Batman Knightfall: Bane vs Batman

What happens after Bane breaks Batman's back?

Watching Tom Hardy, Bane, break Christian Bale, the Batman's back on The Dark Knight Rises had a special significance to comic fans. The scene was from the comic Batman Knightfall. But as a DC comic book lover, I would argue that the scene in the comic and the story that followed were more compelling than Christopher Nolan's take.

It all begins in the Knightfall series when Bane encounters a Batman who is physically and mentally worn out from his ongoing war against the Scarecrow. The caped crusader is powerless in facing Bane who hands him a beatdown, picks him over his head and slams him against his knee and breaks his back.

Bruce is picked up by Alfred after the incident and is taken to the Wayne manor where he now has to fight his psychological demons and recover. Dr.Shondra Kinsolving, a physiotherapist who has the ability to heal wounds by her touch helps Bruce recover. Meanwhile, he offers a fellow vigilante Jean-Paul Valley (aka Azrael) to take over the cape and cowl, and Jean-Paul agrees.

The new Batman fits his role well; he defeats the Scarecrow and maintains the law and order in Gotham, but his methods keep growing violent. Influences from his dark past resurface and aggression takes over. He prefers to work alone, so he pushes Robin away and commissioner Gordon too slowly begins to lose trust in the new Batman and his violent methods. Jean-Paul loses the traditional cape and cowl and builds himself a new mechanical Batman suit. After a few test runs he takes on Bane for revenge.

Meanwhile, Bruce meets with the assassin Lady Shiva to help him recover, regain strength and reflexes, and to sharpen his combating skills. She takes him under her wing and trains him. To complete his recovery, she pits him against a series of vengeful assassins and tests his skills, needing him to literally fight for his life. Bruce in his ninja attire and a bat-shaped tengu mask takes on his rivals and completes his recovery in style.

Back in Gotham, Jean-Paul in his new suit takes on Bane and almost kills him, leaving him crippled for life. He also faces Robin and Nightwing who try and stop the new Batman whose bloodshed ways are turning him into a criminal. The story brings Bruce Wayne back into the scene where only he manages to neutralise his violent successor and convinces him to step down from the Dark knight’s role.

The series Batman Knightfall takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride through Bruce Wayne's recovery and rehabilitation. It also pushes Batman's moralistic stance exploring the character the masked crusader needed to possess in order to kill. The series ends by leaving the reader wondering if Bruce Wayne would resume his role or if there is going to be a new successor.

Kahan J Sudev