An exellent atmosphere and a very good adaptation of the batman to a diferent time. It has a similar quality than Batman Gas light. It could be a good reading for everyone who loves something a little diferent.

Trail Tools is an essential tool for the Yosemite hiker. Documentation in user-friendly terms accompany the useful tables and maps for a good many of the park's most awesome hikes available from the valley. This text proved to be an immense support for my wife and I two years ago. We plan to use it to prepare for our next adventure. O'Neill truly did his homework and we all benefit from his findings. Nice job ! I highly recommend this book !

"Batman: Knightfall" was primarily adapted from the story serialized in Batman #488-510, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-30, Detective Comics #656-677, Legends of the Dark Knight #59-63 and Robin #1, 7-9 in 1993-94, with additional material from Batman: Sword of Azrael #1-4 (1992) and Bateman: Vengeance of Bane Special #1 (1993). Dennis O'Neill was one of the four writers-- along with Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant and Doug Moench--who worked on the original comic books, and he gets the honor of transforming this epic into a more traditional novel. Of course, this is the opposite of what traditionally happens; usually novels are turned into comic books, not the other way around. I am usually disdainful of massive cross-over stories that require me to purchase comics I do not usually buy, but I do appreciate the idea of comic up with an epic storyline. Consequently, I did not read the original comics and finally read the "novelization" knowing nothing more than that Bane was going to break Batman's back. Hopefully, this will bring a slightly different perspective to this review.

This novel is divided into three parts: "Knightfall," in which Batman's back is broken by Bane; "Knightquest," in which a new Batman defeats Bane; and "KnightsEnd," in which the original Batman regains his rightful place. We start reading comic books as children and the defining element of most of the main characters in "Knightfall" is that they had traumatic childhoods. Obviously the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents is the template for such horrors, but in this story the villain (Bane) was born in a prison to serve the sentence of his dead father, the replacement hero (Jean Paul Valley) was indoctrinated by his father into a cult, and the savior/damsel in distress (Shondra Kinsolving) was abused by her adopted father and exploited by her adopted brother. This becomes important because circumstances compel Bruce Wayne to think about who he is and what he does, not only because of Batman's defeat at the hands of Bane but also because of the way the new Batman does his job. His broken back is only one part of the character's monumental identity crisis in "Knightfall."

I have never liked villains with an obvious "Achilles heel" as we have with Bane's need for Venom and its vulnerable delivery system. Bane ends up being more of a convenient contrivance for this story than an enduring character, and I wonder why this epic could not have utilized one of Batman's more traditional villains in the same role. But Bane is not the most important antagonist in "Knightfall." That honor belongs to the "new" Batman, when Jean Paul assumes the mantle after Bruce Wayne is incapacitated. This story allows Wayne to look at Batman from the outside and as if this was not enough to give him pause there is the added dimension that Batman/Azrael is more a creature of violence (and of death) than the original. This ups the ante considerably in terms of Wayne rethinking Batman, added in this endeavor by the standards Alfred and Tim Drake have for the Dark Knight as well. As his body slowly heals, it becomes necessary for him not only to rededicate that particular temple (with help from Shiva), but his soul as well. In this context the role played by the original entrance to the Batcave helps foster a nice sense of symmetry. Ultimately, the point of this entire story is a true rebirth of the character, appropriate not only to the 1990's but both the essence and history of the character. This is not a great Batman tale on the order of "The Return of the Dark Knight," but it is very good. I should probably see what it looks like with pictures.

O'Neill's "Afterword" in the volume is a nice little explanation of where "Knightfall" stands in the continuing evolution of the Batman character. His thoughts on Batman's archetype being Dracula (while Superman is Gilgamesh, Hulk is Hercules, etc.) is quite insightful and his understanding of the Batman mythos is clearly first rate. As the group editor on this project, O'Neill knew what he was doing.

This has got to be the best written Batman novel ever published. i have read the book and the comics and I have to say that this book takes you beyond. It lets you form your own Batman image. It makes you see the man behind the Bat and takes you to a whole differentr dimension. In the comic you can see Batman face up his enemies and fears, but in the book, you just have to let you mind wander. You see him, but you create that picture yourself. In all, this book takes you beyond a character that's moree human than any other in any lifetime. He is a hero, but a hero that shines through and through. He's a regular guy with no "super" powers, but that of great determination and course. Through it all. Batman lives. He's the Caped Crusader and not even you, the Joker, Azrael or even Bane can change that. Batman rules the night and he always will.

