Title:
Batman
Synopsis:
”Knightfall” Crossover, Chapter 1.
Guest... ROBIN (Tim Drake).
Guest... ROBIN (Tim Drake).
Cover Date:
May 1993
Publisher:
DC Comics
Issue Number:
492
Year:
1993
Variant Number:
30430 05 - 492
Cover Letter:
1825/ 4000
Country:
United States
Cover Price:
$1.25
Era:
Modern Age
Genre:
Superhero
Detective
Adventure
Action
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Language:
English
Type of Comic:
Magazine
Characters:
Batman (Bruce Wayne)
Bane
Robin (Tim Drake)
Sergeant Harvey Bullock
Detective Renee Montoya
Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch)
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Date Added:
2018-07-02 21:52:01
Series:
Vol. 1
Story Arc:
Knightfall
The plot of Knightfall began with the master criminal Bane freeing all of the maximum-security inmates of Arkham Asylum. Bane’s plan consisted of weakening Batman by forcing him to deal with the deadly villains one at a time. Among the freed inmates, there were numerous high profile villains, such as the Joker, who trapped Arkham’s administrator Jeremiah Arkham, and Scarecrow, as well as many less known villains, such as the Mad Hatter, The Ventriloquist, Firefly, Cavalier, and Victor Zsasz. The storyline of Knightfall drove a large rift in the relationship between Robin and Batman, as Batman sought to face the outbreak alone. Indeed, in later issues, Tim Drake, the current Robin, asks Batman if he is even needed as his sidekick anymore.
Over the next few issues, Batman became weaker and weaker as each criminal was put away. The combination of the Joker and Scarecrow took Batman to his mental and physical limits. After this encounter, Bane made his move and attacked Batman (by this time, Bane had deduced the identity of Batman to be Bruce Wayne) at Wayne Manor, where he was most vulnerable as his alter-ego. The fight between Bruce Wayne and Bane was detailed in Batman #497, and ended in Bane breaking Wayne’s back over his knee. With Batman supposedly out of the way, Bane assumes control of Gotham City and begins to take over a number of illegal operations within it.
After his defeat, Bruce Wayne enlists the aid of Dr. Shondra Kinsolving to rehabilitate him and asks Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael) to take up the mantle of Batman so that Gotham has a protector. Tim Drake argues with Bruce to allow Dick Grayson (the former Robin) to become Batman, as he is more experienced and mentally competent. However, Bruce says that Dick is his own man now, with his own responsibilities and would only do so reluctantly; Dick later expressed resentment at not being asked to stand in as Batman. Bruce’s rationale for this decision is revealed in later issues -- secretly, he doesn’t want Dick to have to face Bane, as he knows Dick’s character will compel him to try. Bruce gives Jean-Paul strict orders never to engage Bane in combat; indeed, when Jean-Paul faces Bane, only his modified gloves save him from being thrown to his death.
Soon after, Kinsolving and Tim’s father Jack Drake are kidnapped and Bruce with Alfred leave the country to find them - their story is continued in Knightquest: The Search, whilst the happenings in Gotham are recorded in Knightquest: The Crusade. Jean-Paul is shown as a different but not dangerous Batman until an encounter with the Scarecrow, which culminates in Jean-Paul being infected by Scarecrow’s fear gas and the ”System” - his programming as Azrael - taking over, in order to combat Jean-Paul’s fear. Following this, Jean-Paul was unable to shake the influence of the System, giving into it completely after his first defeat at Bane’s hands, and being increasingly influenced by it during the rest of his tenure as Batman. Over the next few issues he is portrayed in, Jean-Paul alienates Robin and becomes paranoid and arrogant, the opposite of what Bruce had chosen him for. In Batman #500, Jean-Paul in his new mechanical Batsuit confronts Bane in a vicious battle and eventually prevails. Jean-Paul leaves Bane broken mentally and physically, although he struggles with the choice of whether to simply kill Bane or hand him over to the police. Stating that he will let Bane go to Blackgate Prison, Jean-Paul continues to watch over Gotham after the fight but grows increasingly unstable.
