Jean-Paul escapes serious injury when falling from a tall building, and blames the costume for slowing him down in his encounter with Bane. Absorbed in the System, he designs and creates a new one, very different from the classic Batman costume. Meanwhile, Nightwing learns that Bruce has passed the role of Nightwing on to Jean-Paul, and Mayor Krol forbids the police from interfering in any of Batman's activities. Clad in his new costume, Batman heads out for a final confrontation with Bane. Exploiting Bane's dependence on the Venom drug, he is, in time, victorious. At the last moment he pulls back from killing Bane, much to the relief of both Robin and Commissioner Gordon, the latter of whom is beginning to suspect that this isn't the Batman he knows.

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