveal a new bat suit that that looks a lot like the Ironmonger from he Iron man series from marvel comics. Batman does not fight the court at this time but rather shows them that he cant be hurt. This gives Alfred time to send out a message to the other hero's of Gotham city, and members of the bat family, that He and Bruce have discovered that every major player that shapes Gotham city will be killed and must try to stop it, thus the tie-in begins and we will see this being played over the next few months in different issues of the batman series.

This issue is another near perfect issue from Scott Snyder. It plays out in good pace and you never lose track of the action. Again I would compare it to Knightfall as it has a similar story with some events that take place. It sets up the crossover story arc perfectly and gives the reader a sense of scare that the Court of owls have infiltrated (even the justice league have had a few run-ins with them.) A highly recommend this issue to any comic book fan! 

Batman: Night of Owls

Everything that has happened in the Scott Snyder run of Batman comics has came to the first big story arc of the year for DC. This story is to crossover into different DC titles that features most of the 'bat family' taking on the court of owls. Now anyone will agree with me that the Court of Owls story arc is one of the best to come out of the DC New 52 and it's all coming to an epic conclusion. Will Batman finally put this new enemy to rest or has that dark knight finally met his match?

The idea to bring in the bat family had to be done as we know batman cannot take on the Owls by himself. Over the years batman has always called Gotham City, His city and all that has came into question over the past 7 or 8 months. Its not just one villain batman must face but the Court of Owls is a society of people that are Taking Gotham City back and its up to the Bat society to stop them, thus carrying the story into different DC books.

Scott Snyder's Owls story has been one of my favorite since Batman RIP and its always great to watch the events unfold. This is something that i cant wait to get my hands on over the next few weeks and cant wait to see the epic end of this battle. Anyone who has not been reading Batman comics will not need to panic because if you are a batman fan you can always lift the Graphic novel that is set to come out after everything is reveled but I strongly recommend that people read through the first 7-8 issues of Batman because they have just go better and better as this story continues.

TAKE GOTHAM BACK!!


Books to include the Court of Owls:

• All-Star Western #9
• Batman #8-9
• Batman Annual #1
• Batman: The Dark Knight #9
• Batwing #9
• Batman and Robin #9
• Birds of Prey #9
• Batgirl #9
• Catwoman #9
• Detective Comics #9
• Nightwing #8-9
• Red Hood and the Outlaws #9

Batman 6 review

The Batman is down and badly beaten just like how we left off in the last issue. We finally get a view of the court of owl's and they are damn right creepy! most of the dialogue is done by the court itself where batman showing no resistance to stay down as he is brutally attacked by the entire court! The images used in this issue are amazing showing batman's real dark side making him look like a wild animal or beast with fangs. there was a part in this issue where I thought batman would really cross that line that makes him different from the scum of Gotham City.

Scott Snyder has not outdone the last issue but it still a close contender to it with the way the story progresses and from what we find out about the court and who really runs the show. The artwork again first class the cover art being my favorite as it's insane and shows more just what is coming. The story progresses nicely and really keeps you entertained throughout. I think this is the first time in a long time that iv'e read a batman comic where he is afraid to come back to the villains hideout. The court has really taken its tole on batman showing not only his weak side but a side of fear in the dark knight detective.

Overall i'm still loving Scott Snyder's batman it the perfect view of what a batman comic should be about and the best story in the series. I cant stress enough that comic book readers should start to read this series! even if you are not a batman fan as I can see this going down as one of the best batman story arcs and I think its clear that we all welcome the court of owls as first class villains for batman. Like I said tho Snyder does not outdo himself with this issue but defiantly brings a great issue and follow up to to the perfect issue that came before it.

