Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo launch the Bat-Family's most exciting event in years with Batman #8, and believe me, you don't want to miss it.
It should come as no surprise that this is another fantastic issue of Snyder and Capullo's Batman. The two have really been writing a story to remember since they began on the book with issue number one, and this issue shows no signs of their stellar run slowing down. Quite the opposite actually.
After failing to kill Bruce Wayne twice(technically once since the second attempted assassination was on Batman, not Bruce Wayne)the Court of Owls send quite a large number of Talons to assault Wayne Manor. The issue consists of an out-of-costume Bruce Wayne attempting to hold off the Talons for as long as he can. Seeing as that one lone Talon was able to give Bats a run for his money, an entire army of them should be able to handle Bruce pretty easily, right?
After several issues teasing the power of the Court, and Batman's struggle within their labyrinth, its time for Snyder and Capullo to shift this story into high-gear. No more games or subtlety, now its all-out war. Bruce gets ambushed by a number of Talons and, as expected, he can't beat them all. He puts up a good fight, but has to resort to retreating into the cave to form a better plan of attack.
In the process, there's a really entertaining series of sequences as Bruce tries to ward off the Talons. From Bruce taking on one Talon mano-a-mano to fighting his way across the rooftop of Wayne Manor as the Talons close in, this issue is thoroughly entertaining.
The writing is fast-paced and thrilling, with some genuinely chilling moments such as a Talon pursuing Alfred in the Cave. Speaking of Alfred, him and Bruce get some great moments here as the two have to work together to survive this one.
Capullo's art gives me another reason to praise this book. I love his attention to detail when illustrating each Talon; they each look like they came out of a different era and are each brandishing unique armor and weaponry. The panel featuring the Talons gliding through the cave is also noteworthy.
The back-up story isn't really a back-up story so much as a continuation of the issue with a different artist. Its not bad, but does take some of the momentum after the spectacular final page drawn by Capullo.
Overall, not quite as fantastic as the previous issues, and the back-up feels tacked-on, but still the best book on the stands.
9.5/10