The wait is over, and the war for Gotham City is about to begin. Pitting Batman and the extended Bat-family against the Court of Owls and their sinister agents, the long-awaited “Night of the Owls” crossover kicks off this week.

A shadowy secret society with deathless assassins known as Talons to execute its malevolent will, the Court has roots that reach back into Gotham’s deep past – and now this cadre of killers has mounted an all-out assault to exert its influence on the city’s present. It’s the Court of Owls versus the Allies of the Bat to determine once and for all who will rule the shadows of Gotham City.

BATMAN writer Scott Snyder discusses the battle that’s about to begin, and how one night in Gotham can reflect the city’s storied past.

"Night of the Owls is here, and it's about time."

I think that's what a lot us on team Batman have been feeling these last few days. Because for us, this is the moment - the moment we've been excitedly working on and building towards for months. This is it, and now it's really here! This is the night when the Court of Owls makes its move, sending close to 60 Talons out into the skies of Gotham, each with a deadly mission designed to help bring the city to its knees. Of course, the missions will also bring the Talons crashing into conflict with almost every member of the Bat-family, and even though this whole story takes place on one single night, for many of Gotham's heroes, these clashes will have terrifying consequences that linger long after Gotham's fate is decided.

"Night of the Owls is here, and it's about time."

There's another reason that phrase sticks with me, though. And that's because the story itself is about time, about history. For one thing, with every Talon having come from a different era of Gotham's past, they'll be plenty of glimpses literally and figuratively into Gotham's history, with a lot of shocking secrets from the past being revealed. Basically, the story is about Gotham's dark past being brought to to bear against the heroes of the present - about the evil from decades, even centuries of corruption emerging from the shadows to crush the spirit of the city - and the Bat-family - once and for all, in one single night, now.

So here's hoping you'll feel the same way we do...

"Night of the Owls is here, and it's about time."

Let the war for Gotham's soul begin.

The “Night of the Owls” begins this week in BATMAN #8 and NIGHTWING #8, exploding across the rest of the Bat-books in May. Stay tuned to The Source all this week for more insights from the architects of this epic event.