He's not the morally immune, physically impressive warrior-type we've enjoyed by Christian Bale's incarnation or Jim Lee's modern comic-book impression. In fact, by Morrison's creative interpretation of the hero, the Dark Knight appears much more vulnerable and seemingly a lot more penetrable in this episode. There seems to be a fate that is repeating itself in our hero's life. What a fantastically gruesome comparison that is drawn between the past and the present in this story - what was intended for good is abused and marred into something horrifying, like the malignity of the Joker's laughter and the hospital turned war-zone. For example, when Amadeus Arkham's family is brutally murdered by a madman, he finds his daughter's head facing him from inside an otherwise innocent dollhouse. Numerous instances of this intense parallelism exist that are so remarkable and subtle, it's chilling. Parallels intentionally mark the plot progression and sees powerful themes given flesh and unforeseeable life. In fact, the whole story is a back-and-forth process that matches the tragic events of Arkham's life and career with the grotesque afflictions of the Madhouse upon Batman's mind. And I'm afraid that when I walk into Arkham it'll be just like coming home.įrom there, we are submerged back into the mind of the deceased Dr. I'm afraid that the Joker may be right about me. But he's afraid:Īfraid? Batman's not afraid of anything. Though other options are presented by a compassionate Jim Gordon, Batman agrees to the clown's conditions. The Joker, enrobed by his trademark sadistic humor, orders the Batman into the 'madhouse' to free the hostages. And mysterious symbols.' Then we are brought back to the present, where Batman and Commissioner Jim Gordon assess a developing situation: the Joker and his gang have taken over the asylum. Rebirth into what, exactly? Another world of 'fathomless signs and portents.

Right away, our unfortunate boy, then, introduces the reader to symbolism: the beetle, which his mother sickly consumed, as one of rebirth. The initial entry, revealed in the first few pages, details the pains of Arkham's childhood, marked with tragedy - Amadeus's father died, his mother stricken with psychosis. Arkham Asylum's plot is threaded with the incredibly luxuriant fabric of the journal entries of the aforementioned founder of Arkham Asylum.

A serious place on serious earth