Mentally defeated and physically broken, Bruce Wayne suffered a crippling blow while battling the brutal Bane. Now, the mantle of the Bat must be passed on to another, and Jean Paul Valley answers the call!But as the new Caped Crusader slowly loses his grip on sanity, his idea of justice takes a violent and deadly turn. Witnessing this dangerous behavior firsthand, Mentally defeated and physically broken, Bruce Wayne suffered a crippling blow while battling the brutal Bane. Now, the mantle of the Bat must be passed on to another, and Jean Paul Valley answers the call!But as the new Caped Crusader slowly loses his grip on sanity, his idea of justice takes a violent and deadly turn. Witnessing this dangerous behavior firsthand, Nightwing and Robin try to come to grips with Bruce's highly controversial decision while the new Batman sets his sights on taking revenge against Bane!This volume collects Detective Comics #667-675, Shadow of the Bat #19-20, #24-28, Batman #501-508, Catwoman #6-7 and Robin #7. After slogging through 600+ pages of Jean Paul Valley as Batman, the best way to sum him up is to steal a line from Wayne’s World (because that’s about as hip and as current as I get, and because it’s a temporally apropos reference): if Jean Paul Valley were ice cream, he would be pralinesand dick.JPV might be the single most boring (and kind of douchey) hero in the history of superheroes, and that includes D-Man, Jack of Hearts, and Aquaman. He would be nigh-unendurable over the course of a After slogging through 600+ pages of Jean Paul Valley as Batman, the best way to sum him up is to steal a line from Wayne’s World (because that’s about as hip and as current as I get, and because it’s a temporally apropos reference): if Jean Paul Valley were ice cream, he would be pralinesand dick.JPV might be the single most boring (and kind of douchey) hero in the history of superheroes, and that includes D-Man, Jack of Hearts, and Aquaman.

• Batman Knightfall Complete Saga Walkthrough

He would be nigh-unendurable over the course of a single story arc; the effect is exponentially multiplied given the hernia-inducing size of this volume.Why, then, did I finish it? As much as I enjoyed the first volume of Knightquest where Batman is defeated by Bane, I found the reincarnation of Batman via Ariel to be a bit overbearing. OK, so Bruce finally recovers and takes back the mantle and mask, but they lost me sometime during Ariel's screwups. I don't know, maybe I just need Bruce because Snyder's Batman 52 universe using Inspector Gordon in The Suit after Bruce's demise also turned me off. Call me old-fashioned, but in any case, I had a hard time staying As much as I enjoyed the first volume of Knightquest where Batman is defeated by Bane, I found the reincarnation of Batman via Ariel to be a bit overbearing. OK, so Bruce finally recovers and takes back the mantle and mask, but they lost me sometime during Ariel's screwups.

I don't know, maybe I just need Bruce because Snyder's Batman 52 universe using Inspector Gordon in The Suit after Bruce's demise also turned me off. Call me old-fashioned, but in any case, I had a hard time staying interested in this one. Deciding to make yet another Knightfall installment as the graphic novel to mark the end of my second wave of Batman comics diet has more or less solidified my growing suspicion that I have this neurotic tendency not to make things easy for me every now and then when it comes to reading a story.I deserve a goddamn break from difficult-to-swallow-and-digest sort of comics from a Batman title, do I not? How could I ever allow myself to spend the last two weeks of December reading a 600-plus-paged Deciding to make yet another Knightfall installment as the graphic novel to mark the end of my second wave of Batman comics diet has more or less solidified my growing suspicion that I have this neurotic tendency not to make things easy for me every now and then when it comes to reading a story.I deserve a goddamn break from difficult-to-swallow-and-digest sort of comics from a Batman title, do I not?

How could I ever allow myself to spend the last two weeks of December reading a 600-plus-paged omnibus concerning a Batman who is not Bruce Wayne underneath the cowl at all? I could never figure out the answer for myself until I managed to finish the said damn thing and write this review at almost four o'clock on a Tuesday morning.

The answer is that I'M CRAZY.Truth be told, I think the Knightfall series is an important historical artifact that deserves a place in the Batman comics legacy but the three massive volumes are no happy strolls in the park especially when that park is located in Gotham and the caped crusader supposedly guarding said city and its streets is just as mentally unstable as the next Arkham Asylum patient. The most disheartening piece of information I could give to you if you ever want to read this is that the first volume features Bane who is a character you will either like or despise, and that Bruce Wayne suffers a serious spinal injury courtesy of aforementioned jackass.

