Collective Consciousness Bane Conquest #1
Welcome back to Collective Consciousness, our weekly article where the staff takes one comic and puts it under the microscope. This allows us, and you, faithful reader, to get a good idea of how the comic fares against a variety of opinions. This week we're taking a look at the first issue of a 12-part series, Bane Conquest #1, published by DC Comics.
DC solicit: “Bane is seeking to create a global criminal empire with the help of his original gang, Bird, Trogg, and Zombie. The Man Who Broke The Bat moves beyond Gotham to find new cities to conquer and new enemies to crush. He won't stop until he stands at the top of the world of crime! For Bane, it's all about CONQUEST.”
Written by: Chuck Dixon
Art by: Graham Nolan
Publisher: DC Comics
Jennifer Lund
Most of what I know about Bane as a character comes from the Christopher Nolan Batman flicks and the fact that our new president saw fit to quote him in his Inaugural Address. Beyond that, not much. And Chick Dixon’s writing in this book doesn’t do much to remedy that. It’s pretty impenetrable to anyone who hasn’t been following DC Comics and the extended Bat-verse for a good while. It also sets up a struggle to “save” Gotham, but from what? Is the Caped Crusader on vacation, that a comic-book villain needs to rescue his city?
Graham Nolan’s artwork here is serviceable, in a grim-and-gritty action movie sort of way. The color palette is also a bit drab. To be fair, an overarching range of muted blue and grey tones makes sense for a story that takes place mostly on boats and battleships. But beyond that, there’s not much to set this book apart from any of the other workaday beat-em-ups that populate comic book store shelves like the unkillable roaches they are. This will likely appeal to hardcore Bat-fans and those who enjoy hard men doing hard things to each other, but there’s so much better stories to be found in the pages of The Punisher or Judge Dredd. Bane’s a bad dude himself, and I’m not sure he’s really the hero that Gotham needs or deserves.
Travis W
I haven't read anything from Rebirth or really anything with Bane post-Knightfall so I am pretty clueless about the premise. One thing I do know is that Bane should leave the mask on...woof! Also, he has a henchman with his mouth sewed shut? I wonder if that's ever inconvenient...
I'm not entirely sure what's going on in this issue. It seems like they are portraying Bane in a similar light to Batman. He feels that he owns Gotham and works to defend it, using methods that are occasionally questionable. He even runs across a crime scene where Batman had already been. If they are investigating the same case, it opens the door for an unlikely team-up. Maybe Bats will swoop in to save Bane in the beginning of issue 2...
Art-wise I wasn't blown away, and it was a very quick read, albeit I'm not sure I understand what happened. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea.
Jason James
It was an average book. It was a pretty good story with some good action. I enjoyed the art, it was a clear simple style. Chuck Dixon is a strong writer who I have always enjoyed. Bane isn't really a character I want to root for, but it was an okay story. We get have Bane basically doing what Bane does, being a destructive angry force. I would have a liked a little more explanation of where the character is right now, his motivation and maybe who the supporting cast is. Overall a decent book.
Hussein Al-Wasiti
Here's my thoughts on this week's CC. It was refreshing to have Dixon and Nolan back together again.
DC hasn't made it clear when this story takes place, but my headcanon places it just after the Batman arc, I Am Bane. Bane is reunited with his henchmen Bird, Zombie, and Trogg. The story is simple enough, as Bane intercepts a ship filled to the brim with weapons headed for his home. I personally see no reason for this story to be told in the first place, but it was nicely told.
The reunion of Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan is important and is a great step that honours the work they have done for DC in the past. This, along with the recent team-up of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis on the last issue ofBlue Beetle, shows that DC is just as invested in their classic writers as we are.
Nolan's art was a treat, looking visibly 90's but with a modern flair to it. Bane's mouthpiece was slightly distracting at first but it became apparent that this is a human story about a guardian Bane trying to protect his nation from harm. Thus the mouthpiece of excused, but his nose sticking out of his mask is inexcusable.
