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Batman (2011) #1-3
Batman by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo Box Set 1
The first three volumes of the #1 NEW YORK TIMES best-selling creative team's juggernaut run on the Dark Knight is now available in the BATMAN BY SCOTT SNYDER & GREG CAPULLO BOX SET!
From creating the deadly Gotham City cabal known as the Court of Owls to orchestrating the menacing return of the horrifying JO Snyder and Capullo have made their mark as one of the great duos in Batman's history. Their first three critically acclaimed, award-winning graphic novels--BATMAN VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS, BATMAN VOL. 2: CITY OF OWLS and BATMAN VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY--are featured here in a slipcase edition box set. This new collection is the perfect addition for any hardcore fan, as well as a great jumping-on point to one of the greatest comic book runs of all time.
The BATMAN BY SCOTT SNYDER & GREG CAPULLO BOX SET is a perfect gift idea for the holidays or September 2016's Batman Day!"
From creating the deadly Gotham City cabal known as the Court of Owls to orchestrating the menacing return of the horrifying JO Snyder and Capullo have made their mark as one of the great duos in Batman's history. Their first three critically acclaimed, award-winning graphic novels--BATMAN VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS, BATMAN VOL. 2: CITY OF OWLS and BATMAN VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY--are featured here in a slipcase edition box set. This new collection is the perfect addition for any hardcore fan, as well as a great jumping-on point to one of the greatest comic book runs of all time.
The BATMAN BY SCOTT SNYDER & GREG CAPULLO BOX SET is a perfect gift idea for the holidays or September 2016's Batman Day!"
560 pages, Paperback
Published September 13, 2016
6 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Scott Snyder
1,788 books5,190 followersScott Snyder is the Eisner and Harvey Award winning writer on DC Comics Batman, Swamp Thing, and his original series for Vertigo, American Vampire. He is also the author of the short story collection, Voodoo Heart, published by the Dial Press in 2006. The paperback version was published in the summer of 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 10, 2023
I read the trades in this slipcase back in the day but don't remember much about them. I fell into a pile of Scott Synder Batman trades a while back so it was time for a reread.
This slipcase edition collects Batman #1-17, an Annual, and some odds and ends. Greg Capullo's art is top notch here and Snyder's writing has a horror flavor to it. Batman and the Batman Family take on The Court of Owls and The Joker.
It's a high octane read. The issues are jam packed so it doesn't feel decompressed like a lot of modern books do. Batman repeatedly goes through the wringer, first at the hands of the Court of the Owls and then the Joker.
It's not all Batmobiles and Batarangs, though. There is some shaky logic at times. Batman doesn't believe the Court of the Owls exist because of an investigation he did WHEN HE WAS TWELVE? And Joker is just a little too capable in the third volume.
Other than that, I thought it was great. Since Snyder is inventing a lot of his background material, it's the opposite of Grant Morrison's run in that you don't need a degree in Batmanology to understand everything that's going on. On the flipside, there's not as much crazy shit like Man-Bat Ninjas that Morrison's run has. Anyway, 4 out of 5 stars.
This slipcase edition collects Batman #1-17, an Annual, and some odds and ends. Greg Capullo's art is top notch here and Snyder's writing has a horror flavor to it. Batman and the Batman Family take on The Court of Owls and The Joker.
It's a high octane read. The issues are jam packed so it doesn't feel decompressed like a lot of modern books do. Batman repeatedly goes through the wringer, first at the hands of the Court of the Owls and then the Joker.
It's not all Batmobiles and Batarangs, though. There is some shaky logic at times. Batman doesn't believe the Court of the Owls exist because of an investigation he did WHEN HE WAS TWELVE? And Joker is just a little too capable in the third volume.
Other than that, I thought it was great. Since Snyder is inventing a lot of his background material, it's the opposite of Grant Morrison's run in that you don't need a degree in Batmanology to understand everything that's going on. On the flipside, there's not as much crazy shit like Man-Bat Ninjas that Morrison's run has. Anyway, 4 out of 5 stars.
January 31, 2018
The paper and binding of this version of the New 52 batman run causes the dark colors to bleed together. Compare to a sample chapter on amazon or the original comic or trade paperback.
The paper is cheap fsc.org paper and can't handle the ink so the 3 books were stuck together in the sleeve and had to be peeled apart.
