Batman #8

Didn't this happen at the end of Beauty and the Beast?

I saved reading Batman #8 until I read Nightwing #8 because Nightwing's cover says "Night of the Owls Prelude" and Batman's cover says "Night of the Owls Begins." But Nightwing's comic begins at 7:40 PM on the Night of the Owls and Batman's begins at 7:01 PM on the Night of the Owls! So once again, I failed to figure out the proper order in which to read these stupid comics. I believe I have a 100% failure rate for figuring out which comic comes first. But I think only one time was it not my fault and that's when I didn't read the Next Month in Superboy blurb very carefully. The rest of the time, DC has made it seem exactly opposite the way the comics should be read. Perhaps if I was reading the To Build Worlds bullshit at the end of each comic, it would become clearer. But that thing is full of spoilers so fuck that. DC, you need to start numbering your cross-overs on the cover the way Suicide Squad did way back when they crossed over with Checkmate.

So Batman begins at 7:01. I suppose by 7:40, the Talon Willam Cobb will come back to life, head on over to Nightwing #8, and mortally wound Dick Grayson. But there's still 39 minutes before that happens. Let's see what takes place!

Bruce Wayne is still feeling insecure after his ambush by the Court of Owls. It's as if a lover he thought he knew intimately had been married to another all along and Bruce just found out that he was Gotham's other woman. Batman was the whore on Gotham's arm all this time. The Court of Owls have been Gotham's partner for at least a century before Batman even existed. And now he's pouting and upset.

I've never seen Batman so thrown by something before. But this is the perfect story line to show Batman confused and bewildered and emotional. One of the great things about this story arc is how Snyder began the entire run of the comic by making a Gotham a distinct character in the play. And now it's as if Gotham has betrayed him and he doesn't know where to turn. Dick Grayson tried to talk some sense into him last issue and Dick was absolutely right. Gotham is not Batman and Batman is not Gotham. Bruce needs to extricate himself from that bond if he's going to be able to pull himself out of this.

Alfred comes in to help Bruce. Bruce thinks Alfred is trying to help metaphorically and emotionally but Alfred knows his role better than the lot of them and he really is just trying to make sure that medically and physically, Bruce gets better. That's not to say Alfred isn't good at all the emotional and psychological stuff too!

Now give him an adult backrub, Alfred!

Alfred and Bruce hear a thump on the roof as they speak. Bruce sends Alfred down to the Batcave to monitor the system's surveillance and report to Bruce via his Info-Lens and Earpiece. Unbeknownst to Alfred, a Talon follows him down into the Batcave as Bruce confronts the owl in the attic.

Batman takes out the first Talon. At least for a moment. But his troubles are only mounting.

Why so many Talons to take out one man? Do they need information from Wayne to find the other people that Alfred warns Nightwing they're going to assassinate? Is Wayne Manor just the starting point for some reason? They knew Nightwing was Dick Grayson so perhaps they know Batman is Bruce Wayne?

Bruce leads the Talons to the roof of Wayne Manor (just like the cover depicts! Surprise!)! That's because he had a special escape chute installed in the chimney that pops open when a button is pressed (probably keyed to his fingerprint). It closes and locks behind him as he drops down, leaving the Talons up on the roof.

Okay, they didn't know about Batman. Until now. Does Batman mind killing people that actually died a long time ago and are only being kept alive by some weird alchemical mysticism?

Now Batman only has to deal with the single Talon that followed Alfred into the Batcave. Oh, and William Cobb Talon which still needs to come back to life to go get Nightwing. That guy is down here as well. Hopefully Alfred brought his shotgun so he can be of some use. Although what they really need is a Mr. Freeze Gun. Does Batman have a souvenir one of those?

See the giant penny? Alfred topples it on to the Talon, pinning it. Bruce removes the creature's claw which looks like it houses a Pip-Boy. And then Bruce and Alfred are on the run again as the rest of the talons flood into the cave. And, well, it looks like they did know the Bruce Wayne/Batman secret! And if they know, then a whole shitload of secret society Court of Owls people know! Man, why even bother with the secret identity anymore!

Alfred and Bruce take refuge in the armory. Batman pulls a microdrive out of the Talon's Pip-Boy and Alfred gets to work pulling information out of it. You know, that information that he gives Nightwing in the Night of the Owls PRELUDE! Stupid DC. Oh yeah, when the Talon's invaded the cave, they cut the freezing solution wired into William Cobb. So that's how he escaped!

Batman comes up with a plan!

And that plan mostly consists of kicking asses.

That's the end of Part One of Night of the Owls. I'm not sure if many of the other issues tell any kind of linear plot or if it will just be a bunch of random heroes fighting Talons in their own individual comics. I'll probably find out soon since I've got Detective Comics #9 Night of the Owls by master storyteller Tony Daniel sitting here as well as Batwing #9 Night of Owls by master of reality television and friend of Pedro Judd Winick (whose Massacre story line ended really nicely so I'm going to put making fun of Judd on hiatus for a bit!).

But before digging into those comics, Batman has become a $3.99 comic this month! It now has a back-up story! I don't know if this will be permanent. If so, DC seems to have decided to stop "Holding the Line at $2.99!" Because only one of the six cancelled titles was a $3.99 comic and at least two of the new six are $3.99 (Earth-2 and G.I. Combat). Which means my comic book costs just went up $3! I mean, $2.25 because of my comic book store discount! Anyway, on to the back-up story.

Oh! The back-up story continues the main story but with a different artist.

Still not caught up to the Prelude in Nightwing #8!

This story just focuses on Alfred discovering the list of people who the Talon are planning on assassinating. Alfred puts out the call to all of the Bat-Allies in Gotham and sends them a list of the people who need protection.

Who is going to have to protect The Penguin?!

That's pretty much that! And now I have to guess which Night of the Owls Comic to read next? It probably doesn't matter.

Batman Issue #8 Rating: No change. It's #1! What more do you want?