A Joker virus has overtaken Gotham City and Batman just found out that his greatest enemy may be an immortal being that has haunted Gotham since its early days, two suitably cataclysmic events for an arc titled “Endgame.” Writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo have regularly put the Dark Knight through nigh-apocalyptic scenarios during their tenure on Batman, but this current storyline has devastated Batman so thoroughly that he has to turn to the Court Of Owls, the villains of Snyder and Capullo’s first arc, for help in stopping Joker’s reign of terror.
There’s a nice symmetry in bringing the Court back into play for the final chapters of “Endgame,” which feels like a conclusion to the saga Snyder and Capullo have been building since the beginning of the New 52. Threads from all of the team’s past stories have come back into play, and as “Endgame” wraps up, the creators have returned to where they started—with wealthy Gothamites in creepy owl masks.
It’s uncertain what the direction of Batman will be following DC’s “Convergence” event, but hopefully the creative team stays in place. Snyder and Capullo are confirmed to return, but there’s been no word on inker Danny Miki and colorist FCO Plascencia, who have been essential parts of this book’s visual appeal. Miki brings sleek definition to Capullo’s crisp, dynamic artwork, and Plascencia’s expressive palette has made Gotham City a surprisingly colorful environment (similar to what Brian Buccellato is doing over in Detective Comics). They’re one of DC’s most consistent art teams, and the publisher shouldn’t mess with a good thing as it prepares for post-“Convergence” Batman.