In the main DC Comics continuity, during the Knightfall event, Batman was retired as Gotham's protector and replaced by Azrael, aka. John Paul Valley. After an encounter with Bane, Batman was left ...

and he uses a big sword as Azrael. He tried to fight Batman for the mantle and has beef with several Robins, and Valley is strong enough to provide a real challenge for Batman. Many of DC’s ...