After watching a range of Bane's misadventures in Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, I still can't decide if I love or hate the DC show's version of the character. Bane has a unique place in Batman's rogues gallery, being well-known to broad audiences, but with relatively little adaptation onto the big or small screens. With Bane's Knightfall story being one of my first "big" comic reads, and The Dark Knight Rises releasing as my love of superheroes began to truly blossom, I've always had a soft spot for Bane that has made his comparative lack of adaptations feel like a true shame.
As such, Bane becoming a quasi-main character in Kite Man: Hell Yeah is something of a relief, as the DC animated show features the character in a capacity that is really above any series prior. However, this makes its distinct depiction of Bane all the more crucial, and makes the fact that the mask-clad fighter is used almost exclusively as an exaggerated caricature for audiences to laugh at a complicated concept, as much as seeing the man who broke Batman's back at his absolute goofiest has its obvious merits.
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Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Makes The Animated Bane Even Wackier
The version of Bane that appears in Kite Man: Hell Yeah! has appeared before - having initially debuted in the animated Harley Quinn series, and potentially being set to crop up there once more when Harley Quinn season 5 releases in November 2024. However, the spinoff show amps the weird and wacky side of this Bane up to eleven in every sense, making a newer version that can feel a little at odds with his intimidating presence in the comics.
As an arguably more core member of the cast, Bane's off-the-wall antics and ability to be a muscled killing machine who is also the punchline of the majority of jokes in scenes featuring him make him an entertaining figure, but also one that's sure to come as a pretty big shock for anyone who's more accustomed to the comic or The Dark Knight Rises' version of the DC character. This is true in Kite Man: Hell Yeah! for almost every episode, as it's hard to find a chapter of the show that doesn't at least briefly feature the usually terrifying Batman villain up to some silly shenanigans.
Indeed, this version of Bane working at a dive bar and getting caught in situations like being sent back in time by a toilet or using a suitcase containing an all-powerful artifact to try and make himself look stylish underline just how much he's totally the opposite of the conventional version of Bane that DC fans like me know and love. As such, I find it really hard to know how I feel about this rendition of Bane, because this version undermines a lot of his character for comedic purposes - but either way, it's a take that helps to show the untapped potential of the character.
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Bane Being So Comedic Isn't Strictly A Bad Thing
Traditionally, Bane is a figure who people associate with being very serious, both because his biggest comic story, Knightfall, is so intense, and because its loose adaptation in The Dark Knight Rises - which provides perhaps the most famous version of Bane - follows along the same lines. The perception of Bane may also be a result of the last less serious live-action movie version of Bane being in Batman & Robin, and thus suffering from many of the pitfalls of the movie and its subpar reputation.
However, this may well be part of the reason that depictions of Bane tend to be somewhat samey and limited, often characterizing him as a muscle-bound brute. This is a majorly reductive take on the villain, since his immense intelligence is a key part of many of his best comic stories, and a huge part of what makes him so interesting.
Indeed, the version of Bane found in Kite Man: Hell Yeah! is more accurate on some levels than many other iterations of the character, including some of the more serious ones. While the show's Bane also suffers from having his intelligence reduced, it does go to more lengths to depict him as far more than just some mindless brawler, giving him hopes, dreams, and vulnerabilities that other iterations simply wouldn't bother to add in.
Ultimately, while a more comedic version of Bane is inherently a little jarring, it's not a cardinal sin. Indeed, keeping Bane's battle prowess but making him a more timid and bumbling figure is a recipe that naturally lends itself to humor, meaning Harley Quinn and Kite Man: Hell Yeah! are able to explore the character from a fresh perspective while not taking anything too seriously, even if this approach comes with its own bumps along the way. That said, this version of Bane does make one thing clear about the character and his fare in DC's adaptations.
DC Needs More Versions Of Bane In Movies & Shows
The version of Bane found in Kite Man: Hell Yeah! underscores the different ways he can be depicted, and in doing so also underlines how underused the character is on-screen. The last live-action version of Bane appeared in Gotham season 5, but this iteration had a majorly altered backstory that made him a decidedly different figure, tying him in to Jim Gordon's military background. Even so, this means the most recent time audiences have seen a live-action Bane is now five years old, which is some considerable time given how many versions of the Joker have emerged in shows and movies since then.
Other than this, some of the latest versions of Bane have come in Merry Little Batman, The Lego Batman Movie, and Young Justice, and while each of these depictions have their own merits, the fact that these versions are all relatively brief appearances further highlights how wasted Bane is in many regards. As such, hopefully the Kite Man: Hell Yeah! take on Bane may lead to more versions of the character soon down the line in upcoming DC releases, especially since the series shows there are more ways to depict him than may be immediately apparent.
Kite Man: Hell Yeah!
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Kite Man, along with his partner Golden Glider, ventures into the world of business by opening Noonan's, a dive bar in Gotham’s underworld, shadowed by Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom. The couple balances their criminal exploits with managing the bar, where Gotham's infamous rogues come to unwind. The series, spinning off from "Harley Quinn," showcases the humorous and chaotic private lives of these villains, filled with absurd heists and personal drama.
- Release Date
- July 18, 2024
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