IF you want the best image quality and want to spend less pick up the individual Trade Paperback volumes on Amazon or something. You can get them for 30 to 35 dollars US and this collection set is around the same but the art suffers greatly.
The binding is tight and very poor as well so read it once then prepare for pages to fall out unless you baby it and avoid opening it to much to read stuff in the crease.
The story is great and you should read New 52 batman but I can't recommend these box sets as they are just money saver cash grabs and I say that a true DC fanboy.
The paper is cheap fsc.org paper and can't handle the ink so the 3 books were stuck together in the sleeve and had to be peeled apart.
IF you want the best image quality and want to spend less pick up the individual Trade Paperback volumes on Amazon or something. You can get them for 30 to 35 dollars US and this collection set is around the same but the art suffers greatly.
The binding is tight and very poor as well so read it once then prepare for pages to fall out unless you baby it and avoid opening it to much to read stuff in the crease.
The story is great and you should read New 52 batman but I can't recommend these box sets as they are just money saver cash grabs and I say that a true DC fanboy.
February 4, 2020
Yes. I fell onto a Batman kick again. But mostly that's because I found the entire Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo run for a fairly reasonable price, and reading this will help kill time while I wait for more TOm King Batman comics (the main event, if I can be honest).
This volume of Batman comics were some of the last single issue comics I read before I switched completely over to trade (this might have been the last holdout, to be honest), and I remember coming at it with real excitement. Snyder's Black Mirror arc of Batman is one of the best Batman stories I've ever read, so him coming back and doing a big long run was really exciting and enticing. Snyder even opened up with the Court of Owls storyline, a fantastic, smart, exciting Batman arc... Just so good. That issue where Batman is just stuck in the labyrinth and doped out of his mind. God. So good. smart and clever and clearly a hungry ass pair of creators trying to make excellent comics.
Great stuff. Recommended. If you're looking for Batman comics it's hard to argue a better thing to read if you've already read Black Mirror.
But then you get to the thing that really made me swear off this book. That five issue Joker arc: "Death of the Family."
I remember at the time having a debate with someone about it. The guy was a die-hard Scott Snyder fan, thought the guy could do no wrong. He was the first big DC writer in years, the first one with hunger and promise, and... well... that guy had really questionable taste and would like a thing just because it was a thing and justify it by any means necessary.
My biggest complaint with the Joker story, besides the fact that it's trying a bit to hard to be an iconic, arch Joker story, is that it's just too god damn wordy. I remember it really annoying me at the time, but now that I'm a few years older I think that the way Scott Snyder writes the Joker is borderline unacceptable. Someone get him a god damn editor who will tell him to add some subtext or some brevity, because this is just completely and totally overwritten in the worst of ways. It's not even all bark so much as it is all blather. Why use three words when fifteen will do.
Regardless, I did enjoy it and I am looking forward to getting to the next box set soon. I am mostly wary, though. I spoke to someone yesterday who said that Snyder gets more and more purple and verbose as the run goes on. Fingers crossed it's... at least palatable.
We shall see.
Overall: 3.5 Stars (rounded down)
The Court of Owls: 4 Stars
The City of Owls: 3.5 Stars
Death of the Famiy: 2.5 Stars
This volume of Batman comics were some of the last single issue comics I read before I switched completely over to trade (this might have been the last holdout, to be honest), and I remember coming at it with real excitement. Snyder's Black Mirror arc of Batman is one of the best Batman stories I've ever read, so him coming back and doing a big long run was really exciting and enticing. Snyder even opened up with the Court of Owls storyline, a fantastic, smart, exciting Batman arc... Just so good. That issue where Batman is just stuck in the labyrinth and doped out of his mind. God. So good. smart and clever and clearly a hungry ass pair of creators trying to make excellent comics.
Great stuff. Recommended. If you're looking for Batman comics it's hard to argue a better thing to read if you've already read Black Mirror.
But then you get to the thing that really made me swear off this book. That five issue Joker arc: "Death of the Family."
I remember at the time having a debate with someone about it. The guy was a die-hard Scott Snyder fan, thought the guy could do no wrong. He was the first big DC writer in years, the first one with hunger and promise, and... well... that guy had really questionable taste and would like a thing just because it was a thing and justify it by any means necessary.
