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Batman: Arkham Asylum (Batman)

by Grant Morrison, Dave McKean (Illustrator)

4.09 of 5 stars 4.09 · rating details · 21,339 ratings · 678 reviews

The inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over Gotham's detention center for the criminally insane on April Fool's Day, demanding Batman in exchange for their hostages. Accepting their demented challenge, Batman is forced to endure the personal hells of the Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Two-Face and many other sworn enemies in order to save the innocents and retake the priso...more

Paperback, 15th Anniversary Edition, 216 pages

Published November 1st 2005 by DC Comics (first published October 28th 1989)

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Apr 27, 2013 StoryTellerShannon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, fantasy-scifi, books-reviewed

This is not your traditional Batman tale. Some people won't like it. In fact, Batman seems like a normal man when confronted by the horrors within and acts in very non Batman ways. There's a two part story here where we switch back and forth to the founder of Arkham and why he turned his mansion into a facility for the mad and Batman trying to navigate his way through the madness of Arkham.

Batman action is minimal. This is much more of an emotional journey.

There is distinctive lettering for...more

13 likes · like · see review

May 30, 2012 Eric rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No one

Shelves: graphic-novels

What a fucking mess. The painted artwork was appalling, the story-line was incoherent, the dialogue was barely legible, and, most importantly, the portrayal of Batman was all wrong. This felt like a second-rate haunted-house horror that Batman was wedged into, and poorly at that. Batman's encounters with various villains felt thrown-in, in a cheap name-dropping way, his decision-making was baffling to non-existent, and the story's resolution -- hanging on a coin-flip -- was absurd.

The back-stor...more

11 likes · like · see review

Mar 31, 2012 Zaki rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like dark, sinister stuff.

This threw out the rule book and invented a new one. A darker one. A cruel one. I adore every twisted page.

Every page has a rich, dark quality.

My mind is full of dark thoughts. I only think in black.

3 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2012 Julian rated it 5 of 5 stars

A batman tale at its best, as it reaches unflinchingly deep into the recesses of the human psyche. While the comic may be accused by some as symptomatic of an attempt at at best, pop psychology, I think the authors have done a marvellous job in portraying the differences by which Batman and The Joker are negotiating what are in essence, very similar psychological conflicts.
This is done on a backdrop literally seething with a brooding, menacing perceived threat of total disintegration, which was...more A batman tale at its best, as it reaches unflinchingly deep into the recesses of the human psyche. While the comic may be accused by some as symptomatic of an attempt at at best, pop psychology, I think the authors have done a marvellous job in portraying the differences by which Batman and The Joker are negotiating what are in essence, very similar psychological conflicts.
This is done on a backdrop literally seething with a brooding, menacing perceived threat of total disintegration, which was in fact embraced by another main character, that of Arkham himself. An analytically minded reader will appreciate how each of Batman's villains in fact, symbolically represent in avatar form each of his specifc fears.
These fears make him human; while also confirming that his mask etc in fact serve as a defensive character armour which keeps the underlying guilt, abandonment rage and fantasies of revenge both at bay. At the same time, the mask also allows for sublimation in his role as a 'dark knight'.
There are nice references to Freudian theories (a connecting theme here is the loss of mother-via murder and imagined/actual matricide- and its associated trauma, annihilation anxiety and subsequent efforts at psychological defence), his structural theory of the mind (illustrated concretely by the architecture of the Asylum itself) Jungian archetypes, an implicit idealizing identification exhibited by Dr Cavendish (enabled by the Asylum again functioning as a container of chaos AND an evocative object), and even the role of 'similarity; in magic as described by James George Frazier in 'The Golden Bough'. This is the way fairy tales should be told (well, especially for adults)! Super-heroes are no longer just an all pervasive, concretely 'good' force dressed in a pretty costume,partaking in a sterile and entirely logical world whereby 'evil' villains are routinely 'defeated'.
No, this is a more realistic (albeit gruesome at times) confrontation of life and its culturally suppressed opposites (or should I say, inseparable shadow): death, chaos and disintegration.(less)

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Mar 18, 2008 Madeline rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, honors-program

i think ADHD being a form of higher evolution is an interesting theory. grant morrison thinking he is more highly evolved because he has ADHD is a less interesting theory.

morrison is no genius, in my opinion. i would attribute most of the greatness of the book to mckean, especially after reading the original "script" in the back of this book. morrison says, "According to Len Wein's original WHO'S WHO entry, Arkham died singing "the Battle Hymn of the Republic," but for some reason I got confused...more

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Oct 15, 2007 Marc rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: intellectual art lovers

Arkham Asylum is the best graphic novel I've ever read for two reasons: writing, and art.

