Batman: Knightfall Volume 1 by Chuck Dixon is the complete Knightfall collection 2012 edition that is over 650 pages long. This is an epic book with a epic Batman story. Bane has escaped a hellish South American prison and is set his sights on breaking the Batman to rule Gotham. Batman is pressed to his limits both mentally and psychically as Bane sets free all the the Arkham Asylum inmates who destroy Gotham. The action and weight of stress are apparent on Batman. The rising action is great leading to the breaking of the bat, and of John Paul Valley known as Azrael taking up the mantle and challenging Bane. Not all comics worked the two-parter with Two-Face is a stretch and it seems like it was already written and had to be reworked to fit Knightfall. The Ulimate story of Knightfall and all it encompasses is a great story. The art is by a lot of different artist but I loved the way Detective Comics and the Shadow of the Bat were drawn. The Batman Comics were not great and it was sometimes laughable the way Robin’s face was drawn. This comic has almost all of Batman’s villains, The Joker, Killer Croc, Anarky, Catwoman, Firefly, The Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, The Scarecrow, Two-Face, The Ventriloquist and Scarface, Victor Zsasz, Amygdala, The Riddler, and a lot of lesser know villians. Batman: Knightfall Volume 1 collects Batman: Vengeance of Bane Special #1, Batman #491-500, Detective Comics #659-666, Showcase ’93 #7-8 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18.
Plot Summary: Bane has just fired an RPG into the front gates of Arkham Asylum and started releasing every inmate. We get some interesting team up the Scarecrow and the Joker, and The Ventriloquist and Amygdala. Batman was near exhaustion before the escape now has to control the city of Gotham with no energy, he wants to do it alone because Bane scares him and fears what he will do to Robin. Batman is not Bane’s only enemy as he broke Killer Croc’s arm to prove a point to Batman, Killer Croc wants vengeance as well as Batman. Batman puts some criminals back in Arkham but when Bane feels he is ready he will put him in a gauntlet that will break the Batman.
What I Liked: How Epic Bane makes beating the Batman, he both resects and fears him, and even Bane hows that he must weaken Batman before he can break him. I loved the Scarecrow and Joker together with The Scarecrow keep taunting The Joker with his fear gas. then he gives it to him and Joker wants more. I liked that The Ventriloquist is searching for Scarface and has to use other puppets who have an issue when scarface is found. I like the place Bane chose to break the Batman. and knew Batman was a symbol and needed to show everyone he beat it. I like what Azrael did to the batsuit and the ending and how it leads into Knightquest. I really liked the 3 Shadow of the Bat issues that was awesome and I liked the Scarecrow and Anarky’s story with the new Batman. I loved a broken wheelchair bound Bruce Wayne fighting off criminals.
What I Disliked: I really hated that two of the same comics were repeated in Batman the Prelude to Knightfall where I thought 4 part the Sword of Azrael should have been included now even more so. I really didn’t like the two issues of Showcase ’93 that were about Two-face since the issues were after the break but about Batman arresting Two-face before the breaking of his back, it was not good the way they tried to bring it back in the second issue after not talking about it in the first.
Recommendation: Knightfall was one of the biggest events when I started collecting comics, I can remember purchasing some of the books and were I was when I read some of them. I like how complete the collection is. I had a great time reminiscing. Bane is a great character and has n’t been used this well again. I rated Batman: Knightfall Volume 1 by Chuck Dixon 4 out of 5 stars. I will continue on to Knightquest Volume 2 in the series next month.
Reading with My Eyes 