User:TheJoebro64/drafts/serious

Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, also known as Batman: Arkham Asylum, is an American comic book written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Dave McKean. The adult-oriented, 120-page graphic novel was published by DC Comics in October 1989, and has been reprinted on numerous occasions.

Publication history

Plot

Commissioner Gordon informs Batman that the patients of Arkham Asylum, led by the Joker, have taken over the facility, threatening to murder the staff unless Batman agrees to meet with them. Among the hostages are Dr. Charles Cavendish, Arkham's administrator, and Dr. Ruth Adams, a therapist. Two-Face's mental condition has deteriorated as a result of Adams' therapy; she replaced Two-Face's coin with a six-sided die then a tarot deck, in each instance increasing the number of choices he has (as opposed to two choices from his original coin) in the hope that he will eventually not leave any of his choices up to chance. Instead, the treatment renders him incapable of making even the simplest decisions, such as going to the bathroom.

The Joker challenges Batman to a game of hide and seek, giving him an hour to escape Arkham before his adversaries are sent to hunt him down. Batman initially refuses but accepts the challenge after the Joker shoots a prison guard in the head and threatens to kill Adams. However, after Batman leaves, the Joker shortens the time from one hour to ten minutes after being pressured by the other inmates. Batman encounters Clayface, Doctor Destiny, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, and Maxie Zeus. During a struggle with Killer Croc, Batman is thrown out of a window, grabbing onto the statue of the archangel Michael. Clutching the statue's bronze spear, Batman climbs back inside and impales Croc before throwing him out the window, sustaining a severe wound in the process.

Batman reaches a secret room high in the towers of the asylum. Inside, he discovers Cavendish dressed in a bridal gown and threatening Adams with a razor. Batman realizes that Cavendish orchestrated the riot; when questioned, Cavendish cites a passage from the diary of the asylum's founder, Amadeus Arkham. Flashbacks reveal that Arkham's mentally ill mother, Elizabeth, suffered delusions of being tormented by a supernatural entity. After believing to have seen the creature himself (a bat), Arkham cut his mother's throat to end her suffering. He blocked out the memory, only to have it return after an inmate, Martin "Mad Dog" Hawkins, raped and murdered Arkham's wife and daughter. Traumatized, Arkham donned his mother's wedding dress and razor, vowing to bind the evil spirit of "The Bat" with sorcery. He treated Hawkins for months before killing him during shock therapy. Arkham continued his mission even after he was incarcerated in the asylum; using his fingernails, he scratched the words of a binding spell all over his cell