Batman: Knightfall
Encyclopedia
"Knightfall" is the title given to a major Batman
story arc
published by DC Comics
that dominated Batman
-related serial comic book
s in the spring and summer of 1993. "Knightfall" is also an umbrella title for the trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", "Knightquest", and "KnightsEnd".On the comic book covers, only the third part had its title written in CamelCase
, perhaps to keep it from being read as Knight-Send Collectively, they are unofficially known as the KnightSaga.
The story takes place over approximately six months. Bruce Wayne (Batman) suffers burnout and is systematically assaulted and crippled by a "super steroid
"-enhanced genius
named Bane
. Wayne is replaced as Batman by an apprentice named Jean-Paul Valley
, who becomes increasingly violent and unstable, tarnishing Batman's reputation. Eventually, Wayne is healed through paranormal means, and reclaims his role as Batman.
Knightfall resulted in long-term ramifications for the Batman mythos, as Batman's trust from the police, public, and fellow superheroes had to be rebuilt. Additionally, Wayne realizes the peril and burden of attempting to work in solitude, leading to the eventual creation of the modern incarnation of the Batman family. The events of Knightfall also led to the resignation of Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth
.
The entire Knightfall storyline took over a year to complete in the comic book serials, and in later years, the comics were compressed into a series of trade paperbacks, although these paperbacks do not include the Knightquest portion of the story. with the exception of Robin: Flying Solo, which contains Robin #1, a part of Knightquest
According to Amazon
, DC is planning to release in May 2012, a newer, more complete collection of the KnightSaga alongside their re-issue of No Man's Land
. This collection will, for the first time, include KnightQuest
stemmed from a two-part story idea pitched by Detective Comics writer Peter Milligan
circa 1991, as he was leaving that position. After line editor Dennis O'Neil
decided to expand it into a larger epic, he and the Batman line writers Chuck Dixon
, Doug Moench
and Alan Grant
convened an authors' summit over a long weekend to flesh out the details and story points. At the same time, the Superman team was planning for a similar character-altering storyline, and neither they nor the Batman group initially had any knowledge of the other's plans.
The serial stories of the monthly Batman comics titles began slowly building toward the Knightfall arc several months prior, in conjunction with the publication of the Sword of Azrael miniseries and Vengeance of Bane one-shot which also laid foundation for the larger story.
Knightfall ran from April to October 1993, Batman issues 491 through 500 and Detective Comics issues 659 through 666, with the two titles sharing a single narrative during this time. The massive story was quickly collected into two volumes of trade paperback
s. Volume one was subtitled Broken Bat and the second Who Rules the Night. Knightfall was the first time that multiple Batman titles had shared a single narrative for an extended period since the Crisis on Infinite Earths
.
Knightfall was immediately followed by Knightquest in the monthly serials. Knightquest is divided into two storylines, one following Bruce Wayne (Knightquest: The Search) and the other on the new Batman (Knightquest: The Crusade). The stories were not treated as crossovers and the Batman titles continued as they had before Knightfall where the creative teams each pursued its own storyline. Instead of a crossover, Knightquest was more of an umbrella title that also encompassed some issues of Shadow of the Bat. (To avoid giving away their plans, the publishers treated it as though it were the new status quo, so issues were not numbered as chapters.) Additionally, The Crusade served as a launching point for the first ongoing monthly series featuring Robin
in solo adventures.
The issues that make up the Knightquest saga are highly sought after by comic completists as they were never collected into trade paperback format.
Although previous parts of KnightSaga had taken considerable time to run their course, the entirety of KnightsEnd was published within two months, as the Batman books had to prepare themselves for DC's impending company-wide crossover Zero Hour
, which would immediately follow the KnightSaga. Nothing was truncated as the Batman editorial line made use of all of the Batman-related titles at their disposal, such as Catwoman, Robin and Legends of the Dark Knight (normally an anthology title with stories set in the past). KnightsEnd was later collected in trade paperback as Knightfall Volume 3.
The serial nature of the Batman titles continued beyond the end of KnightsEnd, with the Aftermath and Prodigal storylines, and into subsequent unbannered stories. This continued in later arcs such as Contagion, Cataclysm
/No Man's Land
, and War Games, and has on occasion continued into the present.
The intent of the writers was to counter the then-popular style of violent heroes in comics, and demonstrate that the traditional Batman made for a better hero. The issues featuring Jean-Paul Valley as Batman on the cover depict him with highly exaggerated musculature and legs which taper into disproportionally tiny feet, mimicking the styles of contemporary "violent hero" artists such as Rob Liefeld
.
The two characters were quickly added to the cast in the monthly Batman titles, with Azrael being a superhero-in-training who fights alongside Batman, while Bane was introduced as a supervillain.
Within the regular series, the buildup to Knightfall begins with a six-issue run in Batman #484-489 (September 1992 - February 1993), in which Batman (at the onset of a personal psychological mid-life crisis
) is forced to deal, in rapid succession, with the returning villain Black Mask
and his gang (who target Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox
), a crazed killer called Metalhead, and a sharpshooter assassin hired by an imprisoned mobster to murder Commissioner Gordon
. Batman begins to feel he has lost his edge, especially after his failure to capture Black Mask. He finds himself unable to meditate or even focus. As Bruce Wayne, he contacts holistic therapist Shondra Kinsolving
for treatment. He also assigns Robin (Tim Drake
) to train Jean-Paul Valley in detective work to aid them as an ally, hoping to guide his brainwashing away from making him a villainous threat. Despite the advice of everyone in his life, including Dr. Kinsolving, Bruce refuses to rest, and continues to pursue his self-imposed duty despite his worsening condition. (Although not explicitly noted as a cause
, these events take place immediately after the death of Superman, Batman's peer, elsewhere in the DC Universe.)
The next storyline, in Detective Comics #654-656 (December 1992 - February 1993), involves a young military student
usurping power in Gotham's underworld and assaulting a police station, with Bruce's fatigue continuing to worsen. At the conclusion of this story, Bane and his henchman are shown monitoring Batman's performance.
Bane begins a series of encounters letting Batman know of his presence and his intentions. In the following issues, Bane interferes with encounters pitting villains Killer Croc
and Riddler
against Batman, and, to test Batman's limits, goes so far as to inject Riddler with the Venom drug. This escalation culminates in an assault on Arkham Asylum
in Batman #491 (April 1993), where Bane breaks the inmates free and supplies them with numerous weapons to escape. Meanwhile, Robin finds it difficult to work with Jean-Paul, due to the man's violent subconscious training and lack of social skills, and also finds himself being shut out from working alongside Batman.
, a notorious psychiatric facility in Gotham City
. Aware that he would lose in a direct assault against Batman, Bane's plan consists of weakening Batman by forcing him to deal with the deadly villains simultaneously. Among the freed inmates, there are numerous high-profile villains, such as the Joker
(who trapped Arkham's administrator Jeremiah Arkham
), the Scarecrow
, and Poison Ivy as well as many less known villains, such as the Mad Hatter
, The Ventriloquist
, Firefly, Cavalier
, The Film Freak
and Victor Zsasz
. The scenario creates a rift in the relationship between Robin
and Batman, as Batman irrationally seeks to face the outbreak alone—in later issues, Robin asks Batman if he is even needed as his sidekick anymore. A later flashback to this time period (Showcase '93 #7-8) shows Batman pursuing Two-Face
alone, being trapped and kidnapped to stand a mock trial
; he is saved only by a rescue attempt from Robin.
Over the next few issues, Batman becomes weaker and weaker as each criminal is put away. The rescue of Mayor Krol from the combination of the Joker
and Scarecrow
takes Batman to his mental and physical limits: a dose of Scarecrow's fear gas makes him relive the murder of Jason Todd
, which he considers to be his greatest failure. After this encounter, Bane makes his move and attacks Batman at Wayne Manor
, his home as his alter-ego—by this time, Bane had deduced the secret identity of Batman. The fight between Bruce Wayne and Bane is detailed in Batman #497. By this time, Batman is so exhausted from the exertion of catching the escaped criminals that he cannot even defend himself; Bane beats him mercilessly before breaking Wayne's back over his knee inside the Batcave
below the manor, symbolically "breaking" Batman and leaving Wayne a paraplegic. Bane takes the grievously-wounded Wayne (still costumed in the Batman outfit) downtown to Gotham Square and throws him from a rooftop to demonstrate his superiority to the populace. With Batman incapacitated, Bane assumes control of Gotham City's underworld and takes over several illegal operations within it.
After his defeat, Bruce Wayne enlists the aid of Dr. Shondra Kinsolving
to rehabilitate him and asks Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael)
to take up the mantle of Batman so that Gotham has a protector. Tim Drake argues with Bruce to allow Dick Grayson
(the former Robin and then-current Nightwing
,) to become Batman, as he is more experienced and mentally competent. Bruce replies that Grayson has his own responsibilities and would only take up the mantle of the Bat reluctantly. (Dick later expressed resentment at not being asked to stand in as Batman.) Bruce's rationale for this decision is revealed in later issues - secretly, he does not want Dick to have to face Bane, as he knows Dick's character will compel him to try. Indeed, Bruce gives Jean-Paul strict orders never to engage Bane in combat—and when Jean-Paul does face Bane, only his modified gloves save Jean-Paul from being thrown to his death.