I recommend picking this issue up if you've read Knightfall and are a fan of it. Otherwise, many of the supporting characters might be lost on you.
DC solicit: “Bane is seeking to create a global criminal empire with the help of his original gang, Bird, Trogg, and Zombie. The Man Who Broke The Bat moves beyond Gotham to find new cities to conquer and new enemies to crush. He won't stop until he stands at the top of the world of crime! For Bane, it's all about CONQUEST.”
Written by: Chuck Dixon
Art by: Graham Nolan
Publisher: DC Comics
Jennifer Lund
Most of what I know about Bane as a character comes from the Christopher Nolan Batman flicks and the fact that our new president saw fit to quote him in his Inaugural Address. Beyond that, not much. And Chick Dixon’s writing in this book doesn’t do much to remedy that. It’s pretty impenetrable to anyone who hasn’t been following DC Comics and the extended Bat-verse for a good while. It also sets up a struggle to “save” Gotham, but from what? Is the Caped Crusader on vacation, that a comic-book villain needs to rescue his city?
Graham Nolan’s artwork here is serviceable, in a grim-and-gritty action movie sort of way. The color palette is also a bit drab. To be fair, an overarching range of muted blue and grey tones makes sense for a story that takes place mostly on boats and battleships. But beyond that, there’s not much to set this book apart from any of the other workaday beat-em-ups that populate comic book store shelves like the unkillable roaches they are. This will likely appeal to hardcore Bat-fans and those who enjoy hard men doing hard things to each other, but there’s so much better stories to be found in the pages of The Punisher or Judge Dredd. Bane’s a bad dude himself, and I’m not sure he’s really the hero that Gotham needs or deserves.
Travis W
I haven't read anything from Rebirth or really anything with Bane post-Knightfall so I am pretty clueless about the premise. One thing I do know is that Bane should leave the mask on...woof! Also, he has a henchman with his mouth sewed shut? I wonder if that's ever inconvenient...
I'm not entirely sure what's going on in this issue. It seems like they are portraying Bane in a similar light to Batman. He feels that he owns Gotham and works to defend it, using methods that are occasionally questionable. He even runs across a crime scene where Batman had already been. If they are investigating the same case, it opens the door for an unlikely team-up. Maybe Bats will swoop in to save Bane in the beginning of issue 2...
Art-wise I wasn't blown away, and it was a very quick read, albeit I'm not sure I understand what happened. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea.
Jason James
It was an average book. It was a pretty good story with some good action. I enjoyed the art, it was a clear simple style. Chuck Dixon is a strong writer who I have always enjoyed. Bane isn't really a character I want to root for, but it was an okay story. We get have Bane basically doing what Bane does, being a destructive angry force. I would have a liked a little more explanation of where the character is right now, his motivation and maybe who the supporting cast is. Overall a decent book.
Hussein Al-Wasiti
Here's my thoughts on this week's CC. It was refreshing to have Dixon and Nolan back together again.
DC hasn't made it clear when this story takes place, but my headcanon places it just after the Batman arc, I Am Bane. Bane is reunited with his henchmen Bird, Zombie, and Trogg. The story is simple enough, as Bane intercepts a ship filled to the brim with weapons headed for his home. I personally see no reason for this story to be told in the first place, but it was nicely told.
The reunion of Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan is important and is a great step that honours the work they have done for DC in the past. This, along with the recent team-up of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis on the last issue ofBlue Beetle, shows that DC is just as invested in their classic writers as we are.
Nolan's art was a treat, looking visibly 90's but with a modern flair to it. Bane's mouthpiece was slightly distracting at first but it became apparent that this is a human story about a guardian Bane trying to protect his nation from harm. Thus the mouthpiece of excused, but his nose sticking out of his mask is inexcusable.
I recommend picking this issue up if you've read Knightfall and are a fan of it. Otherwise, many of the supporting characters might be lost on you.
A Look Inside
