Scott Snyder

Greg Capullo

After having his face sliced off one year ago, the Joker returns to Gotham City for revenge, and Batman must protect the city and the people he cares for most.

Death of the Family

Batman 3

Tom King

Reeling from the events of I Am Gotham, the Dark Knight confronts some of the formidable dangers of his life in Gotham with the assistance of Nightwing, Batwoman and other allies.

Vol. 2 (Rebirth)

Batman: I Am Suicide

Ok Batman book. I think the cat woman appearance kind of carried it. Some liberties were taken with the whole suicide thing that I’m not necessarily into. Art was good.

Kyle Higgins

Eddy Barrows

With Gotham City under attack from the Court of Owls, Batman and his allies must work together to stop the rampant corruption and violence.

Collecting:
All-Star Western (Volume 3) #9 (Vengeance in the Big Easy)
Batwing #9 (You Have Been Judged Unworthy)
Batgirl (Volume 4) #9 (In the Line of Fire)
Batman (Volume 2) #8 (Attack on Wayne Manor and The Call)
Batman and Robin (Volume 2) #9 (Robin Hears a Hoo)
Nightwing (Volume 3) #8 (Bloodlines)
Red Hood and the Outlaws #9 (Who Are You? -- Hoo? Hoo?)
Batman (Volume 2) #9 (Night of the Owls)
Detective Comics (Volume 2) #9 (The Owls Take Arkham)
Birds of Prey (Volume 3) #9 (Gangland Style)
Nightwing (Volume 3) #9 (The Gray Son)
Batman: The Dark Knight (Volume 2) #9 (I Can No Longer Be Broken)
Batman Annual (Volume 2) #1 (First Snow)
Catwoman (Volume 4) #9 (Mirrors Come in All Sizes)
Batman (Volume 2) #9 (The Fall of the House of Wayne, Part I)
Batman (Volume 2) #10 (The Fall of the House of Wayne, Part II)
Batman (Volume 2) #11 (The Fall of the House of Wayne, Conclusion)

(New 52)

Batman: Night of the Owls

Savindi Jinasena

Cover Gushing Worthiness: I admit that I didn't take much notice of this of cover. The covers of all three books have not impressed me, but the writing has and that’s what I appreciate more. Sure books with pretty covers will look nice on my bookshelves if I had enough room to keep them. But these three babies will be occupying my brother’s room and most likely his closet because he doesn't have enough room in his bedroom. So they'll be hidden in the shadows much like the Court of Owls (excuse the bad pun).

Review:

  
     After hearing your little story, I’d say we’re more alike than I want to think about. You're a born killer used by the Court of Owls to do their bidding just like my mother once used me to do hers.

Are you sure it’s dead? That thing died a long time ago general.

Damian Wayne (The new Robin)
  


This Graphic novel is composed of the all the stories that happened during the City of Owls night when Gotham was attacked by Talons. So these are the stories of Batgirl, Birds of Prey, Robin, Red Robin, Nightwing, Red Hood etc. Each story begins with where the heroes are when they receive the message from Alfred about the Court and the list of Citizens targeted by the Talons to assassinate. The closest superheroes to those targeted are the ones who respond and these are basically their stories as they go through the night. I think one of the annoying things about this book is seeing Alfred’s message repeated like a broken record. But I understand why this is because all the stories are put together into a single volume instead of being like a comic book where you read each edition weekly.I admit that I didn’t read Batman’s storyline just because it is the same one as the City of Owls so those who have read the two previous stories can forgo Batman’s one.

One of the strengths of this Graphic novel is of course is the inclusion of how the other superheroes survived the night. There were some stories I didn't care about, but there were others that stood out and that’s why I think this overall story arc has been a strong one. It’s the ability to bring so many characters together and discover their hidden depths; how far are they willing to test the boundaries that been set up by society and themselves. The strongest part is the flashbacks the reader is provided with about the lives of the Talons. What led them to become killers, why them specifically and how the Court trained them to be super-human assassins. Honestly these stories were heartbreaking. Most often the people in question had difficult lives and they were lured to the Court with the promise of making a difference. It was like they were brainwashed and they were to a certain extent I suppose. I felt nothing but pity for all of them, especially for the Talon that was sent to kill Lincoln March. His story was truly horrifying and the thing is you could believe that humanity is capable of such despicable acts when you read some of the headlines in the news. William Cobb and the Talon Batgirl fought too had sad storylines. This reminded me again about how my brother described the Court being like the Illuminati, but at what cost are you going to keep creating assassins?

