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"Knightfall" is a 1993–1994Batmanstory arc published byDC Comics. It consists of a trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", "Knightquest", and "KnightsEnd".[note 1]
The story takes place over approximately six months.Bruce Wayne (Batman) suffers burnout and is systematically assaulted and crippled by a "supersteroid"-enhancedgenius namedBane. Bruce is replaced as Batman by an apprentice namedJean-Paul Valley (a.k.a.Azrael), who becomes increasingly violent and unstable, tarnishing Batman's reputation. Eventually, Bruce is healed through paranormal means and reclaims his role as Batman.
"Knightfall" resulted in long-term ramifications for the Batman continuity, as Batman's trust from the police, the public, and his fellow superheroes had to be rebuilt due to Azrael's violence.[1] Additionally, Bruce realizes the peril and burden of attempting to work in solitude, leading to the eventual creation of the modern incarnation of theBatman Family. The events of "Knightfall" also led to the (temporary) resignation of Bruce's loyal butler,Alfred Pennyworth.
The entire "Knightfall" storyline took over a year to complete in the comic book serials. In later years, the comics were reprinted several times, though never in full, as the "Knightquest: The Search" story arc had not been collected until the second omnibus edition in 2017.
The initial idea for the character ofAzrael stemmed from a two-part story idea pitched byDetective Comics writerPeter Milligan circa 1991, as he was leaving that position.[2][3] After line editorDennis O'Neil decided to expand it into a larger epic, he and the Batman line writersChuck Dixon,Doug Moench andAlan Grant convened an authors' summit over a long weekend to flesh out the details and story points. At the same time, theSuperman team was planning for a similar character-altering storyline, and neither they nor the Batman group initially had any knowledge of each other's plans.[3] Dennis O'Neil denies the Knightfall storyline was in any way inspired by theDeath of Superman storyline and states that it was already in development by as much as three years, saying that if the Batman staff had known, the storyline would likely have been pushed down a year.[4]
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 four-issueSword of Azrael miniseries and theVengeance of Bane one-shot, which also laid foundation for the larger story.
"Knightfall" ran from April to October 1993,Batman issues #492-500 andDetective Comics issues #659-666, with the two titles sharing a single narrative during this time. The two series each hit numerical milestones at the end of the arc, with a triple-size 500th issue ofBatman and the ominousDetective Comicsnumber 666 wrapping up the storyline only one month apart. The massive story was quickly collected into two volumes oftrade paperbacks. Volume One was subtitledBroken Bat and Volume TwoWho Rules the Night. "Knightfall" was the first time that multiple Batman titles had shared a single narrative for an extended period since theCrisis on Infinite Earths era.
"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 theBatman 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 ofBatman: 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 featuringRobin in solo adventures. Neither thread of "Knightquest" was collected in book format until over two decades later.
Although previous parts of the "KnightSaga" had taken considerable time to run their course, the entirety of "KnightsEnd" was published within a two-month span, as the Batman books had to prepare themselves for DC's impending company-wide crossoverZero Hour, which would immediately follow the "KnightSaga". Nothing was truncated, as theBatman editorial line made use of all of the Batman-related titles at their disposal, such asCatwoman,Robin andBatman: Legends of the Dark Knight (normally an anthology title with stories set in the past). "KnightsEnd" was collected in trade paperback asKnightfall Volume 3 soon after completion.
The serial nature of the Batman titles continued beyond the end of "KnightsEnd", with the "Prodigal" and "Troika" storylines, and into subsequent unbannered stories. This setup resurfaced in later arcs such as "Contagion", "Legacy", "Cataclysm", "No Man's Land", and "War Games", and has on occasion continued into the present.
The intent ofKnightfall's writers was to counter the then-popular style of violent heroes in comics and demonstrate that the traditional Batman made for a better hero.[3] 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 asRob Liefeld.[citation needed]
The prelude to "Knightfall" began with the introduction of two new characters key to its storyline in issues prior to the release of "Knightfall":
The two characters were quickly added to the cast in the monthlyBatman 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 inBatman #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 villainBlack Mask and his gang (who target Bruce Wayne andLucius Fox), a crazed killer called Metalhead, and a sharpshooter assassin hired by an imprisoned mobster to murderCommissioner Gordon. Batman begins to feel that he has lost his edge, especially after his failure to capture Black Mask. He finds himself unable tomeditate or even focus. As Bruce Wayne, he contactsholistic 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 Valley's 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 asa cause, these events take place immediately after thedeath of Superman, Batman's peer, elsewhere in the DC Universe). In addition, since the events fromA Death in the Family, Batman struggles with the trauma of the loss of his protégéJason Todd.
