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Batman: Knightfall #2
Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1
The inmates of Gotham City’s Arkham Asylum are loose, and Batman is in hot pursuit of The Joker, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Scarecrow and more. Pushed to the limit, the Dark Knight comes face to face with Bane, a hyper-pumped-up monstrosity, who delivers a crippling blow that changes Batman’s destiny forever.
Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1 presents the epic battle between Batman and one of his greatest foes of all time, Bane. Part two of a massive nine-volume celebration of the entire Batman: Knightfall saga, this collection follows the story arc begun in Batman: Prelude to Knightfall and features Batman #492-497 and Detective Comics #659-663 along with supplemental character sketches and more.
Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1 presents the epic battle between Batman and one of his greatest foes of all time, Bane. Part two of a massive nine-volume celebration of the entire Batman: Knightfall saga, this collection follows the story arc begun in Batman: Prelude to Knightfall and features Batman #492-497 and Detective Comics #659-663 along with supplemental character sketches and more.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2018
56 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Dixon
3,426 books1,029 followersCharles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.
In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.
His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.
He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .
While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.
In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.
On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 26, 2022
This one was quite good!
We see Batman finally getting tired and all but when all his villains are on the loose, he faces a gauntlet as he has to fight through first Mad hatter and hs crazy antics and then Ventriloquist and the drama he creates and a big story with Killer Croc vs Bane and all the tension underneath, hunting Corenlius Stirk and saving Gordon, dealing with the mad Arsonist Firefly and stopping the threats of Poison Ivy and Riddler, meanwhile Joker and Scarecrow are upto their antics but before that Bane vs Batman (now that Bruce is tired) and the big moment is here and its epic!
I loved the way this volume is collected and it tells a pretty coherent story of how Bane tests Batman and like the gauntlet thing is my favorite and it tests Batman like no other showing how its depleting his whole thing and all and when the big iconic moment comes it makes all the sense and changes things around for the entire Batman history. Plus the art by Aparo is so good!!
We see Batman finally getting tired and all but when all his villains are on the loose, he faces a gauntlet as he has to fight through first Mad hatter and hs crazy antics and then Ventriloquist and the drama he creates and a big story with Killer Croc vs Bane and all the tension underneath, hunting Corenlius Stirk and saving Gordon, dealing with the mad Arsonist Firefly and stopping the threats of Poison Ivy and Riddler, meanwhile Joker and Scarecrow are upto their antics but before that Bane vs Batman (now that Bruce is tired) and the big moment is here and its epic!
I loved the way this volume is collected and it tells a pretty coherent story of how Bane tests Batman and like the gauntlet thing is my favorite and it tests Batman like no other showing how its depleting his whole thing and all and when the big iconic moment comes it makes all the sense and changes things around for the entire Batman history. Plus the art by Aparo is so good!!
June 13, 2022
Bruce really gets put through the wringer.
This is a pretty iconic '90s Batman storyline that I enjoyed a lot, it humanizes Bruce Wayne's limitations as a crimefighter even while acknowledging that his limits of endurance and ingenuity far exceed what any ordinary (i.e. non-superpowered) person could do.
My man is just out here trying to sell books, don't hate the player...
Some of the dialogue and colouring does feel pretty dated, almost '80s-esque, particularly the repeated insertion of a "It's all society's fault!" talking head (with the absolutely delicious name of Simpson Flanders) on a series of talk shows in the background. But seeing as how I slogged through the even more reactionary "No Man's Land" and for the most part enjoyed it this one was a cut above, hence the 5-star rating.
What you all came here to see. Got to say, arriving at the moment in context did not disappoint.
October 21, 2021
Absolutely loved reading this, definitely lives up to its reputation of being one of the definitive Batman stories!
So this is the second Knightfall book and continues from the breakout at Arkham that happened in prelude to Knightfall and the chaos that ensues from that.
This story was so great in the fact that you got to see so many of Batman’s lesser known villains and since Batman is so fatigued every single one is a big obstacle for him to tackle and it made for a really enjoyable read. But the highlight of this book was the conclusion and seeing Bane break Batman physically and mentally (don’t see this as a spoiler as it’s on the cover) and even though I knew it was coming seeing it happen is still a shocking moment.
Overall a must read book for Batman fans and I can’t wait to read the next one!
So this is the second Knightfall book and continues from the breakout at Arkham that happened in prelude to Knightfall and the chaos that ensues from that.
