Summary
Created by Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan to challenge the strength and intellect ofBatman,Banehas served as one of Gotham’s most formidable villains since the early 1990s. Since then, the villain has been responsible for some of Bruce Wayne’s most devastating defeats. Motivated by a need to break the Bat and prove himself the superior man, the villain has also starred in a long line of excellent stories. In fact, he’s one of DC’s most compelling foes.
Bane is a villain defined by his determination, strength and intellect, even if the latter isn’t what people always think of. Since the 1990s, he has grown to be a fan favorite among DC readers, with some even viewing him as a better fit for the role of arch-enemy than the Joker. The villain is one of the most formidable street-level foes in the DCU, and has starred in some of the company’s best stories – including series dedicated to him.These are the best DC Comics starring Bane.
10Batman: Bane
Chuck Dixon and Rich Burchett
Batman: Banebegins when, adrift at sea, the villain is taken aboard a ship that he promptly hijacks. Realizing the vessel is actually a sea-faring nuclear plant, he heads back to Gotham, hoping to use his newfound power to irradiate the city. After kidnapping Nightwing, the villain holds the city to ransom, forcing a response from Batman and the GCPD.
Batman: Baneis a great look at just how tenacious and ruthless the villain is, starting a new scheme in the immediate aftermath of his defeat in Bane of the Demon. The issue dispensed with a focus on his intelligence, instead fixating on just how terrifying of a threat he can be when he resorts to brute strength.
9Forever Evil Aftermath: Batman vs Bane
Peter J. Tomasi, Scot Eaton and Jaime Mendoza
DC’sForever Evilevent saw the Crime Syndicate attempt to conquer Earth, with the Justice League killed off, and the villains forced to defend their world against the interlopers. In the aftermath of the event,Batman is forced to reclaim his city from Bane, who has filled the power vacuum, resulting in one of their most epic fights to date.
Batman vs Baneis a great inversion of the typical Gotham-based story, with Bane now occupying the leadership typically held by Batman. The story makes a point of highlighting the two characters' tactics, with Bane’s imposing, Venom-infused form failing in the face of The Dark Knight’s tactical mind.
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8City of Bane
Tom King, Mikel Janin, John Romita Jr, Klaus Janson, Norm Rapmund, Clay Mann and Tony S. Daniel
Tom King’s run on Batman has gone down as somewhat controversial, due to the treatment of the Batman/Catwoman relationship and Thomas Wayne. However, to give credit where it’s due, the story pulls off one of Bane’s all-time greatest victories over Bruce Wayne through his murder of Alfred, and the revelation that he broke the Bat’s spirit.
“City of Bane” sees Gotham plunged into anarchy, with Batman’s rogues gallery usurping the policeas the law of the land, while Bane lures the hero into a trap. Although the story does see the Caped Crusader and Catwoman triumph over the alliance between Bane and Flashpoint Batman, it arguably surpassed “Knightfall” in its lasting impact on Bruce. It also reversed a classic moment of DC history, with Wayne breaking Bane’s own back.
7Bane Conquest
Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan
Bane Conquestcasts the villain in his own limited series for the first time ever, following his adventures and ambitions of becoming the biggest crime boss around. In order to achieve this feat, the villain and his companions attack a ring of villains led by mastermind Dionysus, who the villain takes captive. Building up his new crime empire, Bane sets his sights on other rivals.
Bane Conquest, true to the idea behind the villain, effectively inverts the formula of a Batman comic, including many of the same key players, such as Catwoman and even a team-up with the Caped Crusader himself. Culminating in a war with Kobra, the limited series explores Bane’s ambitions, his ethics as a villain and shows just how effective he can be.
6Tabula Rasa
Scott Beatty, Danielle Dwyer, Brian Azzarello, Roger Robinson, Troy Nixey
“Tabula Rasa” follows Bane’s quest to discover his heritage by tracking down his father, leading to his belief that he is born of none other than Thomas Wayne himself.Under the belief that he and Bruce are half-brothers, the villain teams up with the Caped Crusader, setting out to discover the definitive truth. Of course, in the end it was revealed that the villain wasn’t a Wayne.
