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Batman: The Arkham Saga #2.3
Batman: Arkham Unhinged, Vol. 3
In these stories originally available only online and tying into the bestselling video game BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY, Dr. Hugo Strange has gained control of Arkham Asylum and is determined to keep the city's criminal element behind bars. Gotham City in turn has been transformed into a massive prison, run by a madman and ruled by the criminal element.
BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED VOLUME 3: END GAME features an all star cast of Gotham's super-villains, gathered together for the trial of the century starring The Joker as the defendant. With Two-Face serving as both prosecutor and judge, The Joker doesn't stand a chance in this kangaroo court, but will The Joker have to rely on his biggest foe, Batman, to save him from "justice?"
Collects BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED 11-16.
BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED VOLUME 3: END GAME features an all star cast of Gotham's super-villains, gathered together for the trial of the century starring The Joker as the defendant. With Two-Face serving as both prosecutor and judge, The Joker doesn't stand a chance in this kangaroo court, but will The Joker have to rely on his biggest foe, Batman, to save him from "justice?"
Collects BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED 11-16.
232 pages, Hardcover
First published November 29, 2013
7 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Derek Fridolfs
543 books60 followersDerek Fridolfs has worked professionally as an writer, inker, cover & sequential artist for DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Boom, IDW, and a majority of comic companies the past 20 years.
#1 New York Times Best Selling Writer for the DC Secret Hero Society book series through SCHOLASTIC. And Eisner Nominated co-writer of Batman: Li'l Gotham at DC.
He's also written for such titles as Adventure Time, Regular Show, Clarence, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Teen Titans Go!, Dexter's Laboratory, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The New Animated Adventures, Batman Arkham City, Batman Arkham Unhinged, Adventures Of Superman, Sensation Comics Wonder Woman, Justice League Beyond and many more.
#1 New York Times Best Selling Writer for the DC Secret Hero Society book series through SCHOLASTIC. And Eisner Nominated co-writer of Batman: Li'l Gotham at DC.
He's also written for such titles as Adventure Time, Regular Show, Clarence, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Teen Titans Go!, Dexter's Laboratory, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The New Animated Adventures, Batman Arkham City, Batman Arkham Unhinged, Adventures Of Superman, Sensation Comics Wonder Woman, Justice League Beyond and many more.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
December 29, 2019
3.5
Pretty good! I haven't played the video game that these comics are related to, probably if I had I'd get more out of this series, but they've been surprisingly enjoyable. This is my favourite so far, I especially liked the final two.
Uninvited Guests
In which Robin and Nightwing defend Wayne Manor from intruders. This one also has some nice Alfred moments. I think he is the best Batman character, or at least the best good guy in this universe - I have to admit I prefer DC's villains to its heroes!
End Game
This one was seems to pick up from the climatic ending of the video game. It's dramatic and a bit confusing but I loved it anyway. Lots of Batman brooding, Alfred fussing and Joker being absolutely unhinged. It was oddly fun, and I was far more involved with this story then any of the others in this series so far. Judging by the ratings here on Goodreads it's not to everyone's tastes, but I liked it a lot.
Pretty good! I haven't played the video game that these comics are related to, probably if I had I'd get more out of this series, but they've been surprisingly enjoyable. This is my favourite so far, I especially liked the final two.
Uninvited Guests
In which Robin and Nightwing defend Wayne Manor from intruders. This one also has some nice Alfred moments. I think he is the best Batman character, or at least the best good guy in this universe - I have to admit I prefer DC's villains to its heroes!
End Game
This one was seems to pick up from the climatic ending of the video game. It's dramatic and a bit confusing but I loved it anyway. Lots of Batman brooding, Alfred fussing and Joker being absolutely unhinged. It was oddly fun, and I was far more involved with this story then any of the others in this series so far. Judging by the ratings here on Goodreads it's not to everyone's tastes, but I liked it a lot.
February 8, 2021
The ending was great. Everything else not really.