This story was so great in the fact that you got to see so many of Batman’s lesser known villains and since Batman is so fatigued every single one is a big obstacle for him to tackle and it made for a really enjoyable read. But the highlight of this book was the conclusion and seeing Bane break Batman physically and mentally (don’t see this as a spoiler as it’s on the cover) and even though I knew it was coming seeing it happen is still a shocking moment.
Overall a must read book for Batman fans and I can’t wait to read the next one!
August 3, 2019
This Volume takes off where we left with the Prelude but this book didn't come with too many surprises as it still continues down the same road, the cover literally says it all. The plot was flowing better than the previous book and now had the more famous villians stacked against batman.
All the more i was confused when one of the lesser known villians stole the show in a burning manner, I am not sure if thats because the A-listers where done to death or because the writer wasn't really interested in them.
The art was on point for the time it was published at, you still see panels from this very book posted around the web! What I liked most was that I actually felt sad at the end of the Book, which usually isn't a mood I find myself in when reading batman books. 4.5 of 5
All the more i was confused when one of the lesser known villians stole the show in a burning manner, I am not sure if thats because the A-listers where done to death or because the writer wasn't really interested in them.
The art was on point for the time it was published at, you still see panels from this very book posted around the web! What I liked most was that I actually felt sad at the end of the Book, which usually isn't a mood I find myself in when reading batman books. 4.5 of 5
January 29, 2021
A classic, and for good reason. Movies and comics (including the Tom King run that just concluded not too long ago) have tried to recapture the magic in this storyline, but none have come close. It was a perfect storm at DC because you have to keep in mind everything that was happening at the time: First, Superman died and then Batman was crippled. They even talked about these stories on the news (which is how I heard about them, because pre-teen me was only reading Ninja Turtles and Savage Sword of Conan around that time).
Reading this story now, it's also confusing why some writers have chosen to make Bane a big dumb brute. Here, he is a perfect mix of mastermind and bruiser.
So, for anyone wanting the most important Batman stories of all time, this is high on the list.
Reading this story now, it's also confusing why some writers have chosen to make Bane a big dumb brute. Here, he is a perfect mix of mastermind and bruiser.
So, for anyone wanting the most important Batman stories of all time, this is high on the list.
January 18, 2023
I am not a Batman fan, but I have always wanted to read this. It was well done art wise, and the writing was great as well. The majority of this was a who's who of the rogue gallery for Batman. Bruce is challenged throughout with himself, in a way that is not typical for how he is represented. It really represented the humanity of him, which is vastly different from my experiences with his royal gruffness. I appreciate this version. The struggle to keep going even though you are burnt out. Feeling you have to push forward for others. I identified with that strongly. Overall, for a Batman story, I actually enjoyed it. I never will probably rate a Batman story that is Bruce focused a 5 star read, but to be 3 stars is awesome.
October 27, 2020
Príbeh pokračuje, Bane vypustil pacientov z Arkhamu a my spolu s ním sledujeme Batmanov maratón akcie s Mad Hatterom, Riddlerom, Zsaszom, Fireflyom a samozrejme, Jokerom. Chvíľu po prečítaní už ale netuším, kto skončil kde a ako a som zmätený podobne ako vyhorený Batman.
Vyvrcholenie je však super a právom má kultový status. Rovnako ako bolo smiešne šikanovanie starostu Jokerom a Scarecrowom, ktorí ho nútia volať armáde a hasičom alebo Riddlerovi goonovia, ktorí ho chcú zastreliť, lebo ich nebaví čakať s lúpežou na jeho hádanky.
Vyvrcholenie je však super a právom má kultový status. Rovnako ako bolo smiešne šikanovanie starostu Jokerom a Scarecrowom, ktorí ho nútia volať armáde a hasičom alebo Riddlerovi goonovia, ktorí ho chcú zastreliť, lebo ich nebaví čakať s lúpežou na jeho hádanky.
November 25, 2022
Knightfall is a great book. Dixon captures Batman's struggle so well. Other Batman comics have captured his anguish and the physical toll, but this graphic novel captures both very well and this is the most pained that I've seen Batman thus far. The impact on his mental and physical health is clear and his arc throughout Volume 1 is filled with suffering and endurance. Dixon's portrayal of Batman is spot on too - from covering his obsession with stopping crime to the consequences of it on his well being, Dixon does a fantastic job of writing his character arc.
Bane is a great villain too. He is strategic and calculated. He's also brutal. I knew the premise of Knightfall, but even so, it was not easy seeing how brutal he was and the pain that Batman felt. The art was incredible and so was the writing.
