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KNI_T_01_p01 CS6.indd 1 10/09/2020 10:14 IN THIS ISSUE

YOUR PIECE Meet your white king – the latest 3 incarnation of the World’s Greatest Detective, the Dark Knight himself. PROFILE From orphan to hero, from injury 4 to resurrection; this is ’s story. GUIDE Insights into ’s sanctum and 10 operational centre, a place of history, hi-tech devices and secrets. RANK & FILE Why the Dark Knight of Gotham is a 12 king – his knowledge, assessments and regal strategies.

RULES & MOVES An indispensable summary of a king’s 15 mobility and value, and a standard move.

Editor: Simon Breed Thanks to: Art Editor: Gary Gilbert Writers: , David Mazzucchelli, Writer: Alan Cowsill , , Dennis O’Neil. Consultant: Richard Jackson : Brett Booth, , Marcus Figurine Sculptor: Imagika Sculpting To, , Jesus Saiz, Jim Lee, Studio Ltd Cliff Richards, Mark Bagley, Lee Garbett, Stephane Roux, , Nicola US CUSTOMER SERVICES Scott, Paulo Siqueira, Ramon Bachs, Tony Call: +1 800 261 6898 Daniel, , Fernando Pasarin, J.H. Email: [email protected] Williams III, , , , , , Tim UK CUSTOMER SERVICES Sale, , . Call: +44 (0) 191 490 6421 : Rob Hunter, Jonathan Glapion, J.G. Email: [email protected] Jones, Riggs, John Stanisci, Sandu Florea, Tom Derenick, Jay Leisten, Scott Batman created by Williams, Jesse Delperdang, , with Chris Sprouse, . Copyright © 2020 DC . BATMAN and all related characters and elements © and TM DC Comics. (s20)

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KNI_01_p02.indd 2 10/09/2020 10:47 YOUR PIECE

BATMAN The DC Chess Collection begins with the White King of the Batman set, the Dark Knight himself. is the man beneath the cowl. He stands defi ant, proud WHITE and ready on a Gotham rooftop gargoyle, surveying all villains beneath him. KING

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KNI_T_01_p03.indd 3 21/11/2011 14:20 PROFILE CAPED JUSTICE Batman is the worst nightmare of Gotham’s criminals and inspiration for countless crimefighters. A formidable array of equipment aside, his greatest weapons are a will of and a razor-sharp intellect.

Scarred by loss. Bruce’s parents are murdered.

he creation of the Batman began when gunshots rang out in ’s Tnotorious Crime Alley. The parents of young Bruce Wayne had been gunned down, shot by a hoodlum in a botched robbery. The orphaned boy swore an oath: “To avenge their deaths by spending the rest of my life warring on criminals.” To that end, Bruce travelled the world for years, learning martial arts and detective skills from the greatest practitioners, honing his mind and body until he was a living weapon, ready to bring to Gotham’s streets. FIGHT TO FLIGHT Despite his training, Bruce’s first night as a was nearly his last; dressed in relatively normal attire, he was almost killed – beaten by the same thugs he had sworn to stop. He realised that skills were not enough; he needed something extra, an edge. When a bat crashed through the

Inspiring crash. A bat provides Wayne’s “Eureka!” moment.

