Chapter By Chapter (usually) features me reading one chapter of the selected book at a time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

PART 2: KNIGHTQUEST

In our last installment we saw Jean Paul Valley’s first night on the job as Back-Up Batman and…there are concerns. The man was trained by lunatics following the teachings of a false saint. Having issues should surprise nobody…except Alfred and Bruce, apparently. I’d say “hopefully things go better this time around” but that miss the point of this storyline, to show readers what a kill-happy Batman would actually be like and why Bruce doesn’t want to be that Batman.

I have to wonder how long have they been planning this storyline? Bane was created just for this story but managed to stay around and is more memorable than Cyborg Superman Hank Henshaw easily. Perhaps using TWO existing superhero names didn’t help old Hank? Azrael was created before this story but were he and the Order Of St. Dumas created before this idea? If Bane isn’t going to be the main villain and they need to explain why Dick Grayson wasn’t called back to be Back-Up Batman the origin of Jean Paul Valley, a man trained in the ways of the Order by someone who was not quite in sync with the Order, would have to be explained. It’s like when Grimlock was put in command of the Autobots for a while. Bob Budiansky in the US Marvel comics created a scenario where Grimlock showed on the surface that he had the right qualities but then he started the job and proved it was the bad idea we suspected.

So was the whole Azrael thing created as set-up to “Knightfall” or did they see a previously made character that could fit into this story? Something to ponder as we go into the next duo of chapters.

There are two scenes with Bruce and Shondra. The first she isn’t actually in it but Bruce is curious how she’s able to heal him and where the tingling sensation comes from. This is the DC Universe so I wouldn’t be surprised if she had magic abilities or some kind of low-level metahuman ability. He’s also worried if he’ll ever be Batman again and what that means for him if true. While the main focus of the story is “what would it be like if Batman killed” without tarnishing Bruce in the process it’s also a good exploration of what he’d be like if he was forced to stop, something we got the tail end of in Batman Beyond.

The other a few scenes later has Shondra treating Bruce again (is she still treating Tim’s dad?) and getting more frustrated he won’t explain all the other injuries and everything else. She chalks it up to “annoying rich boy keeping secrets” Then surprises herself by kissing him. Interesting. Curious where this goes.

In between we have a quick scene with Bullock and Montoya (before she became the “angry lesbian” so I’d like to think she’s closer to her appearance in the DCAU–Harley Quinn isn’t the only lady to come out of that show and into the regular DCU) that only sets up that crime gangs have been shot up the past two months. Cut to Bane and the gang and of course they’re behind it. Bird thinks  they’re bumping off the competition but Zombie points out they actually want to control the Gotham mob scene and has been doing his own research. The current #1 organization is headed by Anthony Bressi, which Bird didn’t mention because Bane never asked him who the #1 is. Bane shows that he’s not very loyal to his friend and Bird better get that hint fast. Zombie’s rising the charts though at least it doesn’t appear like he’s trying to take over Bird’s spot. Still, Bird apparently believes more in loyalty than “Magic”, Bird’s nickname for Bane.

Meanwhile, Jean Paul is convinced it’s time to go after Bane. He doesn’t give a reason but my guess is either Bane soiled the mantle by breaking the previous Batman’s back or by taking out the guy who took out Bruce he solidifies himself as the “true” Batman. Tim tries to remind him that Bruce said to avoid him and Jean Paul snaps back that Bruce is a cripple now and he’s Batman. As Tim thinks, the dude’s a jerk but of course Tim doesn’t know that Valley tapped into Azrael and the Order’s programming so he’s not the same decent guy we met in this novel. Give Valley credit for his own detective skills though, figuring out Bane will go after Bressi. So I guess next up is a party at Bressi’s house!

That’s where start chapter five. Bane’s kidnapped Bressi’s kids. A few scenes after setting that up Robin and Batwannabe, and I’m going to be very dismissive of Jean Paul’s not-Batman for the rest of this review and you’ll see why, are at Bressi’s to force him to help find Bane. That’s when they learn the kids were kidnapped to force Bressi to hand over control of his “business”. Bat Paul comes up with a “plan” that Bressi will tell Bane where to meet for the exchange but it will actually be a trap so Batnot can take him out. Bressi says he’ll do anything for his kids, which should be enough, but Valley then says forget the kids…OR HE’LL KILL THEM HIMSELF!!!!!!!!! If O’Neil or whomever wrote that issue really wanted me to have the urge to punch Jean Paul with a Mac Truck, they succeeded. NEVER threaten the victims and NEVER THREATEN KIDS AROUND ME!

Tim doesn’t get to really tell Jean Paul off, something like “you may wear the costume and you may be good at fighting at stealth but there’s more to that to being Batman…and you lack that” because while all of this is happening, Bruce decides to tell Shondra what’s going on. Not willing to wait until their next session he calls a driver (Alfred’s sleeping and this is personal) to drive him to Drake’s house, where she’s still staying. Jack’s in worse shape…and in the process of being kidnapped. In his condition as in the Bruce identity, he’s not able to stop them. Tim asks Bruce to somehow find his father and Shondra (I guess he can tell he likes her–boy detective after all) and that he isn’t asking for Jean Paul’s “help” because it’s not JP’s style. Plus he’d probably just shoot Jack because he’s distracting Robin or something. He just threatened kids after all!

I’m not sure where the Jack kidnapping is going or why, but I hope it’s there to help Bruce’s mental recovery. There is more to being Batman than tossing little boomerangs at punks. Jean Paul clearly lacks Bruce’s conscience but in this even it seems to be reminding Bruce that the brain is as much Batman’s weapon as the branded boomerangs. Where will it all lead? Perhaps we’ll find out next time. It’s a tale of two kidnappings and seeing how each Bat…no, he threatened children, I’m never calling Jean Paul “Batman”. Seeing how each masked character responds to them should be interesting.