***Contains Spoilers***
Knightsend is the final chapter of the Knightfall Saga. Bruce Wayne has returned but takes some convincing to see that he has made a mistake handing the mantle of the bat to John Paul Valley. Ultimately he decides to come out of retirement to take down JPV. While it is not as exciting as the first volume in the series, I think it is better than Knightquest and brings us to a satisfying conclusion.
There were parts of this story that were great. I liked the path of Bruce’s rehab. It was another “enemy of the week” format. Still, there was a build of anticipation as he faced harder and more demanding challenges and was able to meet them against the odds, just as before.
I really loved the Robin/Nightwing team-ups. In Tim Drake, you could feel his need for a mentor, which had been missing since Bruce left, and JPV kicked him out. With Dick Grayson, you see the making of a strong hero and analog to Bruce — but at the same time, he understands and sympathizes with Robin. Almost immediately, they clicked and brought back the detective work that I like so much in the Batman stories.
After JPV was defeated, Batman again retired and this time, handed the mantle to Dick in Prodigal. I personally think that Dick makes a better Batman than Bruce. He has the same level of detective skills and is almost as tough. But also has personality and, again, a very synergistic connection with his Robin. It was great to see Dick’s redemption against Two-Face, as well as using his relationship with Alfred to bring him home. I was a bit sorry to see Bruce come back.
There were some things that I really did not care for in this conclusion to Knightfall. JPV’s inner struggle with Azreal and his dead father’s ghost didn’t really strike a chord with me. At this point, I was ready to move on from him. Additionally, the final showdown between JPV and Bruce was incredibly anti-climactic. There was barely even a fight.
The close-out of the Bane storyline was also a bit weak. While I thought it interesting that he got fat now that he was off venom, I didn’t like how they tried to turn him good and offer some redemption. I was hoping for another Bruce/Bane showdown but instead they just part ways.
While not an all-time great, this was a solid end to the story and a 3-star read.
Feature image Batman Knightfall vol. 3 Cover art by Kelley Jones