100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Image Courtesy of DC Comics
#30. Batman #492–#500, Detective Comics #659–#666: “Knightfall”
Medium
Comic Book
Release Dates
April 1993–October 1993
Credits
Creators: Dough Moench, Jim Aparo
Writers: Chuck Dixon, Jo Duffy, Alan Grant, Dennis O’Neill, Doug Moench
Pencillers: Jim Aparo, Jim Balent, Eduardo Barreto, Bret Blevins, Norm Breyfogle, Vincent Giarrano, Tom Grummett, Klaus Janson, Barry Kitson, Mike Manley, Graham Nolan, Sal Velluto, Mike Vosburg, Ron Wagner
Inkers: Jeff Albrecht, Jim Aparo, Terry Austin, Eduardo Barreto, John Beatty, Bret Blevins, Norm Breyfogle, Rick Burchett, Steve George, Vince Giarrano, Dick Giordano, Scott Hanna, Klaus Janson, Ray Kryssing, Tom Mandrake, Mike Manley, Ron McCain, Frank McLaughlin, Josef Rubinstein, Bob Smith, Bob Wiacek
The Reason It’s Great
It was the story arc that earned Bane the title of “The Man Who Broke the Bat.” “Knightfall” was the first part of a trilogy that saw the Dark Knight being crippled and then temporarily replaced by Azrael. Later, due to Azrael’s actions, Batman had to rebuild his name.
Bane releases all of Arkham’s inmates to exhaust Batman both physically and mentally. After deducing Batman’s secret identity as Bruce Wayne, Bane confronts Bruce at Wayne Manor. A now weakened Bruce is unable to defend himself—give Bane the opportunity to break his back and leave him a parapalegic.
A disabled Bruce asks Jean-Paul Valley to take on the mantle of Batman. This causes resentment in Dick, who would later discover that Bruce was trying to protect him—knowing that if Dick were to face off with Bane, the villain would kill him.
“Knightfall” wasn’t just an action-packed story arc, it challenged Batman mentally and caused a split between him and his allies. The story was so influential that it became the inspiration for The Dark Knight Rises—the closing chapter of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.