I am so tired of novels based on comic books that are too serious. "Batman: Knightfall" by Dennis O'Neil is a fun ride of a read. It transports us into the strange and wonderful world of Batman the way I imagine it to be. He writes the characters wonderfully. But I love this novel because it also has the elements of a great movie. I say that if Hollywood really wants to make a movie that accurately captures Batman's world with the look and feeling, then they should get Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher to read this book. "Batman: Knightfall" is intriguing, action-packed, and just a fun read. I was never bored by this book and recommend it for someone bored of serious books, who wants to escape. "Batman: Knightfall" is also noirish, it's like watching "Dark City" again. The settings are wonderfully gothic, exotic, thrilling, and vastly entertaining. This is a book that has drama, romance, intrigue, and magnificent suspense. This looks and feels like a movie, and that is what I loved most about it.

i really only have one thing to say. i was a little disappointed that such a great comic was reproduced in such a weak format. the book is set up more like a novel than a comic collection with the paper being of a very low quality. its not bad for the price really but not so great considering that the comics industry has made such an effort to improve the quality of the books they produce. this paper is not even as good as the prestige format paper of the late 80's comics. i just expected more for the high end price. it does have all the great stories and a great cover gallery but it just felt a bit forced together (think of the nick fury steranko tpb $$$). if you have extra money and really love these stories its cheaper to get it this way. if youre a collector i advise buying the individual issues.

i got this book as a birthday gift.i have to say it is one of the best presents i ever got.it took me back to a time when i was just getting into comics.it was great to relive how comics were back then,great storys and even better art.it was funny how the writers used the "70's" lingo.
the story is a collection of the hard traveling heros story line.the book is a great read.the storys are compeling.the art is wonderful.anyone will enjoy it!if you have any spare money laying around,spend it on this book.you will not be sorry!it comes with a nice book cover for safe storage.i have to say if i hadn't got it as a gift i would have had a hard time spending that much money on a book.but after reading it i found out it was worth it.you will not be disapointed!

In the early 1970's, the comic book world had to start changing. It seems, no matter what problem Superman got himself into, those accursed robots would be called in from the Fortress of Solitude to give him a hand. And Batman's utility belt was always full of what you needed. And characters like Green Lantern and Green Arrow could face whatever villains came their way in the Justice League series. But the problem was, comic books had to grow up to retain readers. What had been aimed largely at children before, began to broaden its audience as a means of survival. (Though if you have the actual comics from the 70s, you'll see the ads are still aimed at a juvenile audience.) One of the first series to push the industry forward was the new Green Lantern/Green Arrow series. This is the O'Neill and Adams era (not included are the subsequent years when O'Neill handled the title with other artists), in which Green Lantern and Green Arrow began to confront inner demons. They'd look at problems in society. True, most of this comes across as not always so subtle liberal propaganda, but when you look beyond the politics, you find amazingly talented writers and artists churning out a good product that makes you think (whether you agree or disagree with their conclusions.) These days, almost all "important" comics require some near Armageddon scene, (think "Watchmen" or "Kingdom Come), but this title managed to talk about important issues without thinking it was even more important than those causes. My only complaint, as pricey as this book is, it should have included the post Adams era.

Batman: The Killing Joke is simply the finest superhero story ever told. Although the concept looks traditional (Joker escaping and Batman trying to capture him), it focuses very little on action and more on the tortured psychological profile of this famous villain. The Joker here is perhaps in his vilest appearance, but later on, as the story unfolds, the reader almost feels pity for him, as his tragic origin is revealled. The book also contains some very controversial aspects that make it have a really very adult feel. And the art is equally brilliant with the story. This guy (sorry I don't remember his name) drew one of the best Batmans I have seen in comic form. All in all, I strongly believe that this book should be listed in the top-10 of the best comics of all time.

The Killing Joke is, without a doubt, the finest work that involves Batman.

The story goes like this - The Joker, in a desperate attempt to get someone to see things from his point of view, shoots Barbara Gordon (daughter of police Commissioner Gordon), paralyzing her. Then, he takes the Commisstioner and tries to turn him insane. And, as usual, it's up to the Batman to stop him.