This isn't your average WHACK! POW! comic book. In fact, there is almost no violence or glammed-out secret weapons. Grant Morrision takes us through a masterful exploration into the psyche of Bruce Wayne, a man who suffered a tragic loss at an early age and formed a very clear alternate identity. Is he a crime fighter, or does he suffer from MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder), and does it even matter.

Set in...more

7 likes · like · see review

Aug 08, 2012 Abigail rated it 5 of 5 stars

My first ride into Batman-Morrison territory and boy what a ride it was! However this wasn't my first exposure to Dave Mckean yet nothing could have prepared me for the fear McKean's Joker would instill. I first picked this up late at night, yet I put off reading it simply because the Joker's contorted face was so absolutely terrifying floating in mid-darkness from my iPad that I had to quickly turn on the lights and pray no such madman exists.

Thus, in many ways it is difficult to choose what ma...more My first ride into Batman-Morrison territory and boy what a ride it was! However this wasn't my first exposure to Dave Mckean yet nothing could have prepared me for the fear McKean's Joker would instill. I first picked this up late at night, yet I put off reading it simply because the Joker's contorted face was so absolutely terrifying floating in mid-darkness from my iPad that I had to quickly turn on the lights and pray no such madman exists.

Thus, in many ways it is difficult to choose what makes this comic book so great, the writing or the illustration? Such an infusion of two minds is for me a clear sign of success.

The Joker has always been presented as a chaotic and impossible to understand character. He has no motives, no latent interests and no points of weakness because he cares about nothing and no one. His moral compass is non-existent rather than askew and this is what always made the Joker the most terrifying villain of all. How can you reason, tempt, taunt or torture the soulless? Morrison attempts a psychological profile of Joker without making him what liberals call 'understandable'. No childhood traumas here but almost metaphysical explanation. The idea of 'supersanity' will always remain with me, an invaluable insight into the mind of Joker if there ever was one.

There are also some harrowing moments exploring Batman's own sanity (who gleefully appears only as giant shadow with glowing eyes for a great part of the comic). There are obviously a lot of problems with the Batman; political ones as much as psychological ones. How is Batman any different from the madmen he hunts, which is a general question about the definition of sanity and insanity. How is obsessing about one singular tragic event a healthy mental response? A pertinent question to ask of the Batman yet so rarely given light. Tragedy is what gives Batman a motive beyond the heroism, but how does that effect his general well-being? The great thing about Batman and this comic is that it eventually makes you question the maxim of 'You must move on from tragedy if you are to live on'. And as usual with the Arkham Asylum, it makes you question the value of psychology and psychoanalysis that has so pervaded our societies.

I would say the pacing between illustration and story is musical; it hits the right spots at the right times and like a thumping fingernail on hard glass, it can indeed drive you mad.(less)

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Aug 01, 2010 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1970-present, graphic-fiction

McKean's artwork is just staggeringly good. I don't have much else to say about it.

The effect of the thing is very Lynchian more than anything else. I think Lynch doing this as a movie would be utterly awesome. It's very much in that same category where you have to feel and experience it, where a close reading is actually less rewarding (and fuck you Grant Morrison, if you disagree) than just letting it wash over you. It plays on the emotions and is really very dreamlike and atmospheric.

It's rea...more McKean's artwork is just staggeringly good. I don't have much else to say about it.

The effect of the thing is very Lynchian more than anything else. I think Lynch doing this as a movie would be utterly awesome. It's very much in that same category where you have to feel and experience it, where a close reading is actually less rewarding (and fuck you Grant Morrison, if you disagree) than just letting it wash over you. It plays on the emotions and is really very dreamlike and atmospheric.