July 11, 2016
I thought was a very good look into the Batman. I got into the whole Arkham storyline because the idea appealed to me. The "Escape from New York" aspect sounded very good. I feel this more closely resembles the Dark Knight from the movies. Still have several more Arkham collections to read.
November 19, 2014
The Joker can literally make any Batman story worth reading.
July 15, 2013
From the last volume, this was quite disappointing. The artwork was all great and all but the story? Man, why did Paul Dini had to let go on this? He was doing well on the first two volumes. Tsk. If you're into comics because of the art, then this might just do you well. But if you're the type of geek who dwells on story wise like me, then this is shit. Seriously, I cannot even find the plot in here. I wouldn't say its a waste of time, because I really did enjoy the artwork. But the writing was lousy, really lousy. This was quite the disappointment, speaking personally.
February 13, 2014
More stories that are inspired by Batman: Arkham City the video game. Stories aren't linked overall, but don't seem random. Not too bad considering. The art really wasn't for me, but it was good to see different perspectives on events that transpired in the game.
Not sure if I will read Volume 4, but maybe.
Not sure if I will read Volume 4, but maybe.
September 21, 2014
Not a bad collection and works well as a companion piece to the Arkham City game, particularly the buildings and so on obviously being the same ones.
There's no need to read these volumes in order, either. All the stories seem to be standalone, which is a good thing as my local library doesn't seem to have volumes 1 and 2.
There's no need to read these volumes in order, either. All the stories seem to be standalone, which is a good thing as my local library doesn't seem to have volumes 1 and 2.
January 1, 2026
29 - 31 Clown Court. Joker is on trial in Two-Face's court. Is it Joker or is it Clayface? (See last issue) Not that it matters apparently because this just devolves into a massive fight. Art is meh.
32 - 34 Repentance. A group are holed up in neutral ground in a church. Vicki Vale, Riddler, the major, some guards. The convicts are trying to get to the major but Azrael is there to save them.
35 - 37 Eviction Notice. Black Mask ends up in AC. Escapes and the gets captured again. The final panel is Bruce getting processed in AC. The tag line is that you have to play the game to find out why Bruce is in AC.
38 - 40 Beloved. Bruce and Talia backstory. Somehow they are connected to Strange. Again this particular story thread apparently finishes in the game.
41 - 43 Uninvited Guests. Strange sends soldiers to Wayne Manor to grab Alfred but Nightwing and Robin see them off.
End Game 1 - 6. I have no idea if I read all of this here, but everything I've read implies I do. Honestly without the knowledge of the game (which we don't appear to get in the comics) I have no idea what happened. And even with this I don't know what the ending is. Joker is dead. And cremated. Did Batman die? I don't have a clue. And the art here was horrible.
32 - 34 Repentance. A group are holed up in neutral ground in a church. Vicki Vale, Riddler, the major, some guards. The convicts are trying to get to the major but Azrael is there to save them.
35 - 37 Eviction Notice. Black Mask ends up in AC. Escapes and the gets captured again. The final panel is Bruce getting processed in AC. The tag line is that you have to play the game to find out why Bruce is in AC.
38 - 40 Beloved. Bruce and Talia backstory. Somehow they are connected to Strange. Again this particular story thread apparently finishes in the game.
41 - 43 Uninvited Guests. Strange sends soldiers to Wayne Manor to grab Alfred but Nightwing and Robin see them off.
End Game 1 - 6. I have no idea if I read all of this here, but everything I've read implies I do. Honestly without the knowledge of the game (which we don't appear to get in the comics) I have no idea what happened. And even with this I don't know what the ending is. Joker is dead. And cremated. Did Batman die? I don't have a clue. And the art here was horrible.
March 30, 2022
As a tie in with the Arkham City game the first have of this collection are some of the weaker stand alone stories that take place around the games events.