Maybe the most entertaining aspect of the book is the backstory it weaves. It shows the Joker, pre-accident, as a stuggling comedian unwittingly brought into a robbery. Using elements from the famous 1950's Joker origin story, 'The Man behind the Red Hood', Moore and Bolland make the Joker seem tragic, in a maniacal sort of way.

The dark story Moore writes meshes well with Brian Bolland's detailed, linear artwork. Bolland makes every character look remarkable, and his rendition of the Joker on the cover has become one of the most famous Joker images in history.

You can't call yourself a Batman fan if you don't own this. Heck, you aren't much of a comics fan at all if you haven't at least read the story. This is ESSENTIAL for EVERYONE'S collection.

A comic nearing perfection in both its graphic and story construction. The art, empasising sickly greens, oranges and reds (especially during Gordon's torture sequence) works brilliantly at evoking a sense of the deranged and desperate mind of the Joker. That this tale is only one brutal cycle in the continuing, and perhaps endless, Joker/Batman confrontation is made all-too clear by the same, full-page panel of rain falling in muddy water being shown at both the beginning and the end. The story itself is also spectacular, from Batman's initial attampt to reason with his archnemesis ("There once were two guys in a lunatic asylum...")Joker's merciless attack and humiliation of Barbara Gordon, to Joker's hideous claim that the only difference between him and the rest of the world is "one bad day." One of the most bizarre and horrifying moments in Batman history must be achieved in the two foes final confrontation...that one brief moment when the Joker turns-halfway to Batman...is he considering accepting the Dark Night's help?...to the final scene when both men laugh uncontollably in the killing rain; a single moment when the both the Batman and Joker get the same Joke: that they are together, forever, until they destroy each other. Perhaps this is the "Killing Joke" of the title?

This book features the first appearance of Azrael, who later went on to be Batman for about a year. The story is slow and unintriguing, and Batman is way too slow-witted just to build up Azrael.

THE SWORD OF AZRAEL really plays out more as an unintended prequel to the events of Batman's KNIGHTFALL, and it's a far superior work of art. Jean-Paul Valley is troubled by his inability to master the control over his superhero impulses to become an avenging angel, until Bruce Wayne enters his life. This four-issue collected trade paperback is a must for any serious fan of the Bat, and, even today, stands as an example of one of the best works of Batfiction available. (As well, there was a BBC adaptation of KNIGHTFALL that covered some of the events of AZRAEL that's absolutely breathtaking!)

This is an excellent mini-series that intoduced Bruce Wayne's would-be successor to the mantle of the Bat. I have always loved Denny O'Neill's take on the exploits of the Batman family and the characters he has introduced in these pages are extremely well considered. This is a tale of a globe hopping adventuring Batman that very much brings to mind O'Neill and Neal Adams Ra's Al Ghul epics. The Azrael character and the order of St Dumas are also very interesting and mysterious. Some of the best Batman stuff of the last decade, and I didn't even mention the art which is breathtaking.

Everybody knows that when a person gets addicted to hard-drugs his dealer can make him do just about anything in order to get his next fix. But what if the one who gets addicted is Batman ?! That's what this story (collecting "Legends of the Dark Knight" #16-20) is about. When Batman oneday fails to get to a kidnapped child in time to save her life, due to psychical lack of strength, he accepts some strength-boosting steroid pills (like Bane's) from the girls father who engineered them, in order to never fail that way again. Only it turns out that the man is of ill will and the pills very addictive. In the beginning Batman gets the pills for free but the supply gets thinner and thinner and once Batman is fully addicted, and his supply of pills gone, he has to start following certain orders to keep getting them. The pills have some other nasty side-effects as well. One of them being Bruce losing a big part of his humanity, and the streets of Gotham get more dangerous than ever now Batman, the one who's supposed to be the savior of the streets, is more aggresive as ever before. And that's without even mentioning his sudden lack of any morality. Batman just isn't Batman anymore and something needs to be done about his current state of being or else the future looks very bleak for Gotham. And that's not the end of it because Batman turns out to be just a guinea-pig to test the effect of the pills, which are meant for an operation much bigger than this.