It's really hard to write about this book without coming off as sort of pretentious. Grant Morrison himself comes off as sort of pretentious when he writes, introducing the copy of the final draft of the script included at the back of the soft cover, that:

"The story's themes were inspired by Lewis Carroll, quantum physics, Jung and Crowley, its visual style by surrealism, Eastern European creepiness, Cocteau, Artaud, Svankmajer, the Brothers Quay, etc. The intention was to create something that was more like a piece of music or an experimental film than a typical adventure comic book. I wanted to apprroach Batman from the point of view of the dreamlike, emotional and irrational hemisphere, as a response to the very literal, "realistic" "left-brain" treatment of superheroes which was in vogue at the time, in the wake of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, WATCHMEN, and others."

or in the script and footnotes, where he explains a fuckton of the symbolism etc. and occasionally comes off as very clever and occasionally as maybe well read but not all that smart (i.e. inevitably pretentious). That this stuff is in the script is mostly fine, but he uses the footnotes to provide 'insight' to us as well, like when he talks about how the story's construction is based on the architecture of a house, and how the journey of the book is like moving through the floors of a house itself.

Some of the footnotes are useful, however. Morrison's clarification of his characterization of Batman in Arkham Asylum is especially worth noting, considering how often that is used as a criticism of Morrison's writing here.

I would not suggest reading the script/footnotes. It does nothing to enhance the experience and everything to degrade it. Imagine watching a comedic film and being given an annotated copy of the script at the end, a copy that explains every joke in detail.

The effect of Arkham Asylum in itself is exhilirating. It's not in that frustrating 'not your daddy's Batman' category of The Dark Knight or something, it's just unlike any other Batman story. It's not supposed to be like any other Batman story. It does feel more like watching an 'art film' than reading even a very good comic book/'graphic novel.' All that pretentious blabber I quoted from Morrison up there, it's true. All of it. It came out exactly as planned (actually, probably better than planned considering some of the imagery).

It's tremendous and transcendent.(less)

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Feb 23, 2007 MIke rated it 5 of 5 stars

Forget "...Dark Knight," "The Killing Joke" and "Year One," this is the greatest Batman story ever told. Morrison weaves a tale of symbols that plays out in a crawl from the depth of Hell to the brink of salvation and vice versa. With Dave McKean's brilliant art setting the stage there's nothing to compete.

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Dec 17, 2012 Jason added it

Shelves: read-2009

I must admit that I was very excited to read this book. I didn't realize that there was a book of the same name as the recent (and excellent) Batman videogame and so I decided to check it out. The game doesn't borrow too much from the plot of the book. They both have Batman in an asylum captured by the inmates and run by Joker and they both have the journals of Amadeus Arkham woven throughout the narrative, but everything else is changed.

Lo and behold, the game is better. Not that there isn't a...more

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Jul 14, 2008 Andrew Webb rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read many a poor/overrated Batman story in my ten-odd years as a fan, but this much referred to epic may take the cake. As a Batman story, this is a total failure. Batman acts completely out of character almost from the beginning. When walking into a hostage situation masterminded by the Joker, he strikes up a conversation with his archenemy rather than planning how to rescue the innocents involved. When Joker shoots a hostage in the head across the room from Batman (I think-- the bizarre...more

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Aug 28, 2012 أحمد rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

On April Fool's day, The Joker leads the inmates of Arkham Asylum to take over the place. They take hostages and they have one demand: Batman! So he enters the serious house, and confronts his worst enemies. The story of Dr. Amadeus Arkham, and his "serious" house, is also told. The two stories overlap, sometimes brilliantly as in Batman/Croc Arkham/Dragon scene. The Mad Hatter's line is a perfect summery of the story: "Sometimes... sometimes I think the Asylum is a head. We're inside a huge hea...more

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Mar 03, 2010 Federiken Masters rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans de Batman como ícono y de Morrison como iconoclasta.

Recommended to Federiken by: Maxi P. y el resto del mundo.

Este libro lo tuve que leer de prestado con mucho apuro para "investigar" (¡Maxi, cuando te vea te lo devuelvo, te juro!) las mejores historias de Batman y la verdad que no me decepcionó. Tanto guión como dibujo están pensados para generar la más variada gama de sensaciones (y la mayoría de ellas, nada placenteras) y lo logran a la perfección. Historieta o ensayo psicológico; aventura realista con un dibujo fantasmagórico o delirio fantástico sin pies ni cabeza, muchas son las cosas que quedan a...more

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Oct 06, 2008 Werebot rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: the one Batman fan in the world who hasn't read it.

