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.

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