Soon after, Kinsolving and Tim's father Jack Drake
are kidnapped and Bruce and Alfred
leave the country to find them - their story is continued in Knightquest: The Search, while the happenings in Gotham are recorded in Knightquest: The Crusade. Jean-Paul is shown to be a different, but not dangerous, Batman until an encounter with the Scarecrow, which results in Jean-Paul being infected by Scarecrow's fear gas and "The System"—his programming as Azrael—taking over, in order to combat Jean-Paul's fear. Following this, Jean-Paul is unable to shake the influence of the System, giving in to it completely after his first defeat at Bane's hands, and being increasingly influenced by it during the rest of his tenure as Batman. Gradually, Jean-Paul alienates Robin with his paranoia and arrogance.
In Batman #500, Jean-Paul, in his new mechanical Batsuit
(which is an amalgam of the Azrael costume with the Batman's) confronts Bane in an arduous battle and prevails, although many bystanders are put at risk. Jean-Paul leaves Bane broken mentally and physically, though he struggles with the choice of whether to simply kill Bane or hand him over to the police. He decides that he will let Bane go to Blackgate Prison. Jean-Paul continues to watch over Gotham after the fight, but grows increasingly unstable.
All of Jean-Paul's actions are compelled by "The System"; on numerous occasions, he experiences the ghosts of his father and the patriarch Saint Dumas giving him guidance and he is driven to near insanity by the time the saga ends. He repeatedly redesigns his Batman costume, adding more gadget
s and lethal weapons, including metal claws, a laser, razor-sharp Batarang
s and a flame-thrower. Eventually, he also adds a Bat-symbol, matching the one used for the series' logo. Valley becomes compelled by a desire to be a better Batman than Bruce Wayne, especially when he discovers his lack of interest in detective work caused him to make false assumptions about Catwoman
(he thought she would sell a powerful nerve gas to terrorists when she merely wanted to dispose of it so it could not be used to hurt anyone).
His questionable behavior climaxes when he encounters the serial killer
Abattoir
, who is keeping an innocent prisoner in a secret torture chamber
: Jean-Paul purposely lets Abattoir die, thereby condemning the prisoner to death as well. Other villains Jean-Paul faces include Mr. Freeze
, the Trigger Twins
, Joker, Gunbunny & Gunhawk, the Tally Man
, and Clayface
; the most notable encounters are with Catwoman and the Joker, both of whom could tell Valley was not the original Batman.
and Shondra Kinsolving
, the father of the current Robin and the physical therapist with whom Bruce Wayne had fallen in love during his rehabilitation sessions respectively. Their investigation leads them to the Caribbean
and then Great Britain
. Kinsolving's brother-by-adoption Benedict Asp kidnapped her to use her special powers
to kill people at a distance. Asp demonstrates this new form of mass murder on a small English village. When Bruce Wayne finds Kinsolving, he finds himself caught in the middle of a telekinetic tug-of-war between Asp and Kinsolving. The battle climaxes with her refocusing her energy to defeat Asp; as a side effect of the energy, Bruce's broken spine becomes healed. However, the drugs forced onto her by Asp, combined with the effects of the fight with Asp, reduce her mind to that of a child as Shondra's traumatised mind regresses to the past to escape her unhappy present, and Wayne reluctantly puts her into a mental institution
.
Bruce eventually leaves England to return home to a civilian life in Gotham, but Alfred remains in England, not wanting to see Bruce Wayne damage his body further. He does not return to Gotham until a while later, when Dick Grayson
persuades him to do so in later issues.
Returning to Gotham, Bruce meets with Tim. Even though Jean-Paul disobeyed Bruce's order to refrain from attacking Bane, Bruce is sufficiently impressed with Jean-Paul's results. Bruce decides to retire and allow Jean-Paul to continue as Batman. But when Robin tells Bruce of the circumstances around Abattoir's death, Bruce sneaks into the Batcave
and demands that Jean-Paul step down. Jean-Paul refuses and threatens to kill Bruce if he ever returns.
To rehabilitate his skills, Bruce asks the famed assassin Lady Shiva
to retrain him. Instead, Shiva pits Bruce against several vengeful expert martial artists. Shiva's caveat is that these attacks will continue indefinitely until Bruce Wayne breaks his vow to never kill. Finally, in the midst of another attack, Bruce feigns using the fatal Leopard Blow
Shiva had taught him, leaving his would-be assailant apparently dead. Shiva finally declares him worthy of fighting her at some point in the future. Only six masters appear in the storyline although seven masters are mentioned.
Now back in fighting shape, Bruce returns to the Batcave and resumes his role as Batman. Along with Robin and Nightwing, he tracks Valley down to Selkirk's penthouse
. Coincidentally, Catwoman
is chasing the same man because he owns a neural enabler which might allow her paraplegic friend to walk again. Selkirk already wants to kill Jean-Paul for destroying a valuable weapons cache in Gotham Harbor.
When they eventually all meet, mass fighting and gunfire ensue. The battle ends with Selkirk's helicopter
crashing into the Gotham Narrows Bridge; Jean-Paul falls aflame into the Gotham River. Bruce and Catwoman save Selkirk and his aides just before the helicopter explodes from the leaking fuel. When Bruce tries to find Jean-Paul using the Batmobile, it explodes. Nightwing fears Bruce dead and takes his vengeance out on Jean-Paul on a party boat. The police arrive in time to prevent Nightwing from committing murder, but Jean-Paul escapes. However, to his shock, Jean-Paul finds Bruce waiting at Wayne Manor.
The final battle of the "Knightfall" saga takes place between Jean-Paul Valley and Bruce Wayne in the caverns surrounding the Batcave: rather than beating Jean-Paul at hand-to-hand combat, Bruce outwits him by escaping into a passage too narrow for Jean-Paul to go through in his armor, thus forcing Jean-Paul to remove most of it. Bruce then opens a hatch to the outside, which covered the very hole he fell into as a child, allowing sunlight to enter the night lenses in Jean-Paul's helmet. After being momentarily blinded, Jean-Paul removes his cowl, sees Bruce standing over him in the original Batman costume and concedes defeat, saying "You are Batman...and I am nothing." Bruce comforts Jean-Paul, who leaves to wander the streets of Gotham, homeless and destitute. Bruce decides not to take Jean-Paul to the police because it was his decision to make Jean-Paul the Batman and he doesn't want to get into trouble.
"KnightsEnd" was collected into a trade paperback about a year later. Originally released as Batman: KnightsEnd, recent editions retitled it as volume three of the Knightfall saga.
Because of the events of Knight Saga and Prodigal, considerable time passes before Commissioner Gordon
restores his trust in the idea of a Batman working for good. Gordon can tell that he is not looking at the original Batman (based on Jean-Paul's costume and Dick's height, and the fact that Jean-Paul was more than ready to kill people), and he refuses to place blind trust in a costume after spending so long learning to trust the man. The Prodigal storyline was utilized as a way of tying up the numerous loose ends that Knightfall left, with Killer Croc
, the Ventriloquist
, Ratcatcher
and Two-Face
, along with many other, less notorious escaped inmates being returned to prison. In doing so, Dick avenges his worst mistake from his days as Robin, when a mistake in a confrontation with Two-Face caused a man to die and nearly killed Bruce. He also comes to appreciate the incredible physical and mental burden Bruce places on himself in donning the Batsuit. During the story, a firm bond arises between Dick and Tim as they share Wayne Manor together in Bruce's and Alfred's absence.
It's revealed in the later No Man's Land storyline that Bruce also used this time to set up contingency bases throughout Gotham.
(quite similar to the costume of the Tim Burton Batman movies), and drives a new, state-of-the-art Batmobile. He again fights Colonel Vega (who teamed with Asp in Knightquest: The Search), KGBeast
, and Dark Rider, in order to foil a plot to nuke Gotham City with a device the size and shape of a baseball. Troika comes from the Russian word for Triad. The saga also shows how Batman makes changes to his life as Bruce Wayne, his relationships with his 'family', plans to live without Alfred, and copes with the decision of making Jean-Paul his replacement.
. Azrael's demise occurred at the same time as the Batman: Hush
storyline, which focused on how Bruce Wayne as Batman interacted with his various friends, allies, loved ones, and enemies; oddly enough though, Jean-Paul Valley was neither mentioned, alluded to, or appeared during this time.
. It is followed by the one-shot graphic novel Batman: Bane.
After the events of Batman: Bane, Azrael is tasked by Batman to track down the recently-resurfaced Bane. After meeting, the two men struggle, and Bane gets the upper hand with the aid of a small band of Santa Priscan soldiers and his old henchman Bird. He restrains Azrael and injects him with Venom, with the plan of using him as a super soldier to take over Santa Prisca. Azrael is able to resist addiction to the drug and eventually conquers Bane and flies him back to Gotham City. They arrive just as the massive earthquake
occurs. Bane attempts escape but is unable; as a last-ditch effort he unsuccessfully tries to convince Azrael to form a partnership. Instead, Azrael reaffirms his dedication to Bruce Wayne.
The cover of issue 37 depicts Bane breaking Azrael over his knee in a recreation of the famous cover of Batman #497, Knightfall part 11.
