Broken and beaten, Bruce Wayne has retreated from Gotham City - the city of Owls - to Wayne Manor. But no place is safe, because the Court is about to strike at the heart of city, and nothing will ever be the same. Be there for the start of the battle for Gotham City’s soul…and the prelude to “The Night of the Owls.” And in the first chapter of a new backup story, learn the secret history of The Court of Owls - as well as the secrets of Gotham City and the Wayne family.

Batman #8 will feature the first of a series of back-up stories exploring the dark history of the Court of Owls, the mysterious and malevolent secret society wreaking havoc upon Gotham City in the ongoing series.

The back-ups will bring together the fan-favorite writer/artist pairing of Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque, whose ongoing collaboration on American Vampire has made the critically acclaimed title one of the iconic series of the Vertigo line. James Tynion IV will co-write with Snyder.

These back-up stories will continue to reveal more about the Court’s sinister agenda as we move toward “The Night of The Owls” - a massive crossover event coming in May, which will span the Bat-books and reveal the full breadth of their master plan. With their claws sunk into Gotham history, the Owls represent a threat unlike anything Batman’s faced before, threatening to tip the city’s balance of power once and for all….