The next storyline, inDetective Comics #654-656 (December 1992 - February 1993), involvesa 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. InBatman #489-490 (February–March 1993), Bane interferes with encounters pitting villainsKiller Croc and theRiddler against Batman, and, to test Batman's limits, goes so far as to inject the Riddler with the Venom drug. This escalation culminates in an assault onArkham Asylum inBatman #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.
The plot of "Knightfall" begins[note 2] with the master criminal Bane freeing all of the maximum-security inmates ofArkham Asylum, a notorious psychiatric facility inGotham 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 theJoker (who trapped Arkham's administratorJeremiah Arkham), theScarecrow, theRiddler, andPoison Ivy, as well as many lesser-known villains, such as theMad Hatter, theVentriloquist, theFirefly, theCavalier, theFilm Freak,Victor Zsasz,Cornelius Stirk,Abattoir, andAmygdala. The scenario creates a rift in the relationship betweenRobin 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 pursuingTwo-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 teaming of theJoker andScarecrow pushes Batman to his mental and physical limits: a dose of Scarecrow's fear gas makes him relivethe murder of Jason Todd, which he considers to be his greatest failure. After this encounter, Bane's men assault Batman before he himself makes his move and attacks him atWayne Manor, his home as his alter-ego—long before this time, Bane had deduced the secret identity of Batman. The fight between Bruce Wayne and Bane is detailed inBatman #497. After three months, the exhausted Batman was no match for Bane; Bane pummels him ruthlessly before breaking Wayne's back over his knee inside theBatcave below the manor, symbolically "breaking" Batman.[5] 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. Quick action by Robin and Alfred spares Batman's life, but at great cost - he is left aparaplegic. 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 asksJean-Paul Valley to take up the mantle of Batman so that Gotham has a protector. Tim Drake argues with Bruce to allowDick Grayson (the former Robin and then-currentNightwing) 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 fatherJack Drake are kidnapped and Bruce andAlfred 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.
InBatman #500, Jean-Paul, in his new mechanicalBatsuit (which is an amalgam of Azrael's costume and 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.
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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.
"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 moregadgets and lethal weapons, including metal claws, a laser, razor-sharpbatarangs and a flamethrower. 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 aboutCatwoman (he thought that she would sell a powerful nerve gas to terrorists, when she merely wanted to dispose of it so that it could not be used to hurt anyone).
His questionable behavior climaxes when he encounters the serial killerAbattoir, 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 includeMr. Freeze, theTrigger Twins, Gunhawk and Gunbunny, theTally Man andClayface III and IV; the most notable encounters are with Catwoman and the Joker, both of whom could tell that Valley was not the original Batman.
"Knightquest: The Search" follows Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth's search forJack Drake 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 theCaribbean and thenGreat Britain. Kinsolving's brother-by-adoption Benedict Asp kidnapped her to use herspecial 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 amental 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, whenDick Grayson persuades him to do so in later issues.
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 (inBatman: 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. Valley now spends his time doggedly pursuing him.
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 surrounding Abattoir's death, Bruce sneaks into theBatcave and demands that Jean-Paul step down. Jean-Paul refuses and tells Bruce to leave the cave and never come back.
To rehabilitate his skills due to his lost reflexes after so long out of action, Bruce asks the famed assassinLady Shiva to retrain him, using a mask to conceal his identity and arguing that she will do it for the same reason that she does anything; it might be interesting. After helping him regain the essentials of his combat reflexes, Shiva then pits Bruce against several vengeful expertmartial artists, having killed their master while wearing a distinctivetengu mask that carries a motif of a bat that she subsequently gives to Batman.[5] Shiva's caveat is that these attacks will continue indefinitely until Bruce Wayne breaks his vow to never kill. Finally, in the midst of an attack by the final martial artist, Bruce feigns using the "Leopard Blow"fatal maneuver 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, with Bruce only revealing his adversary's survival to Nightwing and Robin after her departure. Shiva would later learn the truth.
