Bane: Conquest - Chuck Dixon & Nolan Graham are back!

[Drz]

EXCLUSIVE: DIXON & NOLAN RETURN TO BANE FOR NEW DC SERIES

In “Bane: Conquest,” the title villain will reunite with Bird, Trogg and Zombie, his henchmen that have been mostly missing in action since their introduction in the 1993-1993 “Batman: Knightfall” arc, but who re-surfaced as part of the “I Am Bane” storyline. According to DC’s official description of the series, Bane will take his criminal ambitious out of Gotham, in search of “new cities to conquer and new enemies to crush.”

“Always happy to be reunited with Graham and this is an especially heady experience returning to our most significant contribution to the Batman mythos,” Dixon, who created Bane with Nolan and Doug Moench, said in a statement. “The best aspect of this project is that it’s not a cameo or nostalgia tour for Graham and I. It’s more like we’re back after all this time to work on a truly epic story about Bane and we haven’t lost a step.”

Designed as both a physical and intellectual match for Batman, Bane was first introduced in 1993’s “Batman: Vengeance of Bane” one-shot, which led to his major role in “Knightfall,” which culminated in Bane breaking Batman’s back — one of the most famous images from superhero comics of the 1990s. Unlike many ’90s comic book creations, Bane thrived in subsequent years, with prominent appearances in both the Batman comics and series such as “Secret Six.” Though Bane’s first live-action appearance was a minor role in 1997’s critically maligned “Batman and Robin,” the character was famously and rather uniquely played by Tom Hardy in 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises” (and people are still impersonating that voice today).

“It’s very exciting to return with Chuck to a character we so love and are so identified with,” Nolan said in a statement, adding that this will be the “ultimate Bane adventure.” “DC has allowed us to return him to his roots, bring back old friends and create new characters that will rock Bane and Batman’s world.”

“Bane: Conquest” also marks the highest-profile superhero comic book work from Dixon or Nolan in years, though the two have collaborated with each other as recently as 2015’s “Shadow Tiger” from Graphic India. Dixon has stated in the past, including in the 2014 Wall Street Journal op-ed “How Liberalism Became Kryptonite for Superman” that he wrote with artist Paul Rivoche, that his position as a conservative comics creator (which has included writing the 2016 graphic novel adaptation of “Clinton Cash,” a book highly critical of Bill and Hillary Clinton) has at times made it difficult for him to get work in the comics industry.

“Bane: Conquest” is scheduled to debut on May 3, with a cover by Nolan and a variant by Kelley Jones, another prominent creator of the ’90s Batman books.

Just as an extra, here is what the gentlemen had to say about Trump and him borrowing Bane's speech:

What did you think of Trump's inaugural address?

Chuck Dixon: It was much like his other speeches. But I saw that as a good thing, the sealing of an oath he made during the campaign. Basically, I’m not going to forget my promises. It was also a warning to almost everyone seated behind him. He’s going to keep being Trump with no plans to compromise. This is going to be a wild ride.

Graham Nolan: I did watch it. I'm always in awe of this process. The United States is the democratic envy of the world. That every four years the peaceful transfer of power takes place to the most powerful office in the world is nothing short of astonishing.

Trump has some classic comic book villain qualities. He's rich, powerful and has a way with words. What is your response to people like Mark Hamill and others making connections between Trump and DC villains such as Bane and The Joker?

Dixon: We have a right to be disrespectful to our elected officials. They are, after all, just one of us. Not popes or kings. And Trump does have that kind of outrageous charisma that invites satire. But I think those that oppose him fail to understand that a lot of those tics and mannerisms that they see as faults were positives to those who voted for him. The bluntness. The swagger. Like how they used to mock George W.’s inarticulateness though his devotees found them endearing. On the right Obama was made fun of because of his aloof manner. But his followers saw that as regal.

Is he like a Batman villain? In many ways he is. But our last guy in that office often reminded me of a Bond villain. So there you go.

Nolan: Politicians and public figures are fair game for jokes and satire. I think that sometimes these entertainers/comedians cross the line and are mean spirited, though. Some trolls are even going after the President's young son, and I think that is despicable.

What kind of president do you think Bane would make?

Dixon: Brutal. The guy likes being the top of the heap and he likes staying there. He’d be an all-term president and probably serve as vice president and most of the cabinet, too. Except secretary of agriculture. Bane has no interest in where his food comes from. Only that it’s hot when it arrives. Or someone will pay.

Nolan: Bane serves Bane. He wouldn't be a leader in any democratic sense but rather a dictator in total control. He would kill off all of Congress as well as the Supreme Court. No need for those other pesky branches of government. I would not care to live under a Bane presidency. But in the world of Bane there is also the Batman. So we have nothing to worry about.

How are you feeling about President Trump? Were you a supporter during the election?

