What is the purpose of Bane? And how do we feel about him?
This Bane is an incredible re-imagining of this character. Grant you, I am only familiar with the Nolan version of Bane. I would like help analyzing this character, to better understand him and his role in this game.
Race:
Of course, in the DKR, he's this white dude with mysterious parentage. I don't know how he got to be born in a Middle Eastern prison. Maybe they captured his mom? Who knows. Anyway I'm not sure how I feel about him now being a luchador. His accent suggests he's of Mexican descent.
Venom:
This version does use venom. Presumably he was tested on while he was at Pena Duro. The venom is supposed to be very addictive, but seemed to wear of pretty quickly after his fight with the Bats. Is part of his motivation in being a part of this group so that he can support his drug habit? I'm just spit-balling here.
Motivation:
Is it just greed? He doesn't seem to have some noble, if horribly misguided, mission as in the DKR... and presumably no connection to Talia Al Ghul. Does he even have a larger goal? I don't understand, other than muscle, why he's even in this season. Other than, you know, conflict between him and Harley.
Relationship to Batman:
With venom, he is stronger and was able to defeat him. Without venom, seems more even. He seems arrogant and dismissive of Bats. With reason, I guess, since he was able to defeat him pretty easily. Is he the first real challenge, physically, that Bat's has had to face? I mean, Lady Arkham was a good fighter but definitely not stronger than Bruce. I think in a hand-to-hand fight, no boots or staff or anything like that, Bruce would win handily. Not sure with Bane. Not sure the scuffle they had really affected Bruce's confidence in himself.
Relationship to Bruce:
There was that throwaway line about not needing "aristocrats" as if he has some sort of grudge against the upper crusty people. My guess is he grew up working class or poor. Maybe dreamt of becoming a luchador as a way to become rich and famous. But then Bruce shows him that he can be brutal and all's cool.
This Bane is a mystery. No idea of his origin story or how he fits into all of this. Anyone got ideas? Thoughts?
I do like that he seems immune to Harley's charm; assuming she even tried that is. That to me, so far, is his one redeeming quality.
Comments
Bane, in the comics was a multiple murderer, a genius, and possessed extraordinary will and strength even prior to being forced into Venom. He was first drawn to Batman due to his childhood fear of bats as well as Batman's infamy. He saw him as his challenge. TDKR really upset a lot of comic fans because he ended up being a pawn. Bane is far from it and is seen as, toe to toe, Batman's toughest adversary.
I'm not a big comic reader but from what I have seen or heard from other people, bane is on par with batman intellectually and physically, and poses an extreme threat to batman whenever they fight. I hope we get to see more of him in upcoming episodes and get our rematch with him.
Knightfall is the definitive Bane story.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_Knightfall
King Snake (Another villain) is Bane's father. (For information on Bane's background)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Snake
Long before Bane used Venom, Bruce himself was a user and was addicted to it.
(Information on the storyline that introduced Venom.)
https://kotaku.com/5904760/bruce-wayne-on-drugs-one-of-the-best-batman-stories-ever
http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Batman:_Venom
Knightfall is a fantastic run(now available as a large graphic novel). The loose idea of TDKR was based upon this story arc. If you like the idea of Batman not overcoming every obstacle in his way, check it out.
I'm not seeing the genius, yet, in this version of Bane...
I'm thinking he has to have a legitimate reason for being part of the pact. For some reason they are all after sanctus. Is my theory anyways. I'm also making this assumption off of the fact that he is begrudgingly working with Harley. I can't imagine he would work with her if he didn't have a reason. I also don't feel like he's as smart as he should be, but I think it's because they wanted Harley to be the smartest of the pact that they might have consciously lowered his intellect. But then, we also haven't gotten much screen time with him compared to her and he did seem to get smarter by the third episode.
I had fun fighting him so I'm excited for the rematch. But I honestly didn't feel like he was a match for Bruce, not until he took the venom. They might have been matched in strength, or Bane stronger, but Bruce seemed to fast for him and that seemed to be the deciding factor in their fight. I mean, that's kind of how I saw it anyways.
I hope him and Freeze get more screen time and that we get to learn more about them.
Yeah batman was kicking his and his men's asses. Bane had to cheat and use the venom, if there was no venom batman was gonna win that fight.
