5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, enticing read for a newbie

A. · 2 May 2013

As someone entirely new to comic books, who wanted to dive in ever since watching quite a few of the comic-inspired movies that have come out in the past few years and having particularly enjoyed playing the Batman : Arkham Asylum/City games, I was daunted at first by the prospect of having to wrestle with the many layers of plots that have been developed over the years (Wikipedia seemed to illustrate the tip of the iceberg with the sheer volume of content it had on a page about any Batman charcter).But having read a comment on this very product, helpfully explaining the "New 52" reboot and presenting a very encouraging message to new readers, I thought I'd give it a shot.I was not disappointed. While some small details make more sense with a certain amount of backstory, the character of Batman and the supporting characters are presented swiftly and effectively for the new reader, their personalities established firmly within the first few pages. A grim picture of the city of Gotham is painted, with a tinge of hope that is dashed as the story progresses. Batman himself comes across as strong and confident, but is bruised and battered by events and truly shows a human side (without slipping into cliché). An amazing story, truly, and I am looking forwards to volume 2 for the continuation of it.But the art is what truly amazed me. The artstyle conveyed movement with great skill, and truly helped one immerse oneself in the action. The dark and grim nature of the surroundings didn't mean the setting was dull, quite the opposite : colour and light were used to great effect. But the pinnacle of the art is in the 6th issue within this volume. I won't spoil anything, but a moment of fear, despair and madness is represented in a mind-bending way that leave you as disturbed at the Batman himself is... Truly amazing.Of course, all of this comes from an newbie, so take it for what it's worth; maybe the novelty is making it seem more awesome than it actually is... I think not though, and at the very least and had a romping good time with this, and would heartily recommend it to all.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Batman Graphic Novel

S. · 11 March 2025

I am on a reading bing of the Batman Graphic Novels. I simply love them and can't get enough of these graphic novels.A great read, great story line and finally, great colourful drawings.Overall a brilliantly written comic series. Best wishes

5.0 out of 5 stars An original, intruiging story and a good starting point

J. · 13 May 2013

I'd like to start this review by saying I've only really gotten into comic books in the last 6 months or so, meaning I can't tell you if Court of Owls rivals some of the classics that I've yet to read like The Killing Joke, or Dark Knight Returns... but it's the best written comic book I've read so far.The Court of Owls introduces a brand new villain(s), which is apparently something rare these days... and they immediately make their mark by pushing Batman to his limits. But a new villain isn't the only thing this book brings to the table. Batman's inner monologues are a joy to read as he describes in great detail the city he knows so well, and his knowledge of it's history, architecture and more helps him unravel the mystery presented to him.The art is something I find rather difficult to describe. Most comic books these days are drawn to look incredibly life-like, and I think this comic is better for NOT appearing too photo-realistic. While I would most certainly not call the art in this book "cartoony" or basic, it remains aware that it IS art, and moving away a little from an overly realistic style, it adds a flare to the work which strengthens an already fantastic experience.I cannot recommend this strongly enough.

4.0 out of 5 stars Owl vs Bat

G.S.B. · 3 August 2013

I've always found the Batman franchise a bit of a labyrinth. The stories sound terrific, the artwork is frequently superb and the character of the Dark Knight is a deliciously compelling concept and yet there are so many Batman graphic novels on the market it's almost impossible for the outsider to know where to begin. Still, after reading a little about The Court of Owls I thought it sounded like a reasonable place to start and so, finally, I embraced the Bat.The 'Court of Owls' itself is, or so a mixture of fairy tale and legend has it, a shadowy organisation that pulls the strings in Gotham City, and has indeed being doing so for over a hundred years. Bruce Wayne investigated The Court of Owls in the years following the murder of his parents, concluding that the legend of the Owls was just that - a myth, a story, a sinister urban legend but nothing more. However as time passes, murders occur and warnings and threats are made against Bruce Wayne's life he reluctantly reconsiders his beliefs. Perhaps the urban legend and the disturbing fairy tale have some foundation in fact after all.The 'Court of Owls' presents Batman with perhaps the perfect adversary for the 21st century: a shadowy, intangible organisation that remains forever faceless and unknowable. Evidence for their existence turns up in the form of photographs (one dating back to 1891, another dated 2006) of people wearing strangely sinister blank masks. Indeed, after further investigation, it appears the Owls may even have built a nest in Wayne Tower itself ....While the story and the idea behind it are both compelling it's the artwork that makes the tale sublime. There is brilliant and dark imagery here and the atmosphere throughout is one of bleak Gothic horror. In particular I loved the full page image of an owl catching a bat against the sickly yellow glare of a full moon and the manner in which Batman's disorientation at one point is portrayed by the images and text turning first on their side and then upside down is a clever use of the format's potential. It's all brilliantly disturbing and dark. I hope there is plenty more to come - as enemies go The Court of owls certainly have charisma and a sinister elegance in their favour. It's good to have finally entered the world of the Dark Knight and, once bitten, I'm sure I'll be exploring much further over the next few months. The Court of Owls is a terrific read.

