Graphic Novel Reviews: Talon 008

The Story

Casey and Sarah are captured by the Court. When Calvin is brought back to life they are used to force him to do the Court's bidding. The first task they send him on is taking out the Talon currently allied with the Birds of Prey.

The Review
There's a strange realm where plot events are predictable but still satisfying. This issue falls into that realm. I think the main reason I'm not pulling out the, "Psha! I called that months ago!" card is because I'm genuinely interested to see what happens next. It's a big shift from the status quo of the book, and where we go from here will be very intersting. I'm not a fan that I'll have to buy Birds of Prey to get the next part, but I will do it just so I can see Calvin playing the role of the villain. That last page has me really excited to see what happens next. I don't usually put much importance in the whole "I want to see these characters fight" mentality. But I really, really want to see him fight the Birds of Prey.

I did feel that the Butcher was a bit...weird. I know he's meant to be monstrous, but the way he's drawn this issue makes him look less like a large murderer and more like a distant cousin of Venom. I guess it works, it just requires switching my brain over from "realistic Batman" to "fantastical Batman" mode. I know the Butcher has always been big, but for some reason he seemed unreasonably big this time around.

Bane's invasion should be a lot of fun, though I expect another crossover event. I'm of two minds there. On the one hand I read most of the Bat Books anyway. Then again modern crossovers are unwieldly things that tend to satisfy a lot less than they once did. Still, it's Bane, his invasion of Gotham deserves the big treatment. To see it begin in the pages of Talon gives this book a level of legitimacy that it didn't have before in relation to the other Bat Books. And so far this version of Bane is one of the better representations we've gotten in the past few years.

Talon is a great book because it can be enjoyed mostly apart from the main continuity of the Bat Books, without some of the issues plaguing those books, while at the same time giving that familiar vibe that fans of Batman are looking for. If you haven't read it yet, pick up the back issues and get caught up because this is a book worth following.

The Grade

4/5