I know that a lot of the modern Batman mythos has a lot to do with the whole evil outside vs. darkness within motif, but this is ridiculous. What a pretentious bunch of nonsense. And I've never gotten the attraction to Dave McKean's art. But then, I'm not a goth nerd. I can never tell what's going on, everything's too dark and splotchy and covered in symbols. This is a Batman comic book. Let's not overthink it. When did we let the British take over our comic books anyway? Neil Gaiman and co. nee...more

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Dec 10, 2008 narajaponesa rated it 5 of 5 stars

The artistry is GORGEOUS. The script is way dark. A masterpiece, though not one I'd necessarily revisit.

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Apr 25, 2013 Russell Guldin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dc, trades-graphic-novels, ya-fiction

This book was the first introduction of Grant Morrison onto an American comics audience and serves as an excellent primer to the voice and creativity of the man. As comics story, AA aims high, using equal parts philosophy, psychology, and sociology to explore Batman's relationships with his rogue's gallery, the king of which is The Joker, and also the weighty subject of madness, with all of its contrived connotations and messy measurements. Morrison challenges the notions of madness in the world...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Ryan Milbrath rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the 1980’s the character of Batman became synonymous with violent, almost sociopathic, vigilante. This portrayal of Batman was, no doubt, influenced by Frank Miller’s 1986, opus The Dark Knight Returns, and the storylines developed by Chuck Dixon, and others, in 80’s. Then comes 1989, and a work so divisive, it left Batman fans either waiting for the next work in character evolution, or desperately trying to Listerine away the bad taste of Grant Morrison from their taste buds.

Morrison’s Batma...more In the 1980’s the character of Batman became synonymous with violent, almost sociopathic, vigilante. This portrayal of Batman was, no doubt, influenced by Frank Miller’s 1986, opus The Dark Knight Returns, and the storylines developed by Chuck Dixon, and others, in 80’s. Then comes 1989, and a work so divisive, it left Batman fans either waiting for the next work in character evolution, or desperately trying to Listerine away the bad taste of Grant Morrison from their taste buds.

Morrison’s Batman: Arkham Asylum, a serious house on serious earth, is, as the introductory page notes, a passion play. Batman willingly allows himself to be taken hostage in Arkham Asylum by the Joker and his cast of villains to prevent the needless deaths of hospital staff and law enforcement officials. Once inside, the Joker challenges Batman to a game of hide and seek, where Batman has the opportunity to escape the asylum before the likes of the Mad Hatter, Killer Croc, Maxie Zeus, and others have an opportunity to kill him. So begins, Batman’s descent into the heart of darkness, his test of morals in the face of extreme cruelty. Parallel to the story of Batman, is that of the Ayslum’s Creator, Amadeus Arkham, who driven insane by the murder of his wife and children by a criminal he was treating, was confined as an inmate in his very own asylum. In his test, Batman, ultimately breaks down the walls of Arkham, freeing the souls he has confined there. Much like Christ freeing the souls from hell after his crucifixion and resurrection, Batman frees souls from the evil of Arkham. Batman, unlike Arkham, battles evil, but never loses his compassion. It is an ending which Morrison uses to subtly raise a middle finger to Frank Miller.

Dave McKean’s artwork is by far the most interesting experimental artwork to come out of DC in the 1980s. His creations are creepy, like Ralph Steadmen trapped in a haunted house, but they work for the story. The artwork isn’t Jim Lee, nor is it Tim Sale, but I feel is the greatest representation of Morrison’s story. It’s not for everyone, but the if the reader can survive Morrison’s literary trip down the rabbit hole, they certainly can survive McKean’s trip.

Batman: Arkham Asylum, a serious house on serious earth is a tough pill to swallow. Its divisiveness is inherent in it’s experimental creation. It’s worth it to read it, for what it is. Treat it as an affront, a contradiction to the 80’s, a rebellion against turning Batman into the villains he challenges.
(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is not your average Batman adventure. So, if you're looking for a traditional and linear good vs. evil story, this might not be for you, because, while Batman does fight within Arkham's walls, the major conflict is with himself. The duel story of the founding history for Arkham Asylum through the lens of Amadeus Arkham is jarring, gripping and has a twist that you'd find in a Hitchcock film (that is, if Hitchcock took notes from Lovecraft). Their story lines are parallel, and as Batman stru...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Joseph R. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, comics-graphic-novels

Batman is called in by Commissioner Gordon for a special problem. The inmates of Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane have taken over. Among their many varied demands is the request for Batman's presence. Gordon is not sure they should send him, but Batman is sure he should go. The night will be a test of will and sanity for the Dark Knight.

