Review: Batman - Knightfall Volume 3, Knightsend

Having recovered from the injuries Bane inflicted on him, Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City in order to reclaim his city and his mantle as the Batman. He seeks out the help of the assassin Lady Shiva, who he hopes will get him back into fighting shape. However, it soon becomes clear that the mistress of martial arts is hell-bent on forcing Bruce to break his no-kill rule.

Then, Dick Grayson takes up the mantle of the Batman at the behest of his former mentor. In his new role, he must learn to work alongside the current Robin and contend with the menace of his nemesis Two-Face.

Batman Knightfall Volume 3: Knightsend collects Batman #509-510, 512-514, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #29-30, 32-34, Detective Comics #676-677, 679-681, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #62-63, Catwoman #12, 13, Robin #9, 11-13 and material from Showcase ’94 #10.

After the mediocre Knightquest arc, Knightsend comes across as a breath of fresh air with Bruce Wayne finally returning to his rightful role as Batman. It’s a breezy read that begins with Bruce enlisting the aid of Lady Shiva in order to re-gain his martial arts prowess. She cleverly arranges a test for him, which ultimately pushes Bruce to his limits. The use of Lady Shiva in this arc is brilliant and helps to showcase just how badass she is, while also proving that the Dark Knight is not flawless and the best martial artist out there. Her presence is also meant to compare with that of the man wearing the cape and cowl at that time. Both Lady Shiva and Jean-Paul Valley feel it is necessary to kill one’s enemies, which contrasts sharply against Bruce Wayne’s morality. This creates tension in the narrative as the reader wonders if Lady Shiva will be successful in her mission to force Bruce to kill (spoiler – she’s not).

When we finally get to the meat of Knightsend – the final showdown between Bruce Wayne and Jean-Paul Valley – we’re given an explosive sequence of events that begin above the streets of Gotham City and ends in the darkness of the Batcave. It’s a relentless series of action scenes that include a helicopter crash and plenty of fisticuffs. Bruce’s determination to reclaim his mantle is evident, as is his dedication to helping Jean-Paul see the error of his ways. It adds depth to the conflict as it’s clear that Bruce isn’t fighting just another one of his lunatic rogues – he feels responsibility for Jean-Paul’s actions. This section is further supplemented with a subplot involving Catwoman’s pursuit of an experimental electronic device that is supposed to help paralyzed individuals to walk. The individual issues of Catwoman are perhaps some of the most enjoyable in this collection, largely due to writer Jo Duffy’s humorous dialogue and Catwoman’s quippy attitude. It also helps to break up some of the melodrama of the testosterone fest that is Bruce Wayne vs. Jean-Paul Valley. It’s worth mentioning that Robin and Nightwing are also present during all of this – though neither seems particularly useful. Additionally, the end of the conflict is resolved in an anti-climactic fashion. Jean-Paul literally sees the light and miraculously decides to stop fighting Bruce. It feels a little like lazy writing, especially given how intense Jean-Paul was about being Batman.

The Knightfall saga is concluded with an epilogue of sorts with the twelve-part Prodigal storyline. Bruce sets out to re-evaluate his role as Batman, thus asking Dick to fill-in for him in the meantime. It’s a largely forgettable arc that is overflowing with filler content, though the writers do attempt to remedy this by including a subplot of Two-Face being released from prison and then setting up a major anarchic scheme. It’s evident from the get-go that Prodigal is meant to be the clean-up for Knightfall, given how many villains were still at large by its conclusion. Dick and Tim thus are responsible for capturing Killer Croc, the Ventriloquist, the Tallyman, Ratcatcher and, of course, Two-Face. While this arc was fairly dry, the Robin issues are enjoyable. There’s a great supporting cast, as well as an overall sense of direction that helps to ground this otherwise superfluous storyline.

If there’s one thing to be said about Batman Knightfall Volume 3: Knightsend it’s that it wraps up the Knightfall saga neatly and cohesively. It’s entertaining, particularly its first half, and makes good usage of characters like Lady Shiva and Catwoman (both of whom are standouts in this collection). Knightsend is certainly superior to Prodigal, largely due to Bruce Wayne being back as Batman and the sheer insanity that was his drawn out battle with Jean-Paul Valley. Outside of Prodigal, Knightsend is also atypical for its lack of Batman villains. This works in its favour and helps to keep the focus on the conflict that will determine who will become the one, true Batman.

RATING: B-