I think your ideas make a whole lot of sense re why he just doesn't seem as smart as he could be. Although, he does notice things and clearly has ideas. I think maybe I was influenced by Harley calling him an "overgrown bicep". I think she does that to try to assert to others in the pact that they should accept her authority over his because she's more competent and smarter.
I also would like more screen time with both him and Freeze. I get Freeze's motivation (or at least the one he purports) but I don't find him very sympathetic. Loss is hard to bear, but that doesn't justify murder. Ya know?
I was disappointed that Bane and Freeze were included in Season 2 -- contradictory to the statement, it's because TellTale has done such an outstanding job with this Season. I can't help but feel like their roles could've been filled with henchmen for the most part -- or if they'd excluded Freeze that Bane couldn't have been further developed. Thus far, those two characters feel like they're wasted potential and the snippets of personality / story we do get of them just aren't enough.
We do still have a few more episodes that might alter that set-up, but I have a suspicion that the focus is only going to shift further away from connections towards the pair and hone in on Sanctus / Joker. Bane and Freeze will be foes we have to fight, but it might not have much impact. That would be the most disappointing aspect if that occurred due to Bane being such a formidable foe in the Batman lore.
This season does feel overstuffed with personalities. I mean, we lost Lucius but we got Tiffany and I feel she is highly underdeveloped, too. Not to mention Waller and Avesta. They did the Catwoman and John Doe characters so well that it sort of leaves very little time for anyone else, and in contrast to them others feel very one-dimensional. So, as you said Poptarts. why even bother introducing these two?
I'm still uncertain at this point, ShampaFK. I can see a few approaches they've been used for that I don't feel went quite far enough.
-- One would push some players closer to Harley and John. A lot of people justify and excuse Catwoman and their fixation on her as a romance by describing her as 'not as bad'. By including Bane and Freeze, displaying their brutality, indifference to life, and piles of smashed corpses, it allows for the viewpoint that Harley and John are 'not as bad'.
-- Another would be for a power struggle to be realistic within the Pact. I understand that it couldn't simply be a henchman taking that spot. It wouldn't make any logical sense, but I'm not entirely sure that the plot needed there to be a power struggle left in Riddler's absence for this plot to work. Not with Catwoman's revenge side-plot. I feel like that could've been a bigger focus and provided more than adequate drama.
-- Most likely, I think Bane was included as a means to force Batman to infiltrate using the Bruce Wayne persona. He's one of the very few that can take Batman toe-to-toe with relative ease. Using him meant regardless of a player's status with Waller/Gordon, it wouldn't be a hard sell to go along with Waller's plans -- begrudgingly or no.
It could very well be that TellTale didn't know if they would do more than S2 and the staff wanted to include as many fan favorites this season as they could get away with also, but I truly hope with the sales and our enthusiasm that isn't the case.
Don't know much about Bane. I've never been a big movie guy, comic guy or even superhero guy so the only reason I know of any of these characters are through research. The only hero I've watched religiously in the 2 decades I've been alive was Sam Raimi's Spiderman as I grew up with those movies and that character. The only hero I truly admired. And recently started getting heavy into the MCU. Telltale was basically the one to get me into Batman in the first place. Because of my research I did know it was Bane in the Episode 2 trailer. That as well as everyone else screaming "Bane!" in the comment section.
I can say without a doubt that I love this version of Bane though, albeit it's the only version I can identify with. I can't give a in-depth look at his character since I don't have much prior knowledge to go on, but from his introduction in Episode 2, I could tell I would love this guy.
I always got the instinct that if I don't react fast, I'm a dead man against this guy and when he confronted Bruce in the alley I had so many chills.
I feel Bane is mostly there to be intimidating muscle and Bruce's hardest physical challenge that he might ever face. His character has layers, but I can't tell if Telltale is keeping their cards close to their chest for his character, or if he's just someone we don't really need to know about, only put down, cause unlike Harley and John and Freeze, Bane doesn't seem to have anything that Bruce could use as emotional leverage to stop him from being a threat.
With Harley, her father is a potential key to stopping her.
With John it's Harley, Bruce and Batman.
With Freeze, it's Nora.
Bane, I just don't see it. He's a brick wall, physically and mentally. "Loyalty" is what he prides himself in, so maybe there's more to that, that Telltale hasn't shown us yet.