Batgirl #6

Batgirl issue 6 kick starts where the last issue ended, with Bruce Wayne ready to attack Batgirl!. This issue I thought was stronger than some of the past issues especially with story and some of the art work. The weird thing about this is that the story arc that kicked off in the last issue ends in this issue sort of short but sweet and at first I thought this was bad but then I felt it would have got annoying for this story to drag on a few more issues and it nicely represents Barbra Gordon if she had no love in her life from her father and the bat family, she could have easily went off the rails the way the main antagonist did in this issue. It does go back into the killing joke story line and again I think a lot of fans will be quick to dismiss this and as much as I love the killing Joke it really does set a good follow up to Barbra becoming Batgirl once again (even though I really miss her as Oracle) and when batman says "Barbra you where men't to be Batgirl" you know it's true and i'm not one to argue with The Dark Knight of Gotham City.

The team have done a good job with this story and again gives us a good look at what Barbra could have become. The writing is solid and the artwork is great, always love those panels with Batman towering over someone it really brings a sense of fear in him. I never got bored reading it the issue but I must say there ae times where it really picks up then goes down again like a roller coaster. I think Gretel should have been the first villain the batgirl faced because it mirrors her more than mirror did, no pun intended, and we all can relate more to her as a character tan that of mirror.

Over all this series has got high points and low points, it will be interesting to see where it goes now this story arc is over with. We have more history to catch up on with Barbra's mum but I feel like this is a forgettable story line at least for now.hope the next issue starts with a bang and ends the same way, we need a little faith in Batgirl and stop thinking about the past as much as we love Oracle its time to move on unfortunately.

Batwoman #2

What can I say about Batwoman Issue 2? well the one thing that this comic has other than its great story is the artwork. This book has some of the best and most beautiful artwork that is being done in this age of comics where most of the art in other books are top notch this series really takes it to a compete different level. If you read comic books you better read these because to me the Batwoman series is right up there with Scott Snyder's Batman comics. When the new 52 came out i took it upon myself to read all of the bat family books (being a big batman fan) and I will be honest I didn't think I would enjoy batwoman as much as I have. It is a series that I am becoming to love and one that I now I am going to be looking forward to each month.
This issue deals with Batwoman aka Kate Kane training her new sidekick, the former flamebird, tracking down the mysterious weeping woman and trying to decide if she should join up with batman Inc. the story is solid with the weeping woman the artwork when it comes to this character is Gothic and at the same time beautiful. It is one of the more creepy aspects of the book which near borderlines this with the horror genre with the weeping woman kidnapping children and its up to batwoman to find out why.
The book is more of a detective book than it is action and something that i'm happy with that carries the bat name.

The Good:
Well I ave said enough about the artwork so will just say, yes J. H. Williams III is a god! but what really drives this comic is the mystery behind it all. Kate is a very mysterious woman and her motives are not always clear but its that which drives the character and keeps us reading on to find out what is going to happen. There are more sub plots going on in this than the actual plot but this is a good thing as it all fits in later and keeps character development strong and we never get bored of reading it.

The Bad:
While the story is good some readers might get a little mixed up or confused about what is going on with the main plot especially because of the sub plots that are going on so some people may not like the idea of having to give it a re-read at points to figure out some things but its really a minor bad point and not something that should be frowned at because this is a sold issue into the series.

Batman #5

Batman issue 5 really starts to show Batman becoming insane just like the criminals that he fights to keep locked away from the world in Arkham Asylum. The comic starts with Gordon and Bullock talking about weather or not they should shut off the bat signal as its burning 24/7 waiting on some sign that batman is still alive and doing his job. The rest of the Bat Family are worried about the current status of the Dark Knight himself. We then find out what has happened to Batman. He is in a massive maze trapped and going mad, hiding in the dark corners and this is one of the few times we see batman afraid of what he has to face.

The Good: Again this is another amazing issue from Scott Snyder and I think everyone will agree that it shows batman decent to madness perfectly. As you read the book you will ave to turn it on its side then upside down and read the book back to front and really draws the reader into what batman is going through. The artwork is first class yet again with batman being in the maze for weeks his costume is badly worn you can see he is weakened and my favorite is when is mask is starting to wear away you can see Bruce's bloodshot eye which is frighting to say the least like batman is becoming some sort of wild animal almost to the point of insanity. Story is amazing batman is being pushed to the limit much like Grant Morrison did a few years ago with Batman RIP.

