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Cover of Batman: Arkham Asylum
The veteran Batman · 1989

Batman: Arkham Asylum

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The inmates take over Arkham Asylum and the Joker demands Batman come in alone; an original graphic novel painted by Dave McKean

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Do you need to read it?

Not required. It's left out of the main story but is part of the full chronological order.

Where it falls in the order

  • Main storynot included
  • Chronological6 of 16
  • Everything5 of 16
Spoilers for this title

Quick recap

On April Fools' Day, the inmates take over Arkham Asylum, and the Joker demands Batman come in alone in exchange for the hostages. Inside, Batman gets an hour to hide before he's hunted, running into Clayface, Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter and Killer Croc. Alongside, the diary of Amadeus Arkham, the asylum's founder, tells how madness took him after he lost his mother and his family. In a tower room, Batman learns that administrator Charles Cavendish staged the riot, convinced he had to finish Arkham's work. Therapist Ruth Adams kills him to save Batman. Two-Face flips his coin and sets Batman free, and the inmates go back to their cells.

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4 trivia

Trivia

  1. Behind the scenesMorrison's first Batman

    It was Grant Morrison's first Batman work. Morrison pictured traditional comic art, and Dave McKean went another way, with paint and collage.

    source ↗
  2. Behind the scenesA sales record

    Per editor Karen Berger, it became the best-selling original graphic novel in American superhero comics.

    source ↗
  3. ReferenceOn Heath Ledger's shelf

    Heath Ledger cited the book as an inspiration for his Dark Knight Joker. The film's marketing campaign drew on it too.

    source ↗
  4. ReferenceThe 2009 game

    The video game Batman: Arkham Asylum is loosely based on the comic and follows a similar premise.

    source ↗
No spoilersThe easter eggs give away parts of the title. They open once you mark it as seen.

Comments

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