This book has a good and fluent story which will give most Batman fans a satisfactory read. The art is nothing spectacular but it's more than sufficient to get you through the story. However, compared to a lot of other stories collected from the early "Legends of the Dark Knight" series this is really pretty mediocre. The dialoguing and the motives of the characters could have been a lot better, more worked out, and most of all, more original. For example, the bad guys (mere men) wanting to rule the world , instead of having a more realistic and original goal, is pretty dusty by now. It's a real shame because the story starts very promising and full of potential, you really start to think you have something unique in your hands at one point, but turns into something we've seen so many times before halfway. It's like the writer goes on automatic pilot all of a sudden. If you don't have them already you're better off getting stories like "Gothic" (#6-10) and/or "Prey" (#11-15), and THEN this one (or if you're also open to get something that's not from the "Legend of the Dark Knight" series, things like 'The Killing Joke', 'The Long Halloween', 'Cataclysm', 'Dark Knight Returns' and 'Year One' are much better choices). It's like I said, it's a nice story for Batfans but it shouldn't be considered as a priority.

Back when I was around five or six my dad brought home a copy of Venom: Part 3, a free sample he recieved from a printing company. Venom stands out for me in many ways: It was one of the first three comic books I ever owned, the other two being Spider-Man. It introduced me to Batman, and I later traded in my Spider-Man comics for other Batman issues. It also included the most brutal, violent, death I had ever witnessed, and even today I still skip that page when I come to it. But reading 'Venom' changed me. I wouldn't go as far as to say it was mental scarring, but it was pretty dramatic nonetheless.

Unfortunately, as things turned out, I never got a chance to read the other parts of 'Venom' until well over a decade later. Dad may have given me my first comic, but he and mom weren't too keen on me constantly spending money on comic books. It wasn't until I had my own source of pocket money that I picked up the trade paperback.

As much as I want to give Venom five stars out of sentimental value, the story does have a few holes which bump it down a notch. The first two parts of the story are the best; Batman fails to save the life of a little girl, and his failure haunts him so badly that he decides to take strengh-enhancing pills to find the killers and bring them down. By part two, the pills have turned Batman into an amoral monster, which creates friction between him and Alfred. Part three marks Batman's attempt to cleanse himself, but besides the violent death I mentioned earlier, this part is merely transitional. The same goes for the fourth part, which finds Batman and Alfred tracking a rogue general and the creator of the pills to a small island called Santa Prisca. Part five fares much better, as Batman is put in a life or death trap, and must resist the temptation to use the pills during his escape. The artwork was standard fare for the 'Legends of the Dark Knight' series, but that book always had better artwork than the basic Batman titles, so there's no complaint here.

'Venom' might not be on par with other trade paperbacks such as "The Killing Joke" and "Dark Knight Returns", but as a general rule, any Batman trade paperback is worth reading. Batman is one of the most human of all superheroes, but constantly tries to overcome his own flaws, which is what this story is about. Recommended read, just don't show part 3 to young, impressionable children!

This series is the best story arc that I have read from thethe Legends of the Dark Knight series. It also introduces the venom drug, which Bane would later use in his successful attempt to break the Batman.
But this is a good story in itself. In it Batman becomes adicted to the same drug and struggles to overcome the addiction.
Dennis O'Neil proves he is still one of the greatest writers ever to work on Batman and the artwork is also great.

I love Denny O'Neil's writing when he sticks to super-heroes fighting super-villians, but he took an awfully liberal views on the issues. I bought the book none the less, and I would buy it again, but he made everyone who was homeless or a junky extemely innocent. Some of those people did get there because of their own actions not the government or evil landlords. As for Neal Adams, simply awesome. I love his pencils. anyone who likes his stuff should check out any work but the current writer and artist on X-MEN, ALAN DAVIS. If you find this book at a book or comic shop, buy it!

Hard-Traveling Heroes: The Green Lantern/Green Arrow Collection Volume 1 reprints Green Lantern (second series) #76-82, the infamous team-up of Green Lantern & Green Arrow from the early 1970s by writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, the classic stories that changed the way comic books were told. Dennis O'Neil wrote stories that dealt with social issues like racism, bigotry, cults, etc. added with the superhero elements of comic books. Great artwork provided by artist supreme Neal Adams, one of the best in the comic book industry. His artwork was realistic, making these stories more three dimensional. Green Lantern and Green Arrow travel the country encountering these problems. It was these stories that made what comic books are today, no longer just for kids. These stories would also influence several writers and artists of today's comic book industry.