The following annuals, special issues and guest appearances take place during KnightQuest with Jean-Paul Valley as Batman, but are not vital to the plot:
" storyline. Knightfall started almost immediately after "The Funeral For a Friend" storyline in the Superman books. During the breakout at Arkham Asylum, Batman and Robin both wear a black arm band with the S-shield engraved on it. The two stories involved DC Comics
' most prominent characters. Similar stories followed for Green Lantern
, Wonder Woman
, Aquaman
, and Green Arrow
.
In an interview with Dennis O'Neill
, the writer stated that part of the reason "Knightfall" was written was due to the recent popularity of more "ruthless" heroes such as the Terminator and James Bond
in films, as editors were starting to wonder if readers would prefer a Batman who was willing to kill his opponents; the subsequent response to Jean Paul Valley's Batman proved this not to be the case.
During DC vs. Marvel, Bane attempts to break Captain America
's back in a fight in a similar maneuver, but is caught off-guard when Captain America's shield
returns to its owner to strike Bane in the back of the head and knock him out.
The famous back-breaking scene was referenced in Batman: Arkham Asylum
, where if the player loses the fight with Bane
, one of the death scenes shows Bane breaking Batman over his knee. Another reference is where Batman threatens, "This time, I break you!" before knocking Bane down with the Batmobile. Also in Lego Batman: The Videogame for the Xbox 360
, the achievement Atomic Backbreaker is acquired by using Bane to give Batman the famous back-breaker.
Comics ranked "Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Broken Bat" #24 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying: "What makes 'Knightfall, Part One' so memorable is not the actually snapping of Batman's back. It's the quick fall into despair that proves most shocking. The ending is a foregone conclusion as Batman is worn down both physically and mentally. The Batman's spirit is broken before his vertebrae and that's a feat you'll never see accomplished anywhere else."
As the contemporary Batmobile
was destroyed in "KnightsEnd", the original Batmobile (with the large hood ornament) was used by Batman and Robin for several issues following. "Knightquest" also introduces Batman's rocket railcar linking the Batcave to the Gotham subway
system; it was designed and completed by Harold
after his discovery of the cavern passages in Detective Comics #650 ("The Dragon").
In "KnightsEnd", Jean-Paul Valley references his defeat of Marvel Comics
' Jigsaw
during the Batman/Punisher crossover Lake of Fire. This is a very rare mention of a character from another company in a non-intercompany capacity, made possible by the insanity of Jean-Paul.
adapted the entire storyline trilogy into a 1994 novel which was released by Warner Books in hardcover form and then in mass paperback later on (Hardcover ISBN 0-553-09673-7, Paperback ISBN 0-553-57260-1). A young adults book version was also released, this one written by Alan Grant and titled Batman: Knightfall and Beyond (ISBN 0-553-48187-8).
. He appeared in the episode "Bane" as a muscular thug rather than the mastermind as he was in the comics. He was hired by the mobster Rupert Thorne
to eliminate Batman, and in turn by Thorne's mole to eliminate Thorne afterwards. Bane eventually fought Batman onboard a boat (where Robin had been kidnapped and tied up), but before he could break his back as he did in the comics, Batman thrusts a crumpled batarang
into the controls that inject Bane with Venom. This action caused a rapid and uncontrollable feed into Bane's body before Batman pulls out the tube, stopping a fatal overdose of the drug.
broadcast a radio-play adaptation, later also released on audio-tape (ISBN 0-563-39520-6) and CD by BBC Audiobooks on March 5, 2007. It was adapted, produced and directed by Dirk Maggs
, with music composed by Mark Russell
, who had recently made Superman: Doomsday & Beyond on BBC Radio 5
. This show, however was not commissioned of its own, but rather to be three minute episodes on the Mark Goodier
Show. This meant it was written with a sense of immediacy; having to make an instant effect and each three minute segment contains a major plot development or sound effect stunt and end on a cliffhanger. DC acknowledged the effort in an issue Shadow of The Bat by having villains jump past a sign that read Dirk Maggs Radio. The radio-play itself contained similar minor allusions to Batman - the host of a TV show called Chuck Dixon
and Dennis O'Neil
an author of a book.
"Knightfall" was a sequel to Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome
also produced for BBC radio by Dirk Maggs
.
Its performers are:
released the Legends of Batman action figure
collection. This revolved primarily around Elseworlds
stories and the modern "Knightfall" era; although, it strangely did not include a Bane figure. The collection lasted two series and corresponded with the Superman: Man of Steel figure line based on "The Death of Superman
".
In 2006, DC Direct
released a series of figures specifically based on the "Knightfall" saga. This included Jean Paul Valley as Batman, Nightwing, Bane, Catwoman, and the unique "Mask of Tengu" Batman figure.
. Earlier printings of the "Knightfall" books had covers by Kelley Jones
were under the "Knightfall" name and book three was under the "Knightsend" name (with this volume featuring a new cover by Graham Nolan
and Brian Stelfreeze
). These earlier editions also featured the original cover art/DC Comics monthly ads of the storyline as the chapter headings. The current printings of the three books do not have these cover/ads and solely title the three books under the "Knightfall" name with a similar cover dressing design. These new editions have covers by Mike Deodato
.
Parts of the Aftermath storyline had been collected in a trade paperback
:
Neither part of the "Knightquest" storyline have appeared in collected editions.
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
that dominated Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
-related serial comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s in the spring and summer of 1993. "Knightfall" is also an umbrella title for the trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", "Knightquest", and "KnightsEnd".On the comic book covers, only the third part had its title written in CamelCase
CamelCase
CamelCase , also known as medial capitals, is the practice of writing compound words or phrases in which the elements are joined without spaces, with each element's initial letter capitalized within the compound and the first letter either upper or lower case—as in "LaBelle", "BackColor",...
, perhaps to keep it from being read as Knight-Send Collectively, they are unofficially known as the KnightSaga.
The story takes place over approximately six months. Bruce Wayne (Batman) suffers burnout and is systematically assaulted and crippled by a "super steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
"-enhanced genius
Genius
Genius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
named Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
. Wayne is replaced as Batman by an apprentice named Jean-Paul Valley
Azrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
, who becomes increasingly violent and unstable, tarnishing Batman's reputation. Eventually, Wayne is healed through paranormal means, and reclaims his role as Batman.
Knightfall resulted in long-term ramifications for the Batman mythos, as Batman's trust from the police, public, and fellow superheroes had to be rebuilt. Additionally, Wayne realizes the peril and burden of attempting to work in solitude, leading to the eventual creation of the modern incarnation of the Batman family. The events of Knightfall also led to the resignation of Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
.
The entire Knightfall storyline took over a year to complete in the comic book serials, and in later years, the comics were compressed into a series of trade paperbacks, although these paperbacks do not include the Knightquest portion of the story. with the exception of Robin: Flying Solo, which contains Robin #1, a part of Knightquest
According to Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, DC is planning to release in May 2012, a newer, more complete collection of the KnightSaga alongside their re-issue of No Man's Land
Batman: No Man's Land
"No Man’s Land" is an American comic book crossover storyline that ran for the whole of 1999 through the Batman comic book titles published by DC Comics....
. This collection will, for the first time, include KnightQuest
Publication
The initial idea for the character of AzraelAzrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
stemmed from a two-part story idea pitched by Detective Comics writer Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan
Peter Milligan born in London, a British writer, best known for his comic book, film and television work.-Early career:Milligan started his comic career with short stories for 2000 AD in the early 1980s. By 1986, Milligan had his first ongoing strip in 2000AD called Bad Company, with artists Brett...
circa 1991, as he was leaving that position. After line editor Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
decided to expand it into a larger epic, he and the Batman line writers Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon
Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
, Doug Moench
Doug Moench
Douglas Moench , better known as Doug Moench, is an American comic book writer notable for his Batman work and as the creator of Black Mask, Moon Knight and Deathlok.-Biography:...
and Alan Grant
Alan Grant
Alan Grant is a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.-Early career:...
convened an authors' summit over a long weekend to flesh out the details and story points. At the same time, the Superman team was planning for a similar character-altering storyline, and neither they nor the Batman group initially had any knowledge of the other's plans.
The serial stories of the monthly Batman comics titles began slowly building toward the Knightfall arc several months prior, in conjunction with the publication of the Sword of Azrael miniseries and Vengeance of Bane one-shot which also laid foundation for the larger story.
Knightfall ran from April to October 1993, Batman issues 491 through 500 and Detective Comics issues 659 through 666, with the two titles sharing a single narrative during this time. The massive story was quickly collected into two volumes of trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
s. Volume one was subtitled Broken Bat and the second Who Rules the Night. Knightfall was the first time that multiple Batman titles had shared a single narrative for an extended period since the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
.
Knightfall was immediately followed by Knightquest in the monthly serials. Knightquest is divided into two storylines, one following Bruce Wayne (Knightquest: The Search) and the other on the new Batman (Knightquest: The Crusade). The stories were not treated as crossovers and the Batman titles continued as they had before Knightfall where the creative teams each pursued its own storyline. Instead of a crossover, Knightquest was more of an umbrella title that also encompassed some issues of Shadow of the Bat. (To avoid giving away their plans, the publishers treated it as though it were the new status quo, so issues were not numbered as chapters.) Additionally, The Crusade served as a launching point for the first ongoing monthly series featuring Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
in solo adventures.
