Batman: Arkham City

Batman: The Arkham Saga #1

by Paul Dini, Carlos D'Anda (Illustrator)

Video game tie-in reveals real motivation behind Mayor Sharp's plans for the new criminal walled-in city -- insane psychiatrist Hugo Strange with drugs and hypnotism angers good soldiers into rabid anti-Bat Tyger private force. Emaciated Joker, obese Penguin, scrawny Riddler, bulky Bane, and mostly Two-Face with exposed side of blood sinew and bone, plus . . .

Bare green skin Ivy, tightly leathered Catwoman, and bouncing bazoombas on Clown side-kick are imprisoned alongside first-time offenders and retired criminals. Virulent drug Titan bulges muscles but fries brains. To be continued...

Collecting BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY #1-5 and BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY DIGITAL CHAPTERS #1-5.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Paul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. He is best known as a producer and writer for several Warner Bros./DC Comics series, including Star Wars: Ewoks, Tiny Toon Adventures, Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman/Superman Adventures, Batman Beyond and Duck Dodgers. He also developed and scripted Krypto the Superdog and contributed scripts to Animaniacs (he created Minerva Mink), Freakazoid, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. After leaving Warner Bros. In early 2004, Dini went on to write and story edit the popular ABC adventure series Lost.

Paul Dini was born in New York City. He attended the Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, California on an art scholarship. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he earned a BFA degree in creative writing. (He also took zoology classes at Harvard University.)

During college, he began doing freelance animation scripts for Filmation, and a number of other studios. In 1984, he was hired to work for George Lucas on several of his animation projects.

The episodes of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that were written by Dini have become favorites amongst the show's fans over the internet, although despite this as well as contributing to interviews on the released box sets of the series, Dini has made no secret of his distaste for Filmation and the He-Man concept. He also wrote an episode of the Generation One Transformers cartoon series and contributed to various episodes of the Ewoks animated series, several of which included rare appearances from the Empire.

In 1989, he was hired at Warner Bros. Animation to work on Tiny Toon Adventures. Later, he moved onto Batman: The Animated Series, where he worked as a writer, producer and editor, later working on Batman Beyond. He continued working with WB animation, working on a number of internal projects, including Krypto the Superdog and Duck Dodgers, until 2004.

He has earned five Emmy awards for his animation work. In a related effort, Dini was also the co-author (with Chip Kidd) of Batman Animated, a 1998 non-fiction coffee table book about the animated Batman franchise.

Dini has also written several comics stories for DC Comics, including an acclaimed oversized graphic novel series illustrated by painter Alex Ross. (A hardcover collection of the Dini and Ross stories was published in late summer 2005 under the title The World's Greatest Superheroes.) Other books written by Dini for DC have featured his Batman Animated creation Harley Quinn as well as classic characters Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Zatanna.

Best known among Dini's original creations is Jingle Belle, the rebellious teen-age daughter of Santa Claus. Dini also created Sheriff Ida Red, the super-powered cowgirl star of a series of books set in Dini's mythical town of Mutant, Texas. Perhaps his greatest character contribution is the introduction of Harley Quinn (along with designs by Bruce Timm) on Batman: The Animated Series.

In 2001 Dini made a cameo appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during the scene in which Jay and Silent Bob wear ridiculous looking costumes for a film being directed by Chris Rock, in which Dini says to them "you guys look pretty bad ass".

In 2006, Dini became the writer for DC Comics' Detective Comics. That same year, he announced that he was writing a hardcover graphic novel starring Zatanna and Black Canary. In 2007, he was announced as the head writer of that company's weekly series, Countdown. Paul Dini is currently co-writing the script for the upcoming Gatchaman movie. Dini is also currently writing a series for Top Cow Productions, based in a character he created, Madame Mirage.

Paul Dini is an active cryptozoologist, hunter and wildlife photographer. On a 1985 trip to Tasmania, he had a possible sighting of a Thylacine. He has also encountered a number of venomous snakes, a Komodo Dragon and a charging Sumatran Rhi

Reviews

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really hope the game is better than this prequel book, because it had no drama to it, and was the antithesis for the springboard it was supposed to be for the video game.

