Knightfall - Like or dislike?

[The Joker]

I've noticed alot of negativity towards Knightfall lately. A storyline I'd always thought was rather popular amongst the Bat fans. Personally speaking, I love it.

I think Bane's scheme of wearing Batman down physically and emotionally thru the release of the Arkham inmates made for good reading. I love how he had his henchmen forever spying on Batman at every battle, reporting every little detail of Batman's decline to Bane, who reveled in Batman's misery. I also like the Shondra Kinsolving character.

There was also some great stuff from the villains, like Zsasz's story in the all girls school he takes hostage, the Joker/Scarecrow team up, and Riddler vying for attention of his criminal genius on that talk show wearing a dozen sticks of TNT.

To those who dislike it, what specifically do you dislike about it?

 

[Cain]

As the years have gone by it's grown on me I actually collected it when it first dropped and back then my feelings were mixed but compared to a lot of what came afterwards it's a borderline masterpiece.

 

[Dark Victory]

Knightfall is great. Sure the art's not amazing but it just takes a little getting used to. Only bad thing I have to say about it is that each volume is $20.

 

[Saved]

I enjoyed Knightfall a lot. Great story. However, I most enjoyed Volume 1 out of the three.

 

[Finlandman]

I love it, but I have only read the first Volume.

 

[Joker]

I loved everything but the art. I just can't stand Kelley Jones, the man is a hack of Leifeld perportions, and for some reason, no one else seems to think so anymore (he used to get nothing but hate, but that's changed). I love Az-Bats costume, I love the Joker/Scarecrow team up, and I love that Bane was actually a threat. I wish they would collect KnightsQuest in a few TPBs though, as it's impossible to track down in single issues, and as it is now, the entire middle chapter of the story is missing from trades.

 

[C. W. Saturn]

I loved everything but the art. I just can't stand Kelley Jones, the man is a hack of Leifeld perportions, and for some reason, no one else seems to think so anymore (he used to get nothing but hate, but that's changed). I love Az-Bats costume, I love the Joker/Scarecrow team up, and I love that Bane was actually a threat. I wish they would collect KnightsQuest in a few TPBs though, as it's impossible to track down in single issues, and as it is now, the entire middle chapter of the story is missing from trades.

Kelley Jones did just draw the covers

 

[C. W. Saturn]

I appreciate the story as the "Death of the Darknight Detective". If you take it symbolically it works so well, because Batman became the "Dark Knight As_h_le" after that story. (Okay not exactly after, it took until "Zero Hour").

 

[baerrtt]

Like THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN the storyline is intriguing and as a 14 year old reading each issue, reading O'Neill's novelisation, even listening to the radio adaptation done here in the UK on BBC radio back in 1993/94 it was the most exciting Batman story I'd ever encountered so far.

As a grown up the idea is still intriguing but like the aformentioned DOS storyline it doesn't, imo, read as well today and gets by largely on the whole 'Batman defeated and crippled, thus new and more ruthless Batman' concept. Maybe the reason the story has soured on me is that, unless I'm mistaken, the point of it was to highlight how the dangerous, unlikeable and borderline crazy character he was becoming in the late 80s and early 90s (to an extent) ultimately wasn't the route to go (hence the contrast with the Jean Paul Valley character) and returning him to his more heroic roots.

Yet it was the begginning of major storylines that tried this and then reverted back to type almost immediately after the story was concluded. In other words a major development of character that goes nowhere.

 

[I-T-B]

I'll admit, I haven't read the whole thing. But the issues I've read, and the other bits and pieces, kind of turned me off. Didn't care for the art, either. Add to that that it was pretty much just Batman's answer to the Death of Superman, and I just don't have any interest in reading it. Though I feel that way about the majority of the earth-shattering, "revelatory" DC arcs.

 

[Joker]

Kelley Jones did just draw the covers

He was doing the interiors on the issues from Batman as well.

 

[The Demon's Head]

I loved the first part, but I lost interest when Azzarel became Batman.

 

[I-T-B]

He was doing the interiors on the issues from Batman as well.

As a big Kelley Jones fan (GASP!) I can say with some confidence that he didn't begin his run on Batman until issue #515, which, if I'm not mistaken, is after the Knightfall arc had come to its conclusion. But then, I'm no Knightfall expert.

 

[Galvanize]

I just read this again recently and I really love Knightfall. Just everything about it is so good. Bane, Joker, Mr Zsasz and Scarecrow really have a chance to shine and their stories are all interesting and exciting.
Knightquest is alright too and Knightsend is just excellent.
I quiet like cross over events, some are good, some not so but when all is said and done i still think this is the superior one from the Bat books.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

As a big Kelley Jones fan (GASP!) I can say with some confidence that he didn't begin his run on Batman until issue #515, which, if I'm not mistaken, is after the Knightfall arc had come to its conclusion. But then, I'm no Knightfall expert.

Exactly. He started with a run with Moench AFTER Knightfall and Prodigal. Before it were just the covers.

 

[dlvillarreal]

I haven't read these yet. I bought Batman #500 when I was alittle kid just to get that issue. I've just now started reading the comics and I'm loving them so far. I plan on reading this one down the line and I'm excited to check it out.

 

[CaptainClown]

great concept but the dialog is absolutely painful. The art is meh (I just put it to the art at that time though)

 

[steelio2006]

i do like Batman vs. Azbats at the end tho.

 

[SuperestHero]

Knightfall was awesome. Breyfogle's art was sweet.
Dr Simpson Flanders, classic.

 

[jabbatheridge]

I think Bane's scheme of wearing Batman down physically and emotionally thru the release of the Arkham inmates made for good reading. I love how he had his henchmen forever spying on Batman at every battle, reporting every little detail of Batman's decline to Bane, who reveled in Batman's misery. I also like the Shondra Kinsolving character.

To those who dislike it, what specifically do you dislike about it?

I read and enjoyed the first volume of Knightfall and I remember the BBC doing a radio play that involved all three acts, so I know the whole story all the way through. The only problem I have with it, and it's not really the fault of Knightfall to be honest, was the fact that since then, Bane hasn't been depicted as the criminal mastermind he was when first introduced. He's just been used as hired muscle for Luthor (in No Man's Land) for Poison Ivy (in Batman And Robin) and for Penguin (in Mystery Of The Batwoman). Personally I think this is a tremendous waste of what was initially a great and dangerous opponent being reduced to mere hired muscle.

But that's not the fault of Knightfall, which to me remains one of the best interpritations of Bane in any medium.

 

[Nepenthes]

great concept but the dialog is absolutely painful. The art is meh (I just put it to the art at that time though)

this is me too.

I've only read Knightfall once and it was a while ago. but after hearing about the story and all these EPIC events...it was pretty underwhelming. and what the hells up with the art? it looks like some 20 year old just got their first art job on some d-grade title.

Batman 500 was actually the first batman comic I ever read - I was a Marvel kid. I opened the cover (awesome) and my jaw literally dropped it was so lame. I was nine years old and like "wow I need to stop reading comics" ha ha

 

[Cobblepot]

I love it, I've read it three times now and just the epic vibe it gives of is amazing. I would really like to see this entire arc recolored and collected in a nice HC.

 

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

It's the series that really got me into comics. It was such a big deal back then, now I feel like reading it again.

 

[The Englishman]

I like Knightfall but i don't get everyones problem with the art, whats wrong with it??

 

[The Joker]

I like Knihtfall but i don't get everyones problem with the art, whats wrong with it??

Yeah, I like the art. It's Norm Breyfogle, Jim Aparo, and Graham Nolan doing the art. They're all great artists, IMO.