| Author |
The Knights Trilogy |
Darknight
Posts: 1010
Location: NW Arkansas
Joined: 26.06.05
|
| Posted on 24-02-2006 09:30 |
|
|
There has been a lot of questions and talk about this series in the Shout Box, so I think it would be good to move that here.
Here are the Shoutbox Entries:
bat2rang on February 22 2006 06:35:30
hey do any of y'all hav knightfall part3
batboy99 on February 22 2006 06:39:24
i think i do im not sure..i have 1 & 2
Darknight on February 22 2006 08:46:28
Part 3 is KnightsEnd. They didn't make a trade of KnightQuest because it is really long.
inzo on February 22 2006 22:20:43
The Batmobile goes... Boom!!!
bat2rang on February 23 2006 03:09:51
then could someone plaese tell me why azreal became insane?
Caleson on February 23 2006 12:11:32
The responsibilites 'n stuff. He even went over the edge and started challenging people for fights. Someone can probably better explain.
Darknight on February 23 2006 13:58:08
Basically the System conflicted too much with the philosophy of Batman. This might be something better discussed in the Comics Forum.
Drunken Fist on February 24 2006 00:13:10
Definitely, there is some rather lengthy discussion involved with this one.
bat2rang on February 24 2006 04:09:01
I Want Knightsend! do any of you know which website i can get online?
beyond on February 24 2006 05:27:54
go to the Amazon or Wal-Mart search boxes and type it on
I am going to spend a little time trying to get some info on the trades related stuff uploaded to the site and try to get a get of history typed up.
Edited by Darknight on 24-02-2006 09:41 |
 
|
| Author |
RE: The Knights Trilogy |
brucexbatman
Posts: 188
Location: The Batcave, Gotham City
Joined: 24.02.06
 |
| Posted on 24-02-2006 10:07 |
|
|
right......:confused:*bbspellbinder*
Batman: Year Two |
 
|
| Author |
RE: The Knights Trilogy |
Darknight
Posts: 1010
Location: NW Arkansas
Joined: 26.06.05
|
| Posted on 24-02-2006 12:16 |
|
|
from the other thread.
bat2rang wrote:
well i only hav part 1 so i want to know what exactly drove jean - paul to the point of madness...and how did he deafeat bane? *jlbatman*
Jean Paul's problems started with his first appearance in the Sword of Azrael. He was programmed from near birth with training to be a great warrior. The training was called The System.
Defeating Bane was accomplished by just beating the crap out of him. 
I promise, I will get this written up, I just need a little time.
|
|
|
| Author |
RE: The Knights Trilogy |
Gothamite
Posts: 476
Location: Gotham City
Joined: 29.07.05
|
| Posted on 24-02-2006 13:27 |
|
|
I'm interested in reading these Trade Paperbacks. I'm ashamed to say I haven't read them!
In the shadows I saw my destiny...
I would seek justice...
I would have my revenge... |
|
|
| Author |
RE: The Knights Trilogy |
Darknight
Posts: 1010
Location: NW Arkansas
Joined: 26.06.05
|
| Posted on 24-02-2006 17:06 |
|
|
Please be kind in correcting this. I don't exactly have access to my comics right now. I am sure that the others can chime in with more information. I will let you know where you can pick up some of these stories at the end.
To really get the whole story from Knightfall to Knights End you have to go to a miniseries and a oneshot that were released to little clamor a few months before the beginning of the story arc.
Batman: Vengeance of Bane
I have actually never read this story, but I have read enough summaries to have a good understanding of the story. It tells about the origins of Bane. He was sentanced to a life in prison for the crimes of his father. He becomes a powerful force in prison after being experiented on with the steroid/drug Venom. Batman also used an early less powerful form of Venom in his early days of crimefighting. This story was in Legends of the Dark Knight and has been reprinted in collection called:
Batman: Venom
Bane becomes obsessed with destroying the bat that haunts him in his dreams and breaks out of prison to destroy Batman.
The other prequel to the Knights Trilogy is:
Batman: Sword of Azrael
This tells the origin story of Jean Paul Valley. He has been programmed since birth to be the enforcer for the Order of St. Dumas, Azrael. The training was mostly comprised of hypnotic and subliminal enhancements called The System. Jean Paul is unaware of his abilities until the System is activated after the death of his father. Then as Azrael, Jean Paul becomes the killing force for the Order. Batman aides Jean Azrael in finding the man responsible for killing his father. Then Batman takes Jean Paul in to try to turn him into something other than a killer.
Yes the art in this miniseries is by the current Editor and Chief of Marvel Comics: Joe Quesada.
Then everything switches to the mainstream Batman titles. Most of the events happen in Batman and Detective Comics. The stories leading up to the Knightfall crossover show how things are not quite right with Bruce Wayne.
One scene in Batman #488 shows Bruce meditating. In this particular meditation he is trying to enter a black ball where serenity and peace lie. Before he can reach the ball it turns to a box which springs open spilling blood everywhere. Bruce is jarred out of his trance.
Knightfall
The Broken Bat
Knightfall begins with a bang. Bane destroys the walls around Arkham Asylum freeing Batman's worst foes. The already exhausted Batman spends what seems like weeks trying to re-capture the villains and minimize the loss of life. Finally relative order is restored. Then Batman goes upstairs from the Batcave to the main part of the manor to find Bane waiting for him.
Bane confronts Batman and defeats him. Bane does not kill Batman, but instead breaks him.
Knightfall
Who Rules the Night
Batman is broken. Bane takes him to the city and proclaims that he rules the city now. Bane then throws Batman down into the crowded streets below (the next page after the preview ends is one of the best pieces of art in comics).