The other antags were less well developed as there were a ton of them and not much room to develop them. I wouldn't recommend this for someone who is starting out with Batman comics and/or hasn't seen the Batman cartoons. But, I felt Dixon portrayed each of the antagonists well and accurately. You get to see the challenges that they pose and their actions raised the stakes. The tension remained high too.
With that said, the story did drag on a bit and probably could have been resolved earlier. I think that some battles with the antagonists could have been wrapped up sooner, for instance. I also think that there was a lot going on, so there was a bit of jumping back and forth between various storylines. Nonetheless, these were minor issues and all of the storylines added to the intensity and intrigue.
This is a very good graphic novel. I can see why it's considered a classic by many (I certainly consider it to be a classic too and it is one of my favorite graphic novels). I really liked it and I am eager to read Volume 2!
Bane is a great villain too. He is strategic and calculated. He's also brutal. I knew the premise of Knightfall, but even so, it was not easy seeing how brutal he was and the pain that Batman felt. The art was incredible and so was the writing.
The other antags were less well developed as there were a ton of them and not much room to develop them. I wouldn't recommend this for someone who is starting out with Batman comics and/or hasn't seen the Batman cartoons. But, I felt Dixon portrayed each of the antagonists well and accurately. You get to see the challenges that they pose and their actions raised the stakes. The tension remained high too.
With that said, the story did drag on a bit and probably could have been resolved earlier. I think that some battles with the antagonists could have been wrapped up sooner, for instance. I also think that there was a lot going on, so there was a bit of jumping back and forth between various storylines. Nonetheless, these were minor issues and all of the storylines added to the intensity and intrigue.
This is a very good graphic novel. I can see why it's considered a classic by many (I certainly consider it to be a classic too and it is one of my favorite graphic novels). I really liked it and I am eager to read Volume 2!
December 27, 2021
Classic '90s-era Batman comics, with "new" villain Bane executing his plan to break Batman by running him ragged with a wave of criminals released from Arkham Asylum. It's one of the prototypical "big events" for comics, but the creative team does a good job with it. Writer Chuck Dixon has a strong sense of pacing and snappy patter, and the varied villainous acts do a good job of showing Batman being pushed to the brink.
Sure, the storytelling is repetitive about just how exhausted Batman is--he does a lot of anguished interior monologuing about how he's being pushed to the brink--but that might have been a necessary evil when fans read issue to issue and might not pick up every part of an arc. Why exactly Bane has it in for Batman so badly isn't clear, either, but that doesn't really matter in the big picture.
Even for a big event, there are some eye-catching moments here, notably when Batman punishes the Joker for murdering Jason Todd. That feels blunt and personal, elevating the stakes for a punch-them-out superhero book. It's also fun to see Batman rely on his wiles and ingenuity to take on Bane's henchmen in the run-up to the big boss himself. The events of that issue felt visceral and surprising too...even if they were all spoiled for us at the time.
Sure, the storytelling is repetitive about just how exhausted Batman is--he does a lot of anguished interior monologuing about how he's being pushed to the brink--but that might have been a necessary evil when fans read issue to issue and might not pick up every part of an arc. Why exactly Bane has it in for Batman so badly isn't clear, either, but that doesn't really matter in the big picture.
Even for a big event, there are some eye-catching moments here, notably when Batman punishes the Joker for murdering Jason Todd. That feels blunt and personal, elevating the stakes for a punch-them-out superhero book. It's also fun to see Batman rely on his wiles and ingenuity to take on Bane's henchmen in the run-up to the big boss himself. The events of that issue felt visceral and surprising too...even if they were all spoiled for us at the time.
June 20, 2024
Una de las grandes sagas de Batman que tenia reservada es esta Knightfall, que a poco de comenzar a leer, me sorprendió gratamente el atrapante y entretenido guion de Moench/Dixon, que con mucha acción, empuja a Batman al límite de sus capacidades físicas y psicológicas. Ahora bien, al desparecer Batman de escena, la historia pierde, al menos para mi, bastante interés, y es por esa razón, que sólo he leído los dos primeros volúmenes de la saga.
Varios artistas fueron convocados para ilustrar éstas páginas, con un estilo (a grosso modo) similar, que simplificando se le podría llamar “clásico de DC”, y si tengo que elegir entre uno de ellos, me quedo sin dudas con Jim Aparo, ya que entre otras cualidades, es quien, a mi entender, mejor dibuja al Caballero Oscuro en acción.
En general he quedado muy conforme con esta saga, y con la irrupción de Bane, quien se encaminaba ya desde ese entonces, a integrar la galería enemigos clásicos del encapotado.
