[World of Bats} Batman Book Club: Batman-Night of the Owls

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Howdy y’all, for the the rest of the month we’ll be concluding Batmans epic conflict with Gothams oldest secret organization: The Court of Owls in Batman Night of the Owls. Batman throws a party at Wayne Manor and show’s of a cool new suit. Then we’ll take a look at how the rest of the batfamily is getting along with these friendly folks and check in with a kitty cat and Dr. who suffers from a server cold.

Here’s a link to the story Night of the Owls
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Batman #11

Discussion Topic

Open ended discussion y’all. What did you like, didn’t like and anything that comes to mind.

This will go till 2020-02-29T05:00:00Z Then BatJamags for March.

If you wish to join the World of Bats and see some of the previous club entries, you can check out the link to our club HERE . If you have any questions about the club, feel free to contact @JeepersItsTheJamags, @Jay_Kay, and/or myself @Aquamon

As always happy reading and have a great week BatFam! :batman_hv_1:

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Just to make sure, we’re doing Batman #8-11 plus all the Night of the Owls issues?

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If nothing else, you must read Red Hood & the Outlaws #9.

Okay, I’m biased. :stuck_out_tongue:

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Yeah. When they came out the only tie-ins I read were the Catwoman, DK, & Detective ones, so it’ll be a first read for me on the others. Not sure how coherent the story is this way but here on the DCU and online reading orders they’re all in there so I figured I go with it.

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The tie-ins almost redeem this story, but the big twist is infuriating. Thomas Wayne Jr. is a character and a concept so inane that Len Wein didn’t bother to include him in Untold Legend of the Batman (and remember: Wein did include Mrs. Chilton!). And yes, Morrison had brought him back already (and the version in this story is heavily based on Morrison’s version), but Grant knew to stick him on a parallel world, not the mainstream one!

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I get what you’re saying, but I thought Snyder did a decent job of making that story fit and seem compelling, and in a way where it could go either way. Plus you kind of have to admire the balls to pull something like that off. I mean think about it: you’re being tasked to relaunch one of the longest running superhero comics in history, with the idea of many more fresh eyes are coming in to read these characters for the first time, and you reveal that the villain is Bruce’s secret older brother? That is commitment.

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It would also take guts to turn Bruce into Bat-Baby in your initial arc. That wouldn’t mean it’s a good idea. :stuck_out_tongue:

Anyway, my opinion stands: it’s one of my least-favorite Batman stories.

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Okay, but picture Batman in the style of Superman of Tokyo…

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I’ll admit that Bat-Baby wasn’t the best example. (After all, that’s a Bill Finger story, so it’s as canonical as they come…) And it’s not as though I can’t appreciate a terrible Batman story. For instance, there’s the wonderfully dumb arc that was playing out in Batman: The Dark Knight at the very same time as The Court of Owls.

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Now THAT’S a Batman comic. :stuck_out_tongue:

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One of my favorite Batman stories. Loved the concept that Bruce thought he knew everything about Gotham, and then the owls came into play. That whole cult feeling was genuinely creepy to read. Im hoping one day they show up in a movie in some way.

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Right there with ya. The fact that the Court had been able to allude Batman for so long and operate without his knowledge really made them more terrifying. I would love to see more of them in movies as well. I think a time piece about the Court and Gotham would make for a great show. Start with their origins and work there way up to present time. Maybe have each eps. or every 2-3 centered around a different era of time or through the perspective of each eras Talon with their missions and how it contributed to the Court maintaining power would be super cool.

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Batman #8:

Or: How Batman Got His Groove Back.

So for the past few issues Bruce has been in a pretty bad spot. He’s had his whole worldview flipped on his head and he’s realized he’s let his ego and his trauma get in the way of things. He’s at a low point, but this issue shows that no matter what is thrown his way that knocks him down, he gets back up.

The whole idea of the Talons coming for Bruce and him facing them off in Wayne Manor is a lot of fun, especially when we get to the Bat-Cave and we get stuff like Alfred taking out some Talons with the giant penny.

Overall a great set-up for Night of the Owls.

Batwing #9

It’s been a minute since I read some of this stuff, but it is funny to see how they were able to get away with having the Batman of Africa involved with this crossover, but considering it was apparently an upward battle to get fans interested in the book, I can’t say I blame 'em. Which is a shame because I remember really liking and digging David as a character, and some of the world-building that Judd Winick was doing with this book at the time.

Anyway, one thing I like that this book immediately shows for this crossover is that since the Talons are basically regenerating zombies, it means that the Bat-Family can really take the kid gloves off and do some crazy stuff to take them down, like David basically blowing this Talon’s arms off.

Batman & Robin #9:

One thing I really like about this issue is the unique setting it has and how it plays with Damian as it’s focus character. Here we have our characters in the forest, giving it a different feel and mood, something more like a cat and mouse game. And having Damian fighting for and leading a group of soldiers is interesting in that in a way, this is closer to what his mother and grandfather were training him to be.

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Sorry for the late response. Yeah #8 is a great issue. When Bruce comes out of the armory with that batbuster suit and says get out of my Cave! so cool! Looking back on this story after reading Metal, it does seem like a bit of a plot whole having the Court trying to kill batman. Why would they have tried to kill him if they were working for Barbatos. Haven’t read Metal since it came out but think they knew Barbatos needed him to open the doorway to the dark multiverse.

Batwings is cool and agree it’s a shame his character didn’t pick up more traction. The Congo and countries in Africa in general makes for an ideal setting to have a very interesting superhero/vigilante and stories given some of the very serious humanitarian conflicts they face. Its not on here but people say the inspiration for Batwings design was in part due to Batman #250’s third story “The Batman Nobody Knows”.