The Bad: Another issue and I still have no bad comments on this series it's the perfect tone for a batman comic again I will say if anyone has any issues id be happy to know what you thought.

The Verdict: Stop reading this if you haven't started this series and go out and get your hands on it you will not be disappointed!

Batman #4

After the cliffhanger we got in Batman issue 3 I could not wait to get my hands on issue 4. This issue starts straight where the last issue ended in an explosion in old Wayne Tower with batman right in the middle of it and in the middle of finding out more about the court of owls. As you know batman survived and went back to the batcave to stitch up and continue his investigation. Just when you thought this series cant get any better it brings you into batman/Bruce's past and we find out that he has always suspected the court of owls where behind murders in Gotham even to go as far as to think they where involved in his parents deaths. We cut to a flash back of Bruce as a young boy, as he puts it, going on his first investigation trying to find out who or what the court of owls is. This leads him to becoming trapped for days before being rescued thus giving him his first taste of survival skills.

The Good: This issue sacrifice's action for story and this is a damn good choice, by the end of the issue it leaves you wanting to now more and you know how batman feels at this stage as its not about fighting the villain its about finding out who they are and their motive and to learn more about Bruce Wayne's past is always a welcome in the series. Again the artwork and writing are the best out of the DC reboot, Scott Snyder seams to be bringing his A game with each issue.

The Bad: Honestly there is nothing bad I can say about this issue it is the best in the series so far and if there is something that you felt was out of place please comment on it.

The Verdict: Amazing! this is one of the best stories around and not just in the batman comics but of all of DC's New 52 i strongly recommend this to anyone who loves batman or hell anyone who loves comics and a good story in general!.

Batman #2

Batman #2 opens with gorgeous artwork featuring the sun setting on the City we know as Gotham, and wen the sun goes down in Gotham the Batman goes to work! that is until you turn to page two that has Bruce Wayne being thrown through the window at the top of Wayne Tower. A great opening to the issue and the rest of the issue deals with how Bruce got himself into this state. Scott Snyder shows his love for the City of Gotham with the way this issue is laid out showing a lot of architecture of the City. Issue cuts to Gordon who is trying to find out who murdered a man whom batman using his detective skills finds out that its a organisation known as the court of owls, which in fact is just a legend and not said to exist.

The Good: Near enough everything in this issue is perfect for a batman comic, it has a solid plot, great cliffhangers, we get to know more about batman  and Bruce Wayne. there is not a moment you are bored or confused with what is going on. simply put this issue is solid. Scott Snyder really has a love for Batman and sows with the way he is handling this series the artwork is gorgeous and the writing is first class.

The Bad: Now as we all know, no matter how good something is it always has its flaws. the artwork is great yes but there are a few parts where peoples faces seamed a bit off i know this is nit picking but I had to find something and this is really the only thing that came to mind when I was reading it but not enough to drw you out of the story or the issue itself.

The Verdict: Scott Snyder's Batman Is an amazing read and i suggest that if you are a comic fan o get this series because it is shaping up to be a classic Batman story line.

The Dark Knight #1

Ok if you follow my blog you know how much of a fan I am of Batman and I see why they kept this for the last, Its just not as good as Detective Comic or Batman not to say its not good because it is just feels like it lacks originality for a reboot.

Ok story goes that there is a mass break out of… Guess where? thats right Arkham Asylum, I swear they really are going to put the Villains somewere else because if theres one think we have learnd over the years its that Arkham Asylum is the most unsecure place in the DC universe, but we love it.
So there is a mass break out and batman goes in to find Two-Face. along the way we get a glimpse of what Bruce Wayne is up to he is rasing money for charity and become the Dark Knight at the same time as he is late for his speech.