[Jonathan Terrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a video gamer, chances are you will have heard of, if not played, Arkham Asylum or Arkham City. And if you are a gamer and have not played it I fully recommend doing so. While literary fiction is my number one love, movies and video games also have an interactive ability that immerses me in another world - whether it be the cool factor of blowing myself to pieces and not leaving a mark, or the brilliant and beautiful storytelling. Arkham City has both of those elements inside it - an immersive and beautifully rendered story and the cool feeling of 'being' Batman. Let's be honest, when you can be Batman - you be Batman!

This comic book is a prequel to the story found in Arkham City, yet it doesn't particularly have any spoilers. It more fills in gaps between Arkham City and the original Arkham Asylum - games which capture the true nature of a comic character better than anything else before (and the proper third game is released next year!). So if you want a Batman comic that connects into another immersive experience, I recommend reading this.

There's little else I can say about it, other than that it captures the spirit of Batman as a character excellently. He is one of my top ten great characters of literature, despite the 'disadvantage of being a comic character', because he has leapt off the page and onto the screen and popular culture as a mythological entity. He is part of our pop culture myths and I wonder if in the distant future (assuming the Earth still exists) he will be viewed as a pantheon of gods and legends that also includes Gandalf and Sherlock Holmes...

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, this was alright. It was competently drawn and there are a fun cavalcade of Batman villains here (all of the usual suspects + Hugo Strange.) The story involves the Mayor of Gotham, in the aftermath of the new City Hall being blown up at its dedication ceremony, creating a walled-off city within the city to house its criminals. This doesn't just include supervillains like The Joker, but petty crooks of all sorts as well.

The city is, naturally, called Arkham City.

That would be a cool concept to explore from a story perspective, as there are genuinely haunting moments as small-time criminals beg to not be thrown into this Escape From New York hellscape. But this graphic novel pretty much exists as backstory for the crazy popular video game of the same name and I'm not a gamer. My favorite parts were, of course, the Harley Quinn and Catwoman bits and the (originally published as digital) comics in the coda, particularly the Nightwing-ish one about Robin (again, of course.)

Ok, but inessential. If you are a player of the Arkham City game, YMMV.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set after the events of Arkham Asylum (the computer game), the Mayor of Gotham, Quincy Sharp, makes the baffling choice of segregating a part of Gotham City exclusively for the use of the inmates of Blackgate Prison and Arkham Asylum in an effort to better rehabilitate the prisoners (?).

If the premise sounds barmy, it’s because the Mayor is being controlled by the mad Doctor Hugo Strange who wants to defeat the Batman by luring him into his nefarious schemes. As a comic book the story is very weak but remembering that this is a comic book to set up the video game Arkham City, it allows players of the game a vast array of options and an enticing playground where they can play as Batman, Robin, or Catwoman.

Anybody looking too deeply into the story will find flaws but allowing Gotham to be introduced means the player can control Batman in a cityscape, and introduces the supervillains of the Batman universe free reign to develop gangs and get more opportunities to go crazy. All to the good of anyone playing this game.

As a comic book, it’s not bad. It’s interesting to see how Paul Dini explains how the villains of the last game returned for this sequel and gives the reader a glimpse of what’s going to be available in this game. We get to see Riddler play more of a role, Penguin, Catwoman, and Two Face are introduced, Poison Ivy, Bane, Zasz, and of course the Clown Prince of Crime, Joker, all return. All in all, it looks like an awesome game that I can’t wait to play in 2 weeks time (the PC version that is, I don’t have a PS3 or Xbox).

