The point of this is ...?
Part of my disappointment with this is the almost total absence of Batman. The title of this mini-collection is completely misleading: the only time Batman and Bane are in the same panel is the brief confrontation at the end of "Vengeance of Bane," which leads into the Knightfall saga. Even the "Vengeance of Bane" story is a misleading title, since we're not sure upon whom or what Bane is taking vengeance, or why he is taking it out on Batman other than his desire to own Gotham (which never seems like a worthwhile goal for any of these villains). I did enjoy the 4-part Bane-meets-Ra's storyline, for the most part (it does get a bit too saucy for no good reason at times). Spending time with the villains, getting to know them and their drives, isn't always a good idea, but this mini-series presents the other side of the Bat-universe in an interesting way, especially as it unites two of "The Detective"'s most dangerous nemeses. The alliance of Talia and Bane adds a very interesting twist to the layers of these characters, though it didn't seem to go very far (as far as I know, what with all the relaunches and whatnot). I was hoping this collection would have Vengeance of Bane 2, giving this collection a sense of a finish - as it stands, it's more like an introduction volume in a rather deceptive package. If you are a Bane fan, this is for you (but he's not really an admirable character, despite his knowledge of chess and languages - he tends to be rather mean to people), but don't pay too much for it, especially if you have Vengeance of Bane in the recent Knightfall near-omnibuses.