The Bane Appreciation

[Assam]

Now that sounds like a really great comic - which issues of Azrael were those?

#36-#40. Great stuff

[godisawesome]

Oh, interesting - do share! I've thought about reading the Knightfall novel, but haven't really gone for it yet. What does O'Neil do with Bane?

I do agree that Bane has moments of tenderness and honor, as well as a sense of wanting to be a connoisseur rather than a gormand. In the current Bane series, he's been tripped up by his weird romantic notions about Catwoman and the main Hydra agent.

I definitely don't see him the way Tomasi wrote him in the Bane Villains Month one-shot, where he's basically just a generic super evil sadistic monster, killing his own minions because he's stronger than them.

Uh... Dead prostitutes. Bane leaves a small trail of dead prostitutes in his wake.

This is only in the novelization; O'Neil and Dixon didn't have it in the comics. I think he may have added it while trying to make the novelization feel a bit more thriller than comic book.

On a better note, Greg Rucka's No Man's Land novelization covered probably my favorite Bane moments: Mercy recruiting him while he jovially orders a gigantic meal and gets distracted by a pretty woman, him beating up the Joker while working for Luthor, and then later chill axing with a beer while Batman tries to talk him into not revealing how Luthor's plans have been wrecked.

[Frontier]

[Barbatos666]

Oh, interesting - do share! I've thought about reading the Knightfall novel, but haven't really gone for it yet. What does O'Neil do with Bane?

I do agree that Bane has moments of tenderness and honor, as well as a sense of wanting to be a connoisseur rather than a gormand. In the current Bane series, he's been tripped up by his weird romantic notions about Catwoman and the main Hydra agent.

I definitely don't see him the way Tomasi wrote him in the Bane Villains Month one-shot, where he's basically just a generic super evil sadistic monster, killing his own minions because he's stronger than them.

Tomasi did a solid job with him in Arkham War. I wasn't on the story but Bane was fine there imo.

[Chubistian]

I’m pretty open to different takes on the character, as long as he’s not a mindless brute... it’s one of the few aspects where Arkham Origins is better than City and Asylum, it’s Bane was far superior. His tenure in the N52 wasn’t completely of my liking, though there were moments I did enjoy a lot. I actually loved King’s Bane (then again, I also love King’s run on Batman). I can forgive Batwoman #24, where Bane was pretty lame, since the story was amazing and Bane was far away from being the principal antagonist, but things like the misuse and dull treatment he suffered in Batman Eternal (alongside other villains) doesn’t sit too well with me

[millernumber1]

#36-#40. Great stuff

Thanks! I will check it out!

Uh... Dead prostitutes. Bane leaves a small trail of dead prostitutes in his wake.

This is only in the novelization; O'Neil and Dixon didn't have it in the comics. I think he may have added it while trying to make the novelization feel a bit more thriller than comic book.

On a better note, Greg Rucka's No Man's Land novelization covered probably my favorite Bane moments: Mercy recruiting him while he jovially orders a gigantic meal and gets distracted by a pretty woman, him beating up the Joker while working for Luthor, and then later chill axing with a beer while Batman tries to talk him into not revealing how Luthor's plans have been wrecked.

Wait. What? I don't see Bane doing that. Ugh. That is pretty typically "thriller," though.

I'll have to get around to rereading the Rucka novel (I have the audiobook, so hopefully I do it that way.)

Tomasi did a solid job with him in Arkham War. I wasn't on the story but Bane was fine there imo.

I haven't read Arkham War. I just read the Villains Month Bane issue, and the characterization was really dreadful.

I’m pretty open to different takes on the character, as long as he’s not a mindless brute... it’s one of the few aspects where Arkham Origins is better than City and Asylum, it’s Bane was far superior. His tenure in the N52 wasn’t completely of my liking, though there were moments I did enjoy a lot. I actually loved King’s Bane (then again, I also love King’s run on Batman). I can forgive Batwoman #24, where Bane was pretty lame, since the story was amazing and Bane was far away from being the principal antagonist, but things like the misuse and dull treatment he suffered in Batman Eternal (alongside other villains) doesn’t sit too well with me

The N52, because of its uncertain relationship with events like Knightfall, didn't know what to do with Bane. Thankfully, King has done a much better job with Bane (even if I don't like what Batman himself did very much - the idea of Batman fixing his own back is kinda cool, but it just strained my credulity way too far. And the final battle was a bit too dull for me, even though King gave it some thematic weight with the conversation with Bruce's mother.) And we have Conquest! (Which isn't anything groundbreaking for Bane or comics, but is generally fun stuff, and I'm really enjoying all the cameos, especially the upcoming Gunhawk one, with hopefully Gunbunny as well!)

[Barbatos666]

Why would Bane kill prostitutes?

I thought the villains month issue was ok, it had to set up Arkham War too. I'll take it over Batwoman or Batman Eternal Bane. Now those are awful.

[Chubistian]

Bane Conquest has been fun so far, but I would have like it to be more than just that. I’m not too preoccupied with what’s canon and continuity, but the series doesn’t have any concern about it. Bane didn’t know Catwoman? That goes against any canon, she worked with him in Knightfall and they clashed in I Am Suicide and I Am Bane recently. Also, it didn’t hold any regard about where the character ended at the end of I Am Bane, but that isn’t as important imo. And that mask... (yes, I know is similar to the one in my profile pic, but I use it because Bane tas makes me laugh, not because I find him threatening). About the Azrael story by O’neil, yes it’s pretty badass, though not 100 percent in line with where Dixon wanted to take the character at the time.

