Whether it was down to a thirst for a great Batman story or the impeccably timed coincidence of releasing around the same time as the final installment of the Christopher Nolan Batman climax, it’s hard to argue how much of an important impact the Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo New 52 Batman had on the Comic Book industry. Bring in new fans who wanted to deep dive into the world of the Bat, while also giving a new, fresh take on the caped crusader.





With the release of the latest series (Batman Last Knight on Earth) a little less than a week away, Snyder and Capullo are reuniting for what they have said to be their last Batman book together. It might seem hard to imagine that their paths won’t cross again, as they have mentioned to be working on creator owned titles together, but it is still the end of an era. One that’s brought so much to the character and his entourage of heros and villans. So I decide to go back and give the first volume one more read and try to articulate what the series and this first volume meant me then and now.



Comics can sometimes be a little complicated to jump into, you can have an idea and understanding about the character, but with so many different creator teams putting their own spin and mythology around the character you as the reader can be left asking, is it really worth the hassle trying to understand all that has come before in order to pick up an issue or tpb? Cue DC and their New 52 release, 52 DC series starting at issue 1 allowing new readers to come on board, with the flagship Batman #1 spearheading the New 52 universe.



What better way for the team (also featuring Jonathan Glapion, FCO, Richard Starkings, and Jimmy Betancourt) to kick start the series than to make Bruce as clueless about the discoveries and new foes as the new reader is. On my First read through I remember the sense of mystery that is at the core of this volume, hidden messages left at crime scenes, an old. Bruce can’t quit believe he’s let this slip for so long to only now discover that the Court of Owls has been in Gotham much longer than he’s thought. Batman comics have always been about Bruce taking on foes and odds that a normal person would crumble at, by turning fear into bravery.

There is nothing more frightening for Batman than the discovery of a side to his city that he never knew about. Now imagine being a creative team given a shot at leading a launch of new DC titles and deciding to create a new villain and organisation for the first arc of the story. No easy accomplishment, which is another reason for the success of this book, the fact that they took a huge gamble when they could have started with a villain that was already established and set up for them to create their story around. Taking a chance like that showed the readers that they were really trying to do something big with this character from the start which earned the trust needed to accomplish what they did.



Snyder crafts a hell of a story in the first volume. Adding a new threat that cements itself with the readers as one of the greatest foes Batman has faced, but without the amazing artwork of Greg Capullo it’s hard to imagine this story being such a hit as it was at the time. The attention to detail of the art in this book is amazing. From the Batcave, crime scenes, and underground labyrinths of Gotham, the city never looked more alive. That’s where this books strives, bringing Gotham to life. Not that that’s something unheard of from creative teams, but bringing it to life and also shrouding it in mystery always leaving you wanting for and extra glimpse at the city in the next issue.

There’s something Gothic but also very bad ass about art style of Capullo and it stands out with issue #3. We’re taken through a Gotham of old, to the Batcave, to Batman gliding over the city, and then finishes with Bruce discovering all the secret layers and their belonging that are scattered all over the city of Gotham with one final shot of the Talon standing watch from a distance as the hideout containing Batman exploding in a ball of flames.



It’s sometimes hard to describe how you relate to a billionaire who dresses like a bat and fights crime, but Scott does all the work for us here. Bruce is easy to understand, his flaws and shortcomings are there for everyone to see, Gotham is his city but the threat has been under his nose the whole time. He’s someone who wants to do good but every possible force seems to be out to stop him from doing so.



In the last issue of this volume it opens with Scott and Greg referencing the Batman Year One book, with the famous “….Yes, Father. I shall become a Bat” scene but the bat flies out of the window only to be viciously ripped from the sky by an owl. Looking back and seeing that panel again really hit home what they were trying to do with their run on Batman. Yes there has been a lot of history before them with other creative teams but now it’s there turn, and while trying to honor what came before they also have to craft their own story and create something new and different.



The Court of Owls laid down the foundation for the whole run, a run that’s focused on one of the biggest characters in comics but still managed to bring him into a larger stream of readers, and now with this being a possible definitive end to their work on the Dark Knight it’s nice to see that they have been given the opportunity to come full circle with what they have created, a path closed off to so many creators these days with the demand for new stories and runs.



Batman Last Knight issue #1 releases 29/5/19