And then he assigns the Batman title to a man named Jean Paul Valley who was a pretty cool guy at first when he was just playing second fiddle as Azrael.However, as soon as he puts on the Bat-cowl, something immediately feels off. Suddenly, you're reading about a Batman who is utterly, selfishly and holyjesusfuck insane and extreme on his methods and overall modus operandi as the new sheriff in godforsaken Gotham City.

Batman Knightfall Complete Saga Walkthrough

The only good thing that ever came from Jean Paul becoming the new Batman is the fact that he was able to beat the crap out of Bane but the readers merely traded one devil for another. Tim Drake as Robin is justifiable with his concerns regarding Jean Paul's painfully slow descent to madness but Bruce and Alfred have to go to another country so he could get heal and recuperate so Tim's on his own about that.Meanwhile, Jean Paul Valley continues his run as the Batman, putting the dark on the Dark Knight and turning the knight part into a symbol of horror. His costume also becomes a full-metal one that is regularly maintained like a well-polished nightmare. It's worth noting that the more he upgrades it, the crazier he also seems to get. BECAUSE IT'S A METAPHOR OF IRONY SYMBOLIC OF HIS OWN MENTAL AND MORAL DECAY, YO. But there's no keeper for Jean Paul Valley-unless you count the two delusions in his head called Saint Dumas and his abusive father who take turns having arguments concerning ethics and the holy mission Jean Paul must fulfill (did I mention that they both only exist in Jean Paul's head?).But it's not a party yet.

Throw some mob strife and rampaging low-class criminals into the mix as the city's asshole mayor and Commissioner Gordon with the rest of GCPD having little disagreements of their own and you got yourself an un-fun orgy that breeds the most exquisite hellish scenarios. With, of course, regular doses of Catwoman, the Joker and Clayface just to make it extra special. The heap of steaming bullshit you just read is covered by this second volume.And you know what? I still encourage you to read everything. There are unavoidable troubling moments when you'd feel as if you're being punished for reading through this mess but your attention span and patience will be later rewarded once you do encounter the Catwoman and the Joker stories which for me are the strongest and most entertaining of the omnibus itself. I hated Jean Paul Valley at first instinct myself but found him becoming more complex, conflicted and multi-layered issue after issue that I find my hatred lessening, and my sympathy.still lacking.

I pity the bastard but I will never, ever forgive him for his actions.But I understood his pain more than anything which is why I think I'm a little afraid of this version of Batman. As disgusted as I am with Jean Paul Valley roaming around wearing a symbol of the childhood hero I've always looked up to when he doesn't deserve that honor, there are those brief glimpses readers are offered into his humanity, scarce as it may be at this point, and they do make a tiny portion of my soul ache.

I will maintain that Jean Paul Valley is one of the most detestable, sickening and pitiful characters you will ever encounter, but he is also one of the most nuanced and fascinating anti-heroes you will never stop reading even if your only goal is to see his downfall unfold.Oh, that time of reckoning will happen and you know it, so you will pick up the third volume right after this like I would because you have officially become a part of the wreckage, so you might as well see it all the way to the end.Knightquest: The Crusade is absurdly compelling. Comprised of seventeen issues ranging from the Batman, Shadow of the Bat, Catwoman and Detective Comics titles, it's guarantee to kill something inside you while you read about the daily struggles and ridiculously violent and condescendingly moral ways of a man who is so starkly different from Bruce Wayne as Batman, and yet he is also arguably a better fit for Gotham's criminal atmosphere. I may not agree with his methods. I may want to punch him in the brain, but he's the devil that I know and cannot un-know after this.

I think both Knightfall: Broken Bat, the first volume, and this one are a mixed bag. They both have flaws and redeeming qualities. Tonality-wise, they're vastly different but they both concern two characters that are polarizing and challenging to have any sort of sympathy for. 'A force of darkness bringing light- salvation wrought from terror.' This was a very long book for several reasons.

I generally liked it, but Jean Paul Valley is not my favorite. He's not Bruce Wayne, he's not likable, he's not redeemable. He's mostly without a conscience.

Any time he seems to be growing a conscience or more likable, he makes a swift about face. Dumas/System mythology isn't as interesting or deep as I had hoped. And he has no Robin to provide tactical support, moral'A force of darkness bringing light- salvation wrought from terror.' This was a very long book for several reasons. I generally liked it, but Jean Paul Valley is not my favorite. He's not Bruce Wayne, he's not likable, he's not redeemable.

He's mostly without a conscience. Any time he seems to be growing a conscience or more likable, he makes a swift about face.