My biggest complaint with the Joker story, besides the fact that it's trying a bit to hard to be an iconic, arch Joker story, is that it's just too god damn wordy. I remember it really annoying me at the time, but now that I'm a few years older I think that the way Scott Snyder writes the Joker is borderline unacceptable. Someone get him a god damn editor who will tell him to add some subtext or some brevity, because this is just completely and totally overwritten in the worst of ways. It's not even all bark so much as it is all blather. Why use three words when fifteen will do.
Regardless, I did enjoy it and I am looking forward to getting to the next box set soon. I am mostly wary, though. I spoke to someone yesterday who said that Snyder gets more and more purple and verbose as the run goes on. Fingers crossed it's... at least palatable.
We shall see.
Overall: 3.5 Stars (rounded down)
The Court of Owls: 4 Stars
The City of Owls: 3.5 Stars
Death of the Famiy: 2.5 Stars
August 11, 2022
I’ve read comic books since I was very young, some of my earliest memories include the trips to my local comic book store in Chicago and being amazed at what surrounded me on all the walls. Eventually, I started getting issues of Marvel series in the mail and once I reached my teens, I opened up a subscription box at my local store that I have maintained since then. Through all of that time in my life, there were comics that I liked, but it wasn’t until the arrival of Brightest Day and The New 52 that I found comics that I loved. That love began with the Snyder-Capullo run on Batman and it would change the way I viewed comic books forever.
What this creative team did for the character was largely a revitalization. Up until their start Batman had had moments of real brilliance but very few periods of sustained brilliance, after all, it is very difficult to go for many years on a character without making some missteps. What Mr. Snyder and Mr. Capullo did was strip the titular character down to its barest parts and slowly introduce a series of situations that took Batman into new territory, and it’s absolutely brilliant.
The first story arc contained in this collection, The Court of Owls, Batman essentially finds himself fighting against his own city. He comes to understand that he doesn’t know Gotham nearly as well as he thinks, and it shakes him to his very core. This is best encapsulated, in an issue that is regarded by many as the best of Mr. Snyder’s whole run, when the court traps Batman in a maze and slowly begins to grind away at his sanity. This scene is probably the closest the character has come to losing his mind and it’s a testament to the quality that the reader can come to expect from this series as a whole.
Mr. Snyder, after almost taking away the city from Batman, then threatens to take away his family. This arc, Death of the Family follows the return of the Joker after spending a year away from the city. This time, however, the Joker has come back a changed man, only he’s changed for the worse somehow. In the quest to make Batman face things he’s never faced Mr. Snyder makes the joker truly deranged, even to the point where Harley has become scared of him.
In a lot of Joker stories, the character has some level of charm or a whimsical quality to him. We, the reader, know that he’s insane but he’s also sort of fun, there are certainly stories like The Killing Joke where he’s all insanity, but for the most part he’s been written with that ounce of charm that almost reflects an inner belief to the character that he knows he won't win. None of that applies, however, to the Death of the Family story arc, Joker here is not only all insanity but one could make an argument that there’s an ounce of victory for the Joker. By the end of the story Batman is headed towards killing his arch-nemesis at the end of the story, and it’s highly likely that he goes through with it if Joker doesn’t throw himself off the edge.
These two stories are probably the ones that this creative team are most famous for, Zero Year and Endgame also received a lot of recognition but not nearly the amount that The Court of Owls and Death of the Family did. It’s not hard to see why either, as both arcs are incredible in how they break down both the city of Gotham and the character of Batman. I know that there are people who dislike this particular run of comics, but I genuinely have no clue why. Any argument that I’ve read about why Mr. Snyder’s writing lacks quality doesn’t seem to hold water, so don’t listen to the detractors, it’s genuinely the best creative team that Batman has had in a long time.
The second half of that creative team, Mr. Capullo, is just as good as the writing by the first half. He remains one of the best pencilers in comics to this day and is my personal favorite. He draws Batman in a way that emphasizes his mystery and actually uses his cape to present the character in a shrouded manner at certain points in the story, which is an aspect of his character design that is vastly ignored. All of the secondary characters are really well rendered in a form that’s true to their appearances outside this book. This may sound weird, but it’s the best way that I can think of to describe the art, it’s meaty, and that a choice that really emphasizes the power of the heroes and the dirtiness of the city. Mr. Plascencia’s coloration matches its art appropriately and can be both bright and dark when the scene calls for it.
