Batman #8

DC's new Bat-Family summer crossover begins here. The Court of Owls story explodes into other Bat-titles as "Night of the Owls" finds several Talons sent to assassinate Gotham's most prestigious citizens - including Bruce Wayne.

With Batman busy fending off the killers sent after his alter-ego, Alfred sends out a distress call to all members of the Bat-Family (Nightwing, Red Robin, the Red Hood, Batgirl, the Birds of Prey) with a list of the Court of Owls' targets.

Although I've been lukewarm on Scott Snyder's Court of Owls stories the past few months, now with the Talons unleashed on the city and several more Bat-folk looking to show up in the coming months, things certainly seem to have picked up in a hurry.

The structure of the book is a little odd as the first half is written by Snyder with art by regular Greg Capullo. However, the second-half of the story, drawn by Rafael Albuquerque, has a completely different look (which still works, although not quite as well). Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]