[BOOK REVIEW] Batman: The Court of Owls Volume 1 by Scott Snyder

Title:  Batman: The Court of Owls Volume 1

Author:  Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

Genre:  Action / Drama / Superhero / Reboot / Thriller / Horror / Family

Year Published:  2011

Year Read: 7/23/2016

Series:  Batman #1 (DC New 52)

Publisher:  DC Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence)

“Beware the Court of Owls,

That watches all the time.

Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch,

Behind granite and lime.

They watch you at your hearth,

They watch you in your bed,

Speak not a whispered word of them,

Or they’ll send the Talon for your head!”

Introduction:

 

So, when I heard that DC Comics was doing a reboot on all of their comics, I will admit that I was pretty hesitant about trying out any of the rebooted comics, especially after I heard so many bad things about DC’s New 52 series (and it turns out that the backlash was understandable, especially with how some of the later titles in the New 52 turned out to be horrible, according to some of the fans).  But, there was one series in the New 52 that fans felt was always consistently good and that was Scott Snyder’s run on “Batman!”  So, when my fellow Batman comic buddies recommended me this title, I will admit that I was pretty interested with this volume and I ended up being quite impressed with how this volume turned out!

What is this story about?

Gotham is Batman’s city and he will not let any criminal ruin his town…until the Court of Owls came in.  The Court of Owls is a mysterious organization that has been around Gotham ever since it was first built and their plan is to retake Gotham City for their own.  The only obstacle in their way is none other than Bruce Wayne and they plan on killing Bruce Wayne to reclaim Gotham City. 

Is the Court of Owls connected to Bruce Wayne’s ancestors in some way and will they break Batman in order to obtain their goals of claiming Gotham City?

Read this volume to find out!

What I loved about this story:

Scott Snyder’s writing: I have read Scott Snyder’s previous works on “Batman: The Black Mirror” and the “American Vampire” series and I have always loved his unique and intense writing style.  His writing of this “Batman” story is no different and I just loved the way that Scott Snyder made this “Batman” story even more intense than the last! I really loved the fact that since this is a reboot of the “Batman” comics, we actually get to see new villains in the form of the Court of Owls and it was interesting trying to figure out what their true goals for Gotham are and how they knew about Bruce Wayne himself.  It really made the Court of Owls such interesting villains and the fact that they were one of the few villains to give Batman a hard time was really different and intriguing for me as a “Batman” fan.  But what really made me squeal with true fangirl anticipation was seeing Dick Grayson appear in this comic along with Damian Wayne and Tim Drake!  When I saw all the former Robins together on one page, I was seriously excited at this moment since I enjoy seeing all the Robins come together to be with Bruce Wayne, their mentor!  I also loved the way that Scott Snyder wrote Bruce Wayne’s relationship with Dick Grayson and Alfred as this reboot shows that Batman still has a close relationship with Dick Grayson and Alfred and I really enjoyed their moments together.

Greg Capullo’s artwork:  Greg Capullo’s artwork perfectly captures the dark and gritty nature of this series and I loved how scratchy the ink work is as it gives the story an intense feeling.  I also loved the fact that Greg Capullo’s artwork reminds me a bit of the artwork in Frank Miller’s “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns” comic book, which slightly gave this volume a retro feel, especially if you are an old school “Batman” fan!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I took off half a star from the rating was because the story tended to be a bit slow in some parts and there were times where I was wishing that the story would have moved at a faster pace to keep me interested all the way through.  Also, for anyone who does not like bloody violence in comics, there are some moments in this volume where the violence can get pretty bloody, especially whenever the characters get stabbed by knives.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Batman: The Court of Owls Volume One” was a pleasant surprise for me as it made me really enjoy what was being done with this reboot of “Batman” and I hope that the series continues to get better with each volume!

