Friday, April 16, 2010

Did Bane Want To Talk Trash?

I was looking over Batman #497 this afternoon. It's the issue where Bane breaks Bruce Wayne Batman's back, setting in motion his eventual butt-whupping at the hands of Jean Paul Valley Batman.

The issue itself is mostly Bane tossing Batman around like a ragdoll, similar to the early rounds of the Rocky/Drago fight from Rocky 4. Only Batman never manages to make Bane bleed, he just keeps getting stomped. During the fight though, Bane keeps mentioning how let down he is by Batman. When Batman hits him in the gut with an entirely ineffectual punch, we get 'You are already broken.' He repeatedly tells Batman he has nothing, or is nothing, or is 'a disappointment'. It sort of reads as though he's simply stating facts, but there's an udnercurrent of anger to it, like he expected more.

Why? This was his whole plan. Run Batman ragged with one threat after another, until he can't go anymore. Then show up and clean up whatever's left. Bane confirms it before the beating starts. Batman states he's spent his life fighting against Bane's sort of madness and evil, and it's him to death's door 'my own door'. Bane's response? 'I would not be here otherwise'. So Bane's sure his plan has worked, so he really shouldn't be surprised the fight goes as easily as it does, should he?

He could be taking the opportunity to chip away at Batman verbally, since the physical chipping has already been accomplished. But calling Batman a disappointment gives me the impression he was expecting more of a battle. I do wonder why Bats didn't pull something out of the utility belt, rather than try to fight him head on. Admittedly, once the fight started, Bane kept on him, so there wasn't much opportunity to go for knockout gas or a taser, but his initial approach was to charge at Bane (hint: it didn't work).

Is that it? Bane thought Batman would be more clever in overcoming his exhaustion?

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