Dumas/System mythology isn't as interesting or deep as I had hoped. And he has no Robin to provide tactical support, moral critique, or comic relief. So what you have is a mean, cold, hardcore Batman dressed as a fascist Voltron. What you have is Gotham but without Bruce Wayne and without his iconic villains, butler or sidekick. It takes some getting used to.Who is Jean Paul Valley, aka Azrael, aka The Batman?' Tonight it gets real. Real serious.

Real painful. He's a 'dark knight' inspired and derived from the Knights of Templar and the Order of St.

Dumas, which had knowledge of magic, wealth and power from the Temple of Solomon. Which has what to do with him exactly, I don't know. Jean begins having dreams and hallucinations of St. Dumas telling him to be an angel of vengeance and to lead a Crusade, the most fundamental theme of this book. His character evolves over the course of the story, at first an angel of vengeance, a protector and defender of life, then both dark and light but mostly terror.

He is controlled by The System, subliminal brainwashing implemented by his father since childhood, with ties to the real life Project MK Ultra drug and mind control experiments. Dumas or is it LSD? Either way he's not exactly sound of mind, to say the least.While Jean Paul Valley does undergo change like any protagonist should, I feel that the writers really missed out on vital characterization.

Or maybe I just don't like him. Probably both. We know he never knew his mother and he hates his father. We know he was brainwashed. He does feel sometimes, lusting for Catwoman, saving a school bus of orphans.

But then he goes back to breaking arms and slicing faces.' On your feet, boy! You are Azrael! Angel of vengeance! You were not made to die!'

We finally see some potentially great characterization around page 581 (near the end of the book) where he breaks the rule, but not exactly by choice, to the shocking witness of Tim Drake. Dumas and Jean's father are back, arguing in his head, respectively telling him to save or to kill Abattoir.

In his indecision something irreparable happens. (Read: Abattoir falls to his death. Fuck that guy!) And Jean loses it, the system wreaking havoc on his head. He's growing a conscience! But it isn't guilt or remorse, it's righteousness.

What a cold hearted prick! But we can't blame him. It's The System. His father won out over St. Dumas, the angel and devil on his shoulders, the mindfuck drug-induced hallucinations.

But The System ends up feeling like a convenient plot device, however, to get out of characterization and to make him a robot. But how come he-System. Why did that-System.That's why Bruce is our favorite, because of his tragedy, his golden rule, his humanity. He hurts and mourns the death of those he cannot save. But Jean gives zero fucks. Jean is a god damn robot by the end who we can't wait to see bloodied and beaten by the real Batman.' Find your true self in an ISO-TANK.

Now in stock.' So that's your Batman. And the villains don't improve things. Tell me if you recognize any of these names: The Trigger Twins, Danny Doyle, Tally Man, Mekros, Mr.

Freeze (there's one!), Joker (two!), Abattoir, The Corrosive Man, The Malevolent Mainiaxe, Lady Clayface, Clayface 3 (almost!), Gunhawk, Rat Gang. The trouble with these villains is they're disposable and probably never seen elsewhere in the comic world. It's hard to care about them because we don't know or fear them. Cowboys, thugs, a sniper, a serial killer. The Mainiaxe are just these idiotic punk Three Stooge rip offs with what I would call lobotomy dialog.

At least Corrosive Man was made of acid and was nearly unstoppable. He's on acid!The villain who gets hundreds of pages is Abattoir, a blood drinking, bone eating occultist serial killer who kidnaps, tortures and kills his own extended family and anyone else who gets in his way. Special skills? He's the one who kidnaps a school bus of orphans and plans on eating their flesh. Somehow he's also a master escapist, so Jean just keeps lettikf him get away to kill more people.

I think I prefer even Professor Pyg to Abattoir, he's so disgusting and one dimensional. Good riddance.What really bothered me is the lack of Bane. He's supposed to be running free in Gotham doing who knows what, much like in Volume 1. I was expecting an epic rematch, but instead Bane magically appears in Blackgate having supposedly been put there by Jean. What the fuck?

When did this happen? Why was this not written about? Talk about a lost opportunity.

Instead we had to read about fuckheads like Abattoir torturing his cousin and the Malevolent Mainiaxe. Good grief!The Joker has a decent but relatively small role, and maybe that's a good thing considering he's making a Hollywood movie called the 'Death of Batman.'

He's got a green ponytail, weird pants, and a fifteen million dollar budget. Yeah, bay bay! (Did anyone ever talk like this?) Cameras rolling, he sets up Jean again and again, and while it's rather cheesy and hard to take seriously, it makes for some much needed comedy in this book. Can you say drugged whip cream pies? For example.Two producers debate:'He's updated his image for the nineties, Joker. A sleeker look.