A parallel story is told--the life of Abraham Arkham, who turned his family home into the Asylum after many tragedies in his life. He becomes a doctor obs...more Batman is called in by Commissioner Gordon for a special problem. The inmates of Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane have taken over. Among their many varied demands is the request for Batman's presence. Gordon is not sure they should send him, but Batman is sure he should go. The night will be a test of will and sanity for the Dark Knight.

A parallel story is told--the life of Abraham Arkham, who turned his family home into the Asylum after many tragedies in his life. He becomes a doctor obsessed with curing criminals of their evil. But does he wind up embracing evil himself? The protagonists' (Batman and Arkham) stories have parallel themes--troubled relations with parents, questionable sanity, working with criminals.

Both stories are told in a dark brooding style that emphasizes the insanity of what's going on. A lot of the imagery is primal and significant, like the moon hanging in the sky trapped between towers of the asylum. Morrison drew on many sources, including Tarot cards and Jungian dream imagery. I only know this from the commentary, which is included with the original script in this fifteenth anniversary edition. He also has an enlightening note about how Batman's personality in this book:

I'd also like to stress that the portrayal of Batman presented here is not definitive and is not necessarily how I would write the character otherwise. The repressed, armoured [sic], uncertain and sexually frozen man in ARKHAM ASYLUM was intended as a critique of the '80s interpretation of Batman as violent, driven and borderline psychopathic. My own later portrayal of Batman in the JLA [Justice League of America] comic was one which emphasized the character's sanity and dignity; in the end, I figured that anyone who had gone so far and been so successful in his quest to avenge his parents' death and to help other people would have ended up pretty much straightened out. Bruce Wayne would only have become conflicted and mentally unstable if he had NOT put on his scary bat-suit and found the perfect outlet for his feelings of rage, guilt and revenge.

Batman is pretty uptight and joyless and not quite human. His detachment seems like a hollow facade that keeps him from becoming just another member of the asylum. He might wind up just as crazy as Dr. Arkham did years before. Only his archetypal portrayal brings him ultimate triumph, not his own personality or character. He survives long enough where circumstances shift into his favor and he can take command of the situation after a passive victory.

There are few moments of light and almost no levity in the book, which makes it a tough read. I found the book interesting but not really enjoyable. The script with Morrison's comments is enlightening and made me appreciate it more. But I can't quite recommend it.(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Sorcha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone wanting to get into the Batman Multiverse

Shelves: 2012, graphic-novel

Coming up on it's 25th anniversary, this is one of the classic Batman stories.

The lunatics are running the asylum, where the inmates have taken over, and are demanding one final thing: Batman to come join them.

Batman finally agrees, whilst worried about what he will confront whilst in there - is the asylum actually where he will feel "normal" and "comfortable" - will it feel like coming home? He comes across many of the inmates, many of whom he has put in there, and some of his most iconic enemi...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Klytia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Arkham Asylum, di Grant Morrison e DaveMcKean, pubblicato per la prima volta nel dicembre del 1989 e ora riproposto in un’edizione speciale per il 15esimo anniversario corredata dalla sceneggiatura originale, gli schizzi preparatori e le copertine originali di McKean.

Il fumetto è un viaggio allucinante all’interno del manicomio di Arkham, dove gli avversari di Batman si sono ribellati e sono usciti dalle loro prigioni e dove il Cavaliere Oscuro dovrà confrontarsi non solo con i suoi rivali di s...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Subroto rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels-comics

Ok ! Here's me sticking out my neck.

This is a very intelligent and creative book. The art work is ART work - Dave Mckean (Sandman Collected covers) leaves behind a Sandman type very classy / very arty / very symbolic art in these pages.