Not to say this is bad but the Arkham outbeak annoyed me a little as its been done a million times before and to be honest it has been done better but worth the read and just hope the series picks up more in a few issues

To those who want only one batman story to follow from the DC new 52 i recommend Batman at this point, aslo check out Detective comics and of course Batgirl.

Detective Comics #6 Review

This issue kicks off where the last issue ends with Jill Hampton and Jack Houston or better known as Chase and Snakeskin discussing their plans to get into the new hotel casino run by the penguin and blow it out of Gotham City. Batman is busy tracking down a criminal who we find out has been killed by Chase while also trying to keep his new love interest happy who comes in the form of Charlotte, a Lois Lane type reporter who goes deep into danger to get a story but also has a more personal interest which i will not spoil.

The Good: After Detective Comics #5 I thought this story line would start to go down hill but this issue brought it right back up again for me as there was no time I was bored or even let down by what was happening. Tony Danial again doing a great job with the series and his writing skills are first class when it comes to this issue. Before reading this issue I had a look at the IGN review and they said they had trouble following what was happening but I thought it was easy right amount of action, dialogue and monologue. Tony Danial and the team has done a great job with the art in this issue I didn’t see a part in the book that looked off or out of place so lots of credit for that.

The Bad: I cant help but feel that the Penguin, for now at least, does not feel like much of a threat and this issue does not help to big the penguin up for a good fight. This might be because of how good the dollmaker was as a villain. The cover is a little off putting to because we see batman fighting the penguin where as the issue does not have any conflict with the two. I think they could have made a cool cover with Snakeskin and Chase.

The Verdict: I enjoyed this issue but again its best to read the past issue again just as a refresh of whats going on but I was not disappointed like I was with the last issue and for “DC comics flagship title” it’s still not on par with Scott Snyder’s Batman Comics or the currant run of Batwoman but still enjoyable. Has a great end to make me want the next issue and can tell that the series will get better and for anyone that read my Dark Knight issue 5 review can tell i’m a big fan of the scarecrow and looking forward to his appearance in the next few months.

Action Comics #6 review

Anyone who reads Grant Morrison knows what to expect by now, he likes to tease and confuse the fans and Action Comics is shaping up to be just that but at the same time entertaining as hell! I love the way Morrison has taken Superman’s origin story that we all know and love but made more out of it by bringing in the league of superheros and time travel. The issue opens with a group of villains plotting the downfall of earths strongest superhero, Superman, using the different kinds of kryptonite. It then sifts to superman and the league of superheros in a space station trying to repair the pod that superman arrived in back when he was just little baby Kal-El and this is where the action starts. The issue may not sound like a origin story but te league of superheros need to dive into superman’s memories and look at his past and that is how the origin is told.


The Good: First off I have to say, Grant Morrison, love him or hate him he is doing a great job with Action Comics and always keeps me interested and on edge with what is going on in the story be it the main plot or the back story. The art team bring their A game with this issue yet again as the comic comes to live with the use of colors and every character looks great this series is beautiful to look at. pacing seams just right as I never got bored reading it, unlike superman comics where there is a few times that i want it to hurry up, and have to say I love the extra little story at the end that just brings us more familiar with Clark’s life growing up in Smallville with the likes of John, Martha and Lana.


The Bad: The only bad thing i can say is that it does at times get a little confusing but not really a bad thing but something that a lot of people might get put off by this, there is also a lot of science talk in it and this can get a little jarring at times but not enough to put anyone off just make them think “o.k I can deal with that” but gives them reason for what they are doing. Sometimes the alien language can become annoying too.


The Verdict: All in all this is a great series to keep reading and the number 1 superman comic and, like I said, Grant Morrison is doing his best with the series and if you are a fan of his work you will not be disappointed definitely go pick up this book and get into the Superman series!


On a side not I just want to say this is also perfect for fans that got into superman by watching the TV show Smallville this is a good opportunity to see the real superman and how it should be done with parts of Clark’s life in Smallville so if you want to learn more about Superman and expand on the Superman universe get these issues!