Muy recomendado

K.G. · 21 December 2022

Si te gusta Batman, este cómic te va a encantar. Muy en la línea del resto de cómics del universo DC.

Batman The Court Of Owls: A Must Have For Veteran Batman Fans & New Fans Alike!

M.G. · 13 June 2013

Gotham City is not only home to a number of dark yet zany characters but it is has an abundant history filled with mysteries of Gotham's past. One of which entails the mysterious group that goes by the name 'the Court of Owls'. As chilling as it may sound - as far as Bruce Wayne is concerned, the Court of Owls is nothing more than just an urban myth.Descriptive Spoiler Alert: On the flip side, Bruce Wayne (the man with the money when not battling crime as Batman) introduces his new project that will change the face of Gotham in a big way. With all of Gotham’s wealthy citizens as well as some very important figures like Lincoln March, Gotham’s current mayoral candidate. Even Dick Grayson, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne are present to show their support. However, it is March that Bruce wants on his side since he seems to stand for all the things that are good about the city. He even agrees to meet with March in private, but duty calls and Bruce sneaks away to see to a gruesome murder scene.It seems that a complete mystery man with no real prints or a true identity is found strapped and used like a human dartboard with antique throwing knives stuck to all the right vital organs. The killer also left behind a message in oil that says Bruce Wayne will die tomorrow. Investigating the murder, two things show up that are quite surprising. One is that the body of the victim carries the unusual signature of the Court of Owls and the other being that DNA found on the body also points to somebody very close to Batman.Despite having a new mystery to unravel, Bruce meets with Lincoln March on the top floor of the original Wayne Tower when they are both attacked by a man in an unusual costume that brings to mind Night Owl from The Watchmen. Armed with antique throwing knives, the assailant injures March and throws Bruce out the window but the only one that goes splat is the killer who gets up again. Thus, begins Batman’s frantic search to find the Court of Owls. He’s like a man possessed as he investigates as he tells Dick Grayson about an incident in his past that became something of an obsession.When he does find evidence of the Court of Owl’s existence, Batman falls prey to a trap that will test his survival skills and his very own sanity. Locked in a labyrinth with various clues about the group, Batman becomes disheveled and pushed to the edge of sanity. Several days in the darkness, Batman ventures out only to see that the Court had dealt with Waynes before such as Alan Wayne who was thought to have died when he fell down a manhole. Suddenly, the Court’s assassin called Talon attacks and injures Batman so badly that he suddenly tastes death by the hands of the Court itself.In a desperate battle to stay alive, Batman manages to get the upper hand on his enemy and also finds a way to escape only to pass out and wake up in a van where he was brought back to life by none other than a girl that Batman knows well. It is back in the Batcave that the Dark Knight discovers that Alfred had picked up the body of the Talon. It is there and then that Batman makes a very grim discovery as well as a shocking link between the man who wore the Talon outfit and Dick Grayson himself.Scott Snyder is one of the best comic book writers to come along in a long time and this Batman series is better with him behind the story. He weaves an interesting tale with enemies that give the Dark Knight something to worry about and, by the end of this volume; you will want to see where The Court of Owls story line will take our hero who is a Batman with more personality and flaws. This is a Batman who can get hurt and knows his own limits.Greg Capullo's artwork is absolutely awesome and beautifully detailed to the point that you will be flipping back the pages to admire the artwork again. Since the story contains gruesome scenes, there’s blood aplenty and Capullo pulls it off brilliantly.This Batman story is a Must Have for any comic book fan who has been waiting for a great Batman book. Snyder and Capullo are a tight knit duo of perfection - which makes this series well worth reading. This New 52 book (comic series) purely awesome! 5 star all the way!

Intro to the new 52

R. · 11 May 2022

Scoot snyder might be the best writer in history of batman comics

面白い

ア. · 22 April 2024

横文字が苦手でまったく洋書に手を付けずに来ましたがたまにはチャレンジと思い挑戦。知ってるタイトルをチョイスし辞書片手で読んでます。　やはりストーリーがわかってる話が一番ですね。

Overall the book was amazing

D. · 5 September 2020

Very good comic book, story line amazing and the building up of the story was good. However the packaging wasn’t so good the cover came slightly ripped. Kind of disappointed with aramex for just that.