The story by Grant has various layers - infinite elements apart from the most apparent 2 concurrently running anachronistic plots. There are so many symbolisms that it would do you good to read (post reading the comic) the brief given by Grant to Dave (present i...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Dima Yakovenko rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Данное произведение является просто обителью сумасшествия, ведь нормальных героев тут почти нет, плюс на протяжении тома, постоянно проверяют самого Бэтмена, заглядывая ему в глаза, не сошел ли он сам со своего блестящего ума, не стал ли и он психом с дрожащими руками, боящийся собственной тени?
Основных истории тут две. И рассказывается они одновременно. Действие одной происходит в начале двадцатого века и охватывает практически всю жизнь Амадея Аркхэма, от детства и до самой смерти, человека, к...more Данное произведение является просто обителью сумасшествия, ведь нормальных героев тут почти нет, плюс на протяжении тома, постоянно проверяют самого Бэтмена, заглядывая ему в глаза, не сошел ли он сам со своего блестящего ума, не стал ли и он психом с дрожащими руками, боящийся собственной тени?
Основных истории тут две. И рассказывается они одновременно. Действие одной происходит в начале двадцатого века и охватывает практически всю жизнь Амадея Аркхэма, от детства и до самой смерти, человека, который был создателем, столь известной всем фанатам комиксов DC, психиатрической лечебницы. Эта история поражает до мозга костей и способна вызывать панику и ужас, своим неподдельным сумасшествием. Она показывает как низко может пасть человек, благодаря своему безумию. Серьезная и очень мрачная история, благодаря которой получится узнать, как именно была открыта психбольница "Аркхэм".
Действие второй истории происходит в том же самом, уже упомянутом мною заведении, но только в наше время. И героем тут является Брюс Уейн, который снова вступает в противостоянии со своим злейшим врагом, Джокером. Правда, тут показан не совсем типичный бой двух врагов. Не битва мускул и даже не битва мозгов. Джокер в этой истории решил поиграть с Бэтменом в прятки на территории психиатрической лечебницы. А вместе с Дожекром решили поиграть и многие другие пациенты этого ужасного заведения. Эта история не так сильно давит психологически, как первая, но она не менее мрачна, серьезна и ужасна. Она так же показывает все грани безумия.
Обе части этого тома показывают этот дом с разных сторон, разного времени и с разными героями, запертыми в этих стенах. Но обе части почти ни в чем не отличаются друг от друга. Они обе мрачны как темная ночь, где все небо заволокло тучами и луна не может сковь них пробиться. Они обе реалестичны и серьезны, благодаря чему этот комикс не стоит читать своему ребенку на ночь. Обе показывают прекрасных героев и рассказывают не менее прекрасные истории, которые так же прекрасно заканчиваются. В обеих очень странный, довольно пугающий, но все-таки красивый и невероятно стильный рисунок. И наконец, самое главное, обе истории максимально пропитаны безумием. Этот том как старая губка, которая впитывала в себя кровь до тех пор, пока сама не стала кроваво красного цвета. А эта книга пропитана не кровью, а безумием. Но именно в этом ее особый шарм.
Потрясающая вещь, которую нужно прочитать, но конечно же, не в качестве сказочки на ночь. Естественно, если вы не хотите, что бы у ребенка в голове появились тараканы размером с лошадь.(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Lillian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

This comic was published in 1989 right before Warner Brother's came out with their Batman, and they asked that this comic be censored to a point. I think because of this a lot was lost in the story.
I read a review/summary on it after I read it through and it mentioned things like Batman dealing with his sexuality and a cannibalistic scene with Abraham Arkham that I totally missed.
I went back and read it through again and had to stretch my imagination on though scenes.
The artwork was beautiful in...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Peter rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my first graphic novel review, so I hope you will bear with me. For those who familiar with the title, I know what you are thinking — are you crazy? This is not the place to start. As far as Batman goes, it is so far from traditional that it might not even be canon.

Well, perhaps you are right, but alas — here is my review anyway.

I have always been drawn to Batman. Even with the earliest representations and quirky gadgets, there was always a dark side of Batman waiting to be unveiled. He...more This is my first graphic novel review, so I hope you will bear with me. For those who familiar with the title, I know what you are thinking — are you crazy? This is not the place to start. As far as Batman goes, it is so far from traditional that it might not even be canon.

Well, perhaps you are right, but alas — here is my review anyway.

I have always been drawn to Batman. Even with the earliest representations and quirky gadgets, there was always a dark side of Batman waiting to be unveiled. He was orphaned by a ruthless killer and finds his abode in the confines of a deep cave. He is covered with a mask, hiding his true identity from the world. He dresses in black and has an affinity toward bats. Despite his inner struggle, there is a will to do good — to make a positive mark on the world.

