What needs to be understood first, is that writing is everything. dozens upon dozens of people have written batman comics published by DC for decades now, and the trick is to find a writer that does it well. you want someone who can cleverly present a story-arch, yet still have unexpected twists that allow you to really be blown away at time. you want a writer that can show character development overtime. someone that really understands their character's psyche is important for them to be able to write that character well. i feel like comic writers are not as well respected or admired as novelists, or other types of writers, because people tend to look down on comics, i've found. really developing characters is the same in all mediums of writing. the only difference with comics, is that instead of descriptive text to lay out your scene, there are detailed drawings for the reader to take in. the inner monologues are still there; the dialogue is still there, and it is just as strong, if not more so, because the writer need not be hampered down with saying "and the batcave looked like this..." because the drawings are there.
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| for the record, it looks like this. :) |
there are multiple excellent writers overtime, that have penned truly legendary batman story arcs. Some by single writers, others through collaborations. The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween, Knightfall, Year One, Hush, A Death in the Family, are all legendary batman story arcs that deserve recognition. and now a new and worthy addition is what is currently being produced: The Court of Owls.
The court of owls story arc is by a writer named Scott Snyder, who is very new to the comic writing industry. He originally didn't write comics, but rather did a series of short stories called Voodoo Heart, that got the attention of the writing community, and earned him praise for the 2007 Best American Short Stories list. these were lauded by Stephen King. Snyder also teaches writing at Columbia University, & New York University. So clearly, he is a writer first and foremost. that is what has set him up to be a truly engaging, and arguably best writer i have read in comics, and fiction in general. He has written relatively little in the comic world, and yet made a huge impact thus far. His first real foray was in 2010 with an originally created piece of work called American Vampire.
This is still and ongoing series being printed by Vertigo Comics, which allows for much more creative licensing than DC or Marvel, because it is a smaller printing organization (although still owned by DC). "Its books are marketed to a sophisticated audience, and may contain graphic violence, substance abuse, frank (but not explicit) depictions of sexuality, profanity, and controversial subjects." all this just gives the writer more ability to write whatever they want, to create the best story possible. The success of this spurred DC Comics to trust him to their Batman line, specifically Detective Comics. This is where he created his first batman story arc, called the Black Mirror. this is what converted me to him as a writer. this specific batman story revolves around when Dick Grayson was batman. it shows a mastery of his character's flaws and emotions, which is arguable more difficult for a character more multifaceted as Grayson, as opposed to Bruce Wayne.
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| This is dick grayson in a page from the Black Mirror storyline. |
He then worked with a fellow writer, and as it turns out, frequent collaborator, Kyle Higgins to produce Gates of Gotham. this 5 comics limited series explored the history of Gotham, which was intentionally setting up the New 52 storylines that they would be writing.
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| this also centered on Dick Grayson, and these two writer's collaboration really primes Higgins to take on the ongoing Nightwing series. |
Snyder is now is charge of the ongoing Batman series produced by DC Comics, and it is consistently getting the best reviews, and one of highest sales of any comics currently out.
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| these are sales for ALL of 2011. i'd like to note that 9 of the top 10 best selling comics all year last year were DC, and were published on or after August. really impressive numbers. |
the Batman title that he is writing revolves around batman battling the mysterious court of owls, which are trying to claim that they are the real legend of gotham, and that batman is nothing more than a blip on their centuries old existence. the way that Snyder is able to get into Batman's psyche is almost unparalleled in scope, and shows a complete understanding of the character. his ability to work Nightwing (dick grayson) into his narrative further shows his previous work, and now he is able to explore the dynamic between the two. having Kyle Higgins writing the ongoing Nightwing book helps, because as relieved in Batman #7, the two have been working together and secretly intertwining their stories since the start of the New 52!
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| This is in issue #2 of the current ongoing Batman title. Batman is confident, as he should be. he's the goddamn batman! |
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| by issue #5 this has happened. the Court has broken the Bat mentally, which is no easy task. being able to read this story unfold has been a true joy. |
The revelations in Batman #7 & Nightwing #7 lead into DC's first big crossover event in their New 52. DC comics is trusting Snyder's storyline of the Court of Owls to no less than 12 ongoing titles. it is sure to be a really fun event to see the Owls attacking all those connected to Batman. I am more excited for this event than any movie or tv series could elicit from me.
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| a cover for just one of the tie-in books that relates to the Court of Owls. somehow Mr. Freeze is involved?! |
comics are cheap. $3-4 a month for each new one. most people can afford $3 a month to read this batman title. and the only one i am buying is batman. you don't have to buy anything else to understand this story arc, just the single batman comic will suffice. the others are just fun tie-ins that show how the Court is attacking all of gotham, not just batman. these all come out in May, and i have a feeling i will be buying them all... i just can't say enough how much i think people would enjoy reading this current batman title. go buy it! or, wait until May when they are taking the first 7 and selling them as a collected bundle. i want that, but really can't justify it since i've got all the individual comics... oh well. :D
You convinced me :)
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