A Batman for those with a shorter attention span. I can't say I like this new Batman.' 'I won't agree with that. Batman's gone for a retro-medieval appearance. With the armor and new weaponry he presents a classic image of the dark knight.'

What about the heroes? Few and far between. There's Robin for about twenty pages, Joe Public (who?), Ballistic (who?), and Catwoman, joined by the Friends of the Earth Nature Magic Alliance. No, that's not a typo. It's mostly the Jean Paul Valley Show.And finally, the Sonic Bat Train (my coinage).

Admittedly, this is a terrible idea because, you know, trains have a hard time stopping. Inertia, momentum, etc. And Jean almost crashes into the D train!

I think the SBT is really cool and stupid and probably physically impossible. I mean, this is the man's main mode of transportation and it does 300 miles per hour. It can't even fly. Doc Brown's train can fly.So did I like fascist robot Voltron asshole Batman? Yes, I liked it okay. I didn't really like it, and I certainly didn't love it.

Almost 700 pages is far too much of Jean Paul Valley the unlovable fuckface. But his gadgets are pretty cool.

The Sonic Bat Train is pretty cool. The artwork is great. And while his villains aren't iconic they are challenging and bring out the worst, most violent version of Batman. And Jim Gordon has a helluva time dealing with Jean. Fans of Bruce Wayne should approach with caution, but if you're open to Jean Paul Valley you'll probably like it.

Here's hoping he gets the living shit beat out of him in Volume 3. I've seen a ton of reviews slating this volume, however it's really not that bad but it is all over the place. First off if you only like to read bruce wayne as batman then i'll stop you right there, it's all jean paul, so you could definitely skip this you'll miss nothing. Basically jean paul makes this stupid ass suit with claws and guns and it's naff it's like if wolverine became batman and it's tough work reading about jean paul because he's irritating and 600 odd pages later i still don'tI've seen a ton of reviews slating this volume, however it's really not that bad but it is all over the place. First off if you only like to read bruce wayne as batman then i'll stop you right there, it's all jean paul, so you could definitely skip this you'll miss nothing. I haven’t been this disappointed in a Batman story since. When you have a sequel to an amazing story, you want that story to continue and to be everything its predecessor was (and hopefully more).

Unfortunately, the second volume of Knightfall definitely falls in the “extremely disappointing sequel” category. Admittedly, it’s really part of the same story, but definitely the same feelings here.Volume One gives you all the excitement and drama of Bane’s I haven’t been this disappointed in a Batman story since. When you have a sequel to an amazing story, you want that story to continue and to be everything its predecessor was (and hopefully more). Unfortunately, the second volume of Knightfall definitely falls in the “extremely disappointing sequel” category. Admittedly, it’s really part of the same story, but definitely the same feelings here.Volume One gives you all the excitement and drama of Bane’s appearance, his masterminding a gauntlet of horrors for Batman and ultimately his bloody defeat of Batman. With his back broken, Bruce Wayne must give himself time to heal and because Gotham cannot wait for a protector, he asks Jean Paul Valley aka Azrael to step in for him and assume the mantle of the Bat. I’m really not sure he could have made a worse choice.

There’s definitely an argument to be made here that Dick Grayson should have been the one to ask. I get that Dick has his own territory to watch over now but stillyou’re really gonna choose a guy you don’t know all that well to take over the crusade you’ve dedicated your life to? Even if it’s just temporary? But apparently this doesn’t occur to Bruce so he takes off to convalesce and track down some missing friends while leaving Robin (Tim Drake) behind to act as Valley’s conscience.To everyone’s surprise, Valley doesn’t handle things well.

He has been brainwashed by his own father into THE SYSTEM of a crazy quasi-Templar cult called the Order of St. Sarcasm doesn’t translate well in print but I got really fucking tired of The System by the end of this volume. It'll just randomly help Valley out anytime he's in trouble.

About to get his ass kicked? System kicks in! Rescues a lady who only speaks Spanish? System kicks in and now he speaks and understands Spanish perfectly! It gets old really REALLY fast. So this System essentially made Valley into a badass, ruthless assassin. Valley had previously rejected this training but shockingly, when he takes on the dark protector identity of Batman, his old training resurfaces and Azrael-Batman is more violent, more ruthless and less concerned with unintended consequences than Bruce Wayne’s Batman.