I really like Damian and agree this story is a good hint at what he can be and what his mother and Grandfather intended him to be.

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Scott Snyder’s run on Batman was the very first I read, I’m still very new to comics and DC Universe but got this recommended to me by a friend to be my first comic. I loved everything about the Court of Owls and how it felt like a real mystery to find out who they were and where they operated. Instead of the usual beat up cliche villain in the middle of the street that most superhero stuff does. I wasn’t a big fan of the twist but it didn’t take away my love for this comic.

Apart from the storyline I also LOVED the art. The talons look more demonic monster than human at some points, which really added to the story as well.

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I like the night of the owls, its a good solid fallow up to the 1st major book, but I think of this apart of the the court of owls story arc instead of it’s own thing. Once you fold it in, it reads much better

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Anytime you throw in a secret organization to Batman’s world it’s great. I love how Batman realizes that the Owls are everywhere and starts to question who Bruce Wayne can trust anymore.

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Batgirl #9:

This was pretty interesting in that this issue is the debut of one of the Talons that has had the most exposure in who is now called Strix. She’ll show up a few times in Batgirl before replacing her in the Birds of Prey title and then show up as part of Gail Simone’s New 52 revamp of Secret Six.

Also, for anyone wondering, the thing about the Japanese fire balloons is based on actual historical events, though in the article I found it was a church group that was killed, not a family.

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Batman #9:

Basically a continuation of #8, still as good, some pretty fun stuff like Bruce using the T-Rex to take out the talons. And that panel of Bruce smirking in the cold when he talks about the bats coming back “with a vengeance” is just so cool.

I also like how this issue and really the whole event deftly handles the chronology of this event and how characters like Bruce can have multiple adventures on this night. It probably does bend credibility that all of this happened in one night, but hey, if I can live with it for the fun adventures in something like the Arkham games, I can work with it here.

Red Hood & The Outlaws #9:

You know, reading this again, while I do like the dynamic that Jason has with Artemis and Bizarro, it does remind me how I miss the dynamic he had with Roy and Kori. They were a pretty fun trio. While I’m not sure how I buy that Mister Freeze can have this stuff happen here and then come back later for the Batman Annual, it was still a fun action issue.

And Kenneth Rocafort’s art…man, it’s so freaking good. DC’s messing up not putting him on a big title.

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Ok finale finished reading the tie-ins. Haven’t read this story since it came out and it still holds up in my opinion. Really glad I finally read these tie-ins as well. Having always loved this story and wishing they would give us a story focusing on the Court and Talons through the ages, I feel I got a tease of what that would look like with these issues. Almost bitter sweet though because now even more so I would love to have a time piece going through their origins and rise through Gotham with mini arcs focusing on different Talons. But this will do for now.

Batgirl #9
This was a good tie in and really like the back story for this Talon. It was a touching panel near the end when the Talon lets Batgirl know why she didn’t finish her off earlier in the story. Also I am not familiar with Ardian Syaf art at least not by name, but really liked it.
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Red Hood and the Outlaws #9
This tie-in felt a little unnessacary but it was not a bad issue overall. It’s saving grace for me was the parts giving the background on the Talon featured in this story though. Another artist I’m not familiar with Kenneth Rocafort, I did like his work though. I never read this title and wonder if anyone knows if Jason actually did kill him? Has he ever resurfaced in their stories?

NightWing #8-9
This was another good one for me. William Cobb’s story is well done.

All-Star Western #9
This one felt unneeded to me but as a standalone issue it’s ok.

Detective Comics #9
While I liked the part with Batman in Arkham, this issue just felt like unneeded filler. The story with Two Face while not the worst, I could have gone without reading it.

Batman: The Dark Knight #9
I did like this one and thought that the Talon featured in this one was interesting.

Birds of Prey #9
Ok for me this one sucked and felt pointless all around. I get that they wanted to show that all the characters in Gotham were having to deal with the Talons but this one was just boring.

Batman Annual #1
I did like this one and remembered most of it from when it came out. The fate of Victors mother was said but I liked how the wound on her hands for the snowmans eyes was used to resemble his cold goggles. I did forget the “twist” about how Nora was not actually his wife.

Catwoman #9
The tortured soul aspect to this Talon was good and I did read this run up till half way into the Gotham underground story, but I don’t remember if they ever explained what happened to that Talon she left on the roof top of the GCPD in this run or Batmans. Don’t think she knew about his healing factor. Maybe he could have escaped before someone got to him.

Batman #10-11
I liked how they wrapped things up for this story overall. I remember there being a plot dealing with someone claiming to be Bruce’s brother but for the life of me could not remember what it was from. I felt like that plot came out of nowhere. They made it relevant to the story and did ok with it. I think it would have been a better ending to have had Batman find the Court members dead and left it a mystery with what happened to the money from their bank accounts/who else may be involved and saved it for a later story.

Special Thanks to everyone for joining in the discussion these last two weeks:

@Jay_Kay
@TheSandmanofGotham
@TheDarkKnieves
@AlexanderKnox
@Broken-Knight
@ABananaAttack

Have a great weekend y’all! :batman_hv_1:

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Yeah the balloon bombs were something I had never heard off before, and I thought growing up during the History Channels days of everything WWII and my grandpa, thought I’d heard it all.
Also in the Damian issue thats a great back story for that Talon and oh man when he cuts those campers head off! did not see that coming.