The Man Who Broke the Bat

I've been on a comic kick as of late, mostly due to my own experimentation with comic strip writing (Corgi Superhero). I recently finished Volume 1 of a Batman essential, Knightfall. I went into this book knowing that a lot of its elements were used for The Dark Knight Rises, but that was the extent of it. I am not an expert in comic reviews, but I will tell you what I liked and disliked.

First off, I'd like to point out that the artists who worked on Knightfall Volume 1, were outstanding. I am a sucker for amazing art. If a book has, what I consider to be, sub-par artwork, I can not read it. Luckily this book kept me consistently impressed.

The story itself is a quintessential Batman tale. Batman versus the only man that was able to over power him. The cover, Bane breaking Batman's back, is so iconic that they included it in the Nolan's Dark Knight Rises. The story begins at Pena Dura, a maximum security prison on a Caribbean island, where Bane is born. He escapes the prison with venom (a substance that increases strength) coursing through his veins. He decides to take over Gotham and destroy Batman. He arrives, breaks out all those maniacs Batman incarcerated in Arkham, and sits back to watch Batman spread himself thin, and eventually break down. When the Bat is at his weakest, Bane steps in and breaks his back. While Batman recovers he enlists the help of the unstable hero Azrael to take up the Batman mantel. Azrael then becomes as dark as the enemies he is fighting.

Now, aside from several grammar and spelling mistakes, this book really kept me entertained. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the Batman mythos. DO NOT skip this series. You might even see some story lines used in all the Nolan Batman movies. I will be starting Volume 2 tonight...I can't wait.