The issues that make up the Knightquest saga are highly sought after by comic completists as they were never collected into trade paperback format.
Although previous parts of KnightSaga had taken considerable time to run their course, the entirety of KnightsEnd was published within two months, as the Batman books had to prepare themselves for DC's impending company-wide crossover Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
, which would immediately follow the KnightSaga. Nothing was truncated as the Batman editorial line made use of all of the Batman-related titles at their disposal, such as Catwoman, Robin and Legends of the Dark Knight (normally an anthology title with stories set in the past). KnightsEnd was later collected in trade paperback as Knightfall Volume 3.
The serial nature of the Batman titles continued beyond the end of KnightsEnd, with the Aftermath and Prodigal storylines, and into subsequent unbannered stories. This continued in later arcs such as Contagion, Cataclysm
Batman: Cataclysm
"Cataclysm" is an 18 chapter DC Comics crossover story arc that ran through the various Batman family comics from March to May, 1998. The plot of the storyline centers around Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of the which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor...
/No Man's Land
Batman: No Man's Land
"No Man’s Land" is an American comic book crossover storyline that ran for the whole of 1999 through the Batman comic book titles published by DC Comics....
, and War Games, and has on occasion continued into the present.
The intent of the writers was to counter the then-popular style of violent heroes in comics, and demonstrate that the traditional Batman made for a better hero. The issues featuring Jean-Paul Valley as Batman on the cover depict him with highly exaggerated musculature and legs which taper into disproportionally tiny feet, mimicking the styles of contemporary "violent hero" artists such as Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
.
Prelude
The prelude to Knightfall began with the introduction of two new characters key to its storyline in issues prior to the release of Knightfall:- AzraelAzrael (comics)Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
, aka Jean-Paul Valley (introduced in Batman: The Sword of Azrael (October 1992 to January 1993) by Dennis O'NeilDennis O'NeilDennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
and Joe QuesadaJoe QuesadaJoseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
), a graduate student at Gotham University who discovers he has been unconsciously trained since birth as an assassinAssassinationTo carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
for an ancient religious order. - BaneBane (comics)Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
, introduced in Batman: Vengeance of Bane (January 1993) by Chuck DixonChuck DixonCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
and Graham NolanGraham NolanGraham Nolan is a comic book artist, best known for work for DC Comics on Batman-related titles in the 1990s and his work on The Phantom Sunday strip. He is currently the artist on the syndicated comic Rex Morgan, M.D....
, an orphan born and raised in a Central AmericaCentral AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
n island prison, self-taught and ruthless, who underwent an involuntary experimental operation to become a new type of supersoldier, before breaking free and deciding to take Gotham CityGotham CityGotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
from its "king," Batman.
The two characters were quickly added to the cast in the monthly Batman titles, with Azrael being a superhero-in-training who fights alongside Batman, while Bane was introduced as a supervillain.
Within the regular series, the buildup to Knightfall begins with a six-issue run in Batman #484-489 (September 1992 - February 1993), in which Batman (at the onset of a personal psychological mid-life crisis
Mid-life crisis
Midlife crisis is a term coined in 1965 by Elliott Jaques and used in Western societies to describe a period of dramatic self-doubt that is felt by some individuals in the "middle years" or middle age of life, as a result of sensing the passing of their own youth and the imminence of their old age...
) is forced to deal, in rapid succession, with the returning villain Black Mask
Black Mask (comics)
Black Mask is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. An enemy of Batman, he first appeared in Batman #386 . Black Mask was created by Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake.-Dark beginning:...
and his gang (who target Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox is a fictional character appearing in Batman comic books by DC Comics. He was created by Len Wein and John Calnan, and first appeared in Batman #307 . As a supporting character, he acts as Bruce Wayne's business manager who supposedly unknowingly runs the business interests that supply...
), a crazed killer called Metalhead, and a sharpshooter assassin hired by an imprisoned mobster to murder Commissioner Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
. Batman begins to feel he has lost his edge, especially after his failure to capture Black Mask. He finds himself unable to meditate or even focus. As Bruce Wayne, he contacts holistic therapist Shondra Kinsolving
Shondra Kinsolving
Shondra Kinsolving is a fictional supporting character in the DC Comics universe. She was introduced during the "Knightfall" storyline in Batman #486, . She was created by Doug Moench and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:...
for treatment. He also assigns Robin (Tim Drake
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
) to train Jean-Paul Valley in detective work to aid them as an ally, hoping to guide his brainwashing away from making him a villainous threat. Despite the advice of everyone in his life, including Dr. Kinsolving, Bruce refuses to rest, and continues to pursue his self-imposed duty despite his worsening condition. (Although not explicitly noted as a cause
Trauma trigger
A trauma trigger is an experience that triggers a traumatic memory in someone who has experienced trauma. A trigger is thus a troubling reminder of a traumatic event, although the trigger itself need not be frightening or traumatic....
, these events take place immediately after the death of Superman, Batman's peer, elsewhere in the DC Universe.)
The next storyline, in Detective Comics #654-656 (December 1992 - February 1993), involves a young military student
General (DC Comics)
The General is a fictional character appearing in the DC Comics universe. Created by Chuck Dixon as an opponent for Batman, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #654, published in December 1992...
usurping power in Gotham's underworld and assaulting a police station, with Bruce's fatigue continuing to worsen. At the conclusion of this story, Bane and his henchman are shown monitoring Batman's performance.
Bane begins a series of encounters letting Batman know of his presence and his intentions. In the following issues, Bane interferes with encounters pitting villains Killer Croc
Killer Croc
Killer Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...
and Riddler
Riddler
The Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
against Batman, and, to test Batman's limits, goes so far as to inject Riddler with the Venom drug. This escalation culminates in an assault on Arkham Asylum
Arkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
in Batman #491 (April 1993), where Bane breaks the inmates free and supplies them with numerous weapons to escape. Meanwhile, Robin finds it difficult to work with Jean-Paul, due to the man's violent subconscious training and lack of social skills, and also finds himself being shut out from working alongside Batman.
Knightfall
The plot of Knightfall beginsAlthough included in the Knightfall trade paperbacks, Batman #491 is not marked as a part of Knightfall in the monthly comic book format. with the master criminal Bane freeing all of the maximum-security inmates of Arkham AsylumArkham Asylum
The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, commonly referred to simply as Arkham Asylum, is a fictional psychiatric hospital in the DC Comics Universe, usually appearing in stories featuring Batman...
, a notorious psychiatric facility in Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
. Aware that he would lose in a direct assault against Batman, Bane's plan consists of weakening Batman by forcing him to deal with the deadly villains simultaneously. Among the freed inmates, there are numerous high-profile villains, such as the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
(who trapped Arkham's administrator Jeremiah Arkham
Jeremiah Arkham
Jeremiah Arkham is a fictional character in DC Comics' Batman comic books, in which he serves as the current head of Arkham Asylum, an institution for the criminally insane. He debuted in 1992 in Shadow of the Bat #1 during the four-part story arc, Batman: The Last Arkham, that kicked off the new...
), the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
, and Poison Ivy as well as many less known villains, such as the Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter (comics)
The Mad Hatter is a fictional supervillain and enemy of Batman in the DC Universe. He is modeled after the Hatter from Lewis Carroll's novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a character often called the "Mad Hatter" in adaptations of Carroll. He made his first appearance in Batman #49 in October...
, The Ventriloquist
Ventriloquist (comics)
The Ventriloquist is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Batman in the . The Ventriloquist first appeared in Detective Comics #583 and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle...
, Firefly, Cavalier
Cavalier (comics)
The Cavalier is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #81, , and was created by Don Cameron and Bob Kane.-Mortimer Drake:...
, The Film Freak
Film Freak
Film Freak is the name of two DC Comics villains and enemy of Batman and Catwoman. They are of the myriad "gimmick" villains in Gotham City, their trademark being their obsession with motion pictures.-Burt Weston:...
and Victor Zsasz
Zsasz
Mr. Zsasz is a fictional villain who appears in books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Batman. He is a serial killer who usually kills with a knife and carves a tally mark somewhere on himself for every victim.-Fictional character biography:...
. The scenario creates a rift in the relationship between Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
and Batman, as Batman irrationally seeks to face the outbreak alone—in later issues, Robin asks Batman if he is even needed as his sidekick anymore. A later flashback to this time period (Showcase '93 #7-8) shows Batman pursuing Two-Face
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
alone, being trapped and kidnapped to stand a mock trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
; he is saved only by a rescue attempt from Robin.
Over the next few issues, Batman becomes weaker and weaker as each criminal is put away. The rescue of Mayor Krol from the combination of the Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
and Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
takes Batman to his mental and physical limits: a dose of Scarecrow's fear gas makes him relive the murder of Jason Todd
Batman: A Death in the Family
"A Death in the Family" is a Batman comic book story arc first published in the late 1980s which gave fans the ability to influence the story through voting with a 900 number. "A Death in the Family" ran in Batman #426-429, published in 1988-1989...
, which he considers to be his greatest failure. After this encounter, Bane makes his move and attacks Batman at Wayne Manor
Wayne Manor
In DC Comics, Wayne Manor is a fictional setting, the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also Batman. The residence is typically depicted as a huge stately mansion on grounds outside Gotham City, maintained by the Wayne family's servant, Alfred Pennyworth...