About N52, I must say that I appreciated what Tynion tried to do by making Bane ruler of Santa Prisca, something that wasn’t worked out pre Flashpoint (he was the ruler like two issues of Checkmate by Rucka), but I didn’t like Bane killing subordinates without a good reason as showed by Tynion and Tomasi

[millernumber1]

Bane Conquest has been fun so far, but I would have like it to be more than just that. I’m not too preoccupied with what’s canon and continuity, but the series doesn’t have any concern about it. Bane didn’t know Catwoman? That goes against any canon, she worked with him in Knightfall and they clashed in I Am Suicide and I Am Bane recently. Also, it didn’t hold any regard about where the character ended at the end of I Am Bane, but that isn’t as important imo. And that mask... (yes, I know is similar to the one in my profile pic, but I use it because Bane tas makes me laugh, not because I find him threatening). About the Azrael story by O’neil, yes it’s pretty badass, though not 100 percent in line with where Dixon wanted to take the character at the time.

About N52, I must say that I appreciated what Tynion tried to do by making Bane ruler of Santa Prisca, something that wasn’t worked out pre Flashpoint (he was the ruler like two issues of Checkmate by Rucka), but I didn’t like Bane killing subordinates without a good reason as showed by Tynion and Tomasi

I don't recall Tynion showing him killing minions. Was that in Talon or Red Hood?

Much as (I know everyone who knows me on these boards is about to groan) I love Batman Eternal and Batman and Robin Eternal, I do think Bane's use in those stories was pretty dumb. Pretty much just a big heavy villain that Batman had to fight. In BRE, Jason and Tim have a nice meeting with him, but it fizzles into nothing with the introduction of Azrael - really kind of a wasted appearance.

I agree that it would be nice if Bane Conquest had a bit more weight to it, like the two Vengeance of Bane stories by Dixon and Nolan. Those were really great. Current stuff is kinda fluffy.

As for continuity - eh. I think it's pretty clear that Bane Conquest isn't making quite enough waves for it to matter that much to the other writers.

[Chubistian]

Yes, Bane Conquest was promoted as Bane conquering the world iirc, but to be a book that makes such big statements, it doesn’t feel relevant. Still, I like a more low resources Bane than the one Dixon is currently giving us. Let’s see if towards the end it becomes better.

About the Eternal books, I actually like both of them. I don’t find them to be outstanding, but an entertaining read, though the first one was too long for its own good. They have lots of flaws, but there’s a colossal work behind made by several people that I find plausible. Bane wasn’t great in either, but seeing him team up with Alfred and later with Jason and Tim was great. The Azrael bit was predictable, since it was his return, so I was fine with it, but Bane asking Croc to kill him and later wearing a robotic suit was ridiculous

Edit: I forgot to answer you. Bane killing minions started in Tynion’s Talon. He even killed one for telling him that the ship was ready to board
2C33F026-691E-4534-9756-536C11C412F5.jpg

[TheCape]

3648613-bane+vs+king+snake+2.jpg
The reveal of his parentage, i still find weird that Edmmund was Banes's father. And if he is still canon.

[godisawesome]

It kind of made sense at the time, just in terms of sheer physical size, and it gave King Snake a nicely ignominious final story.

[millernumber1]

Yes, Bane Conquest was promoted as Bane conquering the world iirc, but to be a book that makes such big statements, it doesn’t feel relevant. Still, I like a more low resources Bane than the one Dixon is currently giving us. Let’s see if towards the end it becomes better.

About the Eternal books, I actually like both of them. I don’t find them to be outstanding, but an entertaining read, though the first one was too long for its own good. They have lots of flaws, but there’s a colossal work behind made by several people that I find plausible. Bane wasn’t great in either, but seeing him team up with Alfred and later with Jason and Tim was great. The Azrael bit was predictable, since it was his return, so I was fine with it, but Bane asking Croc to kill him and later wearing a robotic suit was ridiculous

Edit: I forgot to answer you. Bane killing minions started in Tynion’s Talon. He even killed one for telling him that the ship was ready to board
2C33F026-691E-4534-9756-536C11C412F5.jpg

Ah. Well. Talon was definitely one of Tynion's lesser works. I know he put lots of his heart and soul in it, but it's just not as good.

As for Bane conquering the world - I do get a sense that Dixon hasn't quite shown all the steps Bane's taken to put himself on top.

Funny that you mention Eternal 1 being too long. I really like almost all that was going on, but it definitely was just vamping on the same theme for the last 15 issues or so until the big reveal.

3648613-bane+vs+king+snake+2.jpg
The reveal of his parentage, i still find weird that Edmmund was Banes's father. And if he is still canon.

Well, I feel like Dixon definitely thinks it's still canon.

[Spencermalley935]

Bane's definitely one of Batman's top villains.

[Barbatos666]

Dixon said that he knew the identity of Bane's father as early as Bane of the Demon, it was just about taking your time to get there.