My favourite stories were Damian Wayne’s Story, Nightwing’s Story and Batgirl’s Story. It was the first time I ever read a story with Damian Wayne and I really enjoyed it. This kid has some serious guts and I do wonder if he'll ever take up the mantle of Nightwing when Dick eventually retires at some point. He’s quite the fighter and an intellectually brilliant kid. I especially loved the conversations he had with military personnel who tried to tell him they knew better. He was so snarky and sassy all at the same time. It was quite an enjoyable read. Nightwing’s story I liked because of the person he was fighting with and for the Talon’s backstory. It was interesting and I was outraged at some of the things the Talon was telling Dick. For those who have read the Court of Owls story you'll understand what I mean. Nevertheless it was quite a suspense filled read. I just love Batgirl. Along with Black Canary she’s one of my favourite female characters in the DC Universe. I'm so glad Barbara Gordon returned to her rightful place at the Batgirl. Not that I didn't love her as Oracle in Birds of Prey but she was born be Batgirl. I mainly loved it for the Talon she fought and for her relationship with her dad Commissioner Jim Gordon. Not that you get a whole lot of dialogue in this story between Jim and Batgirl, but its within their thoughts that we realize how strong their father-daughter bond is.

Overall I enjoyed The Night of Owls graphic novel despite the constant repetition of Alfred’s message. I think the inclusion of Batman’s story from the City of Owls was unnecessary because we already know the story. However I really enjoyed reading the story arcs of the other characters from the DC Universe as they endured the Night of the Owls.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Would I recommend it? Absolutely

It feels weird to say this, but the Joker is my favourite villain in the DC Universe. As messed up as he is, he's the one that makes Batman tick. Scott Snyder really is a brilliant writer.

Maggie Gordon

I have not been impressed with the storytelling in the Batman comics for a while now, but I Am Suicide changes things. It's an interesting narrative. Batman recruits a bunch of villains, Suicide Squad-esque, to bring back the Psycho-Pirate from Bane's hideout. This is the boring part that doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's a superhero comic so just go with things. 

The interesting part is the fact that half the story is told through letters overlying the action. Letters you discover are between Batman and Catwoman. As a fan of this ship, it's nice to see it handled in a way that doesn't make me want to barf. The two are drawn together because of their mutual pain, but despite their love for one another, they can never be in a real relationship. Catwoman has supposedly killed 237 people, though Batman knows this to be untrue. Regardless, she's been sentenced to death. 

King also makes some of the most astute observations about Batman and his motivations in recent years. Sure, this is a darker volume than normal and I trashed Synder for constantly bringing the angst. But King has thus far avoided making the comic solely about city-destroying moments. This is a much smaller story and it's all the stronger for it. It's about Batman rather than Gotham, and I welcome the character development.

Following his groundbreaking, critically acclaimed run on Detective Comics, Snyder begins a new era of The Dark Knight alongside artist Capullo when a series of brutal murders rocks Gotham City and Batman to the core.

Batman

Fraser Simons

Xavier Roy

A horrifying scenario where the Joker is in control.

Zoe Smolen

I thought this was an interesting Batman story. The galley had a few pages without any text which made the story a little hard to follow in a few places, but otherwise I enjoyed it. I liked the dynamic between Cat and Bat and thought this story added a new depth to their relationship. 

