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A review by clarks_dad
Batman, Volume 2: The City of Owls by Scott Snyder
4.0
Snyder and Capullo continue to do fantastic work in the New 52 Batman. They’ve successfully added to the Rogue’s Gallery in a deep and meaningful way that reminds me of the introduction of now classic Batman villains like Hush. The Court of Owls has intimate knowledge of the Batman and Bruce Wayne that make for formidable rivals that place our titular hero in compromising and psychologically challenging circumstances - which are typically the hallmarks of great Batman storylines.
This volume presents the “conclusion” of the Owls storyline, and in that, the ambiguous nature of the resolution feels like a bit of a cop out. I’m also not overly fond of the “secret history” gimmick where comic authors try to introduce new elements to the story that “were there all along” and we just never knew it. It was cool in the 90s, but now it just feels tired—especially when the magnitude of said secret should have been absolutely unavoidable if our protagonist isn’t an absolute idiot. If Batman is the “world’s greatest detective,” there’s no way that the owls could have sprung this on him after years of intimately working Gotham from high society to its lower brows and there’s no way the intimate hidden storyline would have been a surprise either.
Points for the Jarvis Pennyworth narrative that followed as a kind of epilogue in the last few volumes. It’s intimate, poignant, and rich in Wayne family history and develops the relationship between Alfred and Bruce in new and interesting ways. Also, bonus points for the extra “Ghost in the Machine” one-shot story in issue 12, included in this volume. It’s not an Owl story, but one of those more intimate storylines that make for absolutely great comics (usually Superman stories like this are my favorites). It follows two siblings living in the Narrows who are harassed because of the younger sibling’s sexual orientation. Older sis does her best working her job with Gotham electric under the city to provide and protect her younger brother, but when shit gets real, Bats is there to protect them. The story is told from the sibling point of view with Batman as a kind of outsider, intersecting with their lives and showing us the ripple effect of said interaction. Great storytelling that hits you in all of the feels.
The extra star is for “Ghost in the Machine.” Other than that, 3 stars for this wrap up.
This volume presents the “conclusion” of the Owls storyline, and in that, the ambiguous nature of the resolution feels like a bit of a cop out. I’m also not overly fond of the “secret history” gimmick where comic authors try to introduce new elements to the story that “were there all along” and we just never knew it. It was cool in the 90s, but now it just feels tired—especially when the magnitude of said secret should have been absolutely unavoidable if our protagonist isn’t an absolute idiot. If Batman is the “world’s greatest detective,” there’s no way that the owls could have sprung this on him after years of intimately working Gotham from high society to its lower brows and there’s no way the intimate hidden storyline would have been a surprise either.
Points for the Jarvis Pennyworth narrative that followed as a kind of epilogue in the last few volumes. It’s intimate, poignant, and rich in Wayne family history and develops the relationship between Alfred and Bruce in new and interesting ways. Also, bonus points for the extra “Ghost in the Machine” one-shot story in issue 12, included in this volume. It’s not an Owl story, but one of those more intimate storylines that make for absolutely great comics (usually Superman stories like this are my favorites). It follows two siblings living in the Narrows who are harassed because of the younger sibling’s sexual orientation. Older sis does her best working her job with Gotham electric under the city to provide and protect her younger brother, but when shit gets real, Bats is there to protect them. The story is told from the sibling point of view with Batman as a kind of outsider, intersecting with their lives and showing us the ripple effect of said interaction. Great storytelling that hits you in all of the feels.
The extra star is for “Ghost in the Machine.” Other than that, 3 stars for this wrap up.