Batman #1
Batman #1 (RW Uitgeverij, 2014), published in Dutch as Het Hof der Uilen, marks the first collected Dutch-language edition of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's inaugural New 52 Batman arc — the storyline that introduced the Court of Owls and their assassins the Talons, entirely new additions to Batman's rogues gallery with no prior comics history. As the opening chapter of what DC's New 52 relaunched as its flagship Batman title, the arc redrew Gotham City's mythology at its roots, embedding a centuries-old secret society into the Wayne family's own history and forcing Bruce Wayne to confront the limits of everything he thought he knew about his city. The Court of Owls rapidly escaped the printed page, inspiring the 2015 animated film Batman vs. Robin, a prominent arc in the live-action Gotham TV series, and the central story of the 2022 video game Gotham Knights — a measure of how thoroughly Snyder and Capullo's creation embedded itself in Batman's broader cultural identity. For Dutch readers, this hardcover omnibus edition was the first opportunity to encounter that landmark run in their own language, making it both a gateway into the New 52 era and a key artifact of the international reach of DC's 2011 relaunch.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
RW Uitgeverij — the Dutch arm of the Italian publisher RW Edizioni — operates as a translation imprint releasing DC Comics material exclusively in collected hardcover omnibus format rather than individual periodical issues. The publisher launched its Batman album line in 2013, and Het Hof der Uilen appeared in 2014 as the first volume of a New 52 Batman sub-series, collecting the original DC Batman (Vol. 2) issues #1–7 (September 2011 – May 2012), written by Scott Snyder with interior art by Greg Capullo and inks by Jonathan Glapion. Those source issues went to multiple printings in the US — reflecting the arc's immediate critical and commercial success — before being gathered into this Dutch hardcover edition, which Dutch strip reviewers greeted enthusiastically upon its mid-2014 release.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published in 2014 by RW Uitgeverij (RW Lion), the Dutch affiliate of Italian DC Comics licensee RW Edizioni, under the title Het Hof der Uilen (The Court of Owls).
- Collects the original DC Comics Batman (Vol. 2) #1–7 (September 2011 – May 2012), the debut arc of writer Scott Snyder and penciller Greg Capullo on the New 52 Batman title, inked by Jonathan Glapion.
- Contains the first appearances of the Court of Owls — Gotham City's ancient shadow-cabal — and their reanimated assassins, the Talons, both entirely new creations by Snyder and Capullo.
- Also contains the first appearance of Lincoln March, a Gotham mayoral candidate whose true identity becomes a central mystery of the storyline.
- Published as a hardcover omnibus edition; consistent with RW Uitgeverij's house policy of releasing only collected editions, not individual periodical issues.
- The collected story arc leads directly into the 2012 crossover Night of the Owls and subsequently spawned a dedicated Talon ongoing series at DC Comics.
- The Court of Owls has since been adapted across multiple media: the 2015 DC animated film Batman vs. Robin, the live-action Gotham television series (also 2015), and the 2022 video game Gotham Knights.
- The same source material has been reprinted in numerous international formats, including Batman Unwrapped: The Court of Owls (2014), Absolute Batman: The Court of Owls (2015/2016), Batman Noir: The Court of Owls (2018), and Batman: The Court of Owls Saga DC Essential Edition (2018).
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↩ Reprints Batman #1 (2011), Batman #2 (2011), Batman #3 (2012), Batman #4 (2012), Batman #5 (2012), Batman #6 (2012), Batman #7 (2012)
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