Thanks to Netgalley and DC for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sans

That ending, man. (view spoiler)[I never thought I'd see Bruce back down, get scared enough that he'd look away, say that he doesn't want to know. Jesus. (hide spoiler)]

In the wake of the death of his son Damian, Batman is in danger of losing his humanity. However, the foes of this grief-ridden Dark Knight mean to strike him when he's at his weakest. Has Batman's worst foe become... Bruce Wayne? Plus, three pivotal chapters from the epic ZERO YEAR storyline! From the critically acclaimed, New York Times #1 best-selling creative team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo comes the next genre-defining graphic novel in their monumental run. Collects BATMAN #0, #18-20, #28, #34 and BATMAN ANNUAL #2.

Graveyard Shift (The New 52)

Batman 6

Lorien O'Brien

Wow this is really amazing! I love how it ties so many stories together, such as the continuation and end of the flashback to Zero Year, to the lose of Damian, and then into Batman Eternal! The new Robin is FANTASTIC! Or is it Robins? Or just new sidekicks??? I'm not sure what Bluebird and her twin are categorized as.

I think this seats at a solid 4.5 or 4.75 out of five stars. Quite good.

Well that was...nauseating...Joker at his darkest, most twisted. Out of all of the "Death of the Family"'s that I've read, NOTHING was as messed up as this. True, I'm missing two of the family, but MAN this was messed up.

Which made it awesome. This was truly Joker at his worst, when even Bruce wasn't sure what was going to happen next. I wasn't laughing at the Joker this time, probably because this time no one found him funny, not even Harley. It was...sad in a way. He's not going to stay dead (it's the JOKER), but he truly fell this time, and everyone really wanted to see him fall.

I grew up on Batman: The Animated Series as a kid, and recently started really getting into the comics. And this is a great one. I have not read the first one, but all Batman fans should check this out! I love how it follows more than just the Dark Knight, which showed just how desperate the situation was. Can't wait to read Court of Owls and City of Owls!

Joban Saran

Abdul Rehman Ismail

Mat Connor

Steve Orlando (Comic book writer)

BATMAN: THE REBIRTH DELUXE EDITION BOOK 1 collects the first two Dark Knight arcs from a new era for the first time! With stories by author Tom King (THE OMEGA MEN) and art by David Finch (WONDER WOMAN), Mikel Jann̕ (GRAYSON), Riley Rossmo (CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER), Mitch Gerads (SHERIFF OF BABYLON) and more, this is a great starting-point novel for longtime fans and new DC readers alike. Batman's methods have always been clear. He fights criminals wherever he finds them. He lives in the shadows. And he works alone. But as Gotham evolves, so must the Bat. A duo of super-powered youths calling themselves Gotham and Gotham Girl have joined the fight against crime in Batman's city. They want to pull Gotham out of the shadows and into a brighter tomorrow. But with two godlike metahumans protecting the city by the light of day, does Gotham still need a Dark Knight? Through these young heroes, the Dark Knight discovers a criminal plotting against his city. To stop this foe, Batman must align himself with a team of villains straight out of Arkham Asylum. This makeshift Suicide Squad is every bit as unstable as the real deal, and while Catwoman might have a good heart despite her troubled past, the other members most certainly do not. Also includes BATMAN: REBIRTH #1.

Rebirth

Steve

James Dziemianzuk 

Riya

Nicholas Barnard

Jo A

Jonathan Glapion

When a series of brutal murders rocks Gotham City, the prime suspect is one of Batman's closest allies--Dick Grayson.

The court of owls. Volume 1

Bob Kane

James Tynion

Even for a man who's committed a lifetime of murder, the Joker is more dangerous than ever before. A more vicious Clown Prince of Crime targets Batman's family-Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin and his own son, Damian Wayne, a.k.a. Robin-in a sick and twisted gambit to make the Dark Knight all his own! How can Batman protect his city and those he's closest to? It all leads back to Arkham Asylum... This new DC Essential Edition from #1 New York Times best-selling team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo presents the critically acclaimed tale in its entirety, with material from Batman Vol. 3- Death of the Family. Collects Batman #13-17. The DC Essential Edition series of graphic novels highlights the best standalone stories the medium has to offer, featuring comics' greatest characters. These trade paperback editions focus on the easiest entry points DC has in its vast library, with seminal, groundbreaking tales that transcend the printed page. Start with the Essentials.

Batman 3 Death of the Family

Reviews