Varios artistas fueron convocados para ilustrar éstas páginas, con un estilo (a grosso modo) similar, que simplificando se le podría llamar “clásico de DC”, y si tengo que elegir entre uno de ellos, me quedo sin dudas con Jim Aparo, ya que entre otras cualidades, es quien, a mi entender, mejor dibuja al Caballero Oscuro en acción.
En general he quedado muy conforme con esta saga, y con la irrupción de Bane, quien se encaminaba ya desde ese entonces, a integrar la galería enemigos clásicos del encapotado.
August 8, 2021
Batman'in en iyi eserleri genelde daha derin daha sert, akıcılık ve aksiyonun biraz daha az olduğu eserlerdir genelde. 3 bölümden oluşan Knightfall'un ilk cildi ''Broken Bat'', daha derin ve sert olmakla birlikte epey uzun bir roman olmasına karşın oldukça sürükleyici, aksiyonun fazla olduğu bir hadise. Bu sebeple de diğerleri arasında farklı bir zemine oturuyor. Ve çizimler de harika. Tıpkı Spider-Man'in belki de en iyi hikayesi olan Kraven's Last Hunt'daki gibi bir süper kahramanın hem fiziksel hem de ruhsal açıdan, adım adım tükenmesine, yıpratılmasına şahit olmak çok sarsıcı ve farklı bir deneyim. Son kare hafızadan silinecek gibi değil.
April 18, 2021
Although my time has been short in the world of comics, this book has been exceptional. I highly recommend this to any Batman fan who has not yet read it, tons of action and a great story. It is easily Batman’s greatest threat yet, it all builds to one culminating end. I am eager to read volume two.
November 24, 2025
HOLY SHIT THIS WAS INTENSE!! THOSE LAST THREE PAGES MADE MY JAW DROP IN SHOCK AND HORROR!!
Bane is such a good villain. The lengths he went to break Bruce mentally, emotionally and physically… HES TERRIFYING
Bane is such a good villain. The lengths he went to break Bruce mentally, emotionally and physically… HES TERRIFYING
May 3, 2021
Very fast paced and lots of action! Enjoyed this one quite a bit. Reminded me of the Arkham games, just a constant gauntlet of villains with no time to breathe. Ready to read the rest of the trilogy!
August 7, 2021
Bane is the first villain who was ever able to break the Bat, first mentally and then physically. He destroys Batman and thereby makes it clear that he is the new ruler of Gotham.
This volume really builds up nicely to that moment: More and more villains keep coming at Batman, and this time they included some of his most dangerous enemies like Scarecrow and The Joker. After weeks of uninterrupted fighting, who would have the strength to fight the strongest man in the world? Oh, and Bane has trained himself mentally as well, really becoming a sort of anti-Batman. An amazing volume with a great arc.
This volume really builds up nicely to that moment: More and more villains keep coming at Batman, and this time they included some of his most dangerous enemies like Scarecrow and The Joker. After weeks of uninterrupted fighting, who would have the strength to fight the strongest man in the world? Oh, and Bane has trained himself mentally as well, really becoming a sort of anti-Batman. An amazing volume with a great arc.
June 17, 2021
Finally, after 5 months, and 630 pages, Im finished. What can I say? Very amusing rollercoaster-like story, easy to read and follow and full of thrills. It is very clever to say that the door is open here for a sequel, not focus directly on Bane, but in the reign of terror spread by Azrael. However, at this point, I am not interested about it. Maybe in a future. Now "Kingdom Come" is next, in my graphic novel line.
Jean Paul Valley may not be Bruce Wayne as Batman, but I prefer his ways. I love his "Fight Fire with Fire" approach. Thats the way Batman -no matter who- should always work.
Jean Paul Valley may not be Bruce Wayne as Batman, but I prefer his ways. I love his "Fight Fire with Fire" approach. Thats the way Batman -no matter who- should always work.
June 14, 2020
Best long-running arc yet, uses the rogues gallery well and shows Batman at his absolute lowest. Impressive overall, despite some detours, but the one thing that doesn't make sense is Bane's motivation: he basically has a nightmare about a bat, then hears about Batman and is like "oh well obviously I have to kill him now," lol
August 27, 2025
(3.5 stars)
So far, this is the Batman comic I have the most mixed feelings on.
