Batman: Night of the Owls

Night of the Owls is a major comic book story arc set in the DC Universe following The New 52. Written by Scott Snyder and penciled by Greg Capullo, the arc is a major crossover event, though the main arc is to be presented in the Batman. The story pits the superhero Batman against the fictitious Court of Owls organization as they attempt to "take over" Gotham City.

Publication history

The story arc stretches across nine different Batman specfic comic books, each building up the story for the Night of Owls in its own different way, with Nightwing following Dick Grayson's journey to and from Gotham, Batman showing the fight between Bruce and the Talon and Batman and Robin detailing the relationship of the new dynamic duo during the night.

The story arc stretches over ten different comic books, nine of which take place in the present time in the DC Universe. All-Star Western taking place in the 1880s and in Gotham City revolves around the doings of Jonah Hex and his interactions with the Court of Owls.

Plot

For the most part, the story arc takes place in Gotham City, now being called the City of Owls due to the attack on it by the Court of Owls. However, the overreaching story arc is also going to take place in Wayne Manor and the outskirts of Gotham City. Such cities such as Chicago and Floridan cities such as Miami and New Orleans are also featured prominently.

The protagonist of the story arc is Batman. The subplot of the story arc revolves around Dick Grayson, who is being targeted by an assassin named Saiko, while trying to find out the truth of the Black Book of Names, which has both his name in it, alongside William Cobb's. Saiko's accomplice is a Haly's Circus acrobat, Raya, who has engaged in a relationship with Dick for Saiko to get closer to him before delivering the killing blow. Secondary supporting characters consist of Red Robin, Damian Wayne, Batgirl, Starfire, Batwing, Jason Todd and Roy Harper.

The antagonist of the story arc is William Cobb, an agent of the Court of Owls, known as the Talon. Cobb is charged with killing Batman and taking over Gotham City. The owls are the elders and members of the court who decide how their proceedings go along, when and why they happen. Following Batman's defeat over Cobb, the owls awaken the other Talon's to take down the Batman family.

Backstory

In the 1880s, Alan Wayne founds Old Wayne Tower, and removes the thirteenth floor, and later, he merges it with the twelfth and fourteenth floor due to his superstitions. Alan Wayne, in the 1920s, raves through Gotham City, claiming for the Court of Owls to be chasing him, and is later found dead in the sewer pipe. Around fifty years later, Bruce Wayne finds an owls' nest in Wayne Manor, and kills the owls, believing the Court of Owls to have hired Joe Chill (the murderer of Bruce's parents).

Court of Owls

Nightwing and Batman investigate an outbreak in Arkham Asylum, leading to Batman investigating about a man who warned Nightwing of the Court of Owls. As Dick Grayson, Nightwing is attacked by Saiko, calling him a murderer without knowing it, though Nightwing manages to escape, Saiko figures out his identity and attacks and kills Mr. Haley, leaving Haley's Circus for Nightwing to inherit. Nightwing then engages in a relationship with Raya, his former childhood friend and member of Haley's Circus.

After a meeting with Lincoln March, a candidate for mayor, Bruce is attacked by an assassin named William Cobb. While Bruce manages to survive, Cobb gets away, Bruce notes that Cobb was dressed as the Talon, a legendary figure, a member of the Court of Owls. Nightwing, meanwhile, drives Haley's Circus to Chicago, and then Miami, where he uses Mr. Haley's dying clues, to find the Black Book of Names, which has his name and William Cobb's.

While investigating into the attack by William Cobb, who is known only as the Talon, Batman finds Cobb's "nest" at the Old Wayne Tower, but before he can further investigate, he is attacked by Cobb himself. Cobb manages to defeat the unsuspecting Batman and takes him to three figures, before proceeding to torture him mentally.

While Nightwing fights the demon Zohna in New Orleans, his girlfriend Raya meets up with Saiko. Saiko reveals that he knows about the Black book of Names and sleeps with Raya, revealing himself to be none other than Nightwing's childhood friend, Raymond. Nightwing grows confused as to why Saiko has not attacked him and investigates the case, using his skills learned from his tenure as Batman. As Bruce is is missing, Nightwing learns of a Flying Grayson's Memorial Show planned in Gotham. Saiko reveals to Raya that he plans on killing Nightwing at the memorial show. At the memorial show, Nightwing confronts Saiko who, to Nightwing's shock, reveals himself as Raymond and blames Nightwing for the torture that he received. Amidst the shock, Saiko triggers explosions around the circus.

For eight days, Cobb tortures Batman in a maze that contains portraits of Gotham in the Wild Wild West that also details Gotham's history. As Batman begins to solve the mystery that is presented to him, he realizes the court is trying to undermine him and his presence in Gotham by "breaking him". Batman comes to a room of caskets, but does not open them, wishing to solve the rest of the mystery first and attacked and impaled by Cobb. Cobb reveals that as Batman was such a worthy foe, the court will hang his bones in the maze, an honour that only three before him have received. Cobb takes Batman to a room full of members of the Court of Owls who eventually decide on what they shall do with Batman through their youngest member, a girl who wants him hurt even more.

Cobb begins to mercilessly beat Batman to the point that he wishes for death, members of the Court then begin to swarm Batman's body. However, refusing defeat, he retaliates and challenges Cobb to another battle, stating that to him, Cobb has no significance and is just another crook. Batman then defeats Cobb in battle and nearly kills him, stopping last moment and using his detective skills to escape the court's lair. Seeing the brutality of the Batman, the Court of Owls decides to awaken all of their Talon's.

Titles

The following titles were announced to be part of the crossover.. Detective Comics publication was first announced to not be part of the crossover, but on February 23rd it was announced differently.

Tie-ins

• Batman #1–8

Night of Owls Crossover

• All-Star Western #9
• Batman #9
• Batman Annual #1
• Batman: The Dark Knight #9
• Batwing #9
• Batman and Robin #9
• Birds of Prey #9
• Batgirl #9
• Catwoman #9
• Detective Comics #9
• Nightwing #9
• Red Hood and the Outlaws #9