Summary
Known for establishing a blueprint that titles like Insomniac’sSpider-Manwould build from afterward, Rocksteady’sBatman: Arkhamgames brought a new level of immersion to the superhero fantasy that influenced the industry’s entire approach to third-person action. Given what has become a nearly decade-long hiatus, as the controversial likes ofGotham KnightsandSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguehave risen to fill the void, fans have begun to explore the merits of a possibleArkhamreboot on current-generation tech.
It would seem that Rocksteady has moved on to expand its scope with the development of aSuicide Squadtitle, but the current atmosphere around that upcoming project has served to reveal the fondness that gamers still have for the studio’s prolificBatmantitles. There hasn’t been any word of a newArkhamtitle, but this hasn’t stopped fans from being excited at the prospect of a reboot that could see the series receiving a fresh interpretation.Batman’s extensive rogues' galleryhas been explored quite thoroughly in the span betweenAsylumandArkham Knight, but a reset for the series could be a great opportunity to show players a different side to a highly underutilized villain: Bane.
Arkham’s Depiction of a Brutish Bane is Far From the Comics' Tom King Batman Run
Bane in Arkham Lacked His Calculated True Nature
As a villain who was introduced to match Batman’s prowess and defeat him, Bane was always intended to be a legitimate threat.The Joker-centricArkhamgames, however, would show Bane to be little other than a hulking, Venom-addicted beast of a man. Bane is heavily dependent on his signature drug for his immense power, relegating him to a minor role capabilities his capabilities in the source material.
Tom King’s Bane Reached Unprecedented Major Villain Status
The writer of theBatmancomic series for several years beginning with the Rebirth era of DC in 2016, Tom King would reinvigorate the world of Gotham City by slowly setting up a huge arc with Bane at its center. Potentially inspired by the scale operated on byBane inThe Dark Knight Rises, King’s run culminated in the City of Bane storyline that saw him taking over Gotham as a ruthless warlord that matched, or even surpassed, Batman in terms of both might and intelligence.
Speaking about the conclusion of his run’s earlier “I am Bane” arc in an interview withComicbook.com, King explained what he saw in the character:
“Batman defeats Bane with this big headbutt, right? And it leads up to this big moment, everyone’s like ‘no, no, you built up this villain, so you may’t just beat him with a head butt.’ Yes, exactly. Exactly. The people were seeing exactly what they’re supposed to be seeing, because of course this wasn’t the end of the story. This was Bane planning. You could beat up that sort of muscle bound whoever with a headbutt, but you can’t beat up the Bane that we have in this book with that. No, that’s not how it works. This guy’s planning, this guy’s six steps ahead.”
A New Take on Bane Has Major Arkham Reboot Potential
Bane is More Mastermind Than Venom-Addicted Monster
It would be a huge progression for his character to be elevated to a proper main role, and Bane’s true nature was already hinted at inArkham Origins. Before he succumbs to his experimental TN-01 Venom, Bane is shown to truly be a threat to Batman through his manipulative scheming and dealings with other villains like the Joker. A genius just like Bruce Wayne,Arkham Origins' Banewas actually able to deduce his secret identity and attack the Batcave directly. If he was able to get so close to destroying Batman’s life when he wasn’t even the primary antagonist, there’s no telling how far Bane could push him if he gets a chance in a futureArkhamgame.
Batman: Arkham Knight
WHERE TO PLAY
Batman™: Arkham Knight brings the award-winning Arkham trilogy from Rocksteady Studios to its epic conclusion. Developed exclusively for New-Gen platforms, Batman: Arkham Knight introduces Rocksteady’s uniquely designed version of the Batmobile. The highly anticipated addition of this legendary vehicle, combined with the acclaimed gameplay of the Arkham series, offers gamers the ultimate and complete Batman experience as they tear through the streets and soar across the skyline of the entirety of Gotham City. In this explosive finale, Batman faces the ultimate threat against the city that he is sworn to protect, as Scarecrow returns to unite the super criminals of Gotham and destroy the Batman forever.“Be The Batman” – Live the complete Batman experience as the Dark Knight enters the concluding chapter of Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy. Players will become The World’s Greatest Detective like never before with the introduction of the Batmobile and enhancements to signature features such as FreeFlow Combat, stealth, forensics and navigation.