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Detective Jim Gordon chief amongst it. Batman coincided with Gordon’s arrival in Gotham; the two soon joined forces to clean up the Gotham Police Department. While Batman doesn’t CAPED JUSTICE usually see eye to eye with authority, Gordon has always been a firm friend and knows that he can call on the Dark Knight when the situation requires. BOY WONDER Of course there’s also his loyal sidekick, Robin – sine qua . Several have borne the title Robin; each has proved to be an earthing to Batman’s restless charge. Dick was the first Robin; there have been four more since Dick moved on to establish his own identity as . Love and hate. and Batman have a long history together. The second Robin, , was brutally killed by the , while the third, Scarred by loss. Bruce’s parents are murdered. window of his study at , less favourable in their attitude. From the has, in many ways, been the Bruce knew what he must do: use the ’s attempts to take over Gotham’s most successful. Tim believed Robin’s role image of the bat to strike terror in the crime scene, to the ’s deadly puzzles was to bring a little light to Batman’s dark hearts of Gotham’s criminals, a and the Joker’s psychotic killing sprees, world. Tim’s ex-girlfriend Stephanie Brown “superstitious and cowardly lot”. He would Gotham has bred more than its fair share of (one-time teenage super-villain Spoiler) transform himself into a creature of the deranged super-villains, with Asylum briefly assumed the role of Robin, but she night, a shadowy figure whose silhouette the final home for many of them. Or, in the proved too undisciplined, nearly dying in would inspire fascinated fear in lesser Joker’s case, a home away from home… an attempt to prove herself to Batman. The souls: a Batman. present Robin is Damian, Bruce Wayne’s CLOSE COMPANIONS own son from a brief affair with Talia, COSTUME CHANGES Fortunately, Batman did not have to fight daughter of the mystic villain Ra’s al Ghul. Batman’s war on crime began with great alone. He soon began building a support Damian was raised by the League success. He became a kind of folk hero, team, his loyal butler (and acting medic) of Assassins, and with such but this had a unexpected side-effect: the and a background, triumphs of a man in a black cape became the catalyst that led to the development of a new breed of villain. These bad guys were deadlier, crazier and more colourful than the gangsters that had previously controlled Gotham. Catwoman, for example, took to the rooftops after seeing Batman in action. From her home in Gotham’s seedy East End, she launched a criminal career that quickly made her one of the world’s greatest thieves – and started a love/hate relationship with the Dark Knight. Other villains were Loyal pairing. as Robin, with Batman.

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Woman trouble. Jet reveals her true colours.

Batman’s defences. Reporter and Silver St. Cloud came close, the Hungry for respect. Damian tries to impress Batman. latter even working out Bruce’s secret, but the nature of Bruce’s vocation proved more than either relationship it is hardly surprising he is foul-mouthed and BREAKING THE BAT could withstand. Bruce believed he’d aggressive – and keen to impress his father, Even with other strong allies in Gotham and found love with Jezebel Jet, only to too, though he would never admit it. in the of America – such as learn she was a member of the criminal and – to call on Black Glove gang and part of a plan by when the situation demands, Batman lives a the mysterious Dr Hurt to break him. His constant life-or-death struggle, and it is one relationship with Catwoman was almost a he has sometimes come perilously close to success; in her, Batman losing. He suffered his most horrendous found someone who injuries fighting a beast of a man named understood his life. Bane. Born and raised in a South Batman even American prison, Bane was exceptionally revealed his intelligent, powerful, and fuelled by the strength-enhancing drug Venom. Before taking on Batman, Bane all of Arkham Aslyum’s inmates, knowing that Batman would relentlessly hunt them down. With the Dark Knight exhausted from fight after fight, Bane struck, defeated Batman and, horrifically, broke the Dark Knight’s back. With such an injury, Bruce had to be replaced; his successor, Jean-Paul Valley (formerly the hero ) soon proved too violent to be the Batman, and so a still-healing Bruce was forced to return and reclaim his cowl. PAYING FOR THE KNIGHT Being the Dark Knight carries a heavy price, both for the man himself and his nearest and dearest. The Joker has always punished anyone close to Batman. He shot and crippled (), brutally killed Jason Todd, and murdered Jim Gordon’s Exhausted and second wife, Sarah. The role is a barrier outfought. Defeat at to intimacy, too, although some women the hands of Bane. have managed to break through

