Batman: Knightfall Volume 2 -Knightquest by Chuck Dixon continues the long saga of Knightfall the big Batman DC Comics event of the 90’s. This volume is loaded with 694 pages of comics. Batman -Bruce Wayne has been broken by villain Bane and he handed the reigns over John Paul Valley who was Arzael a conflicted hero an ex-assassin. John Paul turns the Batsuit into a dangerous weapon with a full redesign making him look like an angry robot, he beats Bane and starts his crusade to take Gotham back from the Darkness all the while not using the same rules. This starts Knightquest! The comics are all leading to something but it is really unfocused, and when it gets to the end I don’t know if it was totally earned. It reminds me of the current MCU, the first phases were so focused all leading to a big event like the first volume of Knightfall, then phase 4 was a mess with no direction like the second volume of Knightfall. I did like where the volume ended up and think this is the best direction for the final volume of the series. This volume was missing a lot of notable villains, it featured Joker, Catwoman, Clayface III and Lady Clayface, the rest of the villains are throw away villains with the creators having fun one group of villains is a punk spoof on the Three Stooges, the other is two twin gunslingers. The tension between John Paul and Tim Drake -Red Robin is interesting but over too soon. The pace moves okay, though the long storyline involving the villain Abattoir gets played out really fast and the story should not have been 9 issues long. Batman: Knightfall Volume 2 – Knightquest collects Detective Comics #667-675, Shadow of the Bat #19-20, #24-28, Batman #501-508, Catwoman #6-7 and Robin #7. Batman: Knightfall Volume 2 – Knightquest was published in May 1 2012.
Plot Summary: John Paul has just defeated Bane and cemented his role as the new Batman. Bruce is off on a mission to bring Tim Drake’s father back that maybe Bane’s people took and he has left Red Robin to watch over, only the new Batman works alone and nearly kills Robin to keep him away and has started fortifying the Bat Cave so only he has an entrance. Batman’s first test is a twin gunslingers that come to town to cause trouble and rob the money train, The new Batman prefers to travel by a new Batmobile that runs on subway and incline rails. Batman has drawn the attention of the Joker who knows the new Batman is a fake and wants to kill him for a movie he is directing. Catwoman is back in Gotham and part of a nerve gas plot. This story is the best as the new Batman sees only Catwoman as a criminal and not how the original Batman came to see here as a petty criminal but not someone who would harm others. Abattoir who kills mostly his family and does a blood ritual to gain more power escaped from Arkham and is a relative to the Mayor of Gotham that he wants dead, Batman must stop this plot using any means necessary. One of the relatives who is in prison and father to the mayor makes thinks more crazy as he puts a hit on Abattoir. Batman is pushed to his limits and starts seeing visions of his father who wanted to turn him into an assassin before the original Batman stepped in start leading his thoughts on his quest to take Gotham out of the darkness by any means necessary making himself the villain in some peoples eyes.
What I Liked: I like how the title Knightquest works since John Paul Valley is on a crusade much like his Templar ancestry Saint Dumas and the order he serves. I liked the visions and how the ghost of John Paul Valley’s father has a different view then the original Saint Dumas who end up fighting for control of Batman’s quest. The tension between the new Batman and a robin that he clearly does not want was great I felt this moment could have been stretched, but I like where the tension eventually ends up in a pretty good fight. I liked the Catwoman story and the story where Commissioner Gordon stands up and wants nothing to do with the new Batman that he knows is not the same person. I like that John Paul only lives in the Batcave and let Wayne Manor go to pieces. The Twin Shooters won me over I did not like them at first but ended up enjoying their 3 issue arc. I did really like the end of this volume and what it means for the final volume of Knightfall.
What I Disliked: Abattoir as this volumes big bad, he stinks and was not interesting at all. He was worthy of an issue or two not 9 issues. I was happy to see this villain on the worst villains of Batman list. Batman needed more established villains to go wait this is not the same Batman I’ve been battling for years he’s different and to see how that played out. The dropped story line of Catwoman went to South America on Bruce Wayne’s private plane to learn more about Bane and is back in Gotham with no mention, maybe it was explained somewhere else but not here. Bane even though he’s defeated should have still been involved in the story some how since events that were involving him are still playing out.
Recommendation: This book could have been better, but the whole Knightfall story is still worth it. I don’t think reading all the comics included in this collection are necessary, some barely move the main story along at all. I rated Batman: Knightfall Volume 2 -Knightquest by Chuck Dixon 3 out of 5 stars. This book has been the weakest in the series so far with Volume 1 and the Prelude being better and more focused.
Reading with My Eyes 