However the End Game story line is what makes this volume worth it. The art style, while not exactly the best match to the games art style, helps to sell the gritty atmosphere and creeping horror of the events following the Joker’s death in Arkham City.
And I would assume this story is canon in the Rocksteady Arkham Universe due to the start of Arkham Knight. So it’s a nice bit of storytelling to fill a little bit if the time between games.
However the End Game story line is what makes this volume worth it. The art style, while not exactly the best match to the games art style, helps to sell the gritty atmosphere and creeping horror of the events following the Joker’s death in Arkham City.
And I would assume this story is canon in the Rocksteady Arkham Universe due to the start of Arkham Knight. So it’s a nice bit of storytelling to fill a little bit if the time between games.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2025
(29 December, 2025)
A very good story but Batman is kinda lost in there somewhere. There is also the issue of messy artwork, of two artists in particular. I do not mind non-linear storytelling but it has to be well done, which isn't the case here. The (mis)use of several villains makes me think of what could have been. As for Hugo Strange, an early foe of Batman, he often seems like he just can't cut it as such but whatever.
The ending is a "Pow!" moment. It's out of the blue but it's also so very fitting. A great way to bookend the unique relationship between Batman and Joker.
A very good story but Batman is kinda lost in there somewhere. There is also the issue of messy artwork, of two artists in particular. I do not mind non-linear storytelling but it has to be well done, which isn't the case here. The (mis)use of several villains makes me think of what could have been. As for Hugo Strange, an early foe of Batman, he often seems like he just can't cut it as such but whatever.
The ending is a "Pow!" moment. It's out of the blue but it's also so very fitting. A great way to bookend the unique relationship between Batman and Joker.
September 11, 2023
Una parte, lamentablemente, mucho màs aburrida.
Con elementos que se repiten y acciòn de esas donde el bueno gana, y montones de chistes baratos. Aunque salen Dick, Tim y Alfred, como que no ayuda mucho. Lo de la corte del Joker no tiene nada de sentido, y lo de Azrael està de hueva. Por què Riddler està oculto en la iglesia si se habìa llevado a todos los que estaban dentro?
Con elementos que se repiten y acciòn de esas donde el bueno gana, y montones de chistes baratos. Aunque salen Dick, Tim y Alfred, como que no ayuda mucho. Lo de la corte del Joker no tiene nada de sentido, y lo de Azrael està de hueva. Por què Riddler està oculto en la iglesia si se habìa llevado a todos los que estaban dentro?
November 16, 2020
The biggest problem with this series and this book in general lack of a coherent story. While this is to be a prequel to the Arkham games its a struggle to understand what's happening, when and why. The art was good again but not enough to matter. Overall, a head scratching mess.
April 18, 2019
ডঃ স্ট্রেঞ্জের কবলে আরকম!
June 30, 2019
Good backstory with Talia; decent with black mask. Joker is dead but leaves Batman a trap, good story.
February 16, 2020
Enjoyed this one a lot!
September 28, 2020
It feels weird...not having Joker around.
April 17, 2021
Another short graphic novel, this time looking at the genesis of the separated twins.
An intriguing little side story. A good read.
An intriguing little side story. A good read.
October 23, 2024
Final story by far the best others really unnecessary
February 20, 2022
The third volume of the Arkham Unhinged series is by far the best. It gives you the next 5 stories in the series and the Endgame epilogue one shot. This is the strongest collection of stories by far and well worth a read.
1. Clown Court - Two-Face puts Joker on trial. Penguin, Riddler, Mr Sickle, Carpenter, Poison Ivy, Deadshot, Ratcatcher, Black Mask, Mad Hatter, Bane, Ventriloquist and Zsasz make up the jury of his peers, each with their own story of how Joker has offended them in this mockery of justice. Harley serves as Joker’s defence. It’s a bit like a spoof Batman The Animated Series episode: Trial where Joker and the Arkham inmates put Batman on trial but for Joker. It’s a lot of fun and even sees Batman and Joker team up. Definitely Derek Fridolf’s finest work.