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WILL TO WIN In the aftermath of the “” Batman’s greatest asset is his event – when the accidentally indomitable will. It was something created an alternate reality, one where the evil New God failed to had become Batman consider when he captured following the murder of his wife and son Batman and attempted to clone – Dick was again Nightwing and Bruce him. The clones all failed, Wayne the only Dark Knight. He faced new primarily because Darkseid’s threats such as the Court of Owls and minions could create a clone with twisted versions of Earth’s heroes from a ease but could never replicate Dark Multiverse. The biggest dangers, Batman’s inner strength. When though, remained old enemies such as Batman escaped and , the Joker and Bane. shot Darkseid, the ruler of ROBIN RISES used his Omega Sanction to When Batman and Robin refused to stand send the Dark Knight back in by Talia’s side as part of Leviathan, Damian time, planting a cloned body in died fighting Talia’s new head assassin – the ruins of his base to convince the Heretic. Traumatised by the loss, Batman’s allies that the Dark Batman hunted down the Heretic – only to Knight was dead. Lost in time and learn that he was a mutated clone of slowly being pulled back to the present, Batman started to unearth the mystery of who he was – not suspecting that Darkseid had made him into his A dynamic trio. Bruce, Dick and Damian. very own device. Batman was true identity to Catwoman when the two unwittingly collecting worked together to uncover Thomas energy as he moved () Elliot’s plot to destroy Batman. through time, an energy However, their relationship ended, as that could destroy the world Batman felt he still couldn’t trust when unleashed in the present. Catwoman, but acknowledged that he Needless to say, Batman and the might one day… world survived, but Bruce returned Some villains have used their to a Gotham that had a new Batman. knowledge of Batman’s secret identity in After Bruce’s supposed death, Dick their attempts to harm him. Hush Grayson had assumed the cowl, and, orchestrated a host of Batman’s enemies, with Damian as Robin by his side, was while years later the now protecting Gotham. It was clear to mysterious Dr Hurt Bruce that Dick had earned Tough test. Savage times. and the Black Glove the right to retain the Batman faces Batman in the slowly drove the cowl. His solution was a Court of prehistoric era. Dark Knight insane that the world should Owls assassin. by taking his life have two heroes as apart piece by piece. Batman – Dick (Hurt even suggested remaining the he was actually protector of Thomas Wayne and Gotham, while had planned the murder Bruce, clad in a of Bruce’s mother.) Batman new costume, was saved from madness would bring by his own mental justice to the safeguards – which rest of the appeared to him as world. the strange and impish creature Bat- Mite. As he recovered his sanity, Batman defeated Hurt but soon found himself facing an even greater threat…

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To the end. Batman and the Joker battle it out in the .

orders. Damian was later reborn Batcave, both the Joker and Batman were thanks to the machinations of seemingly killed when part of the cave Glorious Godfrey and Darkseid’s collapsed on them. Both survived, but on son, Kalibak, who stole Damian’s Bruce’s return he had no memory of his corpse hoping to use Damian’s Dark Knight alter ego and started to live sarcophagus to gain the Chaos life just as Bruce Wayne, finding happiness Shard, a powerful metaphysical at last with old love . object infused with the power of With the city missing its protector, Jim Darkseid’s Omega Sanction and Gordon took on the role of Batman – planted there by Darkseid. After using a power-suit to help him fight crime. Batman retrieved his son’s When a new villain called Mister Bloom corpse, he used the Chaos Shard came close to destroying the city, Bruce to bring Damian back to life. used a failsafe in the Batcave to restart his body and mind – restoring his past THE knowledge at the expense of the new life The Joker and the Dark Knight he had created for himself – and at the . Damian is brought back to life. also continued to clash. The same time making him healthier and villain had failed to destroy Batman’s faster than ever. He helped defeat Damian. While the Dark Knight refused to bonds with his extended “Bat-Family” Mister Bloom and returned to active kill it, despite the rage he felt at Damian’s after capturing them and seemingly death, Talia had no such compulsion and serving them the skins of their own faces. beheaded the clone for disobeying her In another attack, the villain “Jokerised” the Justice League and much of Gotham City’s population. The Dark Knight found a cure but, during a ferocious confrontation with the Joker in the

Warped. Superman is Jokerised. Power suit. Jim Gordon becomes Batman.

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Fatal consequences. Bane kills Alfred. Saved. Catwoman helps Batman beat Bane.

duty as Gotham City’s protector. On his RETURN OF BANE Wayne continued as a more violent return, Bruce agreed to mentor Duke Shortly after his return, the Dark Knight version of the Dark Knight – and had Bane Thomas, who had been part of the “We discovered his home city had two kill Alfred when Damian disobeyed his Are Robin” movement. new protectors – Gotham and orders. Bruce Wayne recovered from his Gotham Girl. Batman had high defeat and returned to reclaim his city and hopes for the new heroes, but free it from Bane and Thomas Wayne. Protectors. Batman with when teamed up Gotham City started to rebuild Gotham and with Psycho Pirate, Gotham was – with the original Dark Gotham Girl. turned into a killer, eventually dying Knight once again following a conflict with Batman and its protector. the Justice League, and Gotham Girl was left mentally broken by Psycho Pirate’s actions. Batman tried to track the villain Happy down to help her – and was forced to ever after? create his own to invade Batman with Bane’s homeland of Santa Prisca and Catwoman. bring Psycho Pirate back to Gotham City. While he succeeded, Bane followed Batman home and came close to defeating him – Batman only winning with the help of Catwoman, who saved Batman’s allies from the villain. With the threat of Bane seemingly at an end, Batman finally admitted his feelings for Catwoman and asked her to marry him. Selina eventually left Bruce at the altar – though it was all part of a plot by Bane and Thomas Wayne (the Batman of the Flashpoint reality) to destroy the Dark Knight, physically and mentally. While Catwoman helped Bruce Wayne recover in Paris, Bane and Thomas Wayne turned Gotham City into their own twisted home. Thomas

