Categories
Cherub Magazine
Search
Browse by section
Batman: Knightfall – Part 1 (2026) Review: Bane Finally Breaks the Bat
Art & CultureArt & Culture8 September 2026
AuthorJoel Harley
Photos© Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. / DC
DC's animated adaptation of Knightfall finally brings Batman's infamous defeat at the hands of Bane to the screen. It's brutal, stylish and breakneck, sometimes to its own detriment.
T
he 1990s were a time dominated by ‘event’ comics. The Death of Superman. Spider-Man’s Clone Saga. The latest destruction of Mega-City One in Judge Dredd: Necropolis. For Batman, it was Knightfall, an ambitious epic which brought the Dark Knight to his knees in a crushing defeat like none he’d experienced before.
This animated adaptation has a lot of ground to cover, and that’s before it gets to the fall of Arkham Asylum. In a gory prologue, the film introduces viewers to Jean-Paul Valley (Pablo Schreiber), aka Azrael. He’s the brainwashed victim of a fanatical religious sect, and a murderous vigilante. Batman (Anson Mount) sees something in the young lad though, and takes him in, hoping to reform Jean-Paul.
There’s one more order of business before the story can get on with its flow, and that’s Bane. The character hasn’t exactly enjoyed success in his previous screen appearances, between the mute meathead of Batman & Robin (1997) and Tom Hardy’s divisive performance in The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Even the well-liked Batman: The Animated Series struggled to elevate Bane much beyond an angry luchador archetype. Now voiced by Michael Mando (Better Call Saul, Scorpion in Spider-Man: Brand New Day), this adaptation returns the character to his more fearsome roots.
A second prologue explores Bane’s upbringing in the infamous prison of Santa Prisca, where he was born and imprisoned as a child. It’s faithful to the character’s core, while rerouting some of what makes him tick. Instead of being obsessed with Batman, it’s Gotham City he’s infatuated with, and he is determined to claim the city as his own…
Now we’re up to speed, the film can get on with breaking the Bat. This, the first instalment in a three-part adaptation (consisting of story arcs Knightfall, Knightquest and KnightsEnd) follows the aftermath of Bane’s arrival in Gotham and an ambitious plan to bring down its guardian. Step one – breaking out all the inmates from Arkham Asylum.
Running at a brisk 78 minutes, this is a breakneck (or break-back) version of the story. Those familiar with the comics will be disappointed to find that much has been omitted – plotlines, characters, and even a fan-favourite team-up between the Scarecrow and the Joker. Part One has so much on its plate, in fact, that the Clown Prince of Crime doesn’t feature at all.
In gutting the story to its most essential elements, it’s an efficient if faintly unsatisfying retelling. There’s enough there to sell Batman’s exhaustion, although the condensed timescale doesn’t quite convey how long he’s been doing this for, nor how far past his limits he’s been pushed. Thankfully, Mount’s Batman is gruff in all the right places, bringing a weariness to the role which makes up for the occasional lack of depth. It’s Mando’s Bane who dominates the performances though, finally putting paid to Hardy’s distracting Bartley Gorman voice, once and for all.
Knightfall’s strongest suit is in its animation. While it could be more fluid, it takes clear influence from the artwork of Kelley Jones, especially in its hulking, monstrous Bane. Injecting moments of shocking ultraviolence into the narrative, it’s a stylish, adult version of the tale, and the best DC animated feature since the 2012 adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns. While Batman’s rogues' gallery is underutilised, it’s particularly successful in highlighting supporting players such as Tim Drake’s Robin (Jack Giffin), the least loved of Batman’s sidekicks. And, at the very least, it manages to get through the thing without betraying the characters as The Killing Joke (2016) did with its ill-advised Batman/Batgirl romance.
Time will tell whether Knightfall is able to do justice to the signature Batman epic. As an opening chapter it’s rushed, but the heavy lifting is done.
