It's no secret that I'm a Scott Snyder fanboy. I got hooked the moment I started reading The Black Mirror, and I've since read just about everything that the man has put out, DC or otherwise. That said, I've absolutely loved the Court of Owls arc, and not just because of Scott. Granted, I've totally loved the story that has been crafted here, and I really do feel that Scott Snyder has, for better or worse, changed the landscape of Batman comics for years to come.
But enough about my love for Scott Snyder. Let's get to Batman issue #11, the finale to the Court of Owls.
SPOILERS FOLLOW, Y'ALL!!
Before getting into the story, I want to talk a little bit about the cover to this issue. I've become a big fan of Greg Capullo because of this arc, and the cover to #11 is definitely one of my favorites that he's done so far. Throughout this storyline, the covers to Batman have depicted a weak or struggling Batman. I think that this cover really sets the mood for the finale, and you can definitely see some phoenix imagery. Batman rises from the ashes of the struggle with the Court better and stronger than he was before.
But onto the story.
The issue starts off with Bruce and Lincoln in the middle of their fight that began in the last issue. Lincoln taunts Bruce a bit and talks about historical pairs of brothers and how one often becomes greedy. After being thrown through a wall, Bruce pulls Lincoln along with him, only to be stopped by the flight ability in Lincoln's owl suit.
Lincoln takes Bruce on a tour of the Gotham City that he knew. He tells Bruce about how he "discovered" that he was a Wayne. Lincoln talks about how the Owls came for him and how he waited for his brother to one day come. At the end of his story, Lincoln throws Bruce into the engine of a plane that they pass by. As Bruce holds onto the front of the engine, he activates an explosive that he had attached to Lincoln's back.
Bruce tries to climb onto the wing of the plane, but eventually he cannot hold on anymore. Bruce saves himself by crashing into a building, only to find Lincoln already there. Lincoln decides to kill both of them inside the building, knowing that the Owl compound in his blood will bring him back to life. Before the building explodes, Lincoln tells Bruce of how the Owls created Lincoln March to reclaim the city for them from the Waynes. Bruce releases himself from Lincoln's grasp as the explosion goes off and runs out of the building as Lincoln taunts him.
Later, Bruce tells Commissioner Gordon over the phone that no bodies were found in the wreckage. Dick approaches Bruce (who is currently using a wheelchair) and asks about the Court. Bruce tells him that he will keep hunting until he finds them all. He has moved the captured Talons to a cryo-prison underneath Blackgate. Dick asks Bruce about Lincoln's claims of being his brother. I'm not going to spoil what Bruce tells Dick, but I will say that his answer allows Lincoln March to stay in the Batman mythos in the future. The issue ends with an extremely touching moment between Bruce and Dick before Bruce reminds Dick that if and when the Owls return, he'll be watching. Always.
As Batman does now, issue #11 ended with a backup story co-written by Snyder and James Tynion IV. The backup here concludes The Fall of the House of Wayne. I haven't been a huge fan of the backup stories so far, but it's safe to say that I really enjoyed the one in this issue. I'm not going to spoil any of it, but I urge you to read this conclusion.
I love what they did with answering the question about Lincoln March. The ambiguity of the truth is so perfect that it doesn't even matter what the answer is. March is one of the most tragic villains that I've seen in a while, and I can't wait to see him return in the future.
Nothing can be said about Greg Capullo's art here that could adequately praise it. As it has been throughout the arc, the art in this book is phenomenal. While I'm excited to see what Cloonan does next issue, I can't wait to see what Greg does next.
The Court of Owls, as a whole, has been a fantastic story arc that has definitely earned a place on a "Best Batman Stories" list. Scott Snyder has done amazing work with this character for nearly two years now, and I am on the edge of my seat for the Death of the Family arc that will be starting in September. Until then, we get a new issue next month that focuses on Harper and a sure-to-be amazing "0" issue in September.
I give Batman #11 a well deserved 5 out of 5.