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KNI_01_p04-07.indd 9 22/05/2020 18:08 GOTHAM GUIDE

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KNI_T_01_p10-11 v2.indd 10 21/11/2011 14:48 GOTHAM GUIDE THE BATCAVE The Batcave is a garage for all of Batman’s transport, from to Batcopters. It also acts as a training facility, and as a medical centre – with Alfred on hand to perform fi rst aid.

1. ANCIENT ORIGINS again, Batman has several secret satellite 3. CENTRAL COMPUTER Batman’s recent travels in time have caves scattered around the globe. One is The heart of the Batcave is Batman’s highly shed new light on the cave’s history. located directly beneath , advanced computer system, constructed on An amnesiac Bruce Wayne fi rst lived in another under the Robinson Park Reservoir an island platform. The system is powered the caves after arriving in prehistoric in Gotham.) by seven Cray T392 mainframes and includes Gotham, leaving ancient drawings of the The modern day Batcave is constructed a holographic projector. Containing a vast bat insignia on the wall. His appearance over eight levels and stretches almost a archive on Batman’s enemies and allies, plus and costume gave rise to a bat-cult mile beneath Wayne Manor. A series of a huge record of crimes and cases, it is one whose members lived in the caves. In retractable walkways, lifts, stairs and poles of the most powerful computers in the world. the 17th Century, the caves link the different levels, while the (Possibly only the JLA’s computer, which were home to the Miagani cave’s energy supply comes utilizes technology, is more advanced.) tribe – also known from multiple hydrogen The computer platform is protected from as the Bat-people. generators. There are earthquake and attack by Kevlar shielding. Batman met the also sleeping quarters tribe while trying and refreshment areas, TROPHIES & TROGLODYTES to lead Blackbeard and several entrances Batman keeps several trophies from early to treasure hidden and exits, each guarded adventures in the Batcave. These include in the cave. The by highly advanced a life-sized robotic T-Rex, a giant penny 2 treasure turned security measures. and oversized playing card from the Joker. out to be Batman’s (In Wayne Manor, one Barbara Gordon’s Batgirl costume is on cowl, left there by secret entrance is behind a display alongside Jason Todd’s Robin outfi t himself in prehistory. grandfather clock, its face is (despite the latter’s return from the grave). Centuries later, during set at 10:47, the time Thomas There is also a collection of ancient armour. the Civil War, the cave and were killed.) Last but not least, the cave is still home to system was used by the Wayne There is a specially designed hangar a colony of bats. They seem to have grown family as part of the Underground for Batman’s many vehicles and a hi-tech used to sharing their home with Railroad to help escaped slaves. research centre for upgrading them. the hero whose identity they Each of these vehicles – from Batmobiles inspired. 2. HI-TECH HANGAR through to the Batwing Early in his career, Bruce used (Batman’s supersonic jet) – has the caves as a sanctum, but he its own concealed exit point soon realised their potential as from the cave. (Batman’s vehicles a base of operations. Over the were once maintained by Harold years the Batcave has been Allnut, a mute and hunchbacked expanded from a makeshift technological genius. However, Harold storage facility into a hi-tech betrayed Batman’s secrets to Hush, who strategic centre, whence then killed him.) Batman can monitor events The Batcave’s new design makes full across the world. When the use of the cave’s height and includes areas base was destroyed by an given over to fi tness training, forensics, earthquake that devastated medical facilities and a vast library. Gotham, Batman used it as The Batcave also has a Justice League an opportunity to rebuild teleporter, allowing Batman instant access and update the Batcave’s to the JLA. (On that note, the cave also operating systems and make houses a containment centre that keeps the most of its vast space. various forms of in safe storage, (Should such disaster strike a very practical help to Superman.)