 

[BOOK REVIEW] Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder

Title:  Batman: The Black Mirror

Author: Scott Snyder

Artists: Jock and Francesco Francavilla


Genre: Superheroes / Action / Adventure / Horror


Year Published: 2011


Year Read: 2013


Series: Batman


Publisher: DC Comics

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence and Disturbing Subject Matter)
 



Introduction:

Lately, I have been reading many “Batman” comics that came out during the 1980s and the 1990s, so that way I could be caught up with the “Batman” universe.  But, after discovering some newer “Batman” comics, I wanted to try out some and one of the “Batman” stories that I had checked out was “Batman: The Black Mirror.”  Now, after reading “Batman: Hush,” I said to myself that I wanted to read more “Batman” stories that featured Dick Grayson since I loved his character in “Batman: Hush.” Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered that “Batman: The Black Mirror” was actually Dick Grayson’s story! Well, what could I say?  This was definitely one wallop of a story that would be hard to review because of so much going on in one graphic novel, but I will definitely do my best to express my intense love for this comic book!

What is this story about?

After the events of “Final Crisis,” Bruce Wayne, the real Batman, decided to create a superhero group that consists of other “Batmans” called “Batman Incorporated.”  So, Dick Grayson is forced to take on the mantle as the new Batman for Gotham City, while working with Oracle (Barbara Gordon) and Red Robin (Tim Drake) on various crimes that plague the city.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE STORY HERE!

The actual story here is that Dick Grayson, now Batman, has uncovered a terrifying and strange case when he discovers that a nightmarish auction is being held where the criminals of Gotham City’s possessions are all being sold to the rich citizens of Gotham City.  Little does Dick Grayson, know it seems to be a plot to trap Batman once and for all!  Meanwhile, Commissioner Jim Gordon’s past catches up to him when his psychotic son, James Gordon Jr. comes to visit Gotham City and convinces his father and his step sister, Barbara Gordon, that he is a changed man and is trying to get back on the right path.  But, has James Gordon Jr. really changed or is he up to no good?

What I loved about this story:

Scott Snyder’s writing: WOW! All I could say is…WOW!  After reading Scott Snyder’s fantastic work on “American Vampire,” I just had to see how well Scott Snyder can write the famous dark knight!  I was actually pleasantly surprised that Scott Snyder managed to write Dick Grayson extremely well as Dick Grayson might have some serious moments to his personality, but I loved the fact that Dick is much more laid-back than Bruce Wayne and that he is willing to help anyone in their time of need.  It clearly shows when Dick Grayson dons the Batman costume as his personality is less menacing than Bruce Wayne’s and he makes a couple of jokes or two towards his enemies.  I also loved the relationship shown between Commissioner Jim Gordon and Dick Grayson as Jim Gordon holds the same respect for Dick that he held for Bruce Wayne.  But what really sold the story for me was the fact that it was focused on how the characters viewed Gotham City as being a place full of corruption and how it affected them.  I really enjoyed the storyline with James Gordon Jr. as he is a new character that I had never read about before, but Scott Snyder did a brilliant job at making him extremely creepy as you do not really know his true motives and yet, he can act so innocent at the drop of a hat.  If I were to list one of the creepiest characters to ever appear in a “Batman” comic, then James Gordon Jr. would definitely be on that list!  I also loved the way that Scott Snyder provided an extremely dark and gritty atmosphere to this story as it may have snippets of “American Vampire” in it (well, it is written by Scott Snyder, who also written “American Vampire”), but it worked so well with the “Batman” universe and it just made the story even more interesting to read!

Jock and Francesco Francavilla’s artwork:  Both Jock and Francesco Francavilla’s artwork greatly contributed to the dark atmosphere of this story.  Jock’s artwork during Dick Grayson’s storylines is extremely detailed and dramatic and also, the images of the monsters are extremely disturbing to look at which really made the story even more intense.  Francesco Francavilla’s artwork in Commissioner Jim Gordon’s side of the story concerning his story are always shown in dark colorings and has a slight 80s artwork vibe which really brought a classic vibe to this story.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

Out of all the “Batman” comics I had read so far, this is seriously one of the most disturbing stories I had ever read, next to “Batman: the Killing Joke.”  Anyone who does not like reading about serial killers or disturbing psychological issues might be a bit disturbed with this story.  Also, this story has many gory scenes of characters getting cut up and killed that some readers might find a bit uncomfortable to read through.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Batman: The Black Mirror” is easily one of the best current “Batman” stories around and anyone who is a huge fan of Dick Grayson will definitely love this comic!

[BOOK REVIEW] American Vampire Volume 4 by Scott Snyder

Title:  American Vampire Volume 4

Author:  Scott Snyder

Artists:  Rafael Albuquerque, Jordi Bernet, Roger Cruz and Riccardo Burchielli


Genre: Horror / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 2012


Year Read: 2012


Series: American Vampire #4


Publisher: Vertigo Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence and Strong Language)
 

Brief Introduction:

Wow!  I had never seen a comic book series get better and better over time since Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman” series and Joss Whedon’s run on “Astonishing X-Men!”  Scott Snyder continues to amaze me with his stellar storytelling in the “American Vampire” series and the fourth volume is definitely one of the best volumes I had read so far in this series! With brilliant writing from Scott Snyder along with fantastic artwork from Rafael Albuquerque, Jordi Bernet, Roger Cruz and Riccardo Burchielli, “American Vampire: Volume Four” is definitely one volume that will not disappoint you!

What is the story?

In this volume, there are a total of three stories that each details all the characters’ progression into the 1950s:

The Beast in the Cave:  This story is about how Skinner Sweet and Jim Book were once as close as brothers, but when the Indian Wars broke out and a new threat is unleashed, Jim and Skinner’s relationship with each other might never be the same again.

Death Race: Meet Travis Kidd, a nineteen year old teenage boy who not only sports a Greaser look and lives in the 1950s, but he also happens to be one of the best vampire hunters ever around and he has a vengeance with one vampire in particular.

The Nocturnes: Meet Calvin Poole, an African-American man who has a tough life in the 1950s as blacks were frowned upon in society and he is constantly harassed by the citizens because of the color of his skin.  However, what the citizens do not know about Calvin is that he is apart of a secret organization that hunts vampires, while also harboring a dark secret about himself.

What I loved about this comic:

Scott Snyder’s writing:   Man, Scott Snyder just continues to amaze me with his stellar writing!  Scott Snyder has cleverly weaved a fictional tale with historical elements that affects the characters’ situations.  I really enjoyed the fact that we are learning more about Skinner Sweet’s past as he was involved in the Indian Wars and his relationship with Jim Book, which we learned about in the previous volumes.  Scott Snyder has done a fantastic job at providing a broad back story about Skinner Sweet and as I start learning more about Skinner Sweet’s back story, I start to understand more about where his vicious nature was coming from and how he affected history in many different ways.  Probably my most favorite story in this entire volume was the one regarding Travis Kidd, as his story was the highlight of this volume (his picture is even on the front of the cover)!  I loved the way that Scott Snyder developed Travis Kidd’s character as he is not shown as a stereotypical “greaser” boy, but hearing his tragic back story regarding his parents really made me feel so much sympathy for his character and I also loved the fact that Travis Kidd is able to take down any vampire he comes across!  I also enjoyed the way that Scott Snyder told Calvin Poole’s story and I felt sympathy for him as he had to suffer through racism in the 1950s and I also loved his dark past storyline as it really made him stand out as a character.  I still enjoy the way that Scott Snyder weaves fictional characters into historical elements like the Indian Wars and the racism and prejudice that dominated society around the 1950s and is still able to focus on the characters trying to fight off vampires without using real life historical figures in the story.

Rafael Albuquerque, Jordi Bernet, Roger Cruz and Riccardo Burchielli’s artwork:  The artwork in this volume was amazing as each artist contributed greatly to the stories in this volume.  Jordi Bernet’s artwork in “The Beast in the Cave” was quite different then from what I usually see from the “American Vampire” series as the artwork is shown in much brighter colors and the characters look a bit generic.  I loved the way that Jordi Bernet gave shadowing to the character’s faces which brought out a dramatic effect to them.  Rafael Albuquerque once again brings true creativity to the “American Vampire” series by doing the artwork in “Death Race” and I loved the dark and gritty feel of the artwork as it greatly complements with the horror story.  Roger Cruz and Riccardo Burchielli’s artwork in “The Nocturnes” were truly well done as Roger Cruz’s artwork makes the characters look truly realistic while Riccardo Burchielli’s artwork is a bit more simplistic, but still has enough dramatic effect to the story.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

For anyone that does not like strong violence, this volume has many gory scenes of characters being bitten by vampires and blood squirting everywhere, so it might be hard to get through those scenes.  Also, this volume has strong language which includes the “s” word and the “f” word, so readers who are offended by coarse language might want to skim over those words.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “American Vampire: Volume Four” is just full of shocking surprises that really has me geared up for the fifth volume and now that this volume introduces new characters Travis Kidd and Calvin Poole, I cannot wait to see where their stories are going to go in the next volume!

[BOOK REVIEW] American Vampire Volume 3 by Scott Snyder

Title:  American Vampire Volume 3

Author:  Scott Snyder

Artists: Rafael Albuquerque, Danijel Zezelj, and Sean Murphy


Genre: Horror / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 2012


Year Read: 2012


Series: American Vampire #3


Publisher: Vertigo Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence and Strong Language)



Brief Introduction:

I am definitely on the roll with Scott Snyder’s fantastic series, “American Vampire” and the third volume of this series does not disappoint me!  “American Vampire: Volume Three” is probably the most intense out of the entire “American Vampire” series as Scott Snyder’s dramatic writing and Rafael Albuquerque, Danijel Zezelj, and Sean Murphy’s artwork contribute greatly to this volume!

What is the story?

In this volume, there are two stories being told regarding Pearl and Felicia Book.  In the first story, it is the 1940s when there is war between America and Imperial Japan and Pearl’s husband, Henry Preston, is called into battle to fight off a group of vampires that are sighted on an island near Japan.  Unfortunately, Skinner Sweet happens to be in the same group as Henry and he is planning revenge on Henry and only Pearl can rescue her husband from Skinner Sweet!  In the second story, Felicia Book, the daughter of Jim Book, who was killed by Skinner Sweet, goes on a mission with Cash McCogan to Nazi occupied Romania to find Dr. Erik Pavel, who claims that he has a cure for vampirism!

What I loved about this comic:

Scott Snyder’s writing:   What can I say?  Scott Snyder’s writing for this series continues to get better and better as the characters are thrown into new and troubling situations!  For one thing, I loved the way that Scott Snyder actually made the story progress in the timeline as the setting goes from the 1920s to the 1940s and it really gives the story a more realistic feel to the characters.  It is rare that I see many comic books actually progress the characters forward in time, so this was a welcoming change for me!  I also loved the way that Scott Snyder tied in the historical aspects of World War II into this story without trying to twist the history of World War II.  Usually, the problems I find with stories that has historical elements mixed in with fantasy elements is that sometimes it tries to state that the fictional characters were actually involved in any kind of historical event that happened in history.  What I like about what was being done with combining the historical aspects of World War II with the fictional characters of “American Vampire” is that they never really mentioned any historical figures like Hitler and the stories were more centered on the characters and their fight against vampirism while using the historical elements to bring the reader into a whole new world on the idea of vampires existing in such times.  I also loved the way that Scott Snyder developed the relationship between Pearl and her husband, Henry, as Henry seems to have second thoughts about their marriage since Pearl is a vampire and is much younger than he is and he wanted to feel wanted again.  I also loved the way that Pearl and Henry still cared about each other, despite the fact that Pearl is a vampire.

Rafael Albuquerque, Danijel Zezelj, and Sean Murphy’s artwork: Rafael Albuquerque, Danijel Zezelj and Sean Murphy all contributed greatly to the artwork of this volume as each artwork is scratchy yet dramatic for these stories!  In the story “Strange Frontier,” where it talks about Skinner Sweet’s former lover, I loved the way that Danijel Zezelj made the artwork a bit brighter than what you would normally see in “American Vampire” and I also loved the way that the characters’ faces are shadowed in which makes them look really dramatic.  The only problem I have with Danijel Zezelji’s artwork is that sometimes it is hard to distinguish the characters’ facial features since it seems like their facial expressions are lumped into one expression as there are barely definite linings on the characters’ faces that could really detail their emotions.  Rafael Albuquerque’s artwork is as usual, brilliantly done as the artwork is scratchy and yet, it fits perfectly for this type of story.  I loved the way that Rafael Albuquerque illustrates the characters’ facial expressions in a dramatic way as I really felt the emotions that the characters were feeling.  Sean Murphy’s artwork in “Survival of the Fittest” was extremely well done as the characters’ faces are shadowed in such a dramatic way and I loved the snow covered landscape when Cash and Felicia came to Romania!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

As with the previous volumes, there is some strong language and gory violence in this volume including people having their heads ripped off and that might be disturbing for anyone who is not a huge fan of gory violence.  As for the strong language, there are many instances where the characters drop the “f” bomb and say the “s” word, so readers might want to skim over those words if they are uncomfortable with reading them.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “American Vampire: Volume Three” is a fantastic volume where using historical context in a fantasy series is used extremely well and anyone who is a huge fan of Scott Snyder’s works will easily enjoy this volume of “American Vampire.”

[BOOK REVIEW] American Vampire Volume 2 by Scott Snyder

Title:  American Vampire Volume 2

Author: Scott Snyder

Artists:  Rafael Albuquerque’s and Mateus Santolouco


Genre: Horror / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 2011


Year Read:  2012


Series: American Vampire #2


Publisher: Vertigo Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Strong Language and Gory Violence)

Brief Introduction:

After reading the first volume of Scott Snyder’s classic graphic novel, “American Vampire,” I just had to check out the second volume to see more adventures from Pearl and Skinner!  So, I finally read “American Vampire: Volume Two” by Scott Snyder (Stephen King is not writing this volume this time) and I was even more amazed at how well this story is getting developed and now I cannot wait to see what will happen to these characters next!

What is the story?

In this volume, there are two stories being told regarding Pearl and Skinner.  In the first story, police chief Cash McCogan starts investigating the murders of the four consortiums who are trying to make money off of building the Hoover Dam and Cash starts to suspect that Skinner might have something to do with the murders.  In the second story, Pearl is married to her sweetheart Henry Preston and while she is worried about being a vampire and how it might affect her relationship with Henry, she will soon discover that her former nemesis is still alive devising a way to get her vengeance on Pearl!

What I loved about this comic:

Scott Snyder’s writing:   What I loved so much about the first volume of “American Vampire” was that Scott Snyder introduced a really creative idea about a vampire being created in America instead of Europe, which really put a huge twist on the mythology of vampires.  In this volume, Scott Snyder has once again woven two brilliant stories about two characters that are vampires and actually goes deep into the characters’ inner feelings about the situations they are thrown in.  I loved the way that Scott Snyder portrayed Skinner Sweet as being a truly threatening villain as he is not shown as your typical tough guy villain, but is shown to be really calculating and tricking anyone to get what he wants, which is what I love to see in any villain.  Scott Snyder’s portrayal of Pearl Preston is wonderfully done as he really shows how Pearl struggles with being a vampire and how it might affect her relationship with Henry, which I really enjoyed seeing the love she shows for Henry and how concern she was for him as she worries about hurting Henry because she is a vampire now.  I also loved the stark difference between Pearl and Skinner’s personalities as Skinner uses his vampire powers to get what he wants while Pearl uses her vampire powers to protect people she cares about and I am thinking that this might be a great set up if Pearl and Skinner decided to fight each other someday.

Rafael Albuquerque’s and Mateus Santolouco’s artwork:  I really enjoyed both Rafael Albuquerque’s and Mateus Santolouco’s artwork as they both brings so much creativity to the stories.  Rafael Albuquerque’s artwork is as usual dark and gritty as the characters are drawn in a scratchy way that really brings out the gritty situations they are thrown in and I also loved the angry and serious expressions on the character’s faces as they are drawn effectively.  Mateus Santolouco’s artwork has a much different feel from Rafael Albuquerque’s artwork as the artwork is much smoother and lighter in color tones whenever they are used in the flashback sequences of the characters talking about their past lives.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

Just like the first volume, this volume has plenty of gory violence (characters being ripped apart and blood gushing out) that might make some readers feel uncomfortable about reading about such violence.  Also, there is some strong language in this volume such as the use of the “f” word that might offend some readers.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “American Vampire: Volume Two” is a fantastic follow up to the first volume and actually has more development on the characters and more unexpected twists for the characters that definitely has me wanting to see more from this series!

