You guys are never going to believe it, but this week for Ask Chris, I wrote a huge essay on a single aspect of the Batman mythos! I know! You’re shocked!
This time around I go in depth on the subject of Bane, who he is and how he came to be, just in time for all the questions that are coming with the news that he’s going to be featured in Christopher Nolan’s next Batman film. It’s a ridiculously long piece and I have no idea if it’s interesting to anyone but me to just talk about “Knightfall” for like a million hours, but if that’s your thing, have at it!
I really thought this “Ask Chris” was great. I’d never heard Bane compared to Doomsday in that way, but it totally made sense, as did your characterization of him as a “reverse Batman.”
Bane rocks. He’s a great villain, but when you treat him as a cunning mind in a powerful frame rather than just a beatstick, he becomes even more awesome.
I love the concept of him in the Secret Six.
I think you forgot one of the most important predecessors of Bane: Professor Moriarty. A character previously unheard of, essentially an evil version of our hero with powers either equal or greater than those of our hero, created for the sole purpose of being someone able to convincingly destroy our previously undefeated hero.
Loved the bit in Secret Six where Bane and Catman lament the death of Batman, and go around cleaning up Gotham for an evening as a token of, well, respect.
an amazing piece of work, thx for that insight on bane
Thank you for this.
bookrats: I love that issue.
Thanks for a fun read. A couple thoughts that it sparked –
Bane becoming a father-figure for others makes sense for a character who mirrors Batman.
What I really detested about Doomsday and Knightfall the most (besides the sheer chromium-tinged marketing sleeze) were that the names and previews gave away the ending. Comic fans were dragged along a march of plot points as beloved characters were “killed” for speculator’s sake. Good on the writers and artists that they still created entertainment from it.
Galoshes and bike shorts? If you’re going to rip off the Hulk, don’t put boots on him.