Not the best Batman comic book but a nice lead in and that’s the point. Fans wanting more background on Arkham City the game will want to read this, Paul Dini provides a decent script, and there is some decent art throughout – but the book is really for fans only.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another tough one for me to rate, particularly because the game is so damn good that any other representation is going to suffer a little in comparison. It was a little confusing as to when exactly in the timeline of the game the events in this story take place as it seems to bounce around quite a bit. Paul Dini is absolutely one of my favorite storytellers when it comes to Batman and ESPECIALLY when it comes to Harley. I really don't feel like anyone else can write her better. Dini does do a great job with the different characters, particularly Harley and Joker. The artwork is gorgeous and I was actually very impressed by that part. I ended up deciding to just give this three stars because I honestly didn't feel like it added all that much to the game and was a bit confusing. A good read if you're a Batman fan but not one I'd consider essential reading.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining to be sure and a fun tie-in comic for the video games. I just took points away for making me look at Tim Drake's awful Arkham-verse design again. Thanks for reminding me that exists. I would have given it four stars otherwise.

[শুভঙ্কর শুভ · Rating 3 out of 5]

যাক, ভালো ছিল এটা।

[Ikram · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good overall. Not great but not terrible either.

[Eliasxch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pas mal ! Bonne intro aux jeux qui me donne vraiment envie mais je trouve les tenues des femmes vraiment dégradantes, si au moins y avait des proportions réalistes mais la taille de Selina c'est abusé

[David Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do I think? I love it! I am an old time comic book junkie from way back in the 60's. I am not a game player, and have not been reading regular DC or Marvel titles for the past several years. Too many titles and they are always redoing comic book characters and their histories.

But, the covers of these Arkham games were looking pretty darn good and the game promos finally got to me. So a few weeks ago I ordered and read it and loved it. But I felt I was missing something (like how Arkham City came about). I had also ordered , but have held off reading it. I did some research and found the proper order to read these graphic novels. And this led me to reading Batman: Arkham City.

What a concept! Similar to that classic movie: Escape from New York but with Batman! So, I am back into the world of Batman and DC comics, but for now just for Arkham.

I have already ordered from Amazon or bought from my local comic shop:

and

. And I will pick up this weekend. Then just a few more Arkham graphic novels to complete my collection. This all goes along with me picking up the "Assault on Arkham" Blu-ray yesterday.

The Arkham stories are such a contrast to the 1966 Batman series on Blu-ray that I am watching . Day and Night difference!

[Anne Patkau · Rating 2 out of 5]

4-5* art (0* for subjects) + 0-1* plot = overall 2*. Just not for me. I hate counting slippery shiny pages, any pages. Chapters seem irrelevant when plot never goes anywhere or ends.

Stiff bodies, faces either frozen rigid or bug-eyed in alarm or anger. Emaciated sick Joker, grossly obese Penguin, scrawny stick Riddler, bulky Bane, and mostly Two-Face with exposed side of blood sinew and bone, plus bare green skin (couldn't her red hair curl seductively over appropriate parts?) Ivy, tight low-cut leather-clad Catwoman, and bouncing bazoombas Clown side-kick (three names at least) - villains trapped in walled-off Arkham City.

Puppet mayor and Tyger security force (drugged good soldiers) round up even retired ex-criminals and first offenders to join worst. Mastermind, escaped prisoner Dr (evil mad self-proclaimed kind who pretends to be psychiatrist with big needle and hypnosis) Hugo Strange (really? that is supposed to be a name of nightmares?) whispers in their ears and drugs them to raging anti-Bat fiends with bulging red eyes. Titan drug gives muscles but fries brains. Tries to be gruesome. More boring.

As excuse to focus on each super-villain, adult Robin and disguised Batman tour Arkham in disguise, latter rescued by Catwoman, former never gets caught. Who's the big bad Bat? Clown resembles DVD Sucker Punch's asylum resident blonde "Baby" in bouncy double ponytails. Coincidence?

[Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know those cinematics they show now at the beginning of video games? The one where they have a little narrative to set up whatever story the game is supposed to have before you can actually start playing? That is basically what this book is. It is nothing more than the set up for the Arkham City video game. There is no conclusion because it leads in to whatever point the game starts at. Fans of the game will probably like this. Of course, you do have to get past the pretty preposterous premise that Gotham goes with martial law and basically walls off a section of the city to turn it into a prison and mental asylum (then again, this is DC, so this may not be as farfetched for comics). Story here is pretty minimal, but you get a nice look at some of the main villains; keep in mind the premise is just the excuse to get Batman to confront all the popular villains in the game.