Dixon: I was and am a supporter. Trump got my support when he announced during the first GOP debate when he said to the world that he’d written checks to almost everyone else on that stage at one time of another. You could almost hear the comic book style “GULP!” from all the others. It was a galvanizing moment. I really do think he’ll go to work on my dearest political desire to see the federal government shrunk down to a manageable size. Will he succeed? The deck is stacked against him. But it’s a noble fight and I wish him the best.

Nolan: I am willing to give the President the benefit of the doubt. Let's see what he does before we lose our minds. He couldn't be worse than the entrenched establishment we've had for many years.

I'm a life-long registered Republican but the party of Reagan has left me and others behind. They have lost their identity so now I think of myself as a Constitutionalist. I voted for Cruz in the New York primary because of his adherence to constitutional principles. I voted for Trump in the general election.

If the President comes through on his many promises, a stronger more robust economy, a more affordable and better healthcare system, respect from our allies and fear from our enemies, then yes I think this is the right step. If not, well, the beauty of our republic allows us to kick him out in four years.


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BANE: CONQUEST #1

Written by CHUCK DIXON • Art and cover by GRAHAM NOLAN • Variant cover by KELLEY JONES

The co-creators of Bane make a triumphant return to the character, with a twelve-issue series that will push him to the limit! Bane is seeking to create a global criminal empire with the help of his original gang, Bird, Trogg, and Zombie. The Man Who Broke The Bat moves beyond Gotham to find new cities to conquer and new enemies to crush. He won’t stop until he stands at the top of the world of crime! For Bane, it’s all about CONQUEST.

On sale MAY 3 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 12, $3.99 US • RATED T+

Thank you. :,-)

[JamesC]

Cannot wait for this. Dixon and Nolan are all-time-greats in my opinion.

[millernumber1]

HOLY CATS. I never thought I'd live to see the day. But I'm really excited - Vegeance of Bane is a fantastic comic, and Tom King is clearly a huge fan of Dixon's work, so it's really exciting to see this!

Can't quite figure out if this will be in continuity or not, though.

[EmeraldGladiator]

Sounds good, I hope JPV (Azrael) is a part of it as well since he is just a big a 'bane' to Bane as Bruce is.

[Jadeb]

I'm shocked but delighted. Hope this is the beginning of a lot more DC work for them.

[JBatmanFan05]

I think I've been injected with Venom I'm so pumped up for this 12 issue series.

[darkseidpwns]

Unbelievable, no seriously wtf?

[darkseidpwns]

You guys know what this means? Bane is gonna kill Batman. Otherwise how would he star in his series and also explains why he wants new cities and new enemies.

[JBatmanFan05]

You guys know what this means? Bane is gonna kill Batman. Otherwise how would he star in his series and also explains why he wants new cities and new enemies.

While you could prove quite correct, him hypothetically losing to Batman is also why he might seek to conquer elsewhere instead (since he can't have Gotham)...maybe his logic would be to create an empire outside of Gotham so that he could come back last to it and sack it with more power/leverage

[darkseidpwns]

While you could prove quite correct, him hypothetically losing to Batman is also why he might seek to conquer elsewhere instead (since he can't have Gotham)...maybe his logic would be to create an empire outside of Gotham so that he could come back last to it and sack it

True but King says its a life and death match with only one living and it would pack the punch out of the series if the protagonist monologues "I lost, so I must move on" in the intro. Now if he says " I killed the Bat, Gotham holds nothing for me"(something like that if you get the gist) that would be more powerful.

[Kurisu]

the people definitely wanted this.

[millernumber1]

Sounds good, I hope JPV (Azrael) is a part of it as well since he is just a big a 'bane' to Bane as Bruce is.

Azrael is more O'Neil's creation than Dixon, I think. People usually think Dixon didn't like Azrael, and I tend to agree based on the interviews I've read with Dixon about Knightfall. Plus, Azrael is Tynion's guy now.

True but King says its a life and death match with only one living and it would pack the punch out of the series if the protagonist monologues "I lost, so I must move on" in the intro. Now if he says " I killed the Bat, Gotham holds nothing for me"(something like that if you get the gist) that would be more powerful.

Could be a prequel.

[David Walton]

You guys know what this means? Bane is gonna kill Batman. Otherwise how would he star in his series and also explains why he wants new cities and new enemies.

That's going to make the Batman/Flash team-up awkward. Time travel?

[David Walton]

I'm not sure what Azrael's relationship with Bane is post-Rebirth. It's been implied that he wasn't involved in Knightfall now, wasn't it? Like Batman just discovered him recently? Of course, "The Button" and more Rebirth revelations could restore the original status quo.

[JBatmanFan05]

That's going to make the Batman/Flash team-up awkward. Time travel?

Yup, a good sign that Batman won't die at Bane's hands.