“Tabula Rasa” was one of the earliest stories to challenge the idea of Bane as a villain, suggesting that a shared heritage with Bruce could send him on the path towards good. Ultimately, the revelation that the pair weren’t related after all ended their brief and tenuous “friendship,” but it also left Bane contemplating his life on the side of good.
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5Veritas Liberat
Scott Beatty and Roger Robinson
“Veritas Liberat” returns to the story first explored in"Tabula Rasa," following Bane trying to live life as an antihero. After attacking a series of villains, he embarks on a journey through freezing, desolate mountains to find his father, King Snake. When he finally meets his father, he learns of his tragic origins in full, while Batman tries to track him down.
“Veritas Liberat” surpasses “Tabula Rasa” thanks to better action sequences and a more emotional conclusion, with Bane wandering into the path of gunfire to save Batman. The story ended with the villain seemingly committed to abandoning his career as a villain though, naturally, that didn’t last long in DC continuity. That said, it’s a great reminder that the villain isn’t all bad.
Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter
In 2023, DC released theirOne Bad Dayline of Batman one-shots, graphic novel format stories dedicated to the Caped Crusader’s best villains. Bane’s story alternates between a tale recounted by the villain involving a team-up with Batman against Grudge, a Venom-infused monstrous super villain, and his quest to stop the production of the serum.
Bane: One Bad Daystands out as one of the best from the imprint, channeling the best of Baneas it follows his sense of pride, honor and ambition, casting him as an antihero. Howard Porter’s art proves especially perfect for the hulking super villain and his foes, making for some brilliant action sequences as the villain is forced to combine his wits and strategic mind in a great road trip-style story.
3Batman: Knightfall
Chuck Dixon, Doug Moench, Graham Nolan, Jim Aparo, Norm Breyfogle, Scott Hanna and Kelley Jones
“Knightfall” begins whenBane orchestrates a breakoutof Arkham Asylum, with virtually every key Batman villain walking free at the same time, causing chaos on the streets of Gotham. Not content to leave it to the police, the Caped Crusader makes it his personal mission to round up his fearsome foes. However, as he does, the work weakens the hero, driving him to complete exhaustion – allowing Bane to make his move against a weakened, vulnerable hero.
“Knightfall” proved that Bane’s strengths as a strategist and fighter were on par with Batman, using a carefully-plotted scheme to weaken the Caped Crusader. However, the story is known for more than just Bane’s cunning, as it also saw Bruce Wayne pass the cape and cowl to Azrael, whose psychological conditioning led to him becoming an even greater threat to the city. Nonetheless, it was here that DC fans saw just how formidable an opponent Bane could be.
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2Bane of The Demon
Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan and Tom Palmer
Bane of the Demonfollows the villain in the aftermath of his defeat in “Knightfall” as he encounters Talia al Ghul, and makes a play to become Ra’s' successor as leader of the League of Assassins. However, when the two super villains' personalities and ambitions clash, it forces a power struggle between them, culminating in a brilliant showdown.
Bane of the Demonwas an effective continuation of the idea ofBane effectively competing with Batmanfor what he was once offered by the al Ghul family.The series demonstrates Bane’s intelligence and ambition, building him up as more than just a one-time, strength-based threat. The miniseries isn’t just a great character study, it also features some brilliant villain-on-villain violence.
1Vengeance of Bane
As the debut of Bane, it’s hard to surpass the quality and depth of story found inVengeance of Bane, as well as its sequel, Redemption.The first graphic novel follows the origin of the villain as he’s experimented on in the prison of Santa Prisca, where he trains himself to be the strongest, smartest man possible. After he learns of Batman’s existence, he breaks out of prison and journeys to Gotham City. There, he attempts to defeat The Dark Knight in their first fight.
Vengeance of Bane stands out as one of the best villain origins in comics, successfully building up Bane as the anti-Batman. The graphic novel set the stage for “Knightfall,” and established the fact that, without Batman standing in the way, the villain could have taken Gotham on day one, paving the way for one of DC’s greatest fights of the ’90s.