One redeeming quality of the comic is the art. The art work for this volume is very good, and for that, it may be worth picking up. In terms of story, it is barely so-so. As I mentioned, fans of the game will probably gobble this up. Everyone else, you may be better off picking up other Batman stories with more substance to them. Anyhow, an easy, short read. This is definitely a borrow if you can book, not buy.

[Joshua Adam Bain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid 3.5 for me!

So before I start I have to say, if you haven't played either of the Arkham games then you should probably give this a miss. This story will, for the most part, only make sense if you have knowledge of what happens in both games. Having said that, the Arkham games are some of the best, if not THE best comic book adapted games ever made. If you are a Batman fan, or a DC fan in general and you haven't played them, you need to get your hands on a copy. The story is beautifully crafted and full of twists and turns and chock to the brim with great character cameos.

This book takes place between Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, setting up the key players and showing is how the events unfold. Previously an untold story I found this really interesting, making things a lot clearer to understand. Though the story doesn't have a conclusion, it still stands as a great read. To accompany it we have some absolutely fantastic art filled with beautiful colours that capture the games atmosphere perfectly. One thing I would have liked to see more of is Robin, his design looked great and it would have been rad to see him in action.

In short, if you've played the games give it a read. If not, give it a miss.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

To my understanding, this graphic novel is the novelization of the concept for the video game. Immediately, you might start to think it won't be that great. Wrong! This was good reading. I'm not that surprised, because I have enjoyed Dini's Zatanna books. While Batman doesn't let anyone steal the show, I liked how prominent the various narratives of villains and criminals was. It's more or less their story. It tells how Arkham city becomes what it is, and since it's a city for criminals, there you have it. I've fallen love with Catwoman (after watching The Dark Knight Rises), but I liked her cameo. And I've become sort of a fan of Harley Quinn, so I appreciated her appearance.

I'm not familiar with Hugo Strange, so this is my first exposure to the Batman adversary. He's a manipulate and highly intelligent foe, but he's going against Batman, so he had better have his game together.

I enjoyed the artwork. It conveys the mentality and personalities of the characters. Bruce has a different look in this, but I liked it. The action is conveyed very well visually.

My question is, do I need to play the videogame to get closure or is there another volume in the graphic novel format? I'd better find out.

[Eirin · Rating 4 out of 5]

denne er veldig nostalgisk for meg da jeg leste den om og om igjen som tenåring! Nå spiller jeg spillet for første gang selv, og jeg må si jeg syntes det er en grei bro i mellom spillene. Det forklarer småting man kanskje lurer litt på i starten av arkham city spillet. Men jeg ville ikke sagt dette er en /bra/ tegneserie/bok… men nostalgia faktoren vinner meg over

[Sannie Hald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is epic. A must read for Batman fans!

[Carolina Aldaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

To begin with, Paul Dini and Carlos D’anda did a wonderful adaptation of the original video game in Batman Arkham City. Since 2011, many movies and adaptations had been made of the classic Batman. Still, this comic achieves to present the “Batman” we all remember: Bruce is devoted to his mission to achieve justice and equality for everyone living in Gotham City.

In a way, it is similar to the series Batman Beyond (1999) and Batman The Long Halloween Part 1 & 2 (2021). The graphic novel shows the classic villains and at same time the eternal contrast between Good & Evil. Batman Arkham City achieves to portray this duality with villains like Two-Face and Cat-woman who are in the neutral side: They are not completely evil but rather survivors who might help Batman against a common enemy like the mad scientist Hugo Strange.