The massive story was quickly collected into two volumes of trade paperbacks. Volume one was subtitled Broken Bat and the second was Who Rules the Night. In late 2011, the story was recollected in one massive volume together with The Vengeance of Bane as Knightfall Vol. 1: Knightfall.
Knightfall
Batman #492 • Detective Comics #659 • Batman #493 • Detective Comics #660 • Batman #494 • Detective Comics #661 • Batman #495 • Detective Comics #662 • Batman #496 • Detective Comics #663 • Batman #497 • Detective Comics #664 • Showcase ’93 #7 • Showcase ’93 #8 • Batman #498 • Detective Comics #665 • Shadow of the Bat #16 • Shadow of the Bat #17 • Shadow of the Bat #18 • Batman #499 • Detective Comics #666 • Batman #500
Collapse
Knightquest
Collapse
The Crusade
Detective Comics #667 • Detective Comics #668 • Shadow of the Bat #19 • Shadow of the Bat #20 • Batman #501 • Batman #502 • Detective Comics #669 • Batman #503 • Batman #504 • Catwoman #7 • Detective Comics #671 • Detective Comics #672 • Detective Comics #673 • Shadow of the Bat #24 • Batman #505 • Shadow of the Bat #25 • Batman #506 • Batman #507 • Shadow of the Bat #26 • Shadow of the Bat #27 • Detective Comics #674 • Batman #508 • Shadow of the Bat #28 • Detective Comics #675
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The Search
Detective Comics #670 • Catwoman #6 • Justice League Task Force #5 • Justice League Task Force #6 • Shadow of the Bat #21 • Shadow of the Bat #22 • Shadow of the Bat #23 • Legends of the Dark Knight #59 • Legends of the Dark Knight #60 • Legends of the Dark Knight #61 • Robin #7
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KnightsEnd
Batman #509 • Shadow of the Bat #29 • Detective Comics #676 • Legends of the Dark Knight #62 • Robin #8 • Catwoman #12 • Batman #510 • Shadow of the Bat #30 • Detective Comics #677 • Legends of the Dark Knight #63 • Robin #9 • Catwoman #13 • Showcase ’94 #1
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman:_Knightquest
The plot of Knightfall began with the master criminal Bane freeing all of the maximum-security inmates of Arkham Asylum. Bane’s plan consisted of weakening Batman by forcing him to deal with the deadly villains one at a time. Among the freed inmates, there were numerous high profile villains, such as the Joker, who trapped Arkham’s administrator Jeremiah Arkham, and Scarecrow, as well as many less known villains, such as the Mad Hatter, The Ventriloquist, Firefly, Cavalier, and Victor Zsasz. The storyline of Knightfall drove a large rift in the relationship between Robin and Batman, as Batman sought to face the outbreak alone. Indeed, in later issues, Tim Drake, the current Robin, asks Batman if he is even needed as his sidekick anymore.
Over the next few issues, Batman became weaker and weaker as each criminal was put away. The combination of the Joker and Scarecrow took Batman to his mental and physical limits. After this encounter, Bane made his move and attacked Batman (by this time, Bane had deduced the identity of Batman to be Bruce Wayne) at Wayne Manor, where he was most vulnerable as his alter-ego. The fight between Bruce Wayne and Bane was detailed in Batman #497, and ended in Bane breaking Wayne’s back over his knee. With Batman supposedly out of the way, Bane assumes control of Gotham City and begins to take over a number of illegal operations within it.
After his defeat, Bruce Wayne enlists the aid of Dr. Shondra Kinsolving to rehabilitate him and asks Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael) to take up the mantle of Batman so that Gotham has a protector. Tim Drake argues with Bruce to allow Dick Grayson (the former Robin) to become Batman, as he is more experienced and mentally competent. However, Bruce says that Dick is his own man now, with his own responsibilities and would only do so reluctantly; Dick later expressed resentment at not being asked to stand in as Batman. Bruce’s rationale for this decision is revealed in later issues -- secretly, he doesn’t want Dick to have to face Bane, as he knows Dick’s character will compel him to try. Bruce gives Jean-Paul strict orders never to engage Bane in combat; indeed, when Jean-Paul faces Bane, only his modified gloves save him from being thrown to his death.