2. Repentance - an exploration of Azrael, a mysterious minor character in the game. Aaron Cash reveals Azrael’s identity and origin as Bane and other Arkham criminals siege the church where Cash, Vicki Vale, Warden Sharp and the Riddler are hiding. It’s a good fun story
3. Eviction Notice - while presumably no longer canon since Arkham Origins, I really liked this Black Mask story. It takes the character who had a few seconds cameo in the game and crafts a compelling story for him covering his origin, first encounter with Batman, entry into Arkham City, encounters with Joker and Penguin, a team up with Firefly, and the resultant battle with the Batfamily that leads to his cameo in the game.
4. Beloved - the Arkhamverse’s version of Batman and Ra’s al Ghul’s first meeting. It’s no Demon’s Quest but I still really enjoyed it. The focus is on establishing Bruce’s relationship with Talia and it does the job.
5. Uninvited Guests - Strange’s soldiers attack Wayne Manor but are fought off by Nightwing and Robin. It was nice to see Nightwing for once but otherwise this was a bit naff. Just forgettable.
6. Endgame - the epilogue to the game. SPOILERS FOR ARKHAM CITY. Joker leaves Batman a message from beyond the grave. He offers one hundred million dollars to anyone who returns his body to Harley Quinn as a distraction while revealing to Batman there are bombs around Arkham City ready to blow in one hour that will release every inmate into the city. Batman’s only clue is a secret Joker hid in Arkham Asylum. Batman recalls a flippant comment to the Joker in solitary confinement that led to him writing a secret diary Batman has to find. There are some gaps in the ending that the Arkham Knight prequel series will fill in but overall this is a fantastic epilogue to the Joker’s death, much better than the Harley’s Revenge DLC that the game actually offers.
Between Clown Court and Endgame, this book is definitely worth your time, particularly for Joker fans.
1. Clown Court - Two-Face puts Joker on trial. Penguin, Riddler, Mr Sickle, Carpenter, Poison Ivy, Deadshot, Ratcatcher, Black Mask, Mad Hatter, Bane, Ventriloquist and Zsasz make up the jury of his peers, each with their own story of how Joker has offended them in this mockery of justice. Harley serves as Joker’s defence. It’s a bit like a spoof Batman The Animated Series episode: Trial where Joker and the Arkham inmates put Batman on trial but for Joker. It’s a lot of fun and even sees Batman and Joker team up. Definitely Derek Fridolf’s finest work.
2. Repentance - an exploration of Azrael, a mysterious minor character in the game. Aaron Cash reveals Azrael’s identity and origin as Bane and other Arkham criminals siege the church where Cash, Vicki Vale, Warden Sharp and the Riddler are hiding. It’s a good fun story
3. Eviction Notice - while presumably no longer canon since Arkham Origins, I really liked this Black Mask story. It takes the character who had a few seconds cameo in the game and crafts a compelling story for him covering his origin, first encounter with Batman, entry into Arkham City, encounters with Joker and Penguin, a team up with Firefly, and the resultant battle with the Batfamily that leads to his cameo in the game.
4. Beloved - the Arkhamverse’s version of Batman and Ra’s al Ghul’s first meeting. It’s no Demon’s Quest but I still really enjoyed it. The focus is on establishing Bruce’s relationship with Talia and it does the job.
5. Uninvited Guests - Strange’s soldiers attack Wayne Manor but are fought off by Nightwing and Robin. It was nice to see Nightwing for once but otherwise this was a bit naff. Just forgettable.
6. Endgame - the epilogue to the game. SPOILERS FOR ARKHAM CITY. Joker leaves Batman a message from beyond the grave. He offers one hundred million dollars to anyone who returns his body to Harley Quinn as a distraction while revealing to Batman there are bombs around Arkham City ready to blow in one hour that will release every inmate into the city. Batman’s only clue is a secret Joker hid in Arkham Asylum. Batman recalls a flippant comment to the Joker in solitary confinement that led to him writing a secret diary Batman has to find. There are some gaps in the ending that the Arkham Knight prequel series will fill in but overall this is a fantastic epilogue to the Joker’s death, much better than the Harley’s Revenge DLC that the game actually offers.