It’s story is painfully simple and drawn out, which is not a very promising combination, however I wouldn’t call it bad. The whole theme of this part 1 is pain, the story is Batman slowly breaking, mentally, physically and then it culminating with everything in his life crashing down, as Bane comes to his house and breaks his back in one of the most iconic panels ever. It’s pretty cool and there are many great moments along the way, even if they’re contained to isolated instances. The problem I have with the story is how it’s presented, I already mentioned how dragged out it is (which makes it harder to commit to reading), but it’s exasperated with how disjointed the events are. It’s a lot like a video game plot, where there’s a lot of villains doing rapscallion things and Batman goes around to various locations to stop them, nothing really connects to previous or future events, and the ongoing story is so simple that whenever we get some progress, it’s either minuscule, or just repeating information we already know, which was just annoying. I get that we need time to show that Batman is slowly breaking, and to show the chaos Bane has put Gotham in by releasing the inmates, but there’s a better way to do it, I’m not entirely sure what that is, but it’s not like this.
Batman was the highlight of the comic, with his body failing him, and the toll it takes on his mind and confidence, he refuses to give up, but you can clearly tell he’s not okay. His little speeches he gives when fighting crime were nice, even if sometimes it came across as him being a pussy. Robin was a neat addition, although the bit where Batman flashes back to Jason’s death was the best use of the character. The set up for where this story goes in parts 2/3, I didn’t really care for, because I won’t read them, but it’s a nice touch I guess (even if it adds to the insane amount of characters in this). Bane really doesn’t do much until the very end, he has a brief fight with Robin and Killer Croc, but he’s mostly just sitting around repeating the same information. That last issue does makes a big impression though, but it also makes me wish he was a more active antagonist, because I was reading this for him, so to see him do so little was disappointing. The Joker and Scarecrow are bigger antagonists for fucks sake
The artwork is just outstanding, it’s a perfect storm of classic, gothic, and exploding out of the page. The issue covers were also really interesting, and got me excited for what’s to come. The book’s visuals was probably the only consistently positive quality.
It’s story is very mixed, along with the characters. It has some really good moments I’m glad I read, but it could’ve so much better. I imagine it’s one of those comics that is good in hindsight and to think about, but when you actually have to read it, it’s a bit of a chore, but a decent chore, like organising.
So far, this is the Batman comic I have the most mixed feelings on.
It’s story is painfully simple and drawn out, which is not a very promising combination, however I wouldn’t call it bad. The whole theme of this part 1 is pain, the story is Batman slowly breaking, mentally, physically and then it culminating with everything in his life crashing down, as Bane comes to his house and breaks his back in one of the most iconic panels ever. It’s pretty cool and there are many great moments along the way, even if they’re contained to isolated instances. The problem I have with the story is how it’s presented, I already mentioned how dragged out it is (which makes it harder to commit to reading), but it’s exasperated with how disjointed the events are. It’s a lot like a video game plot, where there’s a lot of villains doing rapscallion things and Batman goes around to various locations to stop them, nothing really connects to previous or future events, and the ongoing story is so simple that whenever we get some progress, it’s either minuscule, or just repeating information we already know, which was just annoying. I get that we need time to show that Batman is slowly breaking, and to show the chaos Bane has put Gotham in by releasing the inmates, but there’s a better way to do it, I’m not entirely sure what that is, but it’s not like this.
Batman was the highlight of the comic, with his body failing him, and the toll it takes on his mind and confidence, he refuses to give up, but you can clearly tell he’s not okay. His little speeches he gives when fighting crime were nice, even if sometimes it came across as him being a pussy. Robin was a neat addition, although the bit where Batman flashes back to Jason’s death was the best use of the character. The set up for where this story goes in parts 2/3, I didn’t really care for, because I won’t read them, but it’s a nice touch I guess (even if it adds to the insane amount of characters in this). Bane really doesn’t do much until the very end, he has a brief fight with Robin and Killer Croc, but he’s mostly just sitting around repeating the same information. That last issue does makes a big impression though, but it also makes me wish he was a more active antagonist, because I was reading this for him, so to see him do so little was disappointing. The Joker and Scarecrow are bigger antagonists for fucks sake
The artwork is just outstanding, it’s a perfect storm of classic, gothic, and exploding out of the page. The issue covers were also really interesting, and got me excited for what’s to come. The book’s visuals was probably the only consistently positive quality.
It’s story is very mixed, along with the characters. It has some really good moments I’m glad I read, but it could’ve so much better. I imagine it’s one of those comics that is good in hindsight and to think about, but when you actually have to read it, it’s a bit of a chore, but a decent chore, like organising.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2021
An entertaining and iconic Batman story that suffers from some repetition and tone issues.
Is this worth reading? If you're a fan of Batman then absolutely. There's a reason this is an iconic story and it's still engaging today to see Batman get slowly worn down fighting all his baddies. If you have experienced enough Batman stories then this story idea will probably feel very familiar. However, that is only because this story has had many subsequent imitators and has heavily influenced future Batman stories, a notable example being the Arkham Asylum game series.