He also wants no partners so he walls off all the entrances to the Batcave and essentially tells Robin to fuck off. Valley is all the violent parts of Batman on steroids with none of the things that make Batman awesome:Batman’s intelligence and planning are the main reason I’ve always loved him. But Valley hates detective work. He’s filling in for the World’s Greatest Detective and he’d rather just beat the shit out of someone than do anything involving his brain.Consequently he does absolutely zero research on Batman’s enemies so he has no idea who Freeze is and decides that Joker isn’t a real threat. That’s right. He’d rather chase down muggers and common criminals than the guy who has probably murdered more people in Gotham than anyone.

His reasoning? Joker is just a crazy dude that Bruce Wayne has a fixation on and is no more dangerous than any other criminal.

I’m not gonna argue that Bruce and Joker don’t have a strange relationship but I’m pretty sure I would make bringing in a homicidal maniac my first order of business as Batman.And as a last complaint.those bad guys were awful. First you get two identical twin cowboys/gunslingers who have never met each before but happen to find each other in Gotham and proceed to wreak all kinds of havoc. Old West style gunslinger twins. And then we get the Maniaxe who are arguably the most irritating. If I was thinking up Batman villains, I’m pretty sure that “former-post-grunge-punk-band-turned-band-of-criminals modeled after The Three Stooges” wouldn’t be on the short list, the long list or any other kind of fucking list.SoVolume Two gives us bad writing, incredibly irritating characters and a new violent Batman who doesn’t care that he’s breaking every one of Batman’s cardinal rules he actually KILLS a villain (thus dooming said villain’s hostage to die an incredibly violent death) AND develops a gun that uses batarangs as ammunition. The only parts of this I enjoyed were Tim Drake (who was actually pretty interesting as a kid trying to balance being Robin, trying to rein in a complete psycho and being a normal teenager) and the confrontation between Bruce and Valley when Bruce finally returns and finds out how badly Valley has tarnished Batman’s name.

Now I just want to see Bruce kick the shit out of Valley and reclaim his place as the true Batman. If that was the goal of this volume, thenmission accomplished. At this point, Knightfall gets most of its worth as an historical artifact. By which I mean that it isn't really very good, but it is an important even in Batman's history.

(Which, post-Flashpoint, may never have happened after all.) The whole Knightfall storyline (Bane breaks Batman, Batman comes back) was the starting point for The Dark Knight Rises, and this volume covers what the movie (thankfully) chose to ignore: Bruce Wayne's less-than-worth successor to the cowl, Jean Paul Valley.The At this point, Knightfall gets most of its worth as an historical artifact. By which I mean that it isn't really very good, but it is an important even in Batman's history. (Which, post-Flashpoint, may never have happened after all.) The whole Knightfall storyline (Bane breaks Batman, Batman comes back) was the starting point for The Dark Knight Rises, and this volume covers what the movie (thankfully) chose to ignore: Bruce Wayne's less-than-worth successor to the cowl, Jean Paul Valley.The thing is, Jean Paul's descent is compelling, on paper. But the execution. He falls so far, so fast, that Bruce starts to look stupid for even considering him as a successor.

I get that the storyline as a whole was a 'take that' to fans who wanted an even darker and edgier Batman, but Dixon needed a much more subtle hand to make Jean Paul's progression (regression?) in the story believable. As is, he's about as subtle as a two-by-four.Nothing else here is really worthwhile. The original villains are dull and uninspired (cowboy twins? Wow) and the established ones aren't used in interesting ways. And frankly, the setups used just aren't enough to hold my attention. I mean, this is a monster of a book (650 pages, or 27 issues) and it makes reading it all a slog.

The art isn't that great either. Really, if it weren't such a pivotal event, it wouldn't be worth reading at all.Oh, and one final note: the summary here on Goodreads mentions Nightwing, but he seems to be playing Sir Not Appearing in This Book. The Knightfall story arc is the ambitious undertaking of writers Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Alan Grant.

The arc, consisted of three parts: Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd, and while the storyline was supposed to take place over the course of six months, the publication lasted a year. The storyline is infamous for its bloated content and long-term ramifications for the Batman Universe. It introduces the characters of Bane and Azrael, and continually questions whether Bruce is The Knightfall story arc is the ambitious undertaking of writers Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, and Alan Grant. The arc, consisted of three parts: Knightfall, Knightquest, and KnightsEnd, and while the storyline was supposed to take place over the course of six months, the publication lasted a year. The storyline is infamous for its bloated content and long-term ramifications for the Batman Universe. It introduces the characters of Bane and Azrael, and continually questions whether Bruce is physically and mentally prepared for continuing his role as Batman.Knightfall vol.

