Review- BATMAN: THE COURT OF OWLS SAGA ESSENTIAL EDITION

BATMAN: THE COURT OF OWLS SAGA ESSENTIAL EDITION (DC, First Printing, 2018; Softcover)

Collects Batman #1-11 (cover dates November, 2011- September, 2012)

Writers: Scott Snyder with James Tynion IV (co-writer #8-11)

Artists: Pencilers- Greg Capullo with Rafael Albuquerque (co-penciler #8-11)

Inkers- Jonathan Glapion with Rafael Albuquerque (co-inker #8-11)

Colorists: Fco Plascencia, Nathan Fairbarn (co-colorist #8), Dave McCaig (co-colorist #9-11)

I was thrilled when DC announced their Essential line of trades, where they compile two arcs into one low priced book. Santa brought a second copy of this book to my son for Christmas along with the corresponding Lego set. I read the second half of the issues collected in this book with my son a while back, so this was a half new read for me. And what a read it is! Scott Snyder gets it.

The whole concept of the Court Of Owls is amazing, and for my money it completely works on all levels. I like how they outmaneuvered Batman for the most part. Those who work in the shadows are more dangerous than those who confront you head on. The Court Of Owls are a great addition to Batman's rogues gallery. I would say that they are ripe for the big screen, but a quick search reveals that they were already featured on the third season of the Gotham television series. I don't watch much in the way of television and have never seen a single episode of the show.

My only gripe with this book is that they could have omitted the character sketches and script extras and included issue 12, a standalone included in the separate trades. I understand that there are page count and price points to meet, but this could have been done with no additional cost. At least the variant covers were included. This is a great value priced collection worth your time and money.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Paper stock: Medium weight semiglossy coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Laminated cardstock cover.