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'spenthouse. Coincidentally,Catwoman is chasing the same man because he owns a neural enabler which might allow herparaplegic 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'shelicopter crashing into the Gotham Narrows Bridge while Bruce and Jean-Paul fight on the attached Batrope; 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, his decision to protect criminals affirming to Catwoman that the true Batman has returned. When Bruce tries to find Jean-Paul using the Batmobile, it explodes due to a planted booby-trap. 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; Bruce had managed to escape the Batmobile before Jean-Paul's trap destroyed it, reasoning that he would have done the same thing with a less dangerous trap.
The final battle of the "Knightfall" saga takes place between Jean-Paul Valley and Bruce Wayne in the caverns surrounding the Batcave below Wayne Manor: 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,[6] 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 the Batman... You've always been the 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, leading to his subsequent breakdown.[5]
"KnightsEnd" was collected into a trade paperback about a year later. Originally released asBatman: KnightsEnd, recent editions retitled it asKnightfall Volume 3.
Shortly after the events ofZero Hour: Crisis in Time, 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 finish his recuperation, re-evaluate what it will take to restore his aura of invincibility, and make plans for improvements. This begins theProdigal 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 the entire arc, considerable time passes beforeCommissioner 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. "Prodigal" was utilized as a way of tying up the numerous loose ends that "Knightfall" left, withKiller Croc, theVentriloquist, theRatcatcher andTwo-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 is revealed later in "No Man's Land" that Bruce also used this time to set up contingency bases throughout Gotham.
When Bruce finally returns for good, he wears a sturdier, matte-blackBatsuit made of a combination Nomex and Kevlar (inspired by the costume of the Tim BurtonBatman films), and drives a new, state-of-the-art Batmobile. He fights formerSoviet agents 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 abaseball.Troika is the Russian word for "trio". 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.
Aone-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.
A new series following Jean-Paul Valley began in April 1995, titledAzrael. 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 retitledAzrael: Agent of the Bat at issue #47. The series ended after 100 issues, with Valley's apparent death. Each issue was written byDennis O'Neil. Azrael's demise occurred at the same time as theBatman: 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.
This crossover event involves a rematch between Batman and Bane, who is now allied withRa's al Ghul. It is followed by the one-shot graphic novelBatman: Bane.
Batman Annual #22 featured the return of Arnold Etchinson (Abattoir)'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.
InAzrael 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 ofBatman: 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 themassive 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 ofBatman #497, "Knightfall" part 11.
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" (April-late July 1993) | "The Crusade" (Oct. 1993-June 1994) | "The Search" (Oct. 1993-June 1994) | (July-Aug. 1994) | (Nov. 1994-Feb. 1995) |
|
|
|
| |
| "Prodigal"[7][note 6] (Nov. 1994-Jan. 1995) | ||||
| ||||
| "Who Rules the Night" (late July-Oct. 1993) | "Troika" (Feb. 1995) | |||
|
| |||
DC Comics published "Knightfall" around the same time as "The Death of Superman" storyline. "Knightfall" started almost immediately after the "Funeral For a Friend" storyline in theSuperman 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 involvedDC Comics's most prominent characters. Similar stories followed forGreen Lantern,Wonder Woman,Aquaman, andGreen Arrow, with Green LanternHal Jordan being driven insane and replaced withKyle Rayner, anew Wonder Woman being appointed byHippolyta, Aquaman losing his hand, and Green Arrow dying in a plane crash as his long-lostson took over the role.
In the opening of the novelisation,KnightFall,Dennis O'Neil said that part of the reason "Knightfall" was written was due to the recent popularity of more "ruthless" heroes such as theTerminator andJames Bond in films, as editors were starting to wonder if readers would prefer a Batman who was willing to kill his opponents.
DuringDC vs. Marvel, Bane attempts to breakCaptain America's back in a fight in a similar maneuver, but is caught off-guard whenCaptain America's shield returns to its owner to strike Bane in the back of the head and knock him out.[8]
In the climax to Year One ofInjustice: Gods Among Us, Superman confronts Batman in the Batcave as Batman is downloading the formula to a pill that can grant the user superhuman strength and durability, stolen from theFortress of Solitude. While Superman does not want to kill Batman, he chooses to paralyze him by breaking his back in a similar fashion to Bane (albeit by standing on Batman's back instead of slamming him over his knee as Bane did). This puts Batman out of commission for much of Year Two as he heals.