2 is the story arc Knightquest. Here we have a collection of comics detailing the rise of Jean-Paul Valley as Batman. Over three hundred pages of drawing and dialogue make up the downward spiral of Jean-Paul Valley. Is the Gotham of Knightquest darker?

One is made to think so, given the amount of technology, armor, and brutality Valley infuses into the role of Batman. His weapons are more sinister, lacking the restraint of Batman’s gadgets. It’s justice by any means necessary. His ruthlessness and anti-social personality have alienated his former allies. Even Jim Gordon has doubts as to whether Batman can fulfill his role as the city’s vigilante protector. Valley’s mental unbalance comes to the forefronts as he becomes increasingly tormented by visions of St. Dumas and his father.

After strangling Robin, letting the serial killer Abattoir fall to his death, walling off the Batcave, and convincing everyone around him (including Cat Woman) that he is not the same Batman, the readers are left with a bitter taste in their mouths. One can only hope that Bruce Wayne miraculously appears to assume control again. Imitators will have their day, but heroes demand authenticity.The one aspect I do not like about this collection, or rather this series, is the editor’s choice not to include Knightquest: The search in this volume.

While Knightquest: The Crusade, offers an extensive amount of material in-itself, the story of Bruce Wayne’s search for Tim Drake’s father is pertinent to the story. Possibly DC comics will come out with a collection of this series to round out the Knightfall saga, but I cannot hide my disappointment in its absence.The writing and artwork is 90’s Batman through and through.

It’s campy, colorful and by today’s standards, a lot of it hasn’t aged well. It’s like the X-Men in the 80’s and 90’s, or Spiderman during that same time. The story is a classic in the Batman Universe, but some part of me, longs for a revamp. Just to see what a new artist and writer could come up with. Jean Paul Valley as Batman is such a mess. And reading this is like just waiting for him to implode and Bruce to come back (and wondering why anybody puts up with this freak).

I don't recall if ever there was a sense that Bruce might not be back-that Azrael was taking over permanently, but in retrospect it's impossible to imagine anyone would think he was worthy (which kinda makes Bruce an idiot).No comment on the cowboy twins (ugh), and other sundry plotlines (most of which are just so-so). Jean Paul Valley as Batman is such a mess. And reading this is like just waiting for him to implode and Bruce to come back (and wondering why anybody puts up with this freak). I don't recall if ever there was a sense that Bruce might not be back-that Azrael was taking over permanently, but in retrospect it's impossible to imagine anyone would think he was worthy (which kinda makes Bruce an idiot).No comment on the cowboy twins (ugh), and other sundry plotlines (most of which are just so-so).

The Joker as a villain in the hands of Dixon is likewise a mess. Apart from one or two recognizably insane moments, he might as well be anybody and his final confrontation with Azrael is a huge head scratcher: 1.) it took this long for him to realize that Batman wasn't really Batman? And 2.) on discovering this information he doesn't just nuke the imposter?

Dumb.This is one of those arcs where you just have to sigh and move forward and hope eventually you'll get so far ahead into the new continuity that you can forget any of this ever happened. Disclaimer- if you've read any of my reviews before, you know I don't mind a little cheesiness, especially in my superheroes stories, in fact, I prefer it to some of the bleak stories of today, so with that being said- I really liked this 600 page volume! I really enjoyed reading how another character, Jean Paul, tried to continue on the tradition of Batman, while still wanting to do things his own way, thinking that he would be the new Batman indefinitely. I do agree with critics that Jean Paul Disclaimer- if you've read any of my reviews before, you know I don't mind a little cheesiness, especially in my superheroes stories, in fact, I prefer it to some of the bleak stories of today, so with that being said- I really liked this 600 page volume!

I really enjoyed reading how another character, Jean Paul, tried to continue on the tradition of Batman, while still wanting to do things his own way, thinking that he would be the new Batman indefinitely. I do agree with critics that Jean Paul is mostly one dimensional in this run, so for me the fun comes from watching how Batman's regular friends and foes react to who they think is just a 'changed' Batman after being broken by Bane. James Gordon is forced to reconcile the notion that he does allow Batman to work outside of the law- but how far is he willing to go. The story arc involving Catwoman is the strongest in this volume and she instantly notices the lack of sexual tension between the two, even though Jean Paul does become obsessed with her. And for camp fun, the story line of the Joker trying to film a Hollywood big budget movie of the death of Batman is great, but even the insane Joker stops having fun when he realizes this isn't the Bat he usually battles.There were one or two one shot stories in here that didn't do much for me, but i did like most of the B list villain battles too. Today's comics make every single fight about the end of the universe, so sometimes just reading about a good ole kidnapping or bank heist can be just as entertaining, when well executed.I didn't know that even with 600 plus pages of comics here that we don't get to Bruce Wayne's return until a third volume that I can't wait to read.

