The Court of Owls, the secret, centuries-old criminal society of Gotham City elites who we first learned about in The New 52's "Batman" run by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, will have a prominent role in "Batman: City of Madness." A new layer about the Court of Owls will be explored in the story, as they will be revealed to be guarding the door to Gotham Below, preventing the dark, mirrored universe from seeping its way into the actual Gotham City.

Ward redesigned the villain Talon, the Court of Owls' main soldier, for "Batman: City of Madness." The look keeps elements from Talon's original costume, but the redesign actually gives him a look that makes him somewhat similar to Owl Man, the evil Batman from DC's alternate reality where the Justice League is a team of villains. Details on the design include a hood, an owl cloak, and sharp talons at the ends of his fingers.

Batman City of MadnessDC Comics

Along with Two-Face, Talon's new design presents a version of the character who fits Ward's style but is immediately recognizable. It appears Batman is destined to team up with the villains, who have proved to be one of his more difficult adversaries. Batman working alongside the Court of Owls illustrates just how dire the situation with the emergence of the mirrored versions of Gothamites from Gotham Below will be.