Tales From The Dark Multiverse: Batman: Knightfall #1

Writer: Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins Artist: Javi Fernandez Publisher: DC Comics Release Date: October 16, 2019 Cover Price: $5.99 Critic Reviews: 24 User Reviews: 29
7.9Critic Rating
7.1User Rating

Don't miss this twisted tale from the pages of the game-changing event "Batman: Knightfall"! Thirty years after Bruce Wayne was broken and failed to take back the mantle of the Bat, Jean-Paul Valley, now known as Saint Batman, has turned Gotham into the city of his dreams. In his new order, killing has become commonplace and criminals live in constant fear-all in the name of justice. But just when all seems lost, a new hope for Gotham City rises...the son of Bane!

  • 10
    On Comics Ground - Travis Tucker Oct 21, 2019

    There's not one thing I didn't like about this book, it's a short read for 80 pages but that's not to say the book isn't comic caviar to the regular and an amazing pick and go for casual readers. Go grab this at your local comic book store. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    Forces Of Geek - Lenny Schwartz Oct 16, 2019

    The art by Fernandez is fantastic. He can draw whatever is thrown to him by the writers and make it work. I enjoyed it very much overall. It was a nice change of pace and it worked on a lot of levels. This is the first of several Dark Universe titles and I look forward to reading all of them. Read Full Review

  • 9.6
    The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally Oct 16, 2019

    Javier Fernandez offers some beautiful art in this issue. The tone of the visuals perfectly matches the gritty, noir style of the story. There is a darkness and despair to this story that Fernandez is able to bring out in each panel as the story grows and changes. Read Full Review

  • 9.4
    SciFiPulse - Ian Cullen Nov 19, 2019

    As far as this tale goes. It ends on an absolute shocker where we get to see what 30 " years of suffering have done to the mind of Bruce Wayne. I am hoping that all the various stories will come together toward the end of the run, but I really look forward to seeing Batman break bad. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comics: The Gathering - Wes Greer Oct 16, 2019

    Overall I really enjoyed this story and the re-telling of a classic story that gave us the infamous "now I break you" that we all know and have come to love! Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins do an amazing job pulling us into the story and keeping us on our toes the entire issue. Although there are issues with some of the inks on this one, the tones and colors really help sell the feeling of the story and the pencils are gorgeous making sure to fit within the original Knightfall series. I think this book is one of the best to be released as of late from DC and I highly recommend if you love Batman or the Knightfall story that you pick this one up and get lost in a new spin on the story. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    AIPT - Nathan Simmons Oct 16, 2019

    This is a dark trip, but anyone who remembers the original 'Knightfall' will likely have a blast seeing what happens when it all goes wrong. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Batman-News - Nicholas Finch Oct 17, 2019

    One issue in, and we're already tackling so many fascinating questions: what if we never got over the violent murder-Batman of the 90's? What if the savior to the Multiverse was hiding in a doomed timeline? What the hell are they gonna call the next crisis when Final Crisis was already taken? All of these questions are things that I am here for. If you want to be here for them too, and you want to encourage DC to let more creators tell weirder and weirder stories, I highly suggest you pick this up. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    But Why Tho? - Lizzy Garcia Oct 16, 2019

    Snyder and Higgins craft a haunting story that is devoid of hope. Additionally, Guimares' dark color palette fits this grim and dystopian Gotham. Meanwhile, Fernandez's art excels, particularly in its close-ups. A lot of the emotional depth of the characters is seen in their eyes. It isn't hard to see just how lost Jean-Paul Valley is when his expression also mirrors that. Overall, Tales From The DC Dark Multiverse: Knightfall #1is a must-read for Batman fans, particularly fans of the original Batman: Knightfall. Fans will be happy to know that Dark Knights: Metalis not required reading before picking up this issue. The Dark Multiverse one-shots continue with The Death of Superman. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Comic Book Legion - Josh Davenport Oct 16, 2019

    Overall, the issue was very good and I'd like to see more from this universe, but I'm not sure that we'll get to. I'm definitely interested in the future of this line, especially with writers like Scott Snyder at the helm. Read Full Review

  • 9.0
    Dark Knight News - Carl Bryan Oct 16, 2019

    These Dark Multiverse tales could really be AWESOME! I can't wait for Tempus Fuginaut to make more rounds around the DC Multiverse, as he has to find that one, true hero" the one woman or man who can aid our traditional heroes as they go through the Crisis at hand. However, this is one search that could end up being a long one, but anything that Scott Snyder touches these days is on fire! Read Full Review

  • 8.5
    Multiversity Comics - Gregory Ellner Oct 17, 2019

    Storytelling across writing, artwork, and colors all mesh together into a well-crafted whole. Read Full Review

