Batman: The Court of Owls – Greg Cox
An original novel pitting Batman against the Court of Owls, a secret society of wealthy families that’s controlled Gotham for centuries using murder and money.
For generations, an apocryphal cabal has controlled Gotham from the shadows, wielding fear and violence through its undead assassins, the Talons. THE COURT OF OWLS.
Dating back centuries, its leaders are men and women of wealth and influence who meet in secrecy, hiding their identities behind stark white masks. Employing science and alchemy, they sought to kill Bruce Wayne who, as Batman, dealt them their greatest defeats. Even then they faded back into the darkness, and he could not eliminate them entirely.
Now, Gotham City is plagued with a series of brutal murders in which mutilated bodies are burned almost beyond recognition. Batman and his allies—including Nightwing and Batgirl—quickly realize that the Talons have returned, yet the reason for the killings remains tauntingly unknown.
As the heroes seek answers, their path stretches back more than a century. Should the Owls obtain what they seek, it could grant them power that no one could counter. With each moment that passes, more victims appear.
Batman must stop the Talons before they kill again.
I received a review copy from Titan Books
Batman is 80 and he is going from strength to strength. The Dark Knight is an iconic character who has made the successful leap from the pages of comic books into film, television and is recognised around the world.
One potential drawback for new readers is how can they find an entire Batman adventure to enjoy when they don’t know which comics to read. There are several individual Batman comics released each month and a full story can unfold over a six or seven month period. It can be a bit off-putting.
The good news is that Titan Books are releasing a number of Batman titles as novels. Iconic stories adapted as an original novel by some of the best writers in the genre. To illustrate my point I give you Greg Cox (author of The Court of Owls), he has written original stories featuring Buffy, Star Trek, Xena, Alias, CSI and many more. I was enjoying this author’s work long before my blogging days began.
So I turn to The Court of Owls. I was aware of the “Owls” characters being added to the Gotham City legend but have not (yet) read any of the comics where they feature. They are a shadowy operation with a long reach. For generations The Owls have lurked behind the scenes manipulating and influencing events in Gotham. Recently they emerged from hiding in a bid to take down Batman – his quest to “save” Gotham was interfering with their plans.
The Owls have a number of highly trained killers at their disposal – they are the Talons. Batman and Nightwing will go toe-to-toe with these killers as both the good guys and their foes try to track down a missing student. Her investigations into the history of Gotham has led the Owls to believe she may hold vital information which solve a mystery which has perplexed the Owls for decades.
I have reviews coming shortly for other titles in the Batman novelization series but I can honestly say that The Court of Owls was my favourite in the collection to date. Greg Cox does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and as the story spans two time periods – modern day Gotham and events from around the time of World War 1 – he also gives each period a distinctive feel too.
Batman is racing against the Owls to trace the missing student and it makes for a cracking thriller which zips along at a fast pace. The Caped Crusader has history with the Owls and they are looking to exploit their knowledge of his weaknesses to gain an edge. Their ruthless Talons will provide stiff competition and there are some exciting set piece showdowns where the two sides face off against each other.
While I appreciate comic book stories are not to everyone’s liking I really did enjoy the novelisation of a Batman story. The Court of Owls brilliantly paced, the story had me gripped and I had a genuine sense of regret when the story ended. But that’s the best thing about being a fan of comic book heroes – they keep giving more. Batman has 80 years of stories to discover and enjoy. The Court of Owls is just one place where a new reader can jump in or a returning reader can experience a great adventure in a new format.
The Court of Owls is published by Titan Books and is available in Hardback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785658166?aaxitk=-Bm5EKx9p4rOxIfJvGb8tQ&pd_rd_i=1785658166&pf_rd_p=0e11f8c9-98e1-4a93-bd5e-367420b613ee&hsa_cr_id=8002699930802&sb-ci-n=productDescription&sb-ci-v=DC%20Comics%20novels%20-%20Batman%3A%20The%20Court%20of%20Owls%3AAn%20Original%20Prose%20Novel%20by%20Greg%20Cox