A classic one shot by a great comics writer (Morrison) and a great comics artist (McKean). Well, it is what it is and unfortunately, what it is has been done to death in the years since its original publication--the psychology of Batman. This edition is worth picking up for the inclusion of Morrison's original script. ( )

This is one of the best batman stories out there. The writing is great, and so is the artwork. Batman, joker, two-face,are all wrote perfectly. ( )

Supremely creepy, dark and visually arresting. I admit I checked it out at the library simply because Arkham was in the title; I thought it was a graphic rendering of a Lovecraft story, and was surprised to find I'd brought a Batman comic home. It was a fantastic read though; not at all what I expected from a "big name" comic hero. I tend to favor comics and graphic novels that don't have superheros in them, but I might have to re-think that stance. Batman as a flawed hero, conflicted and strange and dark, has been explored well in movies I think, but this was another great rendering of a man with serious problems and issues who somehow thrives in spite of, or because of, them. The artwork is amazing and feels multi-media and textural, and does a good job enhancing the dialogue and story. It was really just a great read; I would recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in comics. ( )

I found it falls into that classic comics trap: the story and the writing aren't as good as the artwork ( )

I would love to give this book a higher rating, but I quite frankly have no idea what's going on in it. Despite that, this helped form my idea of The Joker in my mind, this and The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns. I loved the hypothesis for his insanity, as off the cuff as it was. I enjoyed the look into Batman's psyche as well, ths book showed one of the few times where Batman is emotionally weakened. He gets better. ( )

Pitch-black Batman adventure. The standard by which other graphic novels measure themselves. Awesome artwork and twisted plotting. Definitely NOT for kids or adults with weak stomachs or mimsy tastes. Buy it! ( )

A dark Batman graphic novel from DC Comics. The inmates of Arkham Asylum have taken over the institution for the criminally insane and the Joker is threatening to blind one of the young female staff if Batman does not go and meet them inside. It is April 1st and they all want revenge on the man who put them in there, Batman.

The collection covers how the asylum came to being by the brilliant psychiatrist Amadeus Arkham. It was origianlly his ancestral home, but when his mentally ill mother kills herself he begin rennovations to turn into the asylum. It has a reputation for being cursed and the truth about Amedeus slowly comes out along with his journal revealing the truth behind the man.

Batman must face his own demons and possible madness to restore order and find out how the patients got free. A real look at the nature of madness and Batman's character. THere is a great line where the inmates want to remove his mask near the beginning and see who he really is to which the Joker replies that his real identity is in fact Batman. There are also some great scenes with Harvey Dent/Two Face and the nature of choice. The asylum is trying to open up his choices from the two sides of a coin to the 78 choices in a tarot deck.

Dak illustrations throughout. A disturbing and violent read, it stnads alone and you don't need to have much knowledge of Batman besides the basics. ( )