This book is weaker than the preceding volume in so many ways. Firstly, the art style is consistently and obviously derivative of other, more famous artists of the time, such as Rob Liefield and Todd MacFarlane. Panel after panel is full of completely improbable anatomy, jagged lines, and absolutely ridiculous costuming-fabric is either stiff as metal or shredded into streamers, thigh-pouches abound, and Jean-Paul Valley's Batman armor accrues pieces until it looks as though it must weigh one This book is weaker than the preceding volume in so many ways. Firstly, the art style is consistently and obviously derivative of other, more famous artists of the time, such as Rob Liefield and Todd MacFarlane. Panel after panel is full of completely improbable anatomy, jagged lines, and absolutely ridiculous costuming-fabric is either stiff as metal or shredded into streamers, thigh-pouches abound, and Jean-Paul Valley's Batman armor accrues pieces until it looks as though it must weigh one thousand pounds.Story-wise, this book just drags on and on through mediocre storylines that would barely qualify as side-plots in a weaker franchise; that they belong in a Batman comic is laughable.

Why, when there are so many compelling characters in the Rogue's Gallery, is Valley put up against the likes of Anarky and Abattoir? Why is the one interesting caper involving the Joker not matched with equally interesting schemes from Harvey Dent, Mr. Freeze, or The Penguin? This book could be cut down to half its length, then padded out with information about Bruce's recovery process-from, you know, his back being broken like a biscotti-or the rescue of Jack Drake and Dr.

Kinsolving, who were kidnapped!It's my understanding that the third volume is much better, and I'm hoping that that is correct. I can't properly gage this book, as the issues were coming out a year before I started reading comics (I was 10 years old).

So this Batman armor represents the epitome of cool to me. It's probably a horrible read, I wouldn't give this to anyone to read. But yet I feel it's essential. Ah yes, the year was 1995 and someone brings Batman #500 into class, a die-cut cover of Batman in his classic suit and when opened a new armored up Batman on the 2nd cover.

Inside we have a more brutal Batman I can't properly gage this book, as the issues were coming out a year before I started reading comics (I was 10 years old). So this Batman armor represents the epitome of cool to me. It's probably a horrible read, I wouldn't give this to anyone to read. But yet I feel it's essential. Ah yes, the year was 1995 and someone brings Batman #500 into class, a die-cut cover of Batman in his classic suit and when opened a new armored up Batman on the 2nd cover. Inside we have a more brutal Batman shooting mini batarangs at Bane. This issue isn't even included here but it's the beginning of AzBats.The representation of change, even if it was a failure.In the letters page there were countless fans stating they will never read Batman again.

Wizard magazine constantly bashing it, and DC skipping this story arc for 2 decades and collecting Knightsend instead, treating it like. Jon Snow.This Batman was influenced by the more brutal anti-heroes that were so popular, like Terminator and Punisher, DC gave it a test run, failed and in the end makes this book more infamous that famous.Maybe the stories aren't great, maybe the villains are third rate, but it makes for a really really great train wreck. Batman: Knightfall, Vol. 1 covered what most people know about the famous arc. Batman is threatened by a new Villain Bane and is slowly but surely whittled down physically and psychologically so Bane can quite literally break him. Since Nightwing has his own life and Robin is too young, Jean Paul Valley AKA Azrael takes over as Batman.

In short order he proves himself to be a more brutal version of the Dark Knight and designs power armor to take on Bane, whom he defeats in short order. The first Batman: Knightfall, Vol.

1 covered what most people know about the famous arc. Batman is threatened by a new Villain Bane and is slowly but surely whittled down physically and psychologically so Bane can quite literally break him. Since Nightwing has his own life and Robin is too young, Jean Paul Valley AKA Azrael takes over as Batman. In short order he proves himself to be a more brutal version of the Dark Knight and designs power armor to take on Bane, whom he defeats in short order. The first volume ends with Robin saying Azrael has his support because he didn't kill Bane and the police are of a similar mind.Batman: Knightfall, Vol.

2 is almost entirely about Azrael being Batman encountering new and old villains and running across the previous Dark Knight's allies who catch on that this isn't the Batman they know. Azrael's sanity slowly erodes as his assassin programming resurfaces which culminates in him letting a murderer die through inaction and not feeling the least bit guilty about it. At this point Bruce and Robin decide it's time to take the mantle of the Batman back. I honestly didn't think I'd like this volume that much but surprised at how engaging Azrael's stint as the Batman was.