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KNI_T_01_p10-11 v2.indd 11 21/11/2011 14:50 RANK & FILE KING OF THE CITY While he is sometimes known as the Dark Knight, Batman takes pride of place as the white king of this chess set – with good reason. His physical and mental prowess are combined with a tactical brilliance on a par with that of any chess master.

REIGNING KING The king is the de facto leader in chess, the most important piece on the board. So it is with Batman. By far the most important hero in Gotham City, Batman has inspired countless others – good and bad – to don costumes and take to Gotham’s streets. The recent creation of Batman Inc. by Bruce Wayne – who has told the world he fi nances Batman’s crimefi ghting career – has made the strength of Batman’s rule more explicit than before. However, unlike a chess king, Batman can back up this now-corporate bluff (designed as ever to chill villains’ hearts) with formidable fi ghting skills and agility. Though he has been outfought, he has rarely ever been outmaneouvred.

Cornering the market: Bruce Wayne launches Batman Inc.

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True alliance: Batman can always rely on his allies.

LOYAL ALLIES A king cannot rule unaided. While Batman is often thought of as a lone hero fi ghting in the shadows, the truth is that his many allies are essential aides in his fi ght against crime: Nightwing, Spinal snap: Bane’s brutality sidelines Batman. Robin, , Oracle, Commissioner Gordon to name but a few. Just as knights and bishops can be used to protect a king in chess, so these trusted friends will all protect Batman when he is in danger; a recent instance occurred when Batman was in mental turmoil following Dr Hurt’s attack and he was helped by Damian, Dick Grayson and Tim Drake.

CHECK & TROUBLE When a chess king is in jeopardy, the game has reached a pivotal point; when a real king is absent or powerless, their kingdom can descend into chaos. When Batman was believed dead after Bane’s brutality, the crime rate in Gotham City soared while old allies fought for his cowl.

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GAMEPLAN AND STRATEGIES Batman is one of the greatest strategists of the DC Universe. There are fi les archived on Batman’s computer system which cover tactics to deal with every eventuality imaginable – including fellow heroes turning bad. This forward planning proved invaluable when Superman fell under ’s spell. Fortunately, Batman had kryptonite locked away to even the odds – and a plan to free Superman from Ivy’s control.

POWER ATTRACTS In chess, it is the king’s very role that invites attacks – a pursuit known as a king hunt. With Batman’s part in the fi ght against crime, it is hardly surprising that villains see his defeat as the ultimate goal; to this end, Bane sent villain after villain to attack and weaken the Dark Knight, and the Joker ceaselessly concocts insane campaigns against Batman. The fall of Gotham’s Dark Knight would mean only one thing: the bad guys had won. Fortunately, Bruce Wayne has strategies in place to deal with that unlikely scenario as well.

Foresight and force: A kryptonite ring proves invaluable.

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KNI_T_01_p12-14 v3.indd 14 21/11/2011 15:19 RULES & MOVES THE WHITE KING Ruling monarch of chess, the king is the most important piece on the board. Though not the most powerful piece, the king represents the prize the opposition seeks to win. If a player’s king is threatened and is unable to escape capture, the king is said to be in checkmate, and the player loses the game.

THE KING IN CHESS In the opening and middlegame, the king will rarely play an active role in the development of an offensive or defensive position. Instead, a player will normally keep their king safe on the edge of the board behind friendly pawns.

MOVEMENT CHECK AND CHECKMATE A king can move one If an opponent’s move places the king under attack, the king is said to square in any direction be in check. The player may escape by capturing the attacking piece, by moving another piece between the attacker and the king, or by moving (horizontally, vertically to a non-threatened square. If no such route is available, the king has or diagonally). been checkmated. However, it may not move onto a square that is threatened by an enemy piece. As with most pieces, it captures by moving to a square occupied by an enemy piece.

CHECK CHECKMATE In this example, the black king is With only one square available to checked by the white queen. The the black king, it’s time for the kill. green-highlighted pieces have covered The white rook moves one square all possible escape routes for the black to the right to achieve checkmate king but one (see blue-highlighted as all escape routes are now square). covered. Game over!

CHESS FOR BEGINNERS For a complete guide to chess, including descriptions of all 32 pieces, see the special 4-page pull-out feature, ‘How to Play Chess’, free with this issue.

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TM

The leering Clown Prince of Crime holds all the cards.

BLACK KING Visit www.eaglemoss.com

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