At the end of the comic, fan service is given through complete panels for each one of the main villains in the story like the Joker, Poison Ivy or Harley Quinn. Moreover, Robin also makes an appearance being the version portrayed in movies like Batman Forever (1995) and Batman and Robin (1997). It shows Robin’s struggle to be independent and not just a shadow by trying to catch Harley Quinn and the mad scientist.

Lastly, Batman Arkham City is also a story that reflects present United States with problems like freedom, politics, poverty and immigration. Furthermore, it describes a society in decadence where individuals are forced to give in to the dark side like in the case of Jenna; she is an ex-con who used to pertain to Virtual Wonderland. Other problems can be related to global issues such as mortality and modern medicine (Two-Face and the Joker’s deterioration and illness) along with gender inequality (Cat-woman and Poison Ivy finding their own power to be equal to men).

In my personal opinion, Arkham City and, its “mirror” Gotham City, can be compared to real life big cities like Bangkok, Thailand, where local communities have practically disappeared: It is a large metropolis that offers individuality and a personal journey but also everyone is an almost complete alienation from the traditional friendly society.

[Benjamin Mentell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batman Arkham City

I had a glimpse of my younger self as I read this comic book who was extremely passionate about becoming a great vigilante like Batman one day. A hero who consistently rescued the day without resorting to killing. As I read this comic book which I rated 8 stars out of 10 I leave my insights on why.

Batman has a special place in the hearts of fans worldwide, and the comic book Batman: Arkham City brilliantly glorifies the reasons for this large fanbase. Firstly, it brings together a variety of iconic characters from the Batman franchise featuring the likes of Joker, Two-Face, the Riddler, Harley Quinn, Penguin, and numerous other iconic characters. With the vast majority of characters seeking influence and power which causes constant chaos throughout the entire story.

Batman’s detective skills are also put to the test to fully get a grasp at his unique character as he tries to uncover the man that is pulling the strings and manipulating the corrupt mayor behind the scenes. Who was later identified as Hugo Strange.

To me, this comic book not only stands out but offers a journey back in time, given its 2011 publication date, and its connection to the 2009 Batman: Arkham city game. This comic book is an excellent choice for individuals who are interested in learning more about Batman with the wide variety of characters who are shown in this comic, individuals who have played the Batman: Arkham city game, and individuals who are looking for a fantastic read that would bring back fond memories.

[Logan · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a disappointing series.

From something I’ve read years ago as a teenager, I can honestly say I enjoyed it a lot more then. I’m a huge fan of the Arkham series…who isn’t? But using a beloved title like the Arkham games and adding little to no value with comics is a disgrace.

I do love the dialogue and artwork. It doesn’t stray from the game and keeps the characters identical to their counterparts. Otherwise, there is nothing here I needed to read. The overall mission of this series is to get Batman to learn that Hugo Strange is behind the making of Arkham City. Something we jump into at the beginning of the game.

It is…somewhat interesting. Learning about Quincy Sharps ‘puppet’ mindset and how Hugo is pulling the strings to his speeches and political power. But…we’re made aware of things like this *in the game.* So we learn all this…just to learn it again…?

Jokers story is insane to me. I wouldn’t of minded if he was placed in Arkham City as a disfigured prisoner - like we last saw in Asylum - but he escapes, gets blown up on a boat, and Batman somehow can’t find him? You have thermal technology and you cannot see him under the water?!?! It’s just highly unbelievable and stupid.

Batman sneaking into Arkham City as an undercover criminal seemed cool when I was younger, but dumb now. It added nothing new to Penguin or Jokers new empire and was just meant to be silly stupid fun.