Of all the New 52 books, this was the only one to have the same creative team from the start of its run until its finish, and that’s only one aspect of it that makes it one of the greatest runs in comic book history. It’s clear that all of the creatives on this book get each other, Mr. Capullo knows exactly how to render the vision Mr. Snyder has and Mr. Plascencia knows exactly how to give the right colors to Mr. Capullo’s pencils. It all meshes together for an incredible end product and if you haven’t read this series yet this collection is the perfect spot to dive in, and I’d be amazed if you don’t want to keep reading once you’ve finished it.
What this creative team did for the character was largely a revitalization. Up until their start Batman had had moments of real brilliance but very few periods of sustained brilliance, after all, it is very difficult to go for many years on a character without making some missteps. What Mr. Snyder and Mr. Capullo did was strip the titular character down to its barest parts and slowly introduce a series of situations that took Batman into new territory, and it’s absolutely brilliant.
The first story arc contained in this collection, The Court of Owls, Batman essentially finds himself fighting against his own city. He comes to understand that he doesn’t know Gotham nearly as well as he thinks, and it shakes him to his very core. This is best encapsulated, in an issue that is regarded by many as the best of Mr. Snyder’s whole run, when the court traps Batman in a maze and slowly begins to grind away at his sanity. This scene is probably the closest the character has come to losing his mind and it’s a testament to the quality that the reader can come to expect from this series as a whole.
Mr. Snyder, after almost taking away the city from Batman, then threatens to take away his family. This arc, Death of the Family follows the return of the Joker after spending a year away from the city. This time, however, the Joker has come back a changed man, only he’s changed for the worse somehow. In the quest to make Batman face things he’s never faced Mr. Snyder makes the joker truly deranged, even to the point where Harley has become scared of him.
In a lot of Joker stories, the character has some level of charm or a whimsical quality to him. We, the reader, know that he’s insane but he’s also sort of fun, there are certainly stories like The Killing Joke where he’s all insanity, but for the most part he’s been written with that ounce of charm that almost reflects an inner belief to the character that he knows he won't win. None of that applies, however, to the Death of the Family story arc, Joker here is not only all insanity but one could make an argument that there’s an ounce of victory for the Joker. By the end of the story Batman is headed towards killing his arch-nemesis at the end of the story, and it’s highly likely that he goes through with it if Joker doesn’t throw himself off the edge.
These two stories are probably the ones that this creative team are most famous for, Zero Year and Endgame also received a lot of recognition but not nearly the amount that The Court of Owls and Death of the Family did. It’s not hard to see why either, as both arcs are incredible in how they break down both the city of Gotham and the character of Batman. I know that there are people who dislike this particular run of comics, but I genuinely have no clue why. Any argument that I’ve read about why Mr. Snyder’s writing lacks quality doesn’t seem to hold water, so don’t listen to the detractors, it’s genuinely the best creative team that Batman has had in a long time.
The second half of that creative team, Mr. Capullo, is just as good as the writing by the first half. He remains one of the best pencilers in comics to this day and is my personal favorite. He draws Batman in a way that emphasizes his mystery and actually uses his cape to present the character in a shrouded manner at certain points in the story, which is an aspect of his character design that is vastly ignored. All of the secondary characters are really well rendered in a form that’s true to their appearances outside this book. This may sound weird, but it’s the best way that I can think of to describe the art, it’s meaty, and that a choice that really emphasizes the power of the heroes and the dirtiness of the city. Mr. Plascencia’s coloration matches its art appropriately and can be both bright and dark when the scene calls for it.
Of all the New 52 books, this was the only one to have the same creative team from the start of its run until its finish, and that’s only one aspect of it that makes it one of the greatest runs in comic book history. It’s clear that all of the creatives on this book get each other, Mr. Capullo knows exactly how to render the vision Mr. Snyder has and Mr. Plascencia knows exactly how to give the right colors to Mr. Capullo’s pencils. It all meshes together for an incredible end product and if you haven’t read this series yet this collection is the perfect spot to dive in, and I’d be amazed if you don’t want to keep reading once you’ve finished it.