  • 8.4
    Comic Watch - Lenora Pentecost Oct 27, 2019

    Tales From The Dark Multiverse: Batman: Knightfall #1 (Snyder, Higgins, Fernandez, Guimares) is a fantastic stand-alone alternate universe tale, with twists, turns, and more relevance now than ever. Read Full Review

  • 8.2
    Monkeys Fighting Robots - Manuel Gomez Oct 16, 2019

    Tales From The Dark Multiverse Batman Knightfallis a great start to what looks like to be a fun series of books. DC seems to be going hard on these Multiverse ideas. If the rest of the books have this twisted sense and gorgeous art readers are in for a treat. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Graphic Policy - Brett Oct 16, 2019

    While a bit too short, the comic is a solid start and beginning to build to something big. This isn't just a series of one-shot comics, there's something else there that's coming down the road making these all the more interesting. This is a comic anyone can pick up and just enjoy and for those who have been reading DC's master story, it's one you probably won't want to miss. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Newsarama - David Pepose Oct 16, 2019

    As a longtime fan of the Elseworlds stories, Tales from the Dark Multiverse is a worthy successor to the throne. Utilizing an expanded page count, Snyder, Higgins and Fernandez start these one-shots off with a bang, delivering an action-packed story that will satisfy many 1990s Batman fans. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield Oct 16, 2019

    A fifty-page delve into the worst-case scenarios of the DCU may not be to everyone's tastes, but if you like your alternate futures with a taste of the macabre, this new anthology series is off to a good start. Read Full Review

  • 8.0
    Sequential Planet - Geoffrey Luu Oct 19, 2019

    Overall,Knightfall is a solid but not flawless opener to the Tales from the Dark Multiverse anthology, benefiting from a strong premise and great art. Fans of the original 90s event or of Scott Snyder's Batman work, especially Metal, will be satisfied but readers looking for an in-depth exploration of this world and its characters may be disappointed. Read Full Review

  • 7.5
    411Mania - John Pumpernickel Oct 17, 2019

    The parts can't overcome the sum but Batman fans will enjoy the parts that work. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Lyles Movie Files - Jeffrey Lyles Oct 16, 2019

    For fans of Knightfall this is a compelling alternate take even with the surprising time jump and occasional spotty artwork. Read Full Review

  • 7.0
    Word Of The Nerd - Brent Jackson Oct 16, 2019

    The main "What If" idea still has that intriguing factor in Tales from the Dark Multiverse #1. We looked at what would happen if Jean-Paul Valley was never stopped, in Batman Knightfall. In the next issue, we look at "The Death of Superman", which is open to a plethora of story ideas. Will Tempus Fuginaut find a hero in the Darkness or is his search in vain? Read Full Review

  • 6.0
    Big Comic Page - Craig Neilson-Adams Oct 17, 2019

    Ultimately though, as a what if? yarn which asks a fairly intriguing question, Tales from the Dark Multiverse does a solid enough job of spinning a dark, disturbing tale out of the Knightfall saga. And while the story itself never really gets past the realms of superficial spectacle, if nothing else, this oversized one-shot has introduced me to the immense talents of Javier Fernandez, an artist Im going to be keeping a close eye on from now on. Read Full Review

  • 5.0
    Weird Science - Jim Werner Oct 16, 2019

    Snyder and Higgins set up some cool things here, but without the proper time and space to develop any of it, it all falls flat. I am now officially worried about the rest of theseTales From The Dark Multiverse books since Knightfall seems like the easiest of these stories to tell. Oh well, the art is pretty good here, but I still left with the feeling that this book had no real reason to hit the shelf besides DC trying to see how far they can go to milk this Dark Multiverse thing. Read Full Review

  • 4.0
    ComicBook.com - Chase Magnett Oct 16, 2019

    With presentation that can best be described as competent, the only thing to discuss about this issue is why it exists in the first place. Read Full Review

  • 3.0
    The Batman Universe - Scott Waldyn Oct 18, 2019

    There is a great idea at work here, but unfortunately its buried beneath a convoluted plot with no characters and uninteresting art. Read Full Review

  • 9.5
    I Review Comics May 29, 2020

    It may be a hard pill to swallow but DC is a better publisher than Marvel. There are some rough patches like Brian Michael Bendis's take on Superman or the Batman Wedding that turned into a disaster but the line has consistent bright spots regardless of the missteps.

    DC does seem to have more cool concepts that work and even better art. Elseworlds/What if Stories aren't new but the stories presented from the Dark Multiverse exist to tell a natural progression of an existing story rather than trying to reinvent the wheel or pushing some sort of social agenda.

    A couple of years ago we had the New Age of Heroes line where DC blatantly ripped off and repurposed Marvel heroes into the DC Universe. The line failed due to more

  • 9.0
    REYNARD Oct 16, 2019

    Thank you for putting a book out like this DC.