'Nightwing: Ties That Bind' collects the 'Nightwing: Alfred Returns' one-shot and the four issue 'Nightwing' miniseries. Nightwing is Dick Grayson, the original Robin, grown up. During the storylines 'Knightquest: The Search' and 'Knightsend', Bruce Wayne is looking for a way to recover from injuries suffered at the hands of Bane in 'Knightfall'. Driven like a madman to recover and resume his duties as Batman, his loyal butler/best friend Alfred is driven away, not wanting to see the boy he raised to manhood get himself killed. 'Nightwing: Alfred Returns' tells us what Alfred has been doing since he left Bruce Wayne. It seems Alfred has found an old girlfriend, who might have a few surprises for him. Meanwhile, Nightwing has decided Batman needs Alfred, and finds him. Can he convince Alfred to come home? 'Alfred Returns' is the first story in the book. The rest of the book is the 'Nightwing' miniseries. Early on, Dick Grayson decides to quit the hero biz, and meets an interesting girl. If only life were that simple, but Alfred gives Dick some papers, one of which contains what may be new evidence on his parents murder. As Dick resumes the persona of Nightwing and travels overseas to investigate this possible evidence, we learn the girls life is not perfect either. This collection can be considered a lead-in to the ongoing Nightwing series. If you like Batman and Robin, give this book a try. It's a touch more lighthearted than the regular Batbooks, but contains plenty of action and adventure. -Mike W. Goos

nightwing is the best hero of comics now,he is human end super-hero,ok.

I can't believe Jim Frickin Starlin wrote this storyline.
DC realized they'd made a mistake by making this new Robin such a badass. He was totally unlikable. So they made a decision whether by killing him outright, or giving him a mortal wound they would write him out. We get a hackneyed "looking for my birth mother" script with just too many ridiculous coincidences. (One candidate just happens to be a Batman villan, another just happens to be dealing with the Joker). What crap. Then on top of that, the Iranians, (this was pre-Gulf War remember) make the Joker a citizen and a delegate. Even in the comic-book world its impossible to surrender belief this much. Starlin probably needs to stick to the outer-space cosmic sagas.
But there are good points: the characterization of Batman comes through shining bright. He's visibly shaken now. For the first time, he contemplates murder. He blames himself. We also see more of the contentious relationship between himself and Superman.
But one thing about this book -- it changed the Bat universe for all time; the Joker is now in a class by himself among Bat-foes;
(it got personal, you might say) Jason Todd's memory continues even until this day, and of course it led to the introduction of the new, extremely popular Robin Tim Drake. (Who would have ever thunk that the sidekick could sustain a 100+ solo title run?)

Of course, all that stuff comes in several successive books, not here. My recommendation: buy used if you can.

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY is a decent story that follows the events that lead to the death of the 2nd Robin, Jason Tood; his death; and the immediate aftershocks. The story isn't too bad, but does contain a few plot holes which are overlooked by the very strong ending. For the most part the art is average, though there are a few scenes that stick in one's mind long after the book has been put down.The comic became one of the most famous Batman comics of all time for three reasons. One, readers decided the fate of story. Two, a major character was killed off; something that was quite rare in the DC universe up to that point. Finally, the death of Jason Todd effects Batman even to the present day; he has become haunted by his death almost as much as he has been haunted by the death of his parents.As a side note, this comic first appeared in the middle 1980's when tensions between the U.S. and Lebanon were still quite hostile (they still had some American hostages) and that tension forms the background of the comic.

To begin with, let's give massive kudos to DC Comics for having the guts to tell this story. It sent Batman down a path even more guilt-ridden than his previous one and eventually led to the creation of a real balancing force in Tim Drake, the current (and best) Robin. Although the gimmick of allowing readers to call in and vote for letting Jason Todd live or killing him off seems sort of callow, it did gain this story serious attention, attention that it deserved. However (and perhaps this is the DVD fan in me) I feel sort of a pang of guilt that we've never seen the alternate ending for this story, the one where Jason survived. DC had both endings ready to go to the printer, just waiting for the response to come in... is there any reason we couldn't have included that alternate chapter in this collection? Heck, even if they stuck an "Elseworlds" label on that chapter, it would be fine with me. Something to consider, DC, the next time this book goes to print.