I don’t know. I have a major issue with comics using a likable IP and adding LITERALLY NOTHING because they can. Do better.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman: Arkham City is a graphic novel written by Paul Dini set in between the video games Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. With it simply being titled Batman: Arkham City, my expectation was that it would be an adaptation of the Arkham City video game, but it is not; it's a prequel to it, and with Paul Dini being the writer, there is no question whether or not this graphic novel is canon to the Arkham games; it absolutely is. I also really enjoyed this graphic novel and also really enjoyed Carlos D'Anda's vibrant art. If you're a fan of the Arkham video games, I would even consider this to be essential reading, especially because it really helps put into perspective just how evil Arkham City being established really is and why it's such a flagrant violation of human rights. After the main story concludes, there are five very short mini-stories featured (which I guess were originally released digitally), and the second one featured, titled "Cut and Run," especially helps exemplify why Arkham City as an establishment in Gotham is so problematic. I quite enjoyed most of the mini-stories, in fact; the only one that I didn't much care for is the last one featured. Titled "Fall of the Titan," it is centered on Bane and honestly just feels unnecessary. All in all, however, I, as I said, had a great time reading this graphic novel and strongly suggest it to Batman and DC fans, especially fans of the Arkham video games.

[Arto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Johdatus peliin ja ei kovin hyvä sellainen. Nämä yhdistelmäviihteet ovat asioita, joita en oikein koskaan ole ymmärtänyt. Jos haluan pelata, niin en silloin halua lukea sarjakuvia. Ne ovat sen verran eri medioita, joten se mikä toimii toisessa, ei välttämättä toimi toisessa.

Sarjakuvista harvemmin tehdään hyviä elokuvia ja elokuvista tehdyt sarjakuvat tai kirjat ovat harvemmin luettavia. Kyllä se muutos onnistuu, sillä hyvistä kirjoista on tehty myös hyviä elokuvia. Esimerkkinä Kingin Hohto. Kubrickin versio on loistava, eikä ihan kovin hyvin seuraa kirjaa. King itse ei pidä siitä ja Kingin oma tv-sarja Hohdosta taas on huono.

Batman ei ole mielestäni kiinnostava sarjakuva, mutta Burtonin leffat olivat juuri sellaisia, jonka laisia kuvittelin Batmanin tarinoiden olevan. Uudemmat leffat taas eivät ole olleet kiinnostavia, vaikka Nolanin leffoja onkin kehuttu. Gotham on myös ihan onnistunut sarja tehtynä Batmanin tarinan ympärille. Kuitenkin tämä kirja ei kasvata innostusta syventyä Batmanin muihin sarjakuviin, mutta ei myöskään peliin, joten siinä mielessä huono.

[Rhys Causon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this comic years ago and didn’t really like it that much but as a reread it was better than I remembered. I think that’s because at the time I didn’t appreciate the Hugo Strange sections as much as I did while reading this again. I was more annoyed that it was cutting away from The Joker back then I think.

But I found the story of Strange finding out Batman’s identity more interesting this time. And would now I finally understand the start of the game Arkham City. Even after I first read it I thought it was just a plot point to start the conflict after Bruce Wayne was arguing against Arkham City, making Bruce Wayne a political prisoner more than Strange wanting Batman locked up.

So a comic book that was much better on a reread than I expected it to be, with amazing art, a great story and works very well for a prequel to another piece of media.

Would recommend to Batman fans if they’ve not read this but played the game.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Facing defeat from Batman, the Titan-enhanced Terry and Tracy Trask are willingly detonated by the 'Chief', the real man behind these events. This enables mayor Quincy Sharp, who is also working for the Chief, to wall off a large section of Gotham into a makeshift prison. Batman is determined to get to this Chief, but to do so he must face the many dangers on the street.

Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison's inmates are sent to the newly-christened Arkham City to fend for themselves. The stronger among them start recruiting for their gang. Batman gathers valuable intel on the city's gangs. He soon learns that the man behind it all is Hugo Strange. Batman tries to reveal Strange's dark past, but the latter is skilled in manipulating the media.

Arkham City becomes a reality and many of Batman's most famous enemies revert to their old ways in their new surroundings. Strange only cares about Batman and Bruce Wayne - he knows they are one and the same.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read - BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY #1-5
I've not played the game and as a rule I'm not a fan when Joker is a main part of the story. However I really enjoyed this. The art is crisp and fun. The story held my attention. Favourite covers: 1 & 4.