    Interesting how the Fuginaut acts as the opening narrator of the issue. I wonder if he'll act as a sort of "crypt-keeper" for these stories.

    Very excited for the Infinite Crisis and Blackest Night issues.

  • 8.0
    M1sf1r3 Nov 28, 2019

    Prelude:
    It's time for DC's version of "What If's?" and I'm intrigued by it. Hopefully this first issue meets my expectations.

    The Good:
    It's an interesting story that's for sure.

    The exploration of Saint Batman is quite well done here.

    Really liked the new characters and world that have been created.

    The Bad:
    I wish Saint Batman survived not Nano Batman instead. Just seems repetitive from what we've already seen with Metal.

    World could have been expanded on. I get that it's a one shot but it would have been nice.

    Conclusion:
    An interesting issue and start to Tales of the Dark Multiverse. This series has potential but at the cost of being shallow.

  • 8.0

    This is better than I expected. The ending was cool.

  • 7.5
    EDiakota Oct 17, 2019

    "Gotham is mine... I am hers."
    - BATMAN

  • 7.5
    Azrael Oct 17, 2019

    A much darker story than I expected, which I like. The positives are that Azrael was great and the way Gotham was turned was cool. But it felt a bit rushed at the end and Bane’s son was underwhelming. Also how Batman got a new body was a bit silly. The glove by the multiverse shifting being who is narrating the comic also had a glove that looked WAY too much like Thanos’ gauntlet.

  • 7.5
    Nihilist Oct 16, 2019

    There were two moments of shock I experienced while reading this comic. First was at the very beginning, when I realized this comic won't tell just a dark elseworld story founded on events from Knightfall. It apparently was intended to be something more - something used in a bigger narrative, with a purpose in a bigger event. I was extremely happy, especially since Snyder is the mastermind behind the Dark Multiverse, and I know, I know, he wasn't alone, Williamson and Tynion IV wrote few things and contributed to its creation. Bottomline, though - Snyder earned my trust when it comes to elseworld stories, so seeing this comic made me optimistic, to say at least.

    And then the second shocker happened, at the very end of the book, b more

  • 6.5
    Darkseid24 Oct 16, 2019

    I don’t think this is bad, it’s just rushed. It has some cool disturbing ideas like what Azrael did to Bruce, but what is sad, that we don’t really get to see, what happened to Gotham or how it affected certain characters. Penguin is in it, but we don’t see what happened to the other villains. Overall this should be a 4 part mini series to make people care.

  • 6.0
    Amazing Psycamorean Oct 21, 2019

    This was okay. There was some good here. But it quickly became stupid, unfortunately.

  • 5.5
    Spacey Medicine Oct 23, 2019

    Uatu is rolling in his grave. "I have come to this dark multiverse to see if I can find a hero who is not dark... but alas, they are all dark... I don't know how this keeps happening."

  • 3.0
    Afre Oct 16, 2019

    Eh. Too rushed.

  • 2.0
    Big Brother Oct 16, 2019

    I can't believe Snyder has so much pull at DC now. It's an edgelord nightmare.

  • 1.0
    RKS Oct 18, 2019

    Wow, just wow. It takes a special kind of screw up to be given all the toys in the toy box to play with and produce such a nonsensical steaming pile of monkey crap story. This had a lot of potential and I was looking forward this book, yet I was sadly disappointed with the actual final product. Snyder and Higgins take a fan favorite character like Jean Paul Valley and reduce him to a one dimensional character without any depth, development, real motivations, or realistic growth that should have been included in this thought exploration of an "Elseworlds" book. If this is the best that two "professional" writers could come up with that's just sad. They had 49 pages to tell their story and there just wasn't much there. How hard would it h more

  • 10
    Lock Oct 28, 2019

  • 10
    GMan97 Oct 16, 2019

  • 9.0
    Josecab79 Oct 24, 2019

  • 9.0
    HCPxScarecrow Oct 21, 2019

  • 8.5
    tonpas1989 May 15, 2020

  • 8.5
    Grifter Dec 3, 2019

  • 8.5
    Dorival Oct 24, 2019

  • 8.5
    Justin Ray Oct 19, 2019

  • 8.0
    Marvelll Oct 21, 2020

  • 8.0
    Jason The Dude Oct 17, 2019

  • 7.5
    Watchtower022 Oct 19, 2019

  • 7.5
    Silver Rocket Oct 19, 2019

  • 7.5
    pablo Oct 18, 2019

  • 6.5
    K2019 Oct 20, 2019

  • 5.5
    Críticas Crónicas Aug 2, 2020

  • 1.0
    KFuqua Oct 17, 2019

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