Robin and Alfred retrieve Batman and take him to the Batcave. Realizing that his injuries are severe and Bruce will never walk again, they decide that someone must be out on the streets to show that Batman is not dead to keep the city from totally eurupting. The mantle of the bat falls to Jean Paul Valley.
Jean Paul is not like Bruce Wayne. He is much crueler and violent towards the criminals. He wants to stop this all at the source: Bane. Robin advises against it, but Jean Paul ignores him.
Jean Paul also has enhanced the bat-suit with new gloves that feature claws, a bat blade launcher, and a built in grapple. He uses his new weapons to fight Bane. Bane realizes that this is not the same Batman, and is determined to destroy this imposter. Bane is more than Jean Paul can handle, and he barely escapes with his life.
After Bruce sustained his injuries he was placed under the care of Dr. Shondra Kinsolving, who was caring for Jack Drake, Tim's father. She specializes in spinal injuries and treatments. As Bruce is going to the Drakes to see the doctor he sees Dr. Kinsolving and Jack Drake being kidnapped. He and Alfred trace the kidnappers to Santa Prisca and leave to rescue them. He tells Tim that everything is under control with Jean Paul there, and he will not rest until he has brought his father home.
Returning to the cave, Jean Paul designs a new suit that will help him. He integrates many concepts from the Azrael suit. Then goes back after Bane. They fight and Batman defeats Bane regaining control of the night.
Knightquest: The Search
The story then spins off into two separate stories as the Dark Knights' quests divide. These stories have not been reprinted in a trade possibly because of the number of issues that the stories span.
In The Search, Bruce Wayne travel around the world trying to find Jack Drake and Dr. Kinsolving. The story is divided amoung various comics around the DC Universe, including Justice League Task Force and others.
The result is that Jack Drake is returned to Gotham, Alfred quits working for Bruce because of his self destructive actions, and Bruce is healed from Dr. Kinsolving's healing powers.
Knightquest: The Crusade
Batman continues his crusade to rid Gotham of crime. Many of the criminals released during the Arkham breakout are caught, but Jean Paul's mind begins to destabilize. He is torn between his desire to fulfill the Mantle of the Bat and The System's forcing him to be like the Angel of Vengeance Azrael. This internal conflict leads Batman to allow the murderous Abattoir to die causing the death of an innocent captive of Abattoir.
Jean Paul goes even further over the edge and makes a new bat-armor with a fully automatic blade launcher and a bladed cape.
Knightsend
Bruce returns and learns of what Jean Paul has been doing as Batman. He decides that he must regain the mantle of the bat. Bruce is not ready though. His body is healed, but the reflexes and skills that made him Batman are forgotten. He seeks the best help he can think of: Lady Shiva. Shiva arranges for Bruce to go through a series of fights that restores his abilities.
Bruce Wayne puts on the batsuit once again becoming Batman. He confronts Jean Paul, and demands the he take off the suit. They fight around parts of Gotham. Jean Paul is physicall defeated by Batman with the Help of Robin and Nightwing, but he still believes that he is Batman.
Batman returns to Wayne Manor and confronts Jean Paul. He finally defeats him and brings him out of the trance The System had kept him in so long. The one true Batman returns to protect Gotham City.
Funny thing is that Bruce stuck around long enough for the big DC crossover Zero Hour: Crisis in Time. Then left for a few months. Dick Grayson became Batman for a while in the Prodigal story. Then Bruce returned in the 4 part "Troika" story.
|
|
|
| Author |
RE: The Knights Trilogy |
Panzer
Posts: 369
Location: Garland, TX
Joined: 14.01.06
|
| Posted on 24-02-2006 19:23 |
|
|
I read the book on Knight fall but not the comic, Its one of the many things on my Bat list to get. Just ran out of Bat money:mad:
John Hinton
Panzer's MySpace |
|
| Author |
RE: The Knights Trilogy |
Darknight
Posts: 1010
Location: NW Arkansas
Joined: 26.06.05
|
| Posted on 24-02-2006 21:06 |
|
|
The novel was a great summarization of the plot. It was really nice to read after the comic story was drug out for a year or more. Kept everything fresh. I think that Barnes and Noble republished that and the Death and Return of Superman a year or so back in nice trade paperbacks.
|
|
|
| Author |
RE: The Knights Trilogy |
Drunken Fist
Posts: 601
Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Joined: 30.07.05
|
| Posted on 25-02-2006 01:35 |
|
|
Good synopsis, DK. For being one of the big stunts that were common during the '90s, this was a well-written, very enjoyable story. Each act ended just as you were growing tired of it, and the story launched into a new direction. The Robin ongoing series also launched as a result of the events of Knightquest. We had some excellent artists working on the books too, including the great Jim Aparo's last regular monthly work on a Batman book.
Anyway, since Knightquest is not collected-- and probably never will be, quite frankly-- here's a list of all the comics involved, for those interested in hunting them down. They should be pretty easy to find, for the most part. The only ones that may present a challenge are the JL Task Force issues, as that book didn't have anywhere near as big a print run as the Batman books did.
KNIGHTQUEST: THE SEARCH
Justice League Task Force #7,8
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #19-21
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #59-61
KNIGHTQUEST: THE CRUSADE
Batman #501-508
Detective Comics #667-675 (conclusion)
Batman: Shadow of the Bat #22-28
Catwoman #6,7
Robin #1, 7(epilogue, segue into Knights End)
See my Myspace profile!
CHECK OUT MY BLOG! |
|
|