If this sounds interesting to you give it a shot. KNIGHTQUEST marks the first occasion DC has bundled all of KnightQuest: The Crusade as a graphic novel. I'm surprised it took them this long. Years ago DC published Knightfall and KnightsEnd, but not KQ.

Although they still didn't get KQ quite right, what's here is a solid if predictable story.KQ, the second chapter of the Knightfall trilogy, itself consists of two parts. There's KnightQuest: The Crusade, which follows Jean-Paul Valley, the new (circa 1993) Batman; and KnightQuest: The Search, KNIGHTQUEST marks the first occasion DC has bundled all of KnightQuest: The Crusade as a graphic novel. I'm surprised it took them this long. Years ago DC published Knightfall and KnightsEnd, but not KQ. Although they still didn't get KQ quite right, what's here is a solid if predictable story.KQ, the second chapter of the Knightfall trilogy, itself consists of two parts. There's KnightQuest: The Crusade, which follows Jean-Paul Valley, the new (circa 1993) Batman; and KnightQuest: The Search, wherein Bruce Wayne, left a cripple by Bane, tracks his doctor/love interest Shondra Kinsolving and her patient/Tim Drake's father Jack around the globe to rescue them from kidnappers.For whatever reason, DC left The Search out of this compilation.

That's a problem. To anyone reading the trilogy for the first time, Bruce Wayne goes from a paraplegic at the end of Knightfall, to ambulatory and healthy at the end of KnightQuest, when he returns to Gotham to find that Valley has gone loco and he, Bruce, will need to get back into crimefighting shape to become Batman again.Maybe DC felt that KNIGHTQUEST the graphic novel was already too large. It weighs in at almost 700 pages, and I understand DC's determination to publish the trilogy as three graphic novels. That said, cutting Bruce Wayne's journey back to full health makes for a glaring omission.

He's not just some D-lister. Arguably the most well-known and beloved character ever created. Ever.There are a few other omissions, too, namely the denouement of the first and only scuffle between Valley's Batman and Tim Drake's Robin. One issue ends with Valley ready to deliver a cunning blow. The story continues in Robin issue #1 (which I happen to have) but DC left that out, too. Probably because Robin #1 branches off into Tim's story, and ends on a cliffhanger that's resolved in Robin #2, which doesn't directly relate to KQ: The Crusade.Even so, it's a shame that DC still didn't manage to properly collect every part of the biggest Batman story arc in the past 20-some years.

That alone docked one star off KNIGHTQUEST's final score.All those complaints aside, KNIGHTQUEST is a solid read. I like Jean-Paul Valley more than I did as a kid. DC did a good job of having Valley cross paths with famous Batman villains like The Joker, Catwoman, and Mr. Freeze (the latter's story being my favorite single chapter of KQ: The Crusade), while mixing in lesser-known names and newcomers.The hook of KQ: The Crusade is watching Valley, brainwashed from birth to become an assassin, play the role of a piece of rope in a game of tug-of-war between his preprogrammed directive to kill, and follow Bruce Wayne's 'Thou Shalt Not' kill credo, the fundamental rule of being the Batman.

He's a more sympathetic character than I remembered from when I first read KQ as it was being published during my childhood.On top of that, he was a blank slate. Bruce Wayne thinks of Batman as who he really is; being a billionaire playboy is the real mask designed to disguise his true identity from his enemies in order to protect civilians. Valley has no life outside of being Batman 2.0.

That makes for an interesting change of pace. KQ: The Crusade is all crimefighting all the time, and when he does get a quiet moment, he wrestles with his identity. Is he Batman? Someone else?That makes Valley's fall all the more tragic—and inevitable, because DC always planned on bringing Bruce Wayne back, just as they planned to resurrect Superman after killing him.

Anything to sell a few extra comic books.That's not to say I preferred Valley as Batman. I liked his costume (scratch that: his armor), but his Batman was too one-note. His struggle to find himself was always more compelling, but KNIGHTQUEST was never meant to give him any answer other than 'not Batman.'

Charles '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 Charles '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.

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.

Cast Uncredited cast.Jar-Jar Binks(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Grand Moff Tarkin(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).C-3PO(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Wicket W. Warrick(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Obi-Wan Kenobi(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Darth Vader(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Various(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).The Emperor(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Yoda(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Darth Maul(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Battle Droid(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).Jabba the Hutt(voice) (archive sound) (uncredited).