Vengeance of Bane

Bane has always been one of my favourite characters, particularly because of the Knightfall storyline and also the Secret Six run by Gail Simone. He is a character who- when done right - has an emotional depth that matches that of Batman. He too has his parents stolen from him at a young age, but he had to exist without the same support systems that Bruce had in place. Bane had no Alfred, or Leslie. He had no money to allow him to pursue a life of vengeance (and later justice). Bane had nothing.

Born into captivity, Bane found himself having to fend for his life from a very early age. When an accident leaves him unconscious, he sees a vision of himself as an older man. This older version of himself is heavily muscled, and promises him that he will one day make something of himself. This Spurs him on to commit his first murder, an act which will be the foundations of his reputation within the prison system of Péna Duro.

During his time in isolation following his crime, Bane finds himself aiming for that future self which came to him in his unconscious state. In a way that mirrors the training of Batman, Bane is a believer in self improvement - striving for an ideal which is both physically and mentally superior to those around him. Nothing like the mindless thug which is in the last of the Schumacher Bat-films then.

Harnessing his own fears and insecurities, again bringing him closer to Batman than many of the Bat's other villains, Bane works his way through the ranks and becomes a respected and feared member of the criminal hierarchy in Péna Duro. Bane eventually becomes embroiled in the trials of the drug 'venom'. A familiar drug which we have seen in the Bat-timeline before. This is a more refined version though, and its effects are much greater than those we saw when Batman was addicted to the drug.

Bane hears rumours of Gotham City, and of the Batman. He wants to find this man who has become fear itself,and he wants to defeat that man. Bane escapes from Péna Duro, heading for Gotham to become its 'rightful' King.

An excellent story, which provides some welcome background into the intriguing villain who has become somewhat underused and underwhelming in recent years. It also serves as a fantastic prologue to Knightfall, the epic bat-crossover which is next in this chronological exploration of Batman's career.

Next up - Knightfall