With the highly anticipated “Night of the Owls” crossover beginning this May, we asked writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti how it impacts their story in ALL-STAR WESTERN. ““Plans within plans.” That’s one of my favorite lines from Frank Herbert’s eco-sci-fi epic, Dune. It is also one of the hardest things to convey in a monthly comic where readers are often second-guessing the outcome or direction of a series. There is always a larger plan at work and things are never quite what they seem,” says Gray. “Both Batman and Jonah Hex have been discovering this fact in their own unique ways. Having chosen Gotham City as the unlikely setting for ALL-STAR WESTERN, Jimmy and I thought long and hard about the different ways we could make the book interesting to both new readers and the Jonah Hex faithful. To do that we began our initial arc with the secret society called The Crime Bible trying to establish its roots in 1880’s Gotham. At the same time over in BATMAN, readers were introduced to The Court of Owls.” Gray continues, “By now you know both organizations existed long before the caped crusader launched his one-man campaign to save the soul of a city. So starting in May, The Court of Owls, the Talon, the secret history of Gotham, Crime Bible, Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham…some of the most unlikely and surprising elements start falling seamlessly in to place. It has been months and months in the making, but the plans within plans are coming to fruition and even the most cynical fan has to admit this New 52 thing is pretty damn exciting.” So get ready to discover what the Court of Owls was up to in Gotham City cira 1880 in ALL-STAR WESTERN #9. As Palmiotti says, "This is the best of both worlds for comic fans and us, and we plan on delivering the goods. Everything about this crossover makes sense and is planned brilliantly. We are happy to make Jonah and the gang part of comic book history once again."

(art by Ladronn)