Unfortunately, while this story is well told here and entertaining for the most part, it is not perfect. It is very drawn out and repetitious with various issues focused on variations of Batman monologuing about how worn out he is and how he must keep pushing past his limits. At times, you'll feel as worn out as Batman with how often this dialogue is repeated. However, the repetition helps set up how Batman could be beaten down and helps you feel as tired as Batman is by the end, for good or bad.
The only other major problem of this collection is that this comes from an awkward period of Batman where tone was an issue. It wants to be modern and dark and has lots of death, destruction and murder but it also contains some goofy 60's Batman puns and silly characters. "The Falconer" seriously? It's also gave me quite a kick to see how ludicrously tall they make Batman's "Bat Ears" on some of the covers. Overall, the stories work but you'll have to forgive some of the occasional awkward goofiness.
In the end, this is an iconic story for a reason and worth reading if you're a big fan of Batman. If you're a casual fan or new to Batman, then you are much better off starting with some of the better classics such as Year One, Killing Joke or Dark Knight Returns. If you've read all the big ones though and you still want more then I recommend giving this one a read.
4/5
Is this worth reading? If you're a fan of Batman then absolutely. There's a reason this is an iconic story and it's still engaging today to see Batman get slowly worn down fighting all his baddies. If you have experienced enough Batman stories then this story idea will probably feel very familiar. However, that is only because this story has had many subsequent imitators and has heavily influenced future Batman stories, a notable example being the Arkham Asylum game series.
Unfortunately, while this story is well told here and entertaining for the most part, it is not perfect. It is very drawn out and repetitious with various issues focused on variations of Batman monologuing about how worn out he is and how he must keep pushing past his limits. At times, you'll feel as worn out as Batman with how often this dialogue is repeated. However, the repetition helps set up how Batman could be beaten down and helps you feel as tired as Batman is by the end, for good or bad.
The only other major problem of this collection is that this comes from an awkward period of Batman where tone was an issue. It wants to be modern and dark and has lots of death, destruction and murder but it also contains some goofy 60's Batman puns and silly characters. "The Falconer" seriously? It's also gave me quite a kick to see how ludicrously tall they make Batman's "Bat Ears" on some of the covers. Overall, the stories work but you'll have to forgive some of the occasional awkward goofiness.
In the end, this is an iconic story for a reason and worth reading if you're a big fan of Batman. If you're a casual fan or new to Batman, then you are much better off starting with some of the better classics such as Year One, Killing Joke or Dark Knight Returns. If you've read all the big ones though and you still want more then I recommend giving this one a read.
4/5
October 10, 2020
Creo que no fue tan bueno como el preludio pero aun así me entretuvo.
Batman Knighfall Volumen 1 continua con la historia de como Bane llega a Ciudad Gótica para derrocar a Batman como su protector, claro que para Bane solo matarlo no sería una victoria satisfactoria pues a lo largo del volumen anterior Bane buscaba quebrarlo tanto a nivel físico como mental a lo largo de una serie de pruebas mientras que Bane media su valía y a la vez lo estudiaba. En este recopilatorio en específico lidiaremos con las consecuencias de la última prueba impuesta por el villano que ha liberado a todos los prisioneros del asilo de Arkham para culminar con el enfrentamiento final entre el caballero de la noche y Bane.
Tengo que admitir que aunque en general la historia no tiene tantas altas y bajas y hay un frenesí continuo de batallas con un montón de los villanos más icónicos de Batman, a veces sentía que la cosa se alargaba demasiado, tambien creo que me faltó algo impactante como el origen de Bane del volumen anterior o tratar de descubrir el porque Batman esta tan enfermo en esta historia y claro, Azrael que fue uno de los personajes más interesantes del preludio ahora queda relegado a solo salir en unos cuantos paneles.
Para terminar, si lo que quieres ver es a la extensa galería de villanos de Batman creando caos y destrucción pues sirvete, esta historia es para ti aunque creo que el relleno y los villanos de poca monta que ocupan cómics enteros le quitan algo de peso al conflicto principal, aclaro que la antología me gustó pero no esta ni cerca de ser uno de mis cómics favoritos de Batman...