Between Clown Court and Endgame, this book is definitely worth your time, particularly for Joker fans.
Read
October 15, 2015WIDE READING
Title: Batman: Arkham unhinged volume 3
Author: Fridolfs derek and Jason Shawn Alexander (illustrations)
Genre: Graphic Novel Crime Adventure
Why you decided to read it?
I started to read it because I had played the video game based in the same universe and it was a prequel so I decided to read it.
Summarise the story/article/poems- state whether you liked or disliked it and explain why.
In Gotham Arkham asylum has been closed due to the previous events of when the joker compimised the asylum. So the mayor has decided to close a dying part of the city into a prision ran by a private military where the only rule is don’t escape. Villains form gangs where they go to war. This place is called Arkham city. Batman finds Arkham city suspicious so he sneaks inside the facility and starts to investigate. Batman finds foes such as the joker, two face, penguin , Mr freeze and more as he tries to find the truth.
Describe a character you found interesting and explain why?
My favourite character is the joker
Joker is my favourite character in the graphic novel. He is the most joyful character. He always has a plan and one step ahead in front of batman. He has the most enjoyable dialog which makes the whole novel more enjoyable.
Something new I learned from this book.
I learned that you have to keep your guard up and not get manipulated.
Include an interesting quote from your text and explain why it appealed to you.
“I pled sane”
Joker says this quote when he is in court by the two face.
I like this quote because even when the joker might die he is still joking around like nothing is going
Title: Batman: Arkham unhinged volume 3
Author: Fridolfs derek and Jason Shawn Alexander (illustrations)
Genre: Graphic Novel Crime Adventure
Why you decided to read it?
I started to read it because I had played the video game based in the same universe and it was a prequel so I decided to read it.
Summarise the story/article/poems- state whether you liked or disliked it and explain why.
In Gotham Arkham asylum has been closed due to the previous events of when the joker compimised the asylum. So the mayor has decided to close a dying part of the city into a prision ran by a private military where the only rule is don’t escape. Villains form gangs where they go to war. This place is called Arkham city. Batman finds Arkham city suspicious so he sneaks inside the facility and starts to investigate. Batman finds foes such as the joker, two face, penguin , Mr freeze and more as he tries to find the truth.
Describe a character you found interesting and explain why?
My favourite character is the joker
Joker is my favourite character in the graphic novel. He is the most joyful character. He always has a plan and one step ahead in front of batman. He has the most enjoyable dialog which makes the whole novel more enjoyable.
Something new I learned from this book.
I learned that you have to keep your guard up and not get manipulated.
Include an interesting quote from your text and explain why it appealed to you.
“I pled sane”
Joker says this quote when he is in court by the two face.
I like this quote because even when the joker might die he is still joking around like nothing is going
February 1, 2015
ZLONK! WAP! OOF! are basically what this feels like. It's not great, but I suppose it could be a lot worse. Most of these stories don't go anywhere meaningful. The Black Mask story is uncertain if it wants to be an origin story, a pre-game lead-up story, or a clever, creative story and fails on all counts. Likewise, the Talia story tells us things we already knew and gives us little reason to care for Talia, especially. Would Batman save Joker's life from the other inhabitants of Arkham City? Maybe, but I dunno. The epilogue likewise is just off and unnecessarily (and purposelessly) dark and filled with gaping plot holes (far more insulting to the audience than a sign of "artistic creativity"). I'm sure other stories were in this collection, but that I can't recall what they are after reading it not that long ago should tell you how forgettable they are.
I would have started with volume 1, but this was the only volume at the library (and I certainly would not pay money for them). Does this make me want to replay the game? Nope.