, his home as his alter-ego—by this time, Bane had deduced the secret identity of Batman. The fight between Bruce Wayne and Bane is detailed in Batman #497. By this time, Batman is so exhausted from the exertion of catching the escaped criminals that he cannot even defend himself; Bane beats him mercilessly before breaking Wayne's back over his knee inside the Batcave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
below the manor, symbolically "breaking" Batman and leaving Wayne a paraplegic. Bane takes the grievously-wounded Wayne (still costumed in the Batman outfit) downtown to Gotham Square and throws him from a rooftop to demonstrate his superiority to the populace. With Batman incapacitated, Bane assumes control of Gotham City's underworld and takes over several illegal operations within it.
After his defeat, Bruce Wayne enlists the aid of Dr. Shondra Kinsolving
Shondra Kinsolving
Shondra Kinsolving is a fictional supporting character in the DC Comics universe. She was introduced during the "Knightfall" storyline in Batman #486, . She was created by Doug Moench and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:...
to rehabilitate him and asks Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael)
Azrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
to take up the mantle of Batman so that Gotham has a protector. Tim Drake argues with Bruce to allow Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
(the former Robin and then-current Nightwing
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
,) to become Batman, as he is more experienced and mentally competent. Bruce replies that Grayson has his own responsibilities and would only take up the mantle of the Bat reluctantly. (Dick later expressed resentment at not being asked to stand in as Batman.) Bruce's rationale for this decision is revealed in later issues - secretly, he does not want Dick to have to face Bane, as he knows Dick's character will compel him to try. Indeed, Bruce gives Jean-Paul strict orders never to engage Bane in combat—and when Jean-Paul does face Bane, only his modified gloves save Jean-Paul from being thrown to his death.
Soon after, Kinsolving and Tim's father Jack Drake
Jack Drake
Jack Drake is a fictional character from DC Comics books, specifically the Batman titles. Jack is the father of Tim Drake, formerly the third Robin and the current Red Robin.-Initial history and family:...
are kidnapped and Bruce and Alfred
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
leave the country to find them - their story is continued in Knightquest: The Search, while the happenings in Gotham are recorded in Knightquest: The Crusade. Jean-Paul is shown to be a different, but not dangerous, Batman until an encounter with the Scarecrow, which results in Jean-Paul being infected by Scarecrow's fear gas and "The System"—his programming as Azrael—taking over, in order to combat Jean-Paul's fear. Following this, Jean-Paul is unable to shake the influence of the System, giving in to it completely after his first defeat at Bane's hands, and being increasingly influenced by it during the rest of his tenure as Batman. Gradually, Jean-Paul alienates Robin with his paranoia and arrogance.
In Batman #500, Jean-Paul, in his new mechanical Batsuit
Batsuit
The Batsuit is the costume of the fictional character Batman, a superhero appearing in DC Comics. Though the suit has been drawn many different ways by different artists, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time, it is most often...
(which is an amalgam of the Azrael costume with the Batman's) confronts Bane in an arduous battle and prevails, although many bystanders are put at risk. Jean-Paul leaves Bane broken mentally and physically, though he struggles with the choice of whether to simply kill Bane or hand him over to the police. He decides that he will let Bane go to Blackgate Prison. Jean-Paul continues to watch over Gotham after the fight, but grows increasingly unstable.
Knightquest
At the onset of "Knightquest", Jean-Paul Valley has been established as Batman, and Bruce Wayne is out of the country. Instead of a crossover with a definite ending, the publishers treated the scenario as though it were the new status quo, leaving it open-ended.The Crusade
"Knightquest: The Crusade" follows the story of Jean-Paul Valley during his tenure as Batman. He becomes increasingly violent and mentally unbalanced. During this time, he drives Robin away because he believes Gotham to be so tough that only violence could answer its criminals. In several issues Robin is left horrified as Jean-Paul ferociously attacks common criminals, often with a weapon and sometimes nearly to death. This surge of violence from Gotham's defender puts pressure on Batman's relationship with Police Commissioner Gordon, who begins to distrust and even fear the new Batman and eventually comes to realize he is not the same man he has known.All of Jean-Paul's actions are compelled by "The System"; on numerous occasions, he experiences the ghosts of his father and the patriarch Saint Dumas giving him guidance and he is driven to near insanity by the time the saga ends. He repeatedly redesigns his Batman costume, adding more gadget
Gadget
A gadget is a small technological object that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention...
s and lethal weapons, including metal claws, a laser, razor-sharp Batarang
Batarang
A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations...
s and a flame-thrower. Eventually, he also adds a Bat-symbol, matching the one used for the series' logo. Valley becomes compelled by a desire to be a better Batman than Bruce Wayne, especially when he discovers his lack of interest in detective work caused him to make false assumptions about Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
(he thought she would sell a powerful nerve gas to terrorists when she merely wanted to dispose of it so it could not be used to hurt anyone).
His questionable behavior climaxes when he encounters the serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Abattoir
Abattoir (comics)
Abattoir is the alias of Arnold Etchison, a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in the January 1991 issue of Detective Comics.-Fictional character biography:...
, who is keeping an innocent prisoner in a secret torture chamber
Torture chamber
A torture chamber is a room where torture is inflicted.- Methods of coercion :According to Frederick Howard Wines in his book Punishment and Reformation: A Study Of The Penitentiary System there were three main types of coercion employed in the torture chamber: Coercion by the cord, by water and...
: Jean-Paul purposely lets Abattoir die, thereby condemning the prisoner to death as well. Other villains Jean-Paul faces include Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze
Mr. Freeze, real name Dr. Victor Fries , is a DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of Batman. Created by Bob Kane, he first appeared in Batman #121 ....
, the Trigger Twins
Trigger Twins
The Trigger Twins are the names of two sets of fictional Western themed comic book characters published by DC Comics.-Heroes:The Trigger Twins first appear in All-Star Western #58 , the first issue of that title under its new name , and was one of the features that replaced the previous stars, the...
, Joker, Gunbunny & Gunhawk, the Tally Man
Tally Man
For the Batman villain who carves tally marks into his body to mark his murders, see Victor Zsasz.The Tally Man is the name of two fictional characters in the DC Universe. Both characters are supervillains.-Original Tally Man:...
, and Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
; the most notable encounters are with Catwoman and the Joker, both of whom could tell Valley was not the original Batman.
The Search
"Knightquest: The Search" follows Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth's search for Jack DrakeJack Drake
Jack Drake is a fictional character from DC Comics books, specifically the Batman titles. Jack is the father of Tim Drake, formerly the third Robin and the current Red Robin.-Initial history and family:...
and Shondra Kinsolving
Shondra Kinsolving
Shondra Kinsolving is a fictional supporting character in the DC Comics universe. She was introduced during the "Knightfall" storyline in Batman #486, . She was created by Doug Moench and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:...
, the father of the current Robin and the physical therapist with whom Bruce Wayne had fallen in love during his rehabilitation sessions respectively. Their investigation leads them to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and then Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Kinsolving's brother-by-adoption Benedict Asp kidnapped her to use her special powers
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
to kill people at a distance. Asp demonstrates this new form of mass murder on a small English village. When Bruce Wayne finds Kinsolving, he finds himself caught in the middle of a telekinetic tug-of-war between Asp and Kinsolving. The battle climaxes with her refocusing her energy to defeat Asp; as a side effect of the energy, Bruce's broken spine becomes healed. However, the drugs forced onto her by Asp, combined with the effects of the fight with Asp, reduce her mind to that of a child as Shondra's traumatised mind regresses to the past to escape her unhappy present, and Wayne reluctantly puts her into a mental institution
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
.
Bruce eventually leaves England to return home to a civilian life in Gotham, but Alfred remains in England, not wanting to see Bruce Wayne damage his body further. He does not return to Gotham until a while later, when Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
persuades him to do so in later issues.
KnightsEnd
Jean-Paul Valley sees visions of his dead father, who had programmed him at birth to be a deadly weapon. These visions tell Jean-Paul to avenge his father's death, and Jean-Paul searches Gotham for his father's killer. Though the killer, Carlton LeHah, had already been encountered and defeated (in Sword of Azrael), Jean Paul's conditioning had warped his mind to the extent that he no longer remembered the incident. He eventually comes to believe that Penn Selkirk, a Gotham mobster turned weapons dealer who has taken over the remnants of LeHah's organization, is his father's murderer.Returning to Gotham, Bruce meets with Tim. Even though Jean-Paul disobeyed Bruce's order to refrain from attacking Bane, Bruce is sufficiently impressed with Jean-Paul's results. Bruce decides to retire and allow Jean-Paul to continue as Batman. But when Robin tells Bruce of the circumstances around Abattoir's death, Bruce sneaks into the Batcave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
and demands that Jean-Paul step down. Jean-Paul refuses and threatens to kill Bruce if he ever returns.