Batman Knighfall Volumen 1 continua con la historia de como Bane llega a Ciudad Gótica para derrocar a Batman como su protector, claro que para Bane solo matarlo no sería una victoria satisfactoria pues a lo largo del volumen anterior Bane buscaba quebrarlo tanto a nivel físico como mental a lo largo de una serie de pruebas mientras que Bane media su valía y a la vez lo estudiaba. En este recopilatorio en específico lidiaremos con las consecuencias de la última prueba impuesta por el villano que ha liberado a todos los prisioneros del asilo de Arkham para culminar con el enfrentamiento final entre el caballero de la noche y Bane.
Tengo que admitir que aunque en general la historia no tiene tantas altas y bajas y hay un frenesí continuo de batallas con un montón de los villanos más icónicos de Batman, a veces sentía que la cosa se alargaba demasiado, tambien creo que me faltó algo impactante como el origen de Bane del volumen anterior o tratar de descubrir el porque Batman esta tan enfermo en esta historia y claro, Azrael que fue uno de los personajes más interesantes del preludio ahora queda relegado a solo salir en unos cuantos paneles.
Para terminar, si lo que quieres ver es a la extensa galería de villanos de Batman creando caos y destrucción pues sirvete, esta historia es para ti aunque creo que el relleno y los villanos de poca monta que ocupan cómics enteros le quitan algo de peso al conflicto principal, aclaro que la antología me gustó pero no esta ni cerca de ser uno de mis cómics favoritos de Batman...
June 19, 2021
This story is exactly as I remember it from when I first read it as single issues, years ago. On one hand that shows how memorable this graphic novel is. On the other, that's not entirely a good thing as I remember some bad elements as well, and go figure, they’re still here.
Here’s the thing. The ending of this book is iconic. It’s kind of a big deal, and it’s still impactful. However, things leading up to it are a bit iffy. Mainly, the narrative is all one-note. In terms of story and Batman’s journey, this monotone stretch in the narrative makes sense—it's crucial. But it’s also kinda repetitive…
The good news is, if you’re new to Batman comics, you’ll quickly learn about Gotham’s many villains. Another plus is that you’ll also get to know Tim Drake a little better. Honestly, Tim/Robin is perhaps my favorite character in this book. Whereas Batman and Bane are stuck in their loop up until the end, Tim actually goes through things during these events.
Anyway, Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1 was still a fun (re)read for me. The book’s also essential for any Batman fans out there!
Here’s the thing. The ending of this book is iconic. It’s kind of a big deal, and it’s still impactful. However, things leading up to it are a bit iffy. Mainly, the narrative is all one-note. In terms of story and Batman’s journey, this monotone stretch in the narrative makes sense—it's crucial. But it’s also kinda repetitive…
The good news is, if you’re new to Batman comics, you’ll quickly learn about Gotham’s many villains. Another plus is that you’ll also get to know Tim Drake a little better. Honestly, Tim/Robin is perhaps my favorite character in this book. Whereas Batman and Bane are stuck in their loop up until the end, Tim actually goes through things during these events.
Anyway, Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1 was still a fun (re)read for me. The book’s also essential for any Batman fans out there!
December 21, 2021
Volume 1 of Knightfall picks up where Prelude left off: with Batman being physically and mentally exhausted, attempting to track down all the escapees from Arkham. I think the story was fine, but it was a bit long: the same story could have been told with two issues less (yes, I know the point of comics is to sell comics, so stories are stretched out). As far as the writing goes? I find Doug Moench (Batman) continues to be very uncreative and relies far too much on exposition in a visual medium. I really don't care for his work, but this is not the worst example of his writing, to be fair. Chuck Dixon (Detective Comics) does write a more engaging story, but there are some issues here where he feels like he's phoning it in.
I quite like the story of Knightfall, and I'm enjoying that, but the particulars of the writing are sometimes less than great.
I quite like the story of Knightfall, and I'm enjoying that, but the particulars of the writing are sometimes less than great.
February 6, 2022
This volume brought a lot of momentum to the table with a very simple gauntlet structure that I found to be a breeze to read. We got way more time with Batman’s rogues, which I appreciated, coming off of a lot of F-list and no-name encounters in the first volume.
I was pleasantly surprised at how deliberately each issue built off of the last and eventually it just felt like one long arc that kept me turning pages to get to that inevitable Bane showdown.
Batman is somewhat unlikeable overall with a lot of self-detrimental stubbornness that doesn’t feel completely authentic, but serves where he needs to be, or rather where Bane needs him to be. And stop bringing Robin if you’re gonna keep making him sit in the car, damn it!
Anyways, I had a good time and look forward to the next volume. Special mention goes to those stellar Kelly covers!
I was pleasantly surprised at how deliberately each issue built off of the last and eventually it just felt like one long arc that kept me turning pages to get to that inevitable Bane showdown.