I would have started with volume 1, but this was the only volume at the library (and I certainly would not pay money for them). Does this make me want to replay the game? Nope.
April 21, 2015
This series is meant as a companion piece to the Batman: Arkham (whatever) game. (Yeah, I won't be playing that anytime soon. It's just not my flavor.) However, good companion pieces build on one another and aren't reliant on the other medium for completion. They whet your appetite but can stand alone. And that is where this volume fails. So many plots were left hanging or were picked up in the middle with no explanation. I have to admit that this is a particular pet peeve of mine, so this was a really annoying read. Sadly, that also means it was a big step down from the previous volumes. The various artists did a lovely job with the artwork, especially Jheremy Raapack, Alejandro Sanchez and Davide Fabbri. It's worth a look through for that, but an actual plot would have been nice.
November 10, 2024
Changed my rating from 2 to 3 stars.
It's probably because I didn't write a review the first time that I thought I still needed to pick this volume up. But as I read each comic, I felt a sense of deja vu.
I think my favorite comic in this volume is the last one, "End Game." If you have played Arkham City, you know The Joker is dead. Before he kicked the bucket, though, he set up a recording for Batman and all of Gotham to view: millions to the person that finds and takes his body to Harley. Also, bombs are set to go off in one hour that will blast the walls of Arkham City open for the inmates to be free. To find the deactivation codes, Batman must venture back to the island and into Joker's cell in Arkham Asylum.
It's probably because I didn't write a review the first time that I thought I still needed to pick this volume up. But as I read each comic, I felt a sense of deja vu.
I think my favorite comic in this volume is the last one, "End Game." If you have played Arkham City, you know The Joker is dead. Before he kicked the bucket, though, he set up a recording for Batman and all of Gotham to view: millions to the person that finds and takes his body to Harley. Also, bombs are set to go off in one hour that will blast the walls of Arkham City open for the inmates to be free. To find the deactivation codes, Batman must venture back to the island and into Joker's cell in Arkham Asylum.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2023
This one’s a bit more tolerable than the last couple because it at least has Batman in most of its stories, and he even gets to play a meaty role in a couple.
The Talia story stands out as being a somewhat shallow take on what could actually be in a mainline Batman book.
The last issue is the main focus here, though, and its artist does quite a decent job at evoking some Dave McKean-esque pieces, though the art can end up being rather muddy at times.
The writing throughout is easily the weakest point. Fridolfs is surface-level at best throughout.
The Talia story stands out as being a somewhat shallow take on what could actually be in a mainline Batman book.
The last issue is the main focus here, though, and its artist does quite a decent job at evoking some Dave McKean-esque pieces, though the art can end up being rather muddy at times.
The writing throughout is easily the weakest point. Fridolfs is surface-level at best throughout.
January 7, 2016
I had some problems with the ending of the last story. But, considering it's a bunch of one-offs designed to set up levels of a video game, it's a good little read. Clever in spots, and (my most recent favorite thing in Batman comics) a respectful handling of Harley Quinn. Recommend if you liked The Long Halloween or Injustice: Gods Among Us.
May 22, 2014
The stories that lead into the game all feel like filler material, which isn't very different from previous instalments. However, the final story, an epilogue, feels much stronger, helped in no small part by the gorgeously nightmarish art by Jason Shawn Alexander.
July 12, 2015
3.5/5
My main problem with this book matches a lot of other people's problems with this book... THERE ARE TOO MANY PLOTHOLES!!!
The writing wasn't bad, one of the stories was completely skippable, and the plotholes were totally unnecessary.
My main problem with this book matches a lot of other people's problems with this book... THERE ARE TOO MANY PLOTHOLES!!!
The writing wasn't bad, one of the stories was completely skippable, and the plotholes were totally unnecessary.
November 15, 2014
If you're playing the game AND reading the comic series, you may want to wait until you complete the main story arc before you read this volume. It kind of spoiled the ending for me.
July 29, 2014
I really need to play these games....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews