Product Description

The battle between the Batman and his closest enemies intensifies when the inmates, led by the psychopathic Joker, take over the asylum. This graphic novel takes a controversial look into the dark recesses of the Batman's psyche.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #572140 in Books
• Published on: 1990-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
If comics are the modern mythos (a pretentious statement, maybe, but what other art form allows so many storytellers to work with a handful of established characters?), Batman is Gilgamesh--the man of a thousand faces. Portrayed as everything from costumed clown (the Bat-Mite years) to vengeance personified, he is one of the two pillars of the DC Universe--the ultimate in human achievement, as opposed to Superman, the impossibly powerful near-deity who struggles to live as a man.

At the series' best, Batman's writers and artists have portrayed the struggle between the man and the mission--the scarred child who donned a cowl to overcome his fears, and the realities that come with his (let's face it) completely implausible existence. As with any fantastic fiction, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief comes with the territory--and in the case of Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's Arkham Asylum, that's a necessary thing. Morrison, the creator of off-key series The Invisibles and probably best known for his work on The Justice League of America, here spins a tale of the titular institution, the home-away-from-home for the members of Batman's Rogue's Gallery. Psychologically intense, the story is split between Batman's ordeal in an Arkham overthrown by the inmates and run by the Joker (easily the most unstable nemesis for our hero) and the heretofore untold tale of Amadeus Arkham, founder of the Asylum.

McKean's painted artwork is both detailed and impressionistic (a nice duality in itself) and even more disturbing than the facts of the story; this is a story that, as told, could not creditably exist in another medium. It's a triumph of both art and craft--but, like P.J. Harvey's Is This Desire?, it may be a triumph of art over enjoyability: reading this book can be unsettling, if not disturbing. Further, Morrison's treatment of the regulars is clearly subject to the conceit of the story--neither Batman nor Two-Face are really "in character" here (for that matter, neither is the Joker, though his mental instability makes it tough to argue against any behavioural pattern). Ultimately, Arkham Asylum is a creation unto itself, best remembered as a singular work of art that is only by necessity a part of the Batman universe. --Randy Silver

Customer Reviews

A Harrowing Graphic Novel
Arkham Asylum tells the dual story of Batman as he ventures into the mental institue that has been taken over by inmates, whilst also telling the story of how Amadeus Arkham founded the asylum in the 1920's. A note at this point: This is a purely adult style comic and both the graphical style and the storylines subtle twists will only be appreciated by older readers. The version of Batman portrayed here is also quite unique- more in line with the 'Dark knight' than comic book hero. Complex, and often insecure with his own personal demons, this Batman is a figure plagued by inner torment who finds that he is not so different from the inmates he has struggled to put behind bars over the years.

Whilst the writing is great, what makes the graphic novel stand out is the stunning artwork by Dave McKean. It is one of those rare works where each panel could easily stand in a modern art gallery. The dark and forboding atmosphere of the corridors and chambers of Arkham are brilliantly represented, as is the manical set of characters that Batman encounters.

If you are interested in a real storyline and a different take on the character of the Batman, as well as a sublime portrayal of madness and insanity, this comic is highly recommended. I have a fairly large collection of comics but amongst all of them, this one stands out as one of the few that is truly special.

2200 year recipe
Not following the modern path, but rather choosing a 2200 year recipe, Grant Morison made a story to remember.
The play is strictly governed by the rules of an ancient Greek tragedy. Characters are tragic in the original term. Their future is decided from the very beginning. That they may know, deep inside, what they are and where they will end, makes no difference. They must endure the whole path of apocalyptic events that will drive them to the inner illumination and the completion of their struggle. Not being strong enough to divert from their line of destiny, even when foretelling is quite obvious, characters are distilled and remade through the process and their agony to postpone the inevitable, which is to face the oncoming revelation of oneself. At the end, redemption rarely comes, and each character confronts truth in its own unique way.
Morison masters the plot effectively, and even uses the more complicated tool of the ancient tragedy: the choir (look for the voices of the madmen). This tribute to the oldest rules of western theatrical play comes to completion when Batman finally passes through a gate with the inscription "ÃÍÙÈÉÓÅÁÕÔÏÍ", which is ancient Greek and translates as "to know yourself".
Take all that, add the astonishing artwork by Dave McKean, and you result in a piece of artwork one rejoices to study. The 9th art in one of its finest moments, and a marvelous story where one can even "smell" the psyche of the heroes

Caped Crusader or Masked Madman?
This stunning addition to the Batman graphic novels asks the question that has been asked bysensible people since Batman's first appearance: what kind of nutter dresses like a bat and stalks the streets at night? Luckily, this has been effectively answered by playwrite (and indie band member) Grant Morrison, whilst being gloriously illustrated by the dark visions of Dave McKean. If your serious about your graphic novels, you should already have this, if you just appreciate them: what are you waiting for? This book is one of few graphic novels I've read that is any where near as thought provoking as Neil Gaiman's Brief Lives, or better still, The Kindly Ones. The theme is ofcourse, insanity: Bruce Wayne's insanity, the insanity inside the walls of Arkham Asylum (both that of the inmates and doctors), and ultimately, the insanity outside.