IGNComics #15 rankedBatman: Knightfall Part One-Broken Bat on a list of the 25 greatest Batman graphic novels: "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".[9]
The bulk of the events in theKnightfall saga are estimated to take place in the 10th or 11th year of Batman's career by most reckonings, including official DC timelines. It begins within a few months of Tim Drake assuming the role of the third Robin. Dick Grayson's wedding toStarfire occurs shortly after Bruce Wayne's injury. It is an election year, and Armand Krol is campaigning for re-election as mayor both before and after the story arc.
The initial scenes of the prelude miniseriesBatman: Sword of Azrael #1-4 take place during the Gotham City "Founders' Day" parade.
A meeting between Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne on his airplane is explicitly described as the firstPost-Crisis out-of-costume interaction between the two.
As the contemporaryBatmobile 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 rail car linking the Batcave to the Gothamsubway system; it was designed and completed byHarold Allnut after his discovery of the cavern passages inDetective Comics #650 ("The Dragon").
In "KnightsEnd, Part 1: Spirit of the Bat" (Batman #509 (July 1994)), Jean-Paul Valley references his defeat ofMarvel Comics'Jigsaw during the crossover issueBatman/Punisher: 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.
In the one-shot issueTales from the Dark Multiverse: Knightfall, Azrael-Batman viciously defeats Bruce Wayne in their final confrontation. The storyline then jumps to 30 years later where Jean-Paul Valley, who now calls himself "Saint Batman", uses Venom to maintain his physicality (possibly to compensate for his aging) after killing all of Gotham's villains. Saint Batman also has Gotham burnt down and completely rebuilt as he isolates it from the rest of the outside world, which is hinted to have fallen into chaos. Jean-Paul keeps Bruce Wayne 'alive' as only a head and torso in Wayne Tower, linked to a life support system. Jean Paul visits Wayne at Wayne Tower once a year and attempts to sway him to approve of his methods. Wayne is eventually 'rescued' by Bane's son and Lady Shiva, the son of Bane seeking revenge for Bane's death at Jean-Paul's hands decades earlier, with the two even providing Wayne with a new body made of nanotech. The three of them, along with other insurgents, work to destroy Jean-Paul's hold on Gotham, even persuading his own wife to turn against him by stealing his Venom supply. However, after confronting Bane's son (whose blood naturally produces Venom) and Lady Shiva, Saint Batman manages to defeat them in battle after nearly being beaten to death. Distracted while fighting Shiva and Wayne, the son of Bane stabs Jean-Paul in the back and proceeds to break his back shortly afterwards. But after their victory, Wayne then kills Shiva and Bane's son after they suggest restoring Gotham to its former glory; Wayne refutes their suggestion, revealing that his years of isolation and torment have driven him to a point where he concludes that he can only rely on himself and that Jean-Paul was mostly right all along. Wayne confesses this to Jean-Paul and then hangs him up on a bat-sigil in the style of a crucifixion for all the citizens of Gotham to see.
Dennis O'Neil adapted the entire storyline into a 1994 novel which was released by Warner Books in hardcover form and then in mass paperback later on (hardcoverISBN 0-553-09673-7, paperbackISBN 0-553-57260-1). A young adults' book version was also released, this one written byAlan Grant and titledBatman: Knightfall and Beyond (ISBN 0-553-48187-8).
| Batman: Knightfall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album (radio broadcast) | |
| Released | March 5, 2007 (2007-03-05) |
| Length | Disc 1: ~80 min Disc 2: ~60 min Disc 3: ~80 min |
| Label | BBC Audio |
| Producer | Dirk Maggs |
In 1994,BBC Radio 1 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 byDirk Maggs, with music composed byMark Russell, who had recently madeSuperman: Doomsday & Beyond onBBC Radio 5. This show, however, was not commissioned of its own, but rather to be three-minute episodes on theMark 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 ofShadow 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 calledChuck Dixon andDennis O'Neil an author of a book.
"Knightfall" was a sequel toBatman: The Lazarus Syndrome also produced for BBC radio byDirk Maggs.
