Batman #6

Summary

Batman fights the Talon through the very foundations of Gotham City, but after the events of last issue, does he have enough sanity or strength to survive? Also in this issue, more secrets are brought to light – yet not necessarily explained - and we are left with yet another shocking cliff-hanger.

What I liked

· This was all one scene?!: Although there are defining moments of this issue, there are no stark cutaways and no switching between characters or locations. This issue feels very “in the moment” and keeps you interested the whole way through. It is phenomenal that Snyder managed to craft and maintain a scene with this much tension for the entirety of an issue and this once again goes to show you why he is one of my favourite writers at the moment.

· Metaphors and Symbolism: This issue is chock full of symbolism, from the little nuances in the art to a fight over a model of Gotham City. Snyder adds the angle that Batman is delirious to play around with some of the concepts of this story – bringing them in and out of reality (the simplest example being the Court of Owls beginning to look like actual Owls). There even are some moments in the story where the symbolism even takes over and begins to drive the story, such as the instance where Bruce tries to muster his strength. Credit must, of course, be given to Greg Capullo once more, as it his art which really brings this idea to life. Although this stylistic approach has been prominent in the series for the last few issues, to me, this has been the best use of it thus far.

· The Court of Owls: I feel that this issue did a fantastic job at making the Owls legitimately scary as well as keeping a good pace of how much is being revealed about them. The members of The Court of Owls are portrayed as fine and elegant and at the same time brutal and savage (much like an actual owl). What really stuck with me after reading this issue was how even a child in the ranks of The Court of Owls was eager to see Batman beaten and bloodied. The way the Owls respond to the Talon at the end of the issue shows just how ruthless this foe are, and the final page especially adds another layer of mystery onto the Court and the Talon.

· The integral concepts of Batman: Excuse me while I get philosophical here. It is Batman’s devotion to his purpose which makes him the hero he is, not how many Owls he can throw through walls (although, that is cool too). In this issue we are shown that despite all that Batman has been through, his core beliefs and methods still remain intact. This issue features the whole Batman Spectrum: Combat, detective Skills, enduring extreme pain even, dare I say it, doing something ridiculous. There are certain instances in this issue which are really downplayed – for example where Batman does not kill the Talon and the line “You’re nothing but a common criminal” - which show that Snyder fully understands Batman’s drive and purpose.

What I didn’t like

· A complaint - Yes, I have a complaint to make, but be assured – it is a very, very, tiny, insignificant, doesn’t-amount-to-much complaint. That is: that last month’s cliff-hanger feels a bit null and void in this issue. From the end of last issue it seemed that Batman was pretty much dead and although we never really expected Batman to die, they never really address how he survived a blade through the chest. This brings back that horrible “Because he’s Batman” fallacy which I thought Snyder had done a good job of stamping out in this series so far.

Verdict

This issue is incredible. Is it perfect... no, I am not sure that it is – but it is certainly as close to perfect as you can get. This issue is both subtle and verbose at the same time, with layers of symbolism in the dialogue and art. I appreciate how we are learning more about the Court of Owls slowly through their interactions and mannerisms, rather than through a large page of exposition; it makes them feel almost downplayed and thus real. There are some incredible fight sequences and Batman pulls a few tricks out of sleeve along the way too – this is Batman at his best, you’d be a fool not read it!

9/10