‘Batman Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall’ is an Even More Brutal Adaptation of an Iconic Bat-Story [Review]

Bane breaking Batman’s back is a classic; a legendary story of how Gotham’s hero was absolutely demolished by one of his worst enemies, mentally and physically. “Batman Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall” is a worthy animated adaptation of the famed work of Chuck Dixon, Jo Duffy, Alan Grant, Dennis O’Neil, and Doug Moench.

Mild spoilers ahead.

What’s Changed From Comic to Screen?

Let’s just get this one out of the way right away. As faithful as “Knightfall” was to the comic it’s based on, there were some changes I caught that didn’t fully take away from the experience, but were noticeable to a comic reader. 

One of the smaller changes that had bigger implications was the adjustment to Bane’s mom. In the film, she is harder and tougher on her son, excising any perceived weakness. Whereas in the comic, she simply dies from being sick and little baby Bane decides that she died because she is weak. It’s a small change, but in the grand scheme of things it matters because it fundamentally alters how the boy becomes Bane the man. The film tells us he was influenced by his mother’s harshness. But the comic made him that way of his own volition.

Speaking of Bane the man, good Lord, they really beefed him up times a thousand in this animation. He looks closer to Absolute Bane than the Bane from the “Knightfall” comic. This is also a minor change, but it felt almost unnecessary. We already know Bane breaks the Bat, he doesn’t need to look like a supernatural creature with a 28-pack of abs.

Some Missing Pieces

I wasn’t a fan of was the entire inmate breakout sequence being cut. The story skipping to Mad Hatter’s diabolical tea party, after we see Bane setting off explosives. In the comic, it was a suspense-filled few pages that focused on the Joker and other Rogues escaping into the streets of Gotham. In addition to inducing anxiety, it gave readers a better sense of Bane’s overarching plan. 

However, to make up for it, the creative team gave us a fun montage of Batman (while becoming increasingly injured) stopping his villains as they cause terror throughout Gotham. this included, but not limited to, Ventriloquist, Mr. Freeze (an incredible Freeze design, by the way), Catman, Firefly, and Scarecrow.

There’s also the less-than-noticeable absence of comic-Bane’s henchmen: Bird, Zombie, and Trogg. Their removal led to a more concise and efficient side plot of Tim (along with a struggling Jean-Paul Valley) trying to figure out who blew up Arkham Asylum, while Bane operates in the shadows and Batman cleans up the city. We really didn’t need Bane’s gang in the first place and I appreciate the edit to take them out of the story, especially because the film already felt stuffed to the brim with characters, subplots, and twists.

Another change I really liked was the decision to make Shondra Kinsolving Bruce’s psychiatrist rather than a physician. It helped put an emphasis on Bruce’s deteriorating mental health a lot better and gave us a genuinely sweet moment between the two characters. All in all, a lot of the changes worked to help keep the adaptation’s pace flowing, even if I wasn’t a fan of some of it.

Animation Elevates the Violence

Directed by Jeff Wamester, written by Jeremy Adams, and animated by Studio Mir, “Knightfall” is a very intense. Re-telling of this story with an almost nostalgic style of animation that reminded me of films I loved as a kid. There were details that really felt like they were lifted straight from the comic’s panels. 

The animation team killed it in outlining just how battered Bruce was by making him look increasingly haggard with lines and scars on his face. The illusion and allure of Batman is that while we know he’s a human like the rest of us, he doesn’t bleed or injure as easily as us. “Knightfall” tears away that facade over the course of the 78-minute movie. 

The engaging, fluid art lends itself even more to the overall savagery we see in the story. And it is so obviously not for kids. Right from the beginning, we see Azrael take out a gang of human traffickers in multiple, gruesome ways. (Shout-out to DC Comics for their consistent theme of killing sex traffickers in their projects this year.) 

I mentioned Bane’s hugeness earlier and it is impossible to ignore. Especially when he’s beating the brakes off Batman during their last fight scene. The entirety of this legendary showdown was legitimately painful to watch. During the sequence you can feel every hit he takes and how hopeless his situation feels. Bane is actually scary as hell. Terrifying, even. There’s really nothing new or innovative about seeing this oversized Bane break our favorite hero’s back. But it still packs a powerful punch (pun intended) to the viewers.

Voice Acting Cast Knocks It Out of the Park

We can’t discuss the elevation of the story without talking about the voice actors who made the entire thing worth the watch. The film stars Anson Mount as Bruce Wayne (Batman), Michael Mando as Bane, and Pablo Schreiber as Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael). Schreiber’s Azrael is fittingly unhinged and, while I felt the JPV subplot wasn’t as well fleshed out as it could’ve been, he captured my attention every time he was on screen. 

Mount has a very commanding, but quiet vocal presence as Batman and deftly handles the gradual deterioration of his physical and mental health. He really sells that formidable, intimidating vibe that Batman HAS to have so we can take him seriously, while also giving us subtle, but noticeable differences between his Bat and his Bruce. 

Final Thoughts

“Batman Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall” is an impressive adaptation of the comic and really does the story justice. While there was a key moment that was cut out, the overall package did its job in setting up the rest of the “Knightfall” storyline. Warner Bros. Animation might not get it right every time, but this movie is a worthy addition to their animated line-up.

What’s Next for “Knightfall”

“Batman Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall” is available on digital starting August 25. Followed by 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 8. Parts 2 and 3 (featuring the ascent of Bat-Azrael) of the trilogy arrive in late 2026 and early 2027, respectively.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC, this first installment of a three-part adaptation follows Batman as he is pushed to his limits after Bane orchestrates a mass breakout at Arkham Asylum.