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A new saga emerges from the Court of Owls! Read the review of Talon RIGHT NOW!
Talon #0
Written by James Tynion &
Scott Snyder
Art by Guillem March
Out of the pages of the “Court of Owls” James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder present Talon, a welcome addition to the DC Universe.
In this first issue we are introduced to Calvin Rose a tormented boy who feels trapped; to be locked in a cage is a death sentence. He has this essential need to escape that never leaves him as he becomes a man. Calvin tirelessly breaks out of the kennel his father locked him in. As a boy he learned to think his way out cages, by finding his sense of calm and looking for weaknesses. That is the key difference between Calvin and the “Court of Owls”. He isn’t a killer, he’s an escape artist. Calvin wasn’t born to be a hired thug for some misguided cult. He is too methodical for a life so meaningless.
James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder have created possibly the most psychologically damaged costumed hero since the Bat-Man. Through trial and error he realizes they are making a monster out of him. There is a beautiful moment where Calvin rips out the throat of his predecessor and contemplates what he has done. The very thought of the corpse drives a shivering pain into his stomach. He eventually rationalizes his actions as a necessary evil.
It isn’t until he is faced with the task of murdering a young mother and her two year old, that he abandons any loyalty he had to the Court. He is foolishly hunted down and locked in the trunk of a submerged vehicle. Proving once again there isn’t a death defying trap he can’t escape.
Talon #0 is the perfect example of what the New 52 should be. It’s the new ideas that will have a lasting impression on the DC Universe. Not rehashing origin stories or gimmicky romances. As fans we should be embracing new developments in comics. Hopefully in 73 years we will still be talking about Calvin Rose.
Although I would have preferred if Greg Capullo continued depicting the Court of Owls, I found Guillem March’s gritty artwork quite appropriate. It perfectly captures a man living on the edge purely because of circumstance. Guillem gives us a man, who still feels like a tormented boy locked in a kennel. Just as Bruce Wayne never drifts too far from the boy who witnessed his parents being shot neither should Calvin Rose.
Rating: 5/5
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