[BOOK REVIEW] American Vampire Volume 1 by Scott Snyder and Stephen King

Title:  American Vampire Volume 1

Authors:  Scott Snyder and Stephen King

Artist:  Rafael Albuquerque


Genre: Horror / Action / Adventure


Year Published: 2010


Year Read: 2012


Series: American Vampire #1


Publisher: Vertigo Comics

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Gory Violence and Strong Language)

Brief Introduction:

Now, it is rare that I often read many vampire comics (with the exception of “Fray”), so when I heard so many good things about Scott Snyder and Stephen King’s graphic novel, “American Vampire,” I just had to check it out and boy, was I amazed at how creative and intense this story really was!

What is the story?

In this volume, we are introduced to two separate stories that feature a ruthless outlaw, Skinner Sweet and a young and beautiful actress, Pearl Jones.  Skinner Sweet’s side of the story takes place during the 1880s as we are told about how he became the first American Vampire while Pearl Jones’ side of the story takes place during the 1920s and how she becomes a victim of a vampire attack.

What I loved about this comic:

Scott Snyder and Stephen King’s writing:   Wow! I never thought I would see the day where Scott Snyder and Stephen King was writing the same book together!  Now, I have been a huge fan of Stephen King’s works for many years (enjoying books like “Carrie,” “Pet Sementary” and “The Shining”), but this was the first time that I had ever read a graphic novel written by Stephen King (even though this is technically the first graphic novel written by Stephen King) and boy, was I blown away by the exciting and consistent writing in this volume!  I loved the way that both Scott Snyder and Stephen King created exciting and intense situations for the characters as Scott Snyder writes Pearl Jones’ side of the story while Stephen King writes Skinner Sweet’s side of the story.  Even though Scott Snyder and Stephen King are writing two different stories, the stories just flow so well together as they weave in each other as we are not only hearing about Pearl’s side of the story which takes place in current times, but we are also hearing Skinner’s side of the story since his story takes place in the past and explains the back story about the American Vampire.  This story was so interesting and creative to me because it is rare that I would read a vampire book where the vampire originates in America instead of Europe since most vampire stories originated from Europe.  I really loved the way that Scott Snyder portrayed Pearl Jones as being a strong and independent character that went through a traumatic experience and vows for revenge against her tormentors.  I also loved the way that Stephen King portrayed Skinner Sweet as being a truly ruthless yet mysterious character that was known for killing innocent people with no mercy while going through a frightening transformation that really made him into a deadly foe.

Rafael Albuquerque’s artwork:  Rafael Albuquerque’s artwork may be a bit scratchy and sometimes hard to see, but it fits extremely well with the dark and gritty tone of this story.  I loved the images of the vampires themselves as they have large mouths with pointed teeth that really make them look as frightening as they attack their victims.  I also loved the coloring done by Dave McCaig as the images are colorful and I really loved the scenes of the characters being inside lighted caves as the shadowing of the characters’ forms whenever they are near a fire are extremely dramatic to look at.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this book:

For anyone who does not like strong bloody violence, this volume has plenty scenes of characters being ripped apart and blood gushing everywhere.  Also, there is some strong language in this volume such as the “s” word and the “f” word that might offend some readers who do not like strong language.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “American Vampire: Volume One” is a truly brilliant graphic novel that really deserved all of the praise it got and probably the most creative vampire graphic novel I have ever read since it was rare to read a vampire novel where the vampire actually originated in America instead of Europe.  Fans of vampire stories will definitely enjoy this volume as it cleverly weaves ancient vampire folklore with current situations and now after reading this volume, I am off to read the next volume!