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

It’s been two weeks but I’m doing two chapters because chapter 9 is rather short. So either way it works out. As a refresher, last time we saw Bruce and Alfred…I mean Sir Hemingford and Charlie, get closer to finding Shondra, and confirmed my theory about her, while Jean Paul continues his hunt for Bane.

Jean Paul is an interesting study. As we already know he’s supposed to represent the Batman a small sect wanted, the violent and kill-willing (if not kill-happy) vigilante. Basically making Batman the Punisher, and given the current status of Frank Castle that’s almost amusing. Jean Paul’s Batman is the surface view of the Dark Knight, because thanks to “The System” that’s how Jean Paul sees Batman. He said in an earlier chapter that he pretty much believes that Batman doesn’t work with the police and doesn’t call them in until he’s done with them. While Bruce gives the impression that he’s about to hurt you, Jean Paul will just hurt you. Nobody took a moment to explain any of this and he’s not listening to Tim on the issue so you know it’s all going to go wrong even without hindsight. So let’s watch it all go wrong.

Nothing of Bruce’s quest this chapter. It’s all Not-Batman and Bane. First we seen Bane content for the first time because he didn’t hear any voice. Nothing through the wall, none of his arrested companions. It’s a first for him, and he’s thinking he doesn’t need anyone, something Zombie thinks is possible when talking to Bird in his cell. Of interest is that Bane is annoyed at Zombie for being arrested, which further suggests that he’s replaced Bird as Bane’s right hand man. Zombie for his part is trying to convince Bird and Trogg to just do what Bane wants, even if he decides to leave them there. He has a plan, but Bird isn’t happy about it, even if he still has faith in “Magic” to get them out. Sorry, but he won’t.

Then we get the package with gas masks and an explosive for the lock being snuck into the cell through the window with a message from “B” to be ready. Naturally they assume it’s Bane, but this B is for Batman, as Jean Paul still believes himself to be. It’s a trick so he can follow them to Bane but he does this without Gordon’s consent or even knowledge. Had it been Bruce coming up with this plan he would have informed them. What I wonder, and the narration doesn’t say, is whether or not the gas Jean Paul used was lethal, which would be more in line with “the System” than Bruce since that would mean dead guards. You don’t kill the good guys and call yourself a good guy.

Chapter 10 starts just after Not-Batman drops Bird on Bane’s lap and beat the other two up, possibly to death. Remember, Jeany P doesn’t share Bruce’s “no kill” rule. It’s part of what he represents in this story: what if Batman was the killer some readers wanted. Had this story featured Jean Paul killing the Joker that small group would have been happy…until realizing there would be no return villains if they’re all corpses. Even in the 1990s the resurrections weren’t at the level they are today, where the priests are getting cynical about superfolk funerals and over at Marvel the X-Men can come back to life as plant-made clones. I don’t know how that works and it’s the X-Men so I wouldn’t care even if modern writers knew what they were doing.

What we have in this chapter is Not-Batman’s fight with Bane. O’Neil does a good job describing the battle, but he did have the fight depicted in the comic to use as a guide. Just explain what happened in the story, like Comicstorian on YouTube in written form. It’s a good fight if not for Jean Paul catching Bane’s weakness so early: the Venom. He all but defeats him by cutting that tube. Actually, that would have been the defeat if Not-Batman didn’t decide to chase after him. Without the Venom we see Bane actually chicken out. Whether he’s addicted to the Venom, which the narration describing Bane’s thoughts and previous actions suggest, or if he doesn’t think he can win without it. despite both of them wanting a more public venue so people can see their victory Bane gets out of there. It may work better in the comic, where they had more time to spread the scene out but…I don’t know, it just felt a bit weak to me.

With Not-Batman breaking into the express train Bane is using to escape we also see how jaded the people of Gotham are to late-night sightings of people in funny suits. They don’t know Bane so they don’t panic as much as they would some of Batman’s more well-known rogues gallery, but the big guy in the luchador mask is barely acknowledged. “Oh look, another one. Typical night in Gotham City.” Even in the car Not-Batman breaks into is just one lone shopping bag lady who tells him to get out like he was invading her home (admittedly it’s not too unlikely that this is where she lives). It’s no “Batman is standing over me so I’m going back to sleep” moment but a good example of a comedic moment that relaxes the action without countering it. Modern Marvel Studio writers could take a hint

It’s also a good thing that these two chapters don’t check back in with Bruce and Shondra’s situation as that would have taken away from the Jean Paul/Bane fight. Keep it here where it belongs. We’ll see if that continues with chapter 11. Next time I’m guessing the battle concludes. Is this the final battle? Find out next time. Or read ahead if you want.