Art: Greg Capullo, Raphael Albuquerque
Publisher: DC Comics
Well, well, well. Just when you think you’ve encountered just about every surprise possible in the twisting tale of the Court of Owls and their connection with Bruce Wayne and his family, something new crops up. This time, however, it isn’t as much about the Owls as it is about the Waynes. It’s a rather intriguing tale, and once again Batman is one of the best books you’ll find.
After a month of cross-over titles of varying degrees of quality, things get more focused in Batman #10. The main conflict is over, much of the Court’s plot has been thwarted, and it seems that everything is coming to a neat end. Of course, Batman being the detective that he is doesn’t accept that everything could get so neatly tied off. While the immediate threat of the Court of Owls has certainly been dealt with, there’s another strand to unravel in this story, one that has a much more personal connection to Bruce and his family. I really don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but what I like best about it is the clues have been there all along. As the pieces all come together for Batman, thinking back over the last few issues, they come together for the reader as well. I don’t know if I could have made all the proper connections, but I at least feel like I could have, and that’s part of what makes a good detective story; when it feels like it could have been solvable all along for the reader had they only paid proper attention to the information they were being given.
The back-up feature about Alfred’s dad continues to get better. It’s providing a new and interesting spin on the fate of Bruce’s parents and why exactly they ended up dead in that alley that fateful night. It’s also providing some good backstory for the Waynes’ connection to the Court of Owls, and even helps connects some of the dots concerning the surprising revelation we get in the main feature. All in all, not bad for a short back-up feature.
However I must admit I’m getting a little tired of so much space being used for other things besides the main story in books these days. Not only does Batman #10 have the back-up feature, which admittedly is pretty good, it also has a preview of American Vampire. From a business perspective, I understand why this type of stuff is done, but from a readers’ perspective, I just can’t help but think the book would benefit by using that space to give the main feature more room to breathe and expand. But, maybe that’s just me.
The Court of Owls continues to be a fascinating adventure for Batman, and this issue introduces some fun and surprising twists not only to that story, but to Batman’s own history as well. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of all of this because there’s just no telling what might happen, and that’s part of what make Batman such a great read.
Score: 6 of 7
A BIG thanks to Astro-Zombies for providing the material for this review. Learn more about them at astrozombies.com.
