After last issue's incredible awesomeness, you're probably wondering if Scott Snyder can possibly keep up the pace with this issue. The answer is yes, yes he can.
This issue starts off where the last issue ended, Batman has been stabbed by the Talon after a grueling eight days (at least) in the Labyrinth of the Owls. The Talon then presents the wounded Batman to the Court, who will decide how he will die. In a decidedly creepy moment, the Court lets a little girl, the youngest member, decide. Her decision? "Hurt him...more." So a creepy little girl decides that she wants to see Batman get beaten to death, and the final fight between Batman and his would-be assassin commences.
This issue was awesome, there is no doubt about that. After issue 4's slow burn and issue 5's densely creepy and psychological approach, this issue was an action packed finale to what I expect is the first act in a two act story by Snyder. We get to see Snyder and Capullo do a full-on action issue for the first time, and it turns out great.
We see the Court of Owls up close and personal for the first time, and they succeed at being some of the creepiest and more sinister villains of recent years. They remind me a lot of the group of villains that appeared early on in Snyder's "Detective Comics" run; they appear to be a group of wealthy citizens that worship and relish evil. They are truly disgusting, enjoying watching the Batman slowly suffer and then descending on his broken body to collect his bones. Its even creepier when you consider that there is a little girl in their midst who also enjoys bloodshed.
This issue is mostly action, but with a slight twist; Batman is still hallucinating. He sees the court as grotesque Owl-people when in reality they're just people with owl masks. When he gets his second wind and fights back against the court, he envisions himself as a giant Bat-Monster, complete with claws and teeth and little bat wings.
The cliffhanger certainly leaves a lot of questions to be answered in the next installment of Snyder's epic story. Who exactly are the Owls? Why are they doing this? How is Batman going to escape? Why are they after the Waynes specifically? Who are the Talons and how can they apparently live forever? I can't wait to read the next issue to find out!
Overall, this is primarily a fight issue, but why should I complain about seeing an insanity-fueled Batman face off with an everlasting assassin?
10/10