Just about the only thing that I've been able to add to my list of activities that doesn't involve school, eating, aleeping or work is the reading of some comics. I check them out from my lical library and read them in short bursts about once every day or two. I thought that I'd add some of my thoughts about one Batman book that I've just finished.
Arkham: Serious House on Serious Earth is not exactly a super hero story in any traditional way. It is a disturbing story of a man who was (and will be again) a hero - but here is a man who is being broken and exposed. The Joker, that mythologicalvillain who surpasses all comic villains (and probably personalities) is the architect here, and he has sole control of the entire situation. He uses some of Batman's other enemies to take over Arkham Asylum. They take the doctors and nurses as their hostages. They damned that Batman comes to join them, in his rightful home. He is one of the mad men.
And this is the beginning. The art is brilliant, and batman's journey shows his weaknesses better than any other book I've read. The Joker exposes Batman's main fear - that of sexuality. This is not Bruce Wayne's fear, but Batman's - as Joker points out (When someone suggests that they see Batman's "real" face, The Joker points out that that is his real face). The joker, from the start, puts Batman at a point of vulnerability. The Joker grabs Batman's rear end. This seems silly enough, but it challenges every defense that Batman has, and aids his mental breakdown.
But more on Joker a little later.
As Batman journeys through the asylum, I kept thinking of Jesus' Harrowing of Hell, where he went to Hell to release some of the sinners there (Adam for one). Batman, at a particular weak point, stabs his hand through - a clear image of Jesus ("Jesus!" he screams as he stabs). At the end, he can leave but goes back with an axe. He breaks down the gates of theasylum and releases the souls residing within. Batman: You're free. Joker: Oh, we knew that already....
Some of his old enemies return and are fractions of his psyche. The Clayface, with his melting skin is Batman's image of sexuality - disgusting and disease ridden. There are others as well.
Batman is broken and rebuilt in this book, by the hands of The Joker. This is what he wants to do, Batman is his plaything. The Joker is such a strong personality here, as he is in any of his best appearances. He is a criminal who is not insane, but so in complete control of his sanity that nobody can understand. He has a greater understanding of the minds of others than even the best scientists could. He shows how weak our minds are and susceptible. This is what makes him so great a villain - his understanding. He is an agent of chaos, that is true, but an understatement. He is more in control than Batman, for all of his zen-like qualities, because Batman doesn't understand himself like The Joker understands him. Batman is interesting because he is broken and redeems himself. The Joker is interesting because he cannot be broken and needs no redemption. ( )

This was my first forray into the huge world of Batman. I'm still not entirely sure whether it was the ideal start, but one has to start somewhere; and after having read "The Dark Knight Returns" I'm really glad I chose this one to start with. And Batman or no Batman, this is an absolutely fantastic piece of art.

First of all, it was good to start with something familiar - I've loved Dave McKean's work ever since I read "Sandman", obviously. And I don't think I've ever seen a comic where the art fit so well to the story like with this one.

On April 1, Arkham Asylum is taken over by its inhabitants, and according to the Joker's demands, Batman has to go in there, alone, in order to save the hostages. The Joker wants to show him that this, rather than the "sane" world, is where Batman belongs. At the same time, we also learn about the history of the Asylum, and the result is a wonderfully twisted tale of the past and the present.

I was genuinely creeped out by the story and the art and the lettering (the Joker especially comes to mind), and the atmosphere was really - well, creepy and uncanny. I love it when that happens, since I don't tend to scare that easily. It really pulled me in, and it truly felt like I was in Arkham Asylum with Batman and his adversaries.

In this edition, there is also the script of the comic plus some notes by Grant Morrison. I found them rather helpful and really really interesting (I always love to read how comics come into existance - I still am such a novice to this world and it's fascinating to peek behind the curtain). I was rather confused by most of the villains, since I pretty much only knew the Joker and Two-Face, but even though I suspect a lot of things went over my head, it was still a really enjoyable read. And more than that. It became an instant favourite, and I cannot recommend it enough. ( )

It sure is gorgeous. Like the way Magic card art should be. And it's an interesting and important alternate take on the character - a Batman tormented by rage, pain and repressed homosexual impulses, who goes to Arkham and lets the Joker play him like a harp because part of him is convinced it's where he belongs. The thing is, Morrison doesn't really tell you that - he lets you figure it out on your own, and while that kind of adds impact, it also ruins some of the early scenes, at least your first readthrough, because you're all "Why's Batman acting like such a chump?" and "Come on, you're just using highfalutin references and impressionist art to disguise the fact that he has no motivation to do that - quite the reverse, in fact." But, you know, improves with subsequent readings. the script and glosses from Grant at the end have their points of interest, but come on - at least try to disguise that your referentialia are just there for the sake of referentialia. ( )

Batman must descend into Arkham Asylum and, in so doing, face the darkness of his own psyche. Morrison is a natural choice to tell a story like this, and while Dave McKean's art isn't exactly to my taste, it does fit the tale well, and is striking and memorable besides--which is good, because under the poetry and atmospherics there isn't all that much story per se; it's mostly just Batman confronting various inmates as he gets lost in the asylum: Two-Face, the Mad Hatter, etc.--and of course the Joker.