To rehabilitate his skills, Bruce asks the famed assassin Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva
Lady Shiva is a fictional comic book character co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter as an antagonist of Richard Dragon...
to retrain him. Instead, Shiva pits Bruce against several vengeful expert martial artists. Shiva's caveat is that these attacks will continue indefinitely until Bruce Wayne breaks his vow to never kill. Finally, in the midst of another attack, Bruce feigns using the fatal Leopard Blow
Leopard Blow
The "Leopard Blow," "leopard punch," or "leopard fist" is a common term for a specific type of striking blow, associated primarily with the Leopard Kung Fu substyle of the Five Animals in Chinese martial arts, though it is also used in styles such as Krav Maga, Choy Li Fut and Karate...
Shiva had taught him, leaving his would-be assailant apparently dead. Shiva finally declares him worthy of fighting her at some point in the future. Only six masters appear in the storyline although seven masters are mentioned.
Now back in fighting shape, Bruce returns to the Batcave and resumes his role as Batman. Along with Robin and Nightwing, he tracks Valley down to Selkirk's penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
. Coincidentally, Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
is chasing the same man because he owns a neural enabler which might allow her paraplegic friend to walk again. Selkirk already wants to kill Jean-Paul for destroying a valuable weapons cache in Gotham Harbor.
When they eventually all meet, mass fighting and gunfire ensue. The battle ends with Selkirk's helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
crashing into the Gotham Narrows Bridge; Jean-Paul falls aflame into the Gotham River. Bruce and Catwoman save Selkirk and his aides just before the helicopter explodes from the leaking fuel. When Bruce tries to find Jean-Paul using the Batmobile, it explodes. Nightwing fears Bruce dead and takes his vengeance out on Jean-Paul on a party boat. The police arrive in time to prevent Nightwing from committing murder, but Jean-Paul escapes. However, to his shock, Jean-Paul finds Bruce waiting at Wayne Manor.
The final battle of the "Knightfall" saga takes place between Jean-Paul Valley and Bruce Wayne in the caverns surrounding the Batcave: rather than beating Jean-Paul at hand-to-hand combat, Bruce outwits him by escaping into a passage too narrow for Jean-Paul to go through in his armor, thus forcing Jean-Paul to remove most of it. Bruce then opens a hatch to the outside, which covered the very hole he fell into as a child, allowing sunlight to enter the night lenses in Jean-Paul's helmet. After being momentarily blinded, Jean-Paul removes his cowl, sees Bruce standing over him in the original Batman costume and concedes defeat, saying "You are Batman...and I am nothing." Bruce comforts Jean-Paul, who leaves to wander the streets of Gotham, homeless and destitute. Bruce decides not to take Jean-Paul to the police because it was his decision to make Jean-Paul the Batman and he doesn't want to get into trouble.
"KnightsEnd" was collected into a trade paperback about a year later. Originally released as Batman: KnightsEnd, recent editions retitled it as volume three of the Knightfall saga.
Prodigal
Bruce reaffirms his partnership with Tim, resolving the tension caused by Bruce's unwillingness to accept help during the Arkham prison break. Bruce passes the mantle of Batman to Grayson so he can re-evaluate what it will take to restore his aura of invincibility. This begins the Prodigal storyline, a reference to Dick Grayson essentially being Bruce's prodigal son; Bruce had adopted Dick after his parents were murdered.Because of the events of Knight Saga and Prodigal, considerable time passes before Commissioner Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
restores his trust in the idea of a Batman working for good. Gordon can tell that he is not looking at the original Batman (based on Jean-Paul's costume and Dick's height, and the fact that Jean-Paul was more than ready to kill people), and he refuses to place blind trust in a costume after spending so long learning to trust the man. The Prodigal storyline was utilized as a way of tying up the numerous loose ends that Knightfall left, with Killer Croc
Killer Croc
Killer Croc is a comic book supervillain in the DC Universe, an enemy of Batman. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Gene Colan, while there was a shadowy cameo in Detective Comics #523 , his actual first appearance is credited to Batman #357 , which is also the first appearance of Jason...
, the Ventriloquist
Ventriloquist (comics)
The Ventriloquist is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Batman in the . The Ventriloquist first appeared in Detective Comics #583 and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle...
, Ratcatcher
Ratcatcher (comics)
The Ratcatcher is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe, primarily as an enemy of Batman. First appearing in Detective Comics #585 , the Ratcatcher was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle.-Fictional character biography:At one time an actual rat catcher...
and Two-Face
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
, along with many other, less notorious escaped inmates being returned to prison. In doing so, Dick avenges his worst mistake from his days as Robin, when a mistake in a confrontation with Two-Face caused a man to die and nearly killed Bruce. He also comes to appreciate the incredible physical and mental burden Bruce places on himself in donning the Batsuit. During the story, a firm bond arises between Dick and Tim as they share Wayne Manor together in Bruce's and Alfred's absence.
It's revealed in the later No Man's Land storyline that Bruce also used this time to set up contingency bases throughout Gotham.
Troika
When Bruce finally returns for good, he wears a sturdier (made of Kevlar), darker BatsuitBatsuit
The Batsuit is the costume of the fictional character Batman, a superhero appearing in DC Comics. Though the suit has been drawn many different ways by different artists, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time, it is most often...
(quite similar to the costume of the Tim Burton Batman movies), and drives a new, state-of-the-art Batmobile. He again fights Colonel Vega (who teamed with Asp in Knightquest: The Search), KGBeast
KGBeast
KGBeast is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in DC Comics publications primarily as an opponent of Batman.- Back story :Anatoli Knyazev, code-named "The Beast", and known to the C.I.A. as the "KGBeast" was trained as an assassin by "The Hammer," a top secret cell of the KGB...
, and Dark Rider, in order to foil a plot to nuke Gotham City with a device the size and shape of a baseball. Troika comes from the Russian word for Triad. The saga also shows how Batman makes changes to his life as Bruce Wayne, his relationships with his 'family', plans to live without Alfred, and copes with the decision of making Jean-Paul his replacement.
Nightwing: Alfred's Return
A one-shot that features the return of Alfred after his resignation during "KnightQuest: The Search". It has Nightwing going to England in order to track Alfred down.Azrael
A new series following Jean-Paul Valley was begun in April 1995, titled Azrael. In it, he is found on the street by Bruce Wayne, and given money to leave Gotham to travel the world and find his purpose as had Bruce. His journeys take him to Europe, where he uncovers conspiracies within the Sacred Order of Saint Dumas which had brainwashed him. Later, he returns to Gotham City to aid Batman, and the series was retitled Azrael: Agent of the Bat at issue 47. The series ended after one hundred issues, with Valley's apparent death. Each issue was written by Dennis O'NeilDennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
. Azrael's demise occurred at the same time as the Batman: Hush
Batman: Hush
Hush is a 2002-2003 comic book story arc that ran through the Batman monthly series. It was written by Jeph Loeb, penciled by Jim Lee, inked by Scott Williams and colored by Alex Sinclair. The story depicts a mysterious stalker called Hush, who seems intent on sabotaging Batman from afar, and it...
storyline, which focused on how Bruce Wayne as Batman interacted with his various friends, allies, loved ones, and enemies; oddly enough though, Jean-Paul Valley was neither mentioned, alluded to, or appeared during this time.
Bough Breaks
Batman Annual #22 featured the return of Arnold Etchison (Abbatoir)'s spirit, wishing to take revenge on Batman (specifically, Azrael-Batman) for his death. Now calling himself Etkar, he possesses Azrael's former Batsuit and returns to the site of his own death, with a hostage.Batman: Legacy
This crossover event involves a rematch between Batman and Bane, who is now allied with Ra's al GhulRa's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
. It is followed by the one-shot graphic novel Batman: Bane.
Angel and the Bane
In Azrael issues #36-40, a final thread of the Knightfall" plot is resolved in the four-part storyline "Angel and the Bane" and its following issue, Hour of the Quake.After the events of Batman: Bane, Azrael is tasked by Batman to track down the recently-resurfaced Bane. After meeting, the two men struggle, and Bane gets the upper hand with the aid of a small band of Santa Priscan soldiers and his old henchman Bird. He restrains Azrael and injects him with Venom, with the plan of using him as a super soldier to take over Santa Prisca. Azrael is able to resist addiction to the drug and eventually conquers Bane and flies him back to Gotham City. They arrive just as the massive earthquake
Batman: Cataclysm
"Cataclysm" is an 18 chapter DC Comics crossover story arc that ran through the various Batman family comics from March to May, 1998. The plot of the storyline centers around Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of the which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor...
occurs. Bane attempts escape but is unable; as a last-ditch effort he unsuccessfully tries to convince Azrael to form a partnership. Instead, Azrael reaffirms his dedication to Bruce Wayne.
The cover of issue 37 depicts Bane breaking Azrael over his knee in a recreation of the famous cover of Batman #497, Knightfall part 11.
Reading order and release dates
Each story arc of the Knightfall saga ran across a number of Gotham City-related comics. This created a fairly complex reading order, which is summarized below.| Knightfall | Knightquest | KnightsEnd | Aftermath | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Broken Bat" (Apr-Late July 1993) |
"The Crusade" (Oct 1993-June 1994) |
"The Search" (Oct 1993-June 1994) |
(July-Aug 1994) | (Aug 1994-Feb 1995) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| "Prodigal" (Nov 1994-Jan 1995) |
||||
|
|
||||
| "Who Rules the Night" (Late July-Oct 1993) |
"Troika" (Feb 1995) |
|||
|
|
|
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- Batman Annual #17
- Detective Comics Annual #6
- Showcase '93 #10
- Superman vol. 2 #83
- Chain Gang War #6-7, 10-12
- Legends of the Dark Knight Annual #3
- Catwoman #5
- Showcase '94 #5-7
- Outsiders #7-9
- Bloodlines: BloodbathBloodlines (comics)"Bloodlines" was a 1993 comic book story arc published by DC Comics. It was an intracompany crossover that ran through DC's superhero annuals and concluded with a two-issue 'Bloodbath' miniseries written by Dan Raspler. The antagonists were a race of monstrous xenomorph-like aliens, incorrectly...
#1-2 - Batman/PunisherPunisherThe Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
: Lake of Fire (This has a direct sequel, Batman/Punisher: Deadly Knights) - Batman: Turning PointsBatman: Turning PointsBatman: Turning Points is a five-issue Batman limited series, exploring the turning points of the relationship between Batman and Commissioner James Gordon. Written by Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, and Chuck Dixon, with art by Steve Lieber, Joe Giella, Dick Giordano, Brent Anderson, Paul Pope, and...
#4
- During his incapacitation, Bruce Wayne appears in:
- Catwoman #4
- Justice League Task Force #4
- Bane and his henchmen appear in Catwoman #1-4, in the lead-up to and aftermath of his capture by the new Batman.
Influence and legacy
DC Comics published "Knightfall" around the same time as the "The Death of SupermanThe Death of Superman
"The Death of Superman" is a 1992 comic book storyline that occurred in DC Comics' Superman titles. The completed multi-issue story arc was given the title The Death and Return of Superman....
" storyline. Knightfall started almost immediately after "The Funeral For a Friend" storyline in the Superman books. During the breakout at Arkham Asylum, Batman and Robin both wear a black arm band with the S-shield engraved on it. The two stories involved DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' most prominent characters. Similar stories followed for Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
, Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
, and Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
.
In an interview with Dennis O'Neill
Dennis O'Neill
Dennis O'Neill CBE is a Welsh operatic tenor and recording artist.-Early career:Born of Welsh and Irish parents, he studied privately with Professor Frederic Cox in Manchester and then in London...
, the writer stated that part of the reason "Knightfall" was written was due to the recent popularity of more "ruthless" heroes such as the Terminator and James Bond
James Bond (film series)
The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
in films, as editors were starting to wonder if readers would prefer a Batman who was willing to kill his opponents; the subsequent response to Jean Paul Valley's Batman proved this not to be the case.
During DC vs. Marvel, Bane attempts to break Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
's back in a fight in a similar maneuver, but is caught off-guard when Captain America's shield
Captain America's shield
Captain America's shield is a fictional item, the primary defensive and offensive piece of equipment used by the Marvel Comics superhero Captain America; he is seldom seen without it. Over the years, Captain America has had the use of several different shields of varying composition and design...
returns to its owner to strike Bane in the back of the head and knock him out.
The famous back-breaking scene was referenced in Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...
, where if the player loses the fight with Bane
Bane (comics)
Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
, one of the death scenes shows Bane breaking Batman over his knee. Another reference is where Batman threatens, "This time, I break you!" before knocking Bane down with the Batmobile. Also in Lego Batman: The Videogame for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, the achievement Atomic Backbreaker is acquired by using Bane to give Batman the famous back-breaker.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Comics ranked "Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Broken Bat" #24 on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels, saying: "What makes 'Knightfall, Part One' so memorable is not the actually snapping of Batman's back. It's the quick fall into despair that proves most shocking. The ending is a foregone conclusion as Batman is worn down both physically and mentally. The Batman's spirit is broken before his vertebrae and that's a feat you'll never see accomplished anywhere else."
Continuity
The initial scenes of the prelude Sword of Azrael mini-series take place during the Gotham City "Founders Day" parade.As the contemporary Batmobile
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
was destroyed in "KnightsEnd", the original Batmobile (with the large hood ornament) was used by Batman and Robin for several issues following. "Knightquest" also introduces Batman's rocket railcar linking the Batcave to the Gotham subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system; it was designed and completed by Harold
Harold Allnut
Harold Allnut is a fictional character in DC Comics, an aide of Batman. He helped to design, build, and repair Batman's equipment.-Character appearance and disabilities:...
after his discovery of the cavern passages in Detective Comics #650 ("The Dragon").
In "KnightsEnd", Jean-Paul Valley references his defeat of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Jigsaw
Jigsaw (Marvel Comics)
Jigsaw is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Throughout his many appearances, he has served as one of the Punisher's few recurring villains...
during the Batman/Punisher crossover Lake of Fire. This is a very rare mention of a character from another company in a non-intercompany capacity, made possible by the insanity of Jean-Paul.
Novels
Dennis O'NeilDennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
adapted the entire storyline trilogy into a 1994 novel which was released by Warner Books in hardcover form and then in mass paperback later on (Hardcover ISBN 0-553-09673-7, Paperback ISBN 0-553-57260-1). A young adults book version was also released, this one written by Alan Grant and titled Batman: Knightfall and Beyond (ISBN 0-553-48187-8).
Animation
The character Bane was quickly added to the roster of villains in Batman: The Animated SeriesBatman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated series based on the DC Comics character Batman. The series featured an ensemble cast of many voice-actors including Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Arleen Sorkin, and Loren Lester. The series won four Emmy Awards and was nominated...
. He appeared in the episode "Bane" as a muscular thug rather than the mastermind as he was in the comics. He was hired by the mobster Rupert Thorne
Rupert Thorne
Rupert Thorne is a fictional character, a crime boss and enemy of Batman in the DC Comics universe. Created by Steve Englehart and Walter Simonson, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #469.-Fictional character biography:...
to eliminate Batman, and in turn by Thorne's mole to eliminate Thorne afterwards. Bane eventually fought Batman onboard a boat (where Robin had been kidnapped and tied up), but before he could break his back as he did in the comics, Batman thrusts a crumpled batarang
Batarang
A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations...
into the controls that inject Bane with Venom. This action caused a rapid and uncontrollable feed into Bane's body before Batman pulls out the tube, stopping a fatal overdose of the drug.
Radio
In 1994, BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
broadcast a radio-play adaptation, later also released on audio-tape (ISBN 0-563-39520-6) and CD by BBC Audiobooks on March 5, 2007. It was adapted, produced and directed by Dirk Maggs
Dirk Maggs
Dirk Maggs, a freelance writer and director working across all media, is principally known for his work in radio, where he evolved radio drama into "Audio Movies," a near-visual approach combining scripts, layered sound effects, cinematic music and cutting edge technology. He pioneered the use of...
, with music composed by Mark Russell
Mark Russell (composer)
Mark Russell is a British composer whose works include music for the television series Cold Feet, Murder City and Kingdom. He presented Mixing It on BBC Radio 3 from 1990 to 2007, when the programme ended...
, who had recently made Superman: Doomsday & Beyond on BBC Radio 5
BBC Radio 5 (former)
BBC Radio 5 was a BBC radio network that carried sport, children's and educational programmes.It was transmitted via analogue radio on 693 and 909 kHz, and lasted for three years and eight months. The success of BBC Radio 4's coverage of the Gulf War, on a service known as Scud FM,...
. This show, however was not commissioned of its own, but rather to be three minute episodes on the Mark Goodier
Mark Goodier
-Early career:Mark Goodier was born in Rhodesia . His family moved to the UK when he was a child, eventually settling in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. He became a mobile DJ in Edinburgh and then joined local station Radio Forth at the age of 19...
Show. This meant it was written with a sense of immediacy; having to make an instant effect and each three minute segment contains a major plot development or sound effect stunt and end on a cliffhanger. DC acknowledged the effort in an issue Shadow of The Bat by having villains jump past a sign that read Dirk Maggs Radio. The radio-play itself contained similar minor allusions to Batman - the host of a TV show called Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon
Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
and Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
an author of a book.
"Knightfall" was a sequel to Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome
Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome
Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome is a 1989 BBC Radio 4 broadcast, produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the popular comic book character Batman. The story was originally written by Simon Bullivant and Dirk Maggs...
also produced for BBC radio by Dirk Maggs
Dirk Maggs
Dirk Maggs, a freelance writer and director working across all media, is principally known for his work in radio, where he evolved radio drama into "Audio Movies," a near-visual approach combining scripts, layered sound effects, cinematic music and cutting edge technology. He pioneered the use of...
.
Its performers are:
- Bob Sessions as BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
- Michael GoughMichael GoughMichael Gough was an English character actor who appeared in over 150 films. He is perhaps best known to international audiences for his roles in the Hammer Horror films from 1958, and for his recurring role as Alfred Pennyworth in all four movies of the Burton/Schumacher Batman franchise,...
as Alfred PennyworthAlfred PennyworthAlfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure... - Daniel Marinker as RobinRobin (comics)Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
- Peter MarinkerPeter MarinkerPeter Marinker is a Canadian actor well known for his role as Kiichi Goto in the Patlabor series and his many audio book recordings. He currently resides in the UK.-Filmography:*A Wind Named Amnesia as Simpson*Angel Cop as Dr...
as BaneBane (comics)Bane is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Batman: Vengeance of Bane #1 , and was created by Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Graham Nolan. Bane has been one of Batman's more physically and intellectually powerful foes...