Soon after, Kinsolving and Tim’s father Jack Drake are kidnapped and Bruce with Alfred leave the country to find them - their story is continued in Knightquest: The Search, whilst the happenings in Gotham are recorded in Knightquest: The Crusade. Jean-Paul is shown as a different but not dangerous Batman until an encounter with the Scarecrow, which culminates in Jean-Paul being infected by Scarecrow’s fear gas and the ”System” - his programming as Azrael - taking over, in order to combat Jean-Paul’s fear. Following this, Jean-Paul was unable to shake the influence of the System, giving into it completely after his first defeat at Bane’s hands, and being increasingly influenced by it during the rest of his tenure as Batman. Over the next few issues he is portrayed in, Jean-Paul alienates Robin and becomes paranoid and arrogant, the opposite of what Bruce had chosen him for. In Batman #500, Jean-Paul in his new mechanical Batsuit confronts Bane in a vicious battle and eventually prevails. Jean-Paul leaves Bane broken mentally and physically, although he struggles with the choice of whether to simply kill Bane or hand him over to the police. Stating that he will let Bane go to Blackgate Prison, Jean-Paul continues to watch over Gotham after the fight but grows increasingly unstable.
The massive story was quickly collected into two volumes of trade paperbacks. Volume one was subtitled Broken Bat and the second was Who Rules the Night. In late 2011, the story was recollected in one massive volume together with The Vengeance of Bane as Knightfall Vol. 1: Knightfall.
Knightfall
Batman #492 • Detective Comics #659 • Batman #493 • Detective Comics #660 • Batman #494 • Detective Comics #661 • Batman #495 • Detective Comics #662 • Batman #496 • Detective Comics #663 • Batman #497 • Detective Comics #664 • Showcase ’93 #7 • Showcase ’93 #8 • Batman #498 • Detective Comics #665 • Shadow of the Bat #16 • Shadow of the Bat #17 • Shadow of the Bat #18 • Batman #499 • Detective Comics #666 • Batman #500
Collapse
Knightquest
Collapse
The Crusade
Detective Comics #667 • Detective Comics #668 • Shadow of the Bat #19 • Shadow of the Bat #20 • Batman #501 • Batman #502 • Detective Comics #669 • Batman #503 • Batman #504 • Catwoman #7 • Detective Comics #671 • Detective Comics #672 • Detective Comics #673 • Shadow of the Bat #24 • Batman #505 • Shadow of the Bat #25 • Batman #506 • Batman #507 • Shadow of the Bat #26 • Shadow of the Bat #27 • Detective Comics #674 • Batman #508 • Shadow of the Bat #28 • Detective Comics #675
Collapse
The Search
Detective Comics #670 • Catwoman #6 • Justice League Task Force #5 • Justice League Task Force #6 • Shadow of the Bat #21 • Shadow of the Bat #22 • Shadow of the Bat #23 • Legends of the Dark Knight #59 • Legends of the Dark Knight #60 • Legends of the Dark Knight #61 • Robin #7
Collapse
KnightsEnd
Batman #509 • Shadow of the Bat #29 • Detective Comics #676 • Legends of the Dark Knight #62 • Robin #8 • Catwoman #12 • Batman #510 • Shadow of the Bat #30 • Detective Comics #677 • Legends of the Dark Knight #63 • Robin #9 • Catwoman #13 • Showcase ’94 #1
https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman:_Knightquest
Automatic Estimated Value:
~$15.99
Automatic Estimated Date:
2025-05-18
Signed By:
Norm Breyfogle
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Date Added:
2018-07-02 21:52:01
Created By:
Bob Kane
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Writer:
Doug Moench
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Artist:
Norm Breyfogle
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Colorist:
Adrienne Roy
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Cover Artist:
Kelley Jones
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Letterer:
Richard Starkings
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Editor:
Scott Peterson
Denny O’Neil
Jordan B. Gorfinkel
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