Talon: Scourge of the Owls Review

Writers: Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV
Artists: Guillem March & Juan Jose Ryp

This is a series that I was considering getting when it started but eventually decided not to. I have however every now and then been interested in it again considering getting the comics that had been out but decided to wait till the first volume was released.

Plot

With the Court of Owls being weakened after the Night of the Owls former Talon, Calvin Rose decides that now is the time to strike aligning himself with Sebastian Clark to take down the Court once and for all.

Review

This was a fantastic book and I was very happy that I got it. Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV do a great job on the plot of this story, with Tynion IV then expanding on that with the finished script. Now although I enjoyed A Court of Owls, but this series has managed to follow on from that in a amazing and refreshing way, giving a brilliant alternative to the other DC series. Tynion IV and Snyder also do a terrific job of building this character up, as well as the characters around him, as although his motives are rather simple, the depth of the character is what makes this story so brilliant, along with the suspense and drama throughout. The story also has an amazing tone and depth to it, and the action sequences really add a lot of excitement. I also loved the character interaction in this story as bar the energetic tone this was the thing that interested me most about this story.

The artwork was also amazing with Guillem March doing some of the best artwork that I've ever seen from him. The detail in his art was simply astonishing, as everything looked simply perfect. I also really enjoyed the layout of March's artwork as it managed to add a lot more depth to the story, also being very dynamic and impactful, adding a lot of energy to the story as well. March also did a fantastic job of showing the characters emotions throughout this story, with this adding more realism and tone to the story. Where March excelled the most however was with the more than impressive fight sequences that were simply awe-inspiring, being extremely exciting and entertaining. This volume would also see one issue that featured artwork from Juan Jose Ryp, and although Ryp's art didn't surpass March's, it was still very highly detailed, having some very explosive and exciting sequences.

What I enjoyed most about this story was that although it was expanding on the Court of Owls concept that was introduced in the Batman series, it would become it's own unique entity, to the point where the main character was someone completely new. I felt that this helped the story so much, as it allowed it to be so fresh and unique, making it even more user friendly. I also loved the fact that this story starts during Zero Month, allowing for Calvin's origin to be told before the main story starts. On top of this I found Calvin to be a very interesting character, and the way that his past experience as a Talon drives his goals made this even more interesting.

Calvin would however need a bit of persuading when it came to going up against the Court, and the person to do that was the mysterious Sebastian Clarke, a man who knows every dark secret of the Courts, wanting revenge against them himself. Sebastian has to be one of the most interesting side characters that I've seen for a long time, as bar from his obsession to take down the Court, the mysterious nature, and the way he seems slightly untrustworthy makes him that much more interesting than a lot of side characters, as you know that there's more to him than meets the eye. I also really enjoyed the interaction between Sebastian and Calvin throughout this story, and how it was extremely obvious that although they shared the same goal, they had different objectives.

The main villain in this story would be a Talon by the name of Felix Harmon, who is better known as the Gotham Butcherer. Now they may have went a bit overkill when they decided on a villain to put up against Calvin, but I have to say that Snyder and Tynion IV couldn't have made a better decision, as what better way to derail someone who's on a role than by putting something seemingly unbeatable against them. I also loved how this showed the lack of control that the Court had over their Talons, as Felix's murderous background wasn't all approved hits from the Court. I did however find it very interesting how the current Court took measures against Felix turning on them. The only negative thing I can say about Felix as a villain in this story was that I wished the fighting between him and Calvin was longer.

Batman would also make appearances in the latter part of this story. Now although I really enjoyed Batman's appearance in this story, I did feel that it was ever so slightly forced, and that it may have actually been better for the series to have kept him out of it for it's first story at least. I did however like how it was in continuity, showing the lack of trust in the Bat-Family, with Batman and Nightwing (Dick Grayson) having a rather awkward argument. I did however like that this was only a small cameo, and that Batman didn't take over the series, as although I'm a huge Batman fan, it's never nice to have a huge character steal the spotlight from a smaller characters series.

Final Verdict

This was a fantastic opening story for this series, which is easily one of the freshest series in the New 52 being very unique and dynamic. The story itself also had a lot of depth, with brilliant suspense and drama. The characters were also extremely interesting and overall I was very happy with the quality of this story, also being slightly surprised. Due to this I'd highly recommend this volume and I personally can't wait for the next one to come out.

Rating: 9/10

Batman and Robin #23.2 Court of Owls Review

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Jorge Lucas

This was an issue that I wasn't sure whether I was going to get or not, as I've never really been a fan of the Court of Owls. I have however been interested in the Talon series and plan on getting the first volume so thought I'd get into the mood with this.

Plot

As Gotham City falls apart without the presence of Batman the Court of Owls make their preparations  for surviving this predicament, and how to rebuild if necessary, as they have always done in the past.

Review

This was overall a decent issue, but it didn't appeal to me too much. James Tynion IV did however do a good job with the writing as the story itself was very well structured. It did however feel to me slightly unnecessary, as although Talon readers may feel differently, seeing a reason why it is necessary, for a relatively new reader, who only knows of the Court of Owls through the Batman series it felt unnecessary, at times even being slightly confusing. It was however overall very gritty and suspenseful which I liked as the one thing that I liked about the Court of Owls when they were first introduced at the start of the New 52 was their tone, and the atmosphere they added.

The art in this issue was very good, and although it wasn't anything too spectacular I rather enjoyed it. Jorge Lucas is an artist that I've not seen in a while as having enjoyed some of his work on previous Marvel series I was rather happy to see his name attached to this issue, and overall I wasn't disappointed. The detail in his artwork was very high, as although it was slightly rough at times, I felt that it worked perfectly with the tone of the issue, making it even more gritty. I also loved the layouts as they were very dynamic and impactful, especially on the fourth page when a Talon appears. Lucas also did a great job of showing character emotion through this issue, and his artwork as a whole was fantastic.

This issue would start with a man trying to round up his family and leave fearing an attack from a Talon. This was the perfect introduction you could have had for this issue, and given the tone, and the drama that the Talon added made me fairly confident that this would be a good issue. That however wouldn't be the case, as the rest of the issue felt rather confusing, and a bit random. I did however enjoy this sequence, and especially considering it managed to balance two different tones at once, having the panic from the father, and the innocents of his son.

The story would then move to the Court of Owls in the present, with Gotham in the midst of a huge riot. Although this would turn out to be a good set-up for the flashbacks in this issue, overall it felt rather unnecessary as although we got to see this Court father and daughter making their way to safety it didn't seem to add much in the ways of future development. This may however be seen very differently from someone who follows Talon, and the end does tease the future of the Talon series, but bar that it felt like it's only purpose was to set-up the flashbacks.

Speaking of the flashbacks, besides the slightly random nature of them they were one of the best parts about this story. I especially enjoyed how they managed to connect to the present events, showing how the Court has managed to get themselves out of trouble, and in general survive. Bar this connection I still feel that the flashbacks were slightly random, as the events were completely different, feeling more like the Courts history summarised, whereas I would have much rather have the focus on on one or two of these situations in more detail.

Final Verdict

This wasn't one of the best Villains Month issue so far, and in my opinion felt a bit unnecessary. I have however not been a follower of the Court of Owls, so Talon readers may find it to be very enjoyable. The issue itself was also very gritty and suspenseful, being brilliantly structured, having amazing artwork that suited the tone of the story. Due to all this I'd recommend the issue to anyone who'd either been following the Court of Owls in Talon, or a fan of the group in general, but for new readers I'd probably recommend caution as it may not be the best issue to introduce them to you.

Rating: 7/10