, Jack DrakeJack DrakeJack Drake is a fictional character from DC Comics books, specifically the Batman titles. Jack is the father of Tim Drake, formerly the third Robin and the current Red Robin.-Initial history and family:... - Kerry ShaleKerry ShaleKerry Shale is a UK-based actor, writer and voice-over artist. He is married to Suzanne Shale, a former Oxford University law don, now a specialist in the field of medical ethics.-Theatre:...
as Jean Paul Valley, The Joker, The Cavalier, Thomas WayneThomas WayneThomas Wayne is a fictional character in the Batman series of comic books. Dr. Thomas Wayne was the father of Bruce Wayne, and husband of Martha Wayne, as well as a gifted surgeon and philanthropist... - William Roberts as Commissioner James Gordon, AmygdalaAmygdalaThe ' are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.-...
, Carlton LeHa, Tough Tony - Lorelei KingLorelei KingLorelei King is a United States-born actress who has been based in the United Kingdom since 1981. She has narrated audiobooks, acted in radio plays for BBC Radio 4 and appeared on television.- Early life :...
as Renee MontoyaRenee MontoyaRenee Montoya is a fictional comic book character published by DC Comics. The character was initially created for Batman: The Animated Series, and was preemptively introduced into mainstream comics before the airing of her animated debut in 1992....
, Leslie ThompkinsLeslie ThompkinsDr. Leslie Thompkins is a fictional character from the Batman mythos. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Dick Giordano, she first appeared in Detective Comics #457...
, Lady ShivaLady ShivaLady Shiva is a fictional comic book character co-created by Dennis O'Neil and Ric Estrada, and published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter as an antagonist of Richard Dragon...
, Young Bruce, Martha WayneMartha WayneMartha Wayne is a fictional character of the Batman series of comic books, published by DC Comics. She is Dr. Thomas Wayne's wife and mother of Bruce Wayne. When she and her husband are murdered during a holdup, young Bruce swears to avenge their deaths by fighting crime...
, Sarah Essen - Eric Meyers as Harvey BullockHarvey Bullock (comics)Harvey Bullock is a fictional character from DC Comics' Batman titles.-Fictional character biography:Prior to the 1984-85 DC maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, Bullock is a crooked police detective under instructions from Gotham City's Mayor Hamilton Hill to sabotage Commissioner Gordon's career...
, Colonel Vega, Batcave Computer, Joe ChillJoe ChillJoe Chill is a fictional character in the DC Comics Batman series. He is best known for murdering young Bruce Wayne's parents , thus making him indirectly responsible for Batman's existence....
, Bird, Jeremiah ArkhamJeremiah ArkhamJeremiah Arkham is a fictional character in DC Comics' Batman comic books, in which he serves as the current head of Arkham Asylum, an institution for the criminally insane. He debuted in 1992 in Shadow of the Bat #1 during the four-part story arc, Batman: The Last Arkham, that kicked off the new...
, Firefly, Nomoz - Michael Roberts as The VentriloquistVentriloquist (comics)The Ventriloquist is a fictional character, a supervillain and enemy of Batman in the . The Ventriloquist first appeared in Detective Comics #583 and was created by Alan Grant, John Wagner and Norm Breyfogle...
, Film FreakFilm FreakFilm Freak is the name of two DC Comics villains and enemy of Batman and Catwoman. They are of the myriad "gimmick" villains in Gotham City, their trademark being their obsession with motion pictures.-Burt Weston:...
, Simpson Flanders, Benedict Asp, Hood - Alibe ParsonsAlibe ParsonsAlibe Parsons is an actress who has worked extensively in both film and television.On television, she is best known for her regular role in the 1970s BBC drama Gangsters as Sarah Gant...
as Shondra KinsolvingShondra KinsolvingShondra Kinsolving is a fictional supporting character in the DC Comics universe. She was introduced during the "Knightfall" storyline in Batman #486, . She was created by Doug Moench and Jim Aparo.-Fictional character biography:... - James GoodeJames GoodeJames Goode is a rugby union player. He played for the Cardiff Blues in the Magners League but left the team at the end of the 2007–08 Season. He also played for the Manawatu Turbos in Palmerston North, New Zealand...
as NightwingNightwingNightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
, The ScarecrowScarecrow (comics)The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane... - Stuart MilliganStuart MilliganStuart Milligan is an American actor based primarily in Britain, best known for his recurring role as Adam Klaus in Jonathan Creek.He attended South High School in Denver, Colorado...
as RiddlerRiddlerThe Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
, Maxie ZeusMaxie ZeusMaximillian "Maxie" Zeus is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He is a criminal mastermind who believes that he is the god Zeus from Greek mythology. He is an occasional enemy of Batman... - Chris EmmettChris EmmettChris Emmett is a British actor and comedian best known for his work in the late 1970s on the BBC Radio 4 comedy The Burkiss Way. He was a regular on various series starring Roy Hudd, including The News Huddlines, The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, Huddwinks and Crowned Hudds...
as Mad HatterMad HatterHatta, the Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the story's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll... - Vincent MarzelloVincent MarzelloVincent Marzello is an American actor.He is of Italian ancestry. He has been active on screen since 1976 in North America and Europe, his first role being in an episode of The Brothers...
as Armand Krol, Abattoir, Mr. Zsasz
Action figures
In 1994, KennerKenner
Kenner Products was a toy company founded in 1947 by three brothers, Albert, Phillip, and Joseph L. Steiner, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and was named after the street where the original corporate offices were located, which is just north of Cincinnati's Union Terminal.Kenner introduced its...
released the Legends of Batman action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
collection. This revolved primarily around Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
stories and the modern "Knightfall" era; although, it strangely did not include a Bane figure. The collection lasted two series and corresponded with the Superman: Man of Steel figure line based on "The Death of Superman
The Death of Superman
"The Death of Superman" is a 1992 comic book storyline that occurred in DC Comics' Superman titles. The completed multi-issue story arc was given the title The Death and Return of Superman....
".
In 2006, DC Direct
DC Direct
DC Direct is the collectibles division of DC Comics, the Time Warner subsidiary that publishes comic books and licenses characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Batman, Batgirl and Hawkgirl. DC Direct produces statues, props, replicas and prints for the direct market, a...
released a series of figures specifically based on the "Knightfall" saga. This included Jean Paul Valley as Batman, Nightwing, Bane, Catwoman, and the unique "Mask of Tengu" Batman figure.
Collected editions
Part of the storyline has been collected into a few trade paperbacksTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
. Earlier printings of the "Knightfall" books had covers by Kelley Jones
Kelley Jones
Kelley Jones is an American comic book artist best known for his runs on Batman with writer Doug Moench and on Sandman with writer Neil Gaiman.-Biography:...
were under the "Knightfall" name and book three was under the "Knightsend" name (with this volume featuring a new cover by Graham Nolan
Graham Nolan
Graham Nolan is a comic book artist, best known for work for DC Comics on Batman-related titles in the 1990s and his work on The Phantom Sunday strip. He is currently the artist on the syndicated comic Rex Morgan, M.D....
and Brian Stelfreeze
Brian Stelfreeze
Brian Stelfreeze is an American comic book artist. Stelfreeze, an accomplished painter, penciller, inker and colorist, has worked for nearly every major American comic book publisher and is one of the original members of Atlanta's Gaijin Studios, a prominent breeding ground for some of comics' most...
). These earlier editions also featured the original cover art/DC Comics monthly ads of the storyline as the chapter headings. The current printings of the three books do not have these cover/ads and solely title the three books under the "Knightfall" name with a similar cover dressing design. These new editions have covers by Mike Deodato
Mike Deodato
Mike Deodato , sometimes credited as Mike Deodato Jr., is the professional pseudonym of Brazilian comic book artist Deodato Taumaturgo Borges Filho.-Biography:...
.
- Batman: Knightfall, Part One: Broken Bat (collects BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #491–497 and Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
vol. 1 #659–663, 272 pages, paperback, September 1993, ISBN 1563891425) - Batman: Knightfall, Part Two: Who Rules the Night (collects BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #498–500, Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
vol. 1 #664–666, Batman: Shadow of the BatBatman: Shadow of the BatBatman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
#16–18, and stories from Showcase '93 #7–8; 288 pages, paperback 1993, ISBN 1563891484) - Batman: Knightfall, Part Three: KnightsEnd (collects BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #509–510, Batman: Shadow of the BatBatman: Shadow of the BatBatman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
#29–30, Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
vol. 1 #676–677, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62–63, and Catwoman vol. 2 #12; 304 pages, paperback, June 1995, ISBN 1563891913)
Parts of the Aftermath storyline had been collected in a trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Batman: Prodigal (collects BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #512–514, Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
vol. 1 #679–681, Batman: Shadow of the BatBatman: Shadow of the BatBatman: Shadow of the Bat was a comic book series featuring Batman, published by DC Comics. The series ran for 96 issues, from 1992 to 2000. The stories took place in Batman's then-current continuity along with Detective Comics and Batman, in contrast to Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, which...
#32–34, and Robin vol. 4 #11–13; 271 pages, paperback, January 1998, ISBN 1563893347)
Neither part of the "Knightquest" storyline have appeared in collected editions.