Gotham Under Siege: Batman Knightfall TV Movie Review

Originally published September 1, 2026. This article reviews the DC animated TV movie Batman: Knightfall Part 1.

A little over a month ago, YouTube’s algorithm did me a rare favor and put the trailer for Batman: Knightfall Part 1 on my feed. It quickly piqued my interest as my familiarity with the Knightfall storyline is due to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and Rocksteady Studios’ Batman: Arkham Knight video game. Neither property tells the complete story or is particularly faithful to the original comic run, so I was eager to see this animated adaptation.

The animated DC movie released for streaming on August 25, and it was worth my wait.

What is Batman: Knightfall?

The Knightfall comic arc ran for just over a year from April 1993 to August 1994 and tells its story in three main parts, the first of which is what the movie depicts. In it, a worn down and exhausted Bruce Wayne is slowly but surely losing his edge. He and Dick Grayson are estranged, and he’s grieving — or rather, refusing to grieve — the death of his second Robin, Jason Todd. He’s running himself ragged, and it leaves Alfred and his newest Robin Tim Drake worried for his health and safety.

Early on, the story introduces Bane, the main antagonist of the arc. It spends a significant chunk of its runtime showing Bane’s backstory so that when he finally appears in Gotham City almost an hour in, we already know precisely why he’s there. Also introduced is Jean-Paul Valley who, thanks to Arkham Knight, I had only known as Azrael previously. He’ll become a much more significant player later in the arc, but the movie provides just enough background information to make him compelling.

The usual cast of supporting characters is present and relatively vast, but no one overstays their welcome or feels like a throwaway addition for fan recognition. I’d say the same for the movie itself; it tells a lot of story very quickly, but only what it needs to. There’s no wasted space in the script.

Batman: Knightfall Part 1 brings the best of Batman stories

I think this is my favorite writing of all of DC’s animated media that I’ve reviewed so far, and it’s certainly this movie’s greatest strength. Writer Jeremy Adams weaves a concise but interesting tale, and his character work and dialogue are exemplary. My four pages of notes would have been all quotes if I hadn’t eventually stopped writing them down to focus on everything else the movie had to offer.

My favorite Batman stories feature the characters as real people who work as super heroes, not personified tropes who pantomime humanity when there’s no action to see. Knightfall does this really well. Sure, it’s not unusual for a Batman story to show that Alfred cares for Bruce. But it’s nice to see that Tim does too. He’s not just there to train to be a super hero, he’s there to help Bruce. He wants to take some of the weight off his shoulders because he can see that he’s wearing himself down.

Even Commissioner Gordon stops Batman mid-secret debriefing to ask him if he’s okay. After years of working together, he can tell that Batman isn’t doing well and tells him that Batman can talk to him if he needs to. This little glimpse of Gordon’s emotional availability comes right after he tells Batman he’s a little more edgy than usual, so naturally the whole scene was a highlight in more ways than one for me.

Bane is the main antagonist of Batman: Knightfall Part 1

Bane is an interesting character, not just a mindless meathead. He’s intelligent, well-spoken, and has some compelling criticisms of Batman, despite how hypocritical he is when he hits Bruce with them. Bruce disappoints him; the protection Batman provides is a crutch for the citizens, and Bane believes that makes Gotham weak.

As a newly minted My Hero Academia fan, this reminded me of that universe’s All Might problem, so it was cool to see a concept that really intrigued me show up in a place where I hadn’t expected it. Of course, Bane makes this argument after eliminating Batman’s allies, ambushing him in Wayne Manor while he’s injured, and boosting himself with a dose of Venom. This hypocrisy makes Bane real and interesting. He’s not a one-note character, and the story feels richer for it. I’ll always be a sucker for good character writing, and this movie has it in spades.

Batman: Knightfall Part 1 excels visually

The movie also looks great with its clean lines, sharp colors, and striking imagery. Watching a fully juiced up Bane tear through doorways and knock down walls as he chases down a hobbling, bleeding Batman was a standout moment. The brutality of the violence shown is surprising and inches close to being gratuitous, but otherwise, there isn’t much else to complain about visually.

However, where the movie falters is its voice cast. It’s not that the performances are bad, but that none of them feels quite right. Anson Mount sounds great, but his voice lacks the weariness of this story’s Bruce Wayne. That sums up the problem with most of the rest of the cast too; no one sounds quite as tired as they should for a bunch of people who’ve spent several nights rescuing endangered citizens and rounding up Arkham Asylum escapees.

Overall, the movie is a success. It introduces the audience to all the relevant characters, motivations, and background information clearly and concisely. It’s beautifully animated and stylishly designed, and the ending wraps the whole thing up nicely while still keeping it obvious that there’s more story to come. I’m glad I watched it, and any Batman fan, hardcore or casual, looking for something to entertain them will be too.

Part 2 is expected to release later this year and Part 3 will be in 2027. What are your thoughts on Batman: Knightfall Part 1? Join the conversation with other DC fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!