Talon #0

by lucstclair on September 28, 2012

Calvin Rose is an ex-assassin & escape artist known as a Talon, it’s a life he thought he left behind, but the Court Of Owls doesn’t forgive and they sure as hell don’t forget. A new title from the pages of Batman : The Court Of Owls!

The Team

Written by Scott Snyder (Severed, Batman : The Black Mirror, American Vampire), James Tynion IV, illustrated by Guillem March (Huntress : Crossbow At The Crossroads, Catwoman Vol. 2 : Dollhouse) & coloured by Tomeu Morey. Published by DC Comics

The Pros

Now here’s a title that completely took me by surprise, I didn’t know what to expect, quite frankly, know one did, but it delivered in spades. Hot from the pages of Batman (The New 52) comes a story of an ex-Talon who just can’t seem to escape his past, even though he’s an escape artist. If you’re unfamiliar with the Talons, allow me to bring you up to speed. Based in Gotham City, they’re a secret society of assassins known as Talons who take orders from The Court Of Owls, who up until recently have remained hidden from Gothamites for a hundred years. They managed to assassinate a few Gotham officials, but eventually Batman brought them down and it nearly destroyed him (See Batman : The Court of Owls TPB (The New 52).

In this story, Calvin Rose used to be their top operative, but fled to try and have a normal life away from The Court. Raised as an abused child, The Court of Owls took him in and vigorously trained him to be their weapon. But a specific mission made him question his masters and forced him to quit the society. Writer Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV deliver a nice intro to what I think, will become a rather fascinating character in the long run. It’s a perfectly paced story with plenty of action that will satisfy any Batman fan. Besides Mister Miracle, I don’t know any other escape artists in the DC Universe, so that’s definitely a plus.

Illustrator Guillem March is on familiar ground here, having pencilled for other costumed heroes & vigilantes who prowl the night, like Catwoman & Huntress. His slick style and use of panels are quite impressive and his twist on Calvin’s Talon uniform kicks ass (cover only). Having your protagonist jumping rooftops in Gotham will no doubt attract the attention of a certain caped crusader, not to mention some of his rogue galleries to, I look forward to that story.