Arkham Asylum takes a different look at Batman than traditional comics. This is not a plot-based adventure story, but rather a psychological nightmare filled with symbolism. The novel begins with an introduction to the journal of Amadeus Arkham, the founder and later, a patient of Arkham Asylum — a mental facility for Gotham’s most deranged criminals.

The scene then shifts to the commissioner’s office, where Batman arrives to receive a telephone call from the Joker. There has been an uprising in the asylum and the patients have now taken control of the facility and are holding the workers hostage. The Joker has one last request — for Batman to come to the madhouse.

The Asylum houses the Joker, Two-Face, the Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and Clayface, among others. Batman is not drawn into a battle of fists and bat-weapons, but a battle of the mind. The Joker lures Batman to rediscover his childhood trauma and confront his inner struggles.

Batman is not a superhero in this novel. He is merely the subject of a psychological horror. All of his deepest fears are manifested in the villains he faces. The artwork is disturbingly beautiful and the shadows and abstractness of the characters enhance the dream-like quality of the story.

One of the most intriguing characters is Two-Face. When he arrived at the hospital, he used a two-faced coin to make his decisions. The doctors took away his coin and gave him a six-sided die, then a deck of tarot cards to further broaden his available set of choices, but the therapeutic strategy left him incapable of even deciding to use the toilet to go to the bathroom. When Batman is confronted with Two-Face, he begins to wonder if his actions brought them to this level of insanity. The Mad Hatter Reveals that the asylum is Batman’s head and that the villains are him (figuratively, but did he create them literally in some way too?).

The Joker acts not as the antagonist, but as a discovery character. He leads Batman through the asylum on a journey to uncover the truth of his character. In a brilliant exchange, one of the characters tells the Joker, “I say we take off his mask. I want to see his real face.” The Joker replies, “Oh, don’t be so predictable, for Christ’s sake. That is his real face. And I want to go much deeper than that. I want him to know what it’s like to have sticky fingers pick through the dirty corners of his mind.”

The novel is dark and atypical of most Batman stories, but I found it to be a rewarding read. The subtle nature of the ending is satisfying, where Batman places his trust not on fortune, but on the demons confronting him. The imagery is graphic and Batman fittingly remains in the shadows throughout the novel. Not only does he remain masked, but his face is largely a silhouette in most of the panels. Even the lettering (particularly the Joker’s) contributes to the feel of the macabre madhouse.

Overall, I found this graphic novel to be a haunting, but beautiful portrait. Perhaps it went a bit far in places (likening Batman to Christ as he identifies himself as “just a man” and dwelling on Batman’s mommy issues). But I much prefer experimental works such as this to be overreaching than failing to go for it. Even though the images are gruesome, they must be absorbed to truly understand the story. This is not a novel to race through, but to be partaken slowly — one agonizing bite after the other.(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Ewan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

I thoroughly enjoyed Dave McKean's artwork in this book, and the script and story were excellent. Almost every page has some wonderful poetic line, accompanied by incredibly atmospheric art. The story is perhaps the darkest Batman you're likely to read.

My main criticism is with the psychoanalytical aspect. There's a couple of exchanges where it gets bogged down a little in psychological talk that's a bit heavy-handed. Furthermore, I question how interesting it really is to go into that much dept...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Dustin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Man, was this a complete let down for me. As a Batman fan I err completely on the side of the more human, troubled version of Batman as opposed to the superhero, WHAM! POW! sort of hero. Because of this, my expectations were very high. I enjoyed the story and the deep psychological narrative but the execution of the graphic novel itself was awful. I wanted to like the art but is was so hard for me to see anything! I can understand the need to present everything as dark and muddied to go along wi...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Brook Bakay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely beautiful and haunting, it reminded me of why I love graphic novels. With a central theme of dreamlike madness, it can be difficult to follow what's going on at times, but that is surely intentional and really adds to the atmosphere. My advice is to press on and read it again. And again.

Grant Morrison provided a very different take on Batman, as a man in many ways insane himself and not wholly innocent of the crimes the inmates accuse him of. He is also very interestingly vulnerable i...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes to look at the darker side of humanity

One of the most deeply psychological looks at the darker side of human nature, this novel uses fantastic imagery from the tarot and combines it with psychoanalysis to give a deeply profound insight into the aspects of human thought that nobody likes to talk about.

Dark from the onset, this book forces you to question that which we so often take for granted: our sanity.

How many of us can truly say that we've never felt out of sync with the rest of the world? Never looked in the mirror and felt com...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Roberto Andonie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

mmm...

Siendo el cómic de The Dark Knight Returns de frank miller el único cómic de batman que había leído, estaba bajo la impresión de que no le había dado la oportunidad que merecían a los cómics de superheroes, ya que ese cómic me pareció demasiado bueno. Luego de leer este, recordé por que la imagen de los cómics de superheroes tiene una connotación negativa para algunos.

No es totalmente malo. De hecho pienso que tiene varios aciertos. El arte del cómic es uno de ellos. Me gusta la cantidad d...more mmm...

Siendo el cómic de The Dark Knight Returns de frank miller el único cómic de batman que había leído, estaba bajo la impresión de que no le había dado la oportunidad que merecían a los cómics de superheroes, ya que ese cómic me pareció demasiado bueno. Luego de leer este, recordé por que la imagen de los cómics de superheroes tiene una connotación negativa para algunos.

No es totalmente malo. De hecho pienso que tiene varios aciertos. El arte del cómic es uno de ellos. Me gusta la cantidad de detalle y el estilo expresionista de los dibujos resaltan muy bien la atmósfera gótica "lovecraft-esca" de la historia. Tambien, a diferencia del videojuego de arkham asylum (donde los criminales solo son culpables de robar bancos o cosas así), aquí si muestran a los criminales del asilo como reales sociópatas degenerados. (Algo como lo que hace Christopher Nolan, que aterriza a los personajes a un nivel de realismo que me lleva a pensar que podría ser factible que alguien salga a atrapar criminales disfrazado). También me gusto la historia de Amadeus Arkham. Todo bien ahí.

Sin embargo, no puedo negar que tenia una buena imagen de Grant Morrison hasta que leí este cómic. Cuando se acabó, terminé pensando en algo como "Esto fue todo?, no debió de haber un problema, y un climax y esas cosas que hay en las historias?" y luego volví a hojear el cómic y empecé a encontrar los momentos que debieron formar la tensión de la narración.("ahhh, aquí batman estaba siendo atormentado por su pasado; ahhh ok, aquí batman está dudando sobre quienes son los verdaderos locos, si ellos o la sociedad") A lo mejor el hecho de que las crisis del cómic empiezan, se desarrollan y acaban en una hoja y media cada uno, y con 4 enunciados de texto en total, hace que no me entere de lo mucho que está batallando batman para seguir adelante.

En un principio creí que era mi culpa. Pensé que no le puse suficiente atención a los detalles o a la narrativa, o que estaba distraído, o algo. En la contraportada dice que es la novela gráfica mas exitosa de todos los tiempos y no me estaba pareciendo nada impresionante, algo tenia que estar haciendo mal. Pero después de leer el script original, con anotaciones del autor que incluyen y empiezar a leer la explicación del cómic en palabras de Grant Morrison decidí que no era bueno. Creo que, no solo falló rotundamente en plasmar su visión, aparte, creo que enterarme de cual era su intención para cada página, arruinó lo poco que me gustaba de la historia y lo positivo que tenia de su imagen. Creí que el autor de el cómic "mas exitoso de todos los tiempos" debería de tener una buena penetración psicológica de los personajes (es un cómic de un hospital mental, tendría que tener algo de eso, y pues si ha logrado en este medio, Alan Moore en Watchmen lo logra perfectamente)y resulta que tiene la misma agudeza de un adolescente que leyó un panfleto de ocultismo y psicología pop, y esto se ve reflejado el la historia.

A lo mejor no debí esperar mucho, es un cómic, a final de cuentas. (y si soy honesto, creo que me hubiera encantado cuando tenia 13 años) pero en un principio creí que el autor debía de estar cerca de Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman o Frank Miller. Esto lo pone en una categoría totalmente diferente en mi lista.

Aunque me la paso diciendo que los cómics no son solo para niños, que el medio ya maduró y que hay cosas que ofrecen lo mismo que cualquier libro, este cómic no es un ejemplo de esto.(less)

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