He's willing to put down people who don't even really look like they might know more than they let on. He's paranoid, but in their line of work, paranoia is the key to survival. Though, I want to think there's a reason for all that explosive hostility.
Guys surprised you missed this but didn't Riddler release him from the prison. You know we saw that in the tape in episode 1.
From my understanding it was the henchmen that both Bane and Riddler freed. Its mentioned by Bane at some point while Harley is lecturing him on keeping his men loyal. But you may be right and it could just be that Bane helped after Riddler gave him the means of escape. That would explain why Bane is somewhat fond of Riddler.
Actually Bane freed the henchmen from Santa Prisca. Riddler and him were held in Pena Duro.
Oh right, I forgot. Nice catch! Makes way more sense.
What do you suppose landed Bane in prison in the first place?
OK I read some Batman comics and I can tell he is the most physically intimidating guy who can kick Batman's ass. He has broken his back in the comics and left him paralyzed for a short time. I believe the purpose of Bane is to keep Bruce more human in his interactions because we all know that he can beat up Harley, John, Mr.Freeze, Riddler, and Catwoman.
Ugh. What you say makes sense, but I still dislike how one dimensional he is (thus far). Maybe he'll be like John Doe. Introduced in this season and expanded on in season three.... if there is a three.
Hello, everybody. Really liking what I've seen of this community. Hoping to get into some great discussions with you all. Bane is one of my favorite Batman villains so I was really skeptical on how Telltale would portray him. Would they make him a henchman who serves the Pact? I was pleased to find out he was a member of the Pact and that JB Blanc would reprise the role of the character, having played him before in Arkham Origins. I've seen a lot of discussion on here in regards to Bane's origin. So far it seems like the same one in the comics (so far). There is a scene in episode 2 (The Pact) where you have the big showdown with Bane at the Armory. At one point during the fight you have the option to either throw a batarang or a goon at Bane while he starts monologuing about his backstory and how impressive Batman is as a warrior. Here is his whole speech if you choose not to attack:
"I haven't faced a true warrior since I left Peña Duro Prison. And, there, even the fiercest of men were often subdued... or driven mad by brutal hours of cold, dark desolation. BUT NOT ME! No... It's different when you're born in it."
Throughout that whole speech Bane was loud and boisterous while his men cheered him on. However, when he got to the ending about him being born in that place, he sounded very somber. Bane isn't just any old inmate at Peña Duro, that was where he was raised. In the comics he had to serve his father's sentence for crimes against Santa Prisca that he did not commit. He had to do horrible things at a young age in order to survive. He was kept in isolation for most of his young adult life (in the comics). The reason he acts all tough and strong all the time is because that's all he has ever known. I really hope the remaining two episodes delves into that.
I'm kind of disappointed that we haven't had the chance to talk to him and Freeze in one of the HUD areas in the same way we were able to talk to and the get in the heads of Selina, John and Harley. I am especially interested in Bane's friendship with the Riddler. Harley and John make it no secret that they weren't fans of him. We have no idea how Freeze feels about Riddler yet. Bane is the only member on the team that seems to genuinely like him. He even calls him a "friend" and a "legend." Clearly Riddler heard about Bane's reputation as the king of Peña Duro which is most definitely why he sprung him. All the goons that work for the Pact only joined on because they are extremely loyal to Bane since they were all (or most of them) were from there. Bane clearly really appreciates Riddler liberating him from that hellish place. As I mentioned before, I really wish we got to talk with Bane about how he feels about Riddler and growing up in Peña Duro. I'm curious to see what each Pact member is after once they acquire the virus from SANCTUS. Freeze's end goal is obvious, but I'm curious about Bane's true motivation. Is he doing this to honor Riddler's last wishes to repay the debt he owes him? Maybe he has plans for Santa Prisca? I guess we'll have to see. Personally, I hope there is a scene where Bruce has to dig into Bane's past. It could show how brutal his life was and the circumstances that led him to where he is today. It could be as tragic and haunting as that scene in Season 1 Episode 5 (City of Lights) where you saw how the Vale parents abused Victoria and others.