July 5, 2023
As a Batman novice, I really enjoyed this collection. It comprised the first three books in Scott Snyder's run in DC's "new 52"series, the stories dark, well-written and gripping. The opening "Court of Owls" arc was especially good, Batman facing off against a shadowy cabal of sinister omnipotent villains who have controlled Gotham for decades. Turns out they have special relevance for Bruce Wayne and his faithful servant Alfred. Batman really suffers at the hands of these terrifically creepy baddies.
The third book featured the Joker's return, together with all the usual suspects to varying degrees (Penguin, Riddler, Mr Freeze, Harvey "Two Face"). There were good moments but it didn't match the Owls story for me. The finale goes on forever with a lot of 'bad guy monologuing'. Some the art (not by Capullo) was a bit campy & cartoony and I wasn't familiar with some of Batman's extended family of helpers. The Joker works best as a "special guest star" and was in danger of outstaying his welcome here.
The tone and aesthetic was consistent throughout, in keeping with the recent movies: serious, action-packed and grounded. I hope the Court of Owls make an appearance on the big screen. Capullo's art was top quality but the palette was a little too dark at times and some of the action scenes confusing: important details are often featured in tiny panels. One scene with Batman on his bike featuring a train & helicopter made little sense to this reader, despite re-reading it.
I have the next books lined up already and hope this promising start is maintained. Nice presentation (glossy trade paperbacks in a classy slip case box) but I note the third and final set seems a rarity, so overpriced accordingly. Pity, the completist in me wants that piece in the jigsaw.
The third book featured the Joker's return, together with all the usual suspects to varying degrees (Penguin, Riddler, Mr Freeze, Harvey "Two Face"). There were good moments but it didn't match the Owls story for me. The finale goes on forever with a lot of 'bad guy monologuing'. Some the art (not by Capullo) was a bit campy & cartoony and I wasn't familiar with some of Batman's extended family of helpers. The Joker works best as a "special guest star" and was in danger of outstaying his welcome here.
The tone and aesthetic was consistent throughout, in keeping with the recent movies: serious, action-packed and grounded. I hope the Court of Owls make an appearance on the big screen. Capullo's art was top quality but the palette was a little too dark at times and some of the action scenes confusing: important details are often featured in tiny panels. One scene with Batman on his bike featuring a train & helicopter made little sense to this reader, despite re-reading it.
I have the next books lined up already and hope this promising start is maintained. Nice presentation (glossy trade paperbacks in a classy slip case box) but I note the third and final set seems a rarity, so overpriced accordingly. Pity, the completist in me wants that piece in the jigsaw.
March 16, 2020
This was a great read with excellent art to go along with.
Wonderful stories that meteor me on the edge, residually when depicting Batman mental state in court of owls and the Joker's madness in death of the family. The second one Keely me constantly on the edge.
Why 4 stars you may ask... Well the edition, the print is very low budget, thin paper that got wavey like wet almost instantly, the second and third books covers vere stuck together, and 4 pages in book one were glued upside down.
NOTE: I wouldn't recommend this edition for collectors
Wonderful stories that meteor me on the edge, residually when depicting Batman mental state in court of owls and the Joker's madness in death of the family. The second one Keely me constantly on the edge.
Why 4 stars you may ask... Well the edition, the print is very low budget, thin paper that got wavey like wet almost instantly, the second and third books covers vere stuck together, and 4 pages in book one were glued upside down.
NOTE: I wouldn't recommend this edition for collectors
September 4, 2019
Contiene The court of owls, The city of owls y Death of the family.
Personalmente la segunda historia no me pareció que tuviera una premisa desarrollada de una manera que me pudiera llamar lo suficiente la atención. Casi la leí por mero compromiso, aunque daré la oportunidad de releerla algún día para descartar que haya estado emocionalmente distraído como para poder haberla disfrutado con naturaleza.
Personalmente la segunda historia no me pareció que tuviera una premisa desarrollada de una manera que me pudiera llamar lo suficiente la atención. Casi la leí por mero compromiso, aunque daré la oportunidad de releerla algún día para descartar que haya estado emocionalmente distraído como para poder haberla disfrutado con naturaleza.
July 9, 2017
Best works I've read of Snyder. Capullos art as awesome as always.
January 4, 2018
Personally i think this is the best batman story that was made in this decade, the marriage between the story and the art is just perfect
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews