In this groundbreaking, painted graphic novel, the inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over Gothams detention center for the criminally insane on April Fools Day, demanding Batman in exchange for their hostages.Accepting their demented challenge, Batman is forced to live and 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 prison.During his run through this absurd gauntlet, the Dark Knights own sanity is placed in jeopardy.This special anniversary edition trade paperback also reproduces the original script with annotations by Morrison and editor Karen Berger.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Good Story, But the Artwork...:
This book is really a history of Arkham and its founder more than it is a Batman story, and the story is a dark one indeed. The artwork is much different from that of other Batman graphic novels I have purchased (Batman: Year One, Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again) and is a little hard to get used to; I had to really struggle to figure out what Joker was saying. This is the story of Arkham, and it is a very good, if somewhat dark and... more info
Fantastic:
This was an amazingly detailed graphic novel. It was rich in character development as well as story line. I strongly suggest that those with a craving for everything Batman buy this.
Gorgeous and Twisted:
I can't add much to what's already been said about this masterpiece, except for that I loved it. The artwork is beautiful, and is reason enough to buy this, but then there's also the story-telling achievement therein. Mood and tone is masterfully created with interesting and creep typography, and the color palette screams fear and distress, common moods of Gotham and Arkham specifically.
I recommend this to the more hardcore Batman fan, and the casual fan, especially those of the latter category who... more info
Incomplete:
My copy arrived with several pages missing, which meant the exclusion of some key scenes. Apparently, this has been known to happen with certain printings of this book. I would recommend purchasing this from a place where you can read through it first, and make sure everything's there. (The book, in its complete form, is easily 5/5 stars)