Its performers are:
In 1994,Kenner released the Legends of Batmanaction figure collection. This revolved primarily aroundElseworlds stories and the modern "Knightfall" era; although it strangely did not include a Bane figure. The collection lasted two series and corresponded with theSuperman: Man of Steel figure line based onThe 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.
Part of the storyline has been collected into a fewtrade paperbacks. Earlier printings of the "Knightfall" books had covers byKelley Jones and were under the "Knightfall" name and book three was under the "KnightsEnd" name (with this volume featuring a new cover byGraham Nolan andBrian Stelfreeze). These earlier editions also featured the original cover art/DC Comics monthly ads of the storyline as the chapter headings. The later printings of these 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 byMike Deodato.
Parts of the "Aftermath" storyline had been collected in atrade paperback:
Accompanying the release of the movieThe Dark Knight Rises in 2012, DC Comics released a new edition of trade paperbacks collecting the Knightfall storyline. While the 1993 editions omitted the complete "Knightsquest" story arc, the 2012 editions re-release "The Crusade" part of this arc in volume 2, leaving "The Search" part still uncollected. In addition, Bane's back story from the one-shot publicationBatman: Vengeance of Bane #1 is included in the first volume, providing a proper introduction of the character, and volume 3 sees the "KnightsEnd" and "Prodigal" arcs released in a single volume.
Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 1 (ISBN 978-1401270421) was released in April 2017 in hardcover format, featuring a new cover by artist Kelley Jones. At 960 pages, this edition contains the entire contents of the 2012 edition ofBatman: Knightfall Vol. 1 and also contains several never before reprinted prelude issues to "Knightfall". These extra issues includeBatman #484-490 andDetective Comics #654–658. Other new features in this edition include a two-page introduction written by Doug Moench, a two-page afterword written by Chuck Dixon, a short story fromBatman VillainsSecret Files and Origins #1 (October 1998) titled "Lost Pages: How Bane Infiltrated Wayne Manor", and other various concept art and covers.
Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 2 - Knightquest (ISBN 978-1401274368) was released in hardcover in October 2017. This edition includes "The Crusade", which was included in the 2012 editionBatman: Knightfall Vol. 2 - Knightquest, as well as "The Search", which had never before been reprinted.
Batman: Knightfall Omnibus Vol. 3 - KnightsEnd (ISBN 978-1401278496) was released in May 2018 in hardcover. This edition includes "KnightsEnd" and "Prodigal", which were included in the 2012 editionBatman: Knightfall Vol. 3 - KnightsEnd, as well as "Troika", which had never before been reprinted.
Starting on September 11, 2018, nine new trade paperback books were planned for release which were completed on February 5, 2019 as part of the 25th anniversary of theBatman: Knightfall event.[11] These new volumes essentially have the same issues from all the past collected editions, including the ones first reprinted in theOmnibus editions, which is the first time these issues have been published in a trade paperback format. Unlike theOmnibuses and the 2012 editions, these new editions are printed in smaller volumes, much like the original 1990s editions, essentially only focusing on specific points of the storyline instead of merging more than one together in a single volume. Much like the 2012 editions, the 25th anniversary editions were also released digitally.
| Title | Material collected | Publication date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batman: Prelude to Knightfall |
| September 11, 2018 | ISBN 978-1401284220 |
| Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1 (25th Anniversary): |
| September 18, 2018 | ISBN 978-1401284299 |
| Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2 (25th Anniversary Edition) |
| September 25, 2018 | ISBN 978-1401284398 |
| Batman: Knightquest - The Crusade Vol. 1 |
| October 2, 2018 | ISBN 978-1401284503 |
| Batman: Knightquest - The Crusade Vol. 2 |
| October 9, 2018 | ISBN 978-1401284589 |
| Batman: Knightquest - The Search |
| November 27, 2018 | ISBN 978-1401285012 |
| Batman: KnightsEnd |
| December 4, 2018 | ISBN 978-1401285180 |
| Batman: Prodigal |
| January 8, 2019 | ISBN 978-1401285609 |
| Batman: Troika |
| February 5, 2019 | ISBN 978-1401285876 |
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 CategoryPublications are listed alphabetically by published titles. Storylines are listed in publication order. Compiled without respect for canon or "current" continuity. | |||||||||||||||