I could go on for quite a while. Overall, I'm very impressed with the direction Telltale has taken Bane so far. I'm hoping they continue to delve deeper into the character. I was also very lukewarm towards the design at first. Especially the tattoos and beard, but I've grown to love the design. One of my favorite Bane designs. Especially the Venom injector. I've grown so tired of seeing so many adaptions of Bane in animation and video games rely on that Venom tube as his one weakness. I appreciate Telltale making it more practical and fresh.
Having never read the comics, I knew none of what you have shared about Bane's backstory. I appreciate it, so thanks.
No problem!
I love this Bane, he impressed me from the first scene where Batman encounters him. The whole fight was extremely dynamic.
The only thing I don't like about him so far, is some lack of that genius intelligence he usually described to have. But he seems cunning and smart enough, like predator, and he have good instincts regarding people. He was right about Bruce from the beginning, wasn’t he? And Harley, who’s seemingly smarter, can be fooled. I’m not completely convinced she’s trusting Bruce so easily, but if she does, Bane was smarter than her in this regard.
I expect him to yet show himself as a tactician and a leader. =D After all, he’s one of the most fearsome and powerful Batman’s enemies, and I like it how he’s not just some “overgrown bicep”, but also a thinker, self-educated and smart.
Regarding his goals, I do believe all members of the Pact have some bad blood with the Agency. Well, it’s pretty obvious, so I don’t think I’m saying something new, but still.
How many times Bruce can tell Harley or Bane how Agency is after him, and he wants to fight back? A lot of times.
And they’re all have something unusual about them. Riddler including.
Bane has venom, he clearly was an experiment of Agency, or SANCTUS, or Space Monkeys, anyway, he doesn’t like those guys. And Agency is interested in studying him as much as the Riddler.
Riddler, as Waller had said herself, was able to confront Batman in an open fight being 60+ years old man. And he did say Agency “changed him”.
John had lost his memories, personality, and got freakish appearance. Harley was recruiting people, getting information, while undercover in Arkham, Blackgate end etc, I do believe she might know something about him, what he, himself, doesn’t. It wasn’t just his pretty eyes, I think, why she chosen to take him in the Pact, considering he doesn’t do much for them, just driving the car and serving as Harley’s errand boy. I have a suspicion he might have been working for Agency or SANCTUS, as an engineer or chemist or something like that, considering his obvious technical skills with EMP device, his character’s long history with chemicals and how often chemicals and drugs are mentioned in TT Batman series. I also noticed this “super fun stuff” line Harley used while describing something about black site.
Freeze. No comments about his appearance, lol. It’s obvious he didn’t do it to himself, so, I guess, Agency or SANCTUS are responsible, maybe for his wife’s condition too. At the same time, it’s not like they’re after agency. They’re after those SANCTUS guys or something they have in their possession, so I don’t believe the Agency has created all those freaky fellows. I think Agency is just standing on the way, and pays for sins of it’s predecessor, much like Bruce pays for his father’s sins in the first season. So, Bane and Freeze and everyone else is after SANCTUS and something they have, but they despise the Agency, which is connected to SANCTUS. Maybe.
Harley. I read somewhere here on this forum as someone wrote about her father probably being the employee of SANCTUS or Agency, and being driven to insanity and suicide by them. I think it very well might be the truth. Otherwise Harley really stands out from their whole bunch, being the most normal and least motivated person.
So I think they’re all united by they hatred for people, who wronged them, and Bane is not exception. If he endured experiments, he have the strongest reason to hate those people, just like Riddler. Also, he did respect the Riddler, considered him a legend, it seems Bane could relate to the Riddler.
If those SANCTUS guys are developing Neverland magical sparkle powder, which creates super villains, I guess Bane might be after technology, as far, as I understand, he’s interested in making his venom drug even more powerful. I highly doubt he wants to unleash some horrible virus on Gotham or humanity as a whole, he’s just after his own goals, just like everyone else. They’re united by their common enemy, but every member of the Pact pursue their own goals. They’re all don’t mind avenge themselves, but secondly Bane is after venom, Freeze is trying to find a way to save his wife, Riddler’s business with those guys were personal, and Harley I’m not sure. John is with them just for the lulz and Harley. Bruce is after them all. =D
And Bane seems to have a thing for “worthy opponents”, like Harley said, he’s a manly man McMan. So he might develop obsession with Batman during this season.