
Each week, Big Issues focuses on a newly released comic book issue of significance. This week itâs Batman #10. Written by Scott Snyder (American Vampire, Swamp Thing) and drawn by Greg Capullo (Spawn, Haunt), itâs the penultimate installment in âThe Court Of Owlsâ epic, featuring a shocking reveal that adds an exciting new layer to the Batman mythology. Beware: many spoilers ahead.
Scott Snyder and Greg Capulloâs Batman is remarkable for several reasons: The book has sustained a single mystery for 10 issues, anchored a small-scale, high-quality crossover, and is one of the only books of the New 52 that has held the same creative team for its entire run. âThe Court Of Owlsâ storyline has produced a legitimate threat to Batmanâs reign over Gotham City, and Batman #10 reveals just how deeply connected the Court is to Bruce Wayne and his family. More than any other writer currently at DC, Snyder understands the emotional motivations for his characters. He knows what theyâre trying to accomplish with their lives and makes it as hard as possible for them to achieve it. Thatâs where the horror comes from: the charactersâ inability to thrive in a world that is constantly working to tear them down.
Over the course of the last 10 issues, the Court Of Owls has been chipping away at Bruce Wayneâs resolve, showing him that the Gotham City he claimed to know so well holds more secrets than he could ever expect. Dick Graysonâs historical connection to the Court helped the Owls weaken the Bat-family, and the unveiling of the plotâs diabolical mastermind adds a new layer of personal investment for Bruce Wayne. Itâs not easy to elicit a genuine reaction of shock from long-time superhero-comic readers, but it was tough to see this issueâs curveball coming, even though itâs obvious in hindsight.

After tracking down the Court and discovering theyâve all been poisoned, apparently at their own hands, Bruce figures out the final piece of the puzzle while looking at a painting of his parents. Like the penultimate issue of Snyderâs 11-part âThe Black Mirrorâ in Detective Comics last year, Batman #10 is when all the threads come together for our hero. These clarification issues showcase Snyderâs plotting expertise; he lays out the clues in a way that makes sense, yet somehow flew under the readerâs radar initially. When Bruce spots a heart-shaped pin on his motherâs blouse in the painting, he remembers the story told to him by his friend and mayoral candidate Lincoln March back in #2. Lincoln lost both his parents in a car accident, and one of the last things he remembers about his mother is a lopsided heart-shaped pin, his equivalent to the string of pearls that haunt Bruce. When Batman goes to the morgue to check on Lincolnâs bodyâkilled by a Talon in the previous issueâhe finds a note asking, âFollow me down the rabbit hole?â
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The rabbit hole is Willowwood Home for Children, the decrepit childrenâs hospital where Lincoln grew up. It turns out heâs still alive after taking the serum that revived the Talons, has killed the rest of the Court, and is ready to take down Bruce Wayne: his big brother. The âIâm your brother!â reveal might sound too soap opera for the Dark Knight, but Snyder has done such solid work setting up the big twist that itâs surprising and satisfying. The idea that Bruce has a little brother he didnât know about is incomprehensible to him, and he refuses to answer Lincoln as he repeats that signature owl question, âWho?â The worldâs greatest detective isnât able to solve this one, and Lincoln triumphantly declares his true identity: Thomas Wayne, Jr.
Born prematurely after his mother was in a Court-initiated car accident on the corner of Lincoln and March, baby Thomas was secretly kept in Willowwood to recover. It was during this time that his parents were shot in Crime Alley, and he was taken in by the Court Of Owls, setting him on a path of vengeance that ends with him face-to-face with his brother. Thomas Wayne, Jr. has appeared in DC Comics before, but as an alternate reality anti-Batman named Owlman. His appearance in âThe Court Of Owls,â makes perfect sense considering the nature of Batmanâs foes, and Snyder has been drawing comparisons between Bruce and Lincoln since the beginning. I remember thinking the two men looked too similar in the early issues, but that was Greg Capullo drawing the men to look like brothers. Lincoln is the first person to tell Bruce about the ancient and powerful evil that is rising in Gotham in #2, and in that same scene, Lincoln talks about how he also lost his parents as a boy, sharing that crucial piece of information about his motherâs pin. Lincoln is there when Bruce first encounters a Talon, and even the name of the Courtâs assassin calls back to Owlman: Talon was the name of Owlmanâs Robin-like sidekick in the former continuity.

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Snyder is keeping quiet on whether Thomas Wayne, Jr. is the real deal or if heâs just another brainwashed pawn of the Court, but this issueâs backup story suggests that Bruceâs little brother is telling the truth. The intense second part of âThe Fall Of The House Of Wayneâ by Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Snyderâs American Vampire collaborator Rafael Albuquerque details the events that led to Thomasâ premature birth, showing just how connected the Court is to the history of the Wayne family. Tynionâs work on these backups has me excited for his just-announced Talon series, starring a Court of Owls assassin trying to redeem himself for past sins, and Rafael Albuquerque should do a full arc on this title in the future.
Greg Capullo turns in consistently excellent work that strikes the same balance of superhero action and character-driven horror as Snyderâs scripts. Compared to a lot of the other old-school Image artists working at DC right now, Capullo has a stronger ability to capture a distinct tone in his artwork. Thereâs an emphasis on clear storytelling instead of flashy visuals, although he has no problem turning out dynamic splash pages. After next monthâs finale, Capullo gets his first break from Batman when Becky Cloonan steps in for a one-shot story in #12. The array of talent that has joined Snyder during his time with Dick and Bruce is remarkable, and DC recognizes that they have a good thing going with Scott Snyderâs Batman. With The Dark Knight Rises set to blow up at the box office, itâs refreshing to see the publisher doing its best to make sure thereâs a Batman comic that is not only accessible to new readers, but one of the best titles on the market.