Digital chapters
1 - meh art, but gives background to the security force and one of their primary functions (kill the bat).
2 - art was fine until Batman appeared. WTF! Story sees Batman help an ex con escape Gotham.
3 - art okay. story focused on Riddler.
4 - okay art. focus is Robin. but who is this Robin. I don't recognise who he's supposed to be.
5 - what the hell has happened to Bane? never an attractive character, this design is horrible.

Overall the digital comics are very short but give some interesting background to the main story. Probably 3 stars average across the 5 chapters.

[Juan Gallardo Ivanovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un recopilatorio de las aventuras en el universo de la serie de Batman Arkham, parte con un prológo de por qué el Joker fue trasladado al Asilo de Arkham previo a lo que sucede al juego homónimo y de 5 breves capítulos dedicados al puente en la historia entre dicho juego y Arkham City.
Está edición cuenta además con algunos dibujos y arte de portadas bien ejecutados, todo bien en línea con el universo del videojuego.
En sí no está mal, pero se sugiere leer cerca de haber jugado ambos juegos para tener los sucesos en la cabeza. Como se trata de un tie-in de la serie Arkham es totalmente complementario con ella, siendo poco importante para quiénes no conozcan la historia del juego (en resumen, acá no se cierra nada).

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art 4/5, Story 3/5
I liked that the story story focused primarily on one main villain, Dr. Hugo Strange , but still incorporated other villains without them interfering with the main story. I also liked how their inclusion seemed relevant to the story, rather than just including them for the sake of including them. This is a story primarily about Hugo Strange influencing the Mayor and taking control of how Arkham City will be run once complete. It is setting up the game. The digital issues are fun side stories of a few main characters including Robin and Bane and a few others, also including how Strange is building his Tyger army.

[John Bonilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy buen prólogo para el videojuego, aunque no es tan necesario, ya que muchas dudas se van resolviendo durante el juego, pero es bueno conocer como desde antes de la inauguración de Arkham City, el Guason y el Pinguino ya tenían problemas y querían la conquista de la ciudad para sus bienes, y más que nada, por hambre de poder.

Lo que si me hubiera gustado es que hilaran el final del comic con el inicio del juego, hubiera marcado una pauta mucho más interesante.

Igual, se sabe como Hugo Strange llegó a donde está al inicio del juego y va explicando bien su escalonamiento y como el Alcande no sirve para nada.

[Kyle Berk · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a prelude to the game this is really good. I enjoyed myself the entire time. Paul Dini has a knack for Batman.

If you’ve played Batman: Arkham City and want more of that you should pick this up immediately because it fits right in.

If you just like Batman it’s an interesting spin on a Hugo Strange tale and enjoyable for all the other villains that pop up. Batman’s inner monologue is also written really well and might be my favorite part.

The digital chapter that come after the prelude are lackluster but they are almost always that way because other than summarizing backstory they can’t do much.

Solid read, even better than I was expecting.

4 stars.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tämän sarjakuvan lukemisen jälkeen tekisi mieli hankkia pelattavaksi Arkham City. Lähinnä siitä syystä, että pääsisi tallaamaan Arkham Cityn sekopäisiä katuja. Sarjakuva itsessään oli hyvä, joskin Batman ja Bruce Wayne oli piirretty mielestäni liian sieluttomasti. Jokeri, Harley ja muut toverit olivat saaneet paljon enemmän sielua kynästä paperille kuin mitä Batman konsanaan! Pidin eritoten siitä, että pääsimme kuulemaan muidenkin henkilöiden ajatuksia kuin pelkästään Brucen/Batmanin. Jokerin aatoskuplat antoivat lisää syvyyttä hahmoon.

[Ash Paeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to read the events that bridged the gap between Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. The game, from what I've played of it anyway (I kind of had to rush because I was on a deadline) never fully explained what happened other than somehow Sharpe became mayor and then created Arkham City. This comic detailed the months between and how those events happened.

I was pleased with the comic itself; it was well written and beautifully drawn. Would definitely recommend reading if you've played the Arkham series, at least the first two anyway.