Batman is somewhat unlikeable overall with a lot of self-detrimental stubbornness that doesn’t feel completely authentic, but serves where he needs to be, or rather where Bane needs him to be. And stop bringing Robin if you’re gonna keep making him sit in the car, damn it!
Anyways, I had a good time and look forward to the next volume. Special mention goes to those stellar Kelly covers!
April 13, 2020
Disfruté muchísimo más que el preludio, aún sabiendo exactamente cuál sería el final (es un cómic de más de 30 años🤷🏻♂️) me encantó la manera en que llegan a él. El arte es muy superior, particularmente las porciones de Aparo y Moech, con secuencias de acción impecables y muy divertidas. Sí, es un Batman atípico, quejumbroso, petulante y es particularmente desagradable con Alfred y Tim Drake... pero creo que es el set up para explicar cómo Bane logra "quebrarlo". Me gustó tanto que ya estoy buscando las secuelas, o al menos el siguiente volumen que se publicó aquí en México. Entiendo que hay varios volúmenes posteriores, dependiendo cómo resulte de interesante el siguiente, quizá adquiera el resto en inglés.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2025
why was this kind of good?! i get why nolan chose this arc to adapt for his final movie in the dark knight trilogy, it’s...strangely compelling. i guess the big issue with the cinematic adptn is that none of the main players even exist in that verse: tim, jean-paul, and helena were no-gos, so they pulled in selina and talia to add drama (which worked in its own way ofc). this feels a lot more high-stakes, though...for one thing, the jason moment w the joker. and bruce’s long, drawn-out descent into the underworld—practically all his interior monologue is stuff like, ‘maybe the joker will laugh himself to death’, ‘too tired’, ‘all bright and glittery lights’—he is nawttt standing up. the culmination of this volume was good, but i’ve heard this becomes even better, so! looking forward
June 11, 2019
It's probably one of the big events that was missing in my to-read-Batlist, so it was interesting to discover it. Dixon's writing usually work nicely with me and it was the case this time again. There were many Bat-villains in the volume, giving a good overwhelming touch that helped to understand Batman's state. He wasn't at all healthy and strong, which was very unusual. It made him more human and even added some emotion near the end. I didn't like at all how he pushed away Tim-Robin, but the Jason stuff seemed not far in the timeline, so I understood what was the problem. The art style was the usual for this time area and worked nicely with the story.
June 23, 2020
Cuenta con una cantidad bastante amplia de comics, pero todos son bien aprovechados para llegar a la atmósfera y conclusión deseada.
Si la gente se tomara el tiempo de leer esta clase de eventos, el comic se tomaría como un medio mucho más serio para compartir historias.
Es MUY bueno. Se toma su tiempo para explicar las cosas, pero al llegar a la conclusión todo hace perfecto sentido. Es la clase de historias que un verdadero fan del personaje no se puede perder.
Si la gente se tomara el tiempo de leer esta clase de eventos, el comic se tomaría como un medio mucho más serio para compartir historias.
Es MUY bueno. Se toma su tiempo para explicar las cosas, pero al llegar a la conclusión todo hace perfecto sentido. Es la clase de historias que un verdadero fan del personaje no se puede perder.
September 5, 2020
Batman faces a gauntlet of foes unleashed from Arkham Asylum. Pushed beyond all limits he finally faces Bane. Doug Moench and Chuck Dixon do a good job weaving the narrative between "Batman" and "Detective Comics" and the art is by some of the best Batman artists ever, Jim Aparo, Norm Breyfogle, and Graham Nolan.
This was an epic mind shattering story that I'd only vaguely heard about as a child during its original release. It's fun to finally delve into.
This was an epic mind shattering story that I'd only vaguely heard about as a child during its original release. It's fun to finally delve into.
August 14, 2024
Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1: (25th Anniversary)
Bane comes to Gotham intent on taking over the city, unafraid of taking on all challengers, even the Batman.
Great artwork and a fantastic storyline, but marred by the fact that Amazon are selling this as part of the 'Knightfall' series, even though the text is covered (apart from a few pages of 'Secret Files) in 'Batman: Knightfall: Vol. 1'. If you're buying the whole set, save some cash and skip this volume.
Bane comes to Gotham intent on taking over the city, unafraid of taking on all challengers, even the Batman.
Great artwork and a fantastic storyline, but marred by the fact that Amazon are selling this as part of the 'Knightfall' series, even though the text is covered (apart from a few pages of 'Secret Files) in 'Batman: Knightfall: Vol. 1'. If you're buying the whole set, save some cash and skip this volume.
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