John Espinoza :: DC Portfolio II

Knightfall Bane (2015)

Artist: Kelley Jones (All)

17 Comments - 2,143 Views - 7 Likes

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Artwork Details

Title:	Knightfall Bane (2015)
Artist:	Kelley Jones (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Commission
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	2,143
Likes on CAF:	7 8
Favorited on CAF:	1
Comments:	17
Added to Site:	6/27/2015
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Visualize the Bane of DC�s New 52 and chances are you imagine the seven-foot juggernaut with sequoia trunks for arms and legs. He wasn�t always so. Created to disable the Batman by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Graham Nolan, �first appearance� Bane had the build closer to a pro wrestler than a professional bodybuilder, and for good reason too. A body rippling in musculature was unnecessary: the Venom steroid injections made Bane into a herculean powerlifter. The representations of Bane�s body remained powerful, imposing, but tangibly mortal from The Vengeance of Bane to the first half of the �Knightfall� storyline. The first few to draw Bane�Graham Nolan, Glen Fabry, Jim Aparo, Travis Charest, and Norm Breyfogle�rendered the mystery man from Santa Prisca as a muscleman in the typical nineties fashion: muscle definition where it counted. But a hulk he was not. Then enter Kelley Jones.

Kelley Jones did three covers for Detective Comics before becoming the primary �Knightfall" cover artist for both Batman and Detective Comics. It took eleven issues into the storyline before fans finally saw Jones�s take on Bane in Batman #497. Jones drew Bane with mammoth shoulders and a gargantuan knee used to cripple The Dark Knight. Jones�s Bane was unlike any we had seen before and the �The Breaking of the Batman� cover became an instant classic. To be sure, Detective Comics #659 (�Knightfall,� part 2) showed us that the artist was not shy about pushing the physical boundaries of the human form. But the Bane on the cover of #497 was three times the beast than the one in the interiors by lead pencilers Jim Aparo and Norm Breyfogle. Bane was now all biceps, pecs, deltoids, and traps, with a head to be found somewhere in the trenches of all that muscle anatomy. Detractors of Kelley Jones say that his art strays too far from realism. But his version of Bane, and the towering menace we saw on the covers of Detective #664, #666 and Batman #498 that followed is befitting of Batman�s illusory; this was the fever-dream nemesis that Batman conjured up from sleep deprivation. Jones�s work on �Knightfall� left us with an indelible image of a monster of muscle. As a result, Kelley Jones, more than any other artist before or after him, has had the strongest influence over how Bane is depicted today.

The premise of �Knightfall� was sadistic, but ingenious by design. Released at the tail of my freshman year in high school it became an anticipated storyline to follow over summer break and keep me distracted from the mind-numbing work of landscaping with my dad. Incidentally, my dad had a back-busting injury at work that had us thinking he�d become paralyzed like Bruce Wayne (he wasn�t). Perhaps because of this emotional connection, �Knightfall� became my favorite storyline, Bane became my favorite Bat-Villain, and Kelley Jones, whose covers arrived bi-weekly (weekly?) became my new favorite artist. His work imitated none, and none could imitate his work. Often described as gothic, his style to me was hallucinatory, often defying the limitations of muscular anatomy to give his subjects a sense of surreality. Nothing stood out more than Batman�s stalactite horns and cape that rippled like the surface of murky water.

In this contemporary take on Bane, Jones eschews the wrestler�s singlet, which looks silly compared to the trendy sleek redesigns that take place today. Bane�s mask and Venom piping are organic parts of his body; it�s hard to tell where the apparatuses end and the flesh begins. Bane�s upper-body strength is still the focal point. The rock formation on Bane�s neck and back are likely a result from aggregated Venom. The crumpled cowl is my favorite touch because of the skilled use of black and white contrast around the folds. The cowl�s impotent horns are a symbolic disparity to Bane�s power. The pleasure of commissioning original artwork from Mr. Jones is something to be treasured in perpetuity.

11 1/2� X 17�.
Ink on paper.

A tremendous thanks to Mr. Kelley Jones whose kindness, generosity, and work ethic prove difficult to equal.

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About the Owner

	John Espinoza ( 9 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	October 2014
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	John's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Matt E.
Member Since 2004

Posted on 6/27/2015

Outstanding example of Kelley Jones Bane! I also very much agree with your description and think his take on Bane is unrivaled.

Gal Schwartz
Member Since 2005

Posted on 6/27/2015

Incredible work by Kelly Jones with some great insight by by you. Thank you for sharing both !

eewwnuk 1
Member Since 2008

Posted on 6/27/2015

Bane!!

Mike W
Member Since 2007

Posted on 6/27/2015

Perfect!!!!!!

Fan Comics
Member Since 2012

Posted on 6/27/2015

Very nice style

E. Vets
Member Since 2009

Posted on 6/29/2015

Indeed a very stylish depiction of Bane and an interesting read.

Kristof Spaey
Member Since 2006

Posted on 10/28/2015

Great piece!

Marc W
Member Since 2014

Posted on 1/10/2016

Well, that is BANE! Congrats to this Masterpiece.

S Riz
Member Since 2014

1 - Posted on 8/30/2018

I just came across this now! KJ's depiction of Bane was so massive and menacing. Congrats!

Anthony F
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 11/20/2018

Jones exaggerated style is so fitting for Bane, having a sketch from him is on my wish list!

E DLS
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 6/28/2020

Man, that is one powerful piece. Wow!

Bill J
Member Since 2009

1 - Posted on 8/27/2020

Jaw-dropping.

bob fish
Member Since 2011

1 - Posted on 8/30/2020

Excellent !

j sly
Member Since 2011

1 - Posted on 12/9/2020

Killer piece! Knightfall is so nostalgic and Kelley's art is awesome! Always cool seeing these commissions as there really weren't many Bane pages in Knightfall to begin with.

S Riz
Member Since 2014

1 - Posted on 6/30/2023

A phenomenal piece! No one draws Bane like KJ.

Malvin V
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 11/28/2023

Wow! Why did I not see this before? This is a great piece!

David Kwock
Member Since 2012

1 - Posted on 1/2/2024

Fantastic image of Bane!

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