My biggest question is: where are the female inmates? Maybe there's a canonical answer; my main source for information is the 90's cartoon which had Harley and Ivy and some of the other female villains slumming it together in Arkham in at least one scene. But either way, their absence is not only conspicuous but sorely felt. There are some female characters--a nurse, a psychotherapist, and even mad old Mrs. Arkham herself--but it doesn't even come close to passing the Bechdel test, and the story suffers because of it: what should be a story about the dark madness that can strike at the human psyche ends up just being about men and thus male psychosis, with women being ancillary. It's hard not to see it as a symptom of the medium's pervasive gender myopia. ( )

This was the first graphic novel I ever read - I was 14 and bought if for my 8th grade boyfriend. It has become the bar for which all other graphic novels have been judged by. The story/writing hasn't stuck with me as well as I think it could have, but the art remains fantastic! Batman is in vogue again and while Christian Bale does a pretty believable job, if you want to know more background info, this is a decent place to wade into the Batman canon. ( )

Still don't get it. Lost up its own cleverness. ( )

This story is an interesting concept, I thought having a story written about the origin of Arkham and tying up with Batman was neat. Also having more history fleshed out about Gotham city. the story line was pretty good, not really to forward moving or tense more ambient, the dark art and blurred images are really what makes the comic worth reading though I didn't really like how the Joker looked, a Character like him frequently gets incorporated into the overly Gothic art medium and doesn't tend to usually work to well. Also I am never too huge fan when dealing with mentally ill cases or psycho's the Neil Gaimenish (he's the one who comes to mind) use of nursery rhymes and charioteers screaming of mommy and daddy. I know this is a big part of what made Batman in specific, but in most cases of mental Illness the over use of it gets trite, though I suppose allot of cases always do get linked to early children not being able to grow up or fucked up parents oh well. I think I'll read it again it's always good to re examine creatively drawn graphic novels. ( )

It's April Fool's Day, and the inmates have taken over the asylum. Their final demand: Batman.

Batman himself journeys through the asylum and through his own mind. This story is interspersed with the tale of the asylum's founder, until both stories merge for the finale. ( )

Great Art, story okay. He uses a lot of imagery but I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't read his afterword. ( )

I've read it once and it did not impress me a whole lot. I do intend to give it another shot. At the very least the artwork is top notch. ( )

Both Grant Morrison and Dave McKean are both geniuses. The combination of their work is a haunting experiance that leaves the reader sympathizing (and identifying) with the arch villians. I love Morrison's casting of the Joker as psychotic wise man and initiator, and McKean's detritus aesthetic helps pull the story into the dusty corners of the mind leaving an augural impression. ( )

This book was very disappointing when it came out. The graphical novel craze was starting, and you had funky painting and things like that being popular, but the story, here, was just not very good, or anything other than a garden variety, run of the mill Batman tale. It was definitely not worth the money.

http://graphicsf.blogspot.com/2006/11... ( )

I'm not sure this has aged altogether that well, due in part to excessive pretentiousness, but at the time of its first publication, it had a kind of high seriousness in its intent that seemed exciting. In terms of its impact on comics, specifically on the character of Batman, it's an important book for that reason. It established new conceptual frameworks for most of Batman's antagonists, a new psychological texture to a lot of Batman stories. ( )

Grant Morrison + Dave McKean + Batman = unbelievably awesome.

It's just true. This is a gorgeous, compelling, badass, deep, poignant, creepy, dark, riveting, and wickedly delightful graphic novel.

The Joker and the other inmates at Arkham have taken control of the asylum, holding the staff hostage. Their demand? That Batman enter the asylum, alone. During his sojourn with the criminal lunatics therein, he discovers a great deal about his own dark secrets. Intercut with the history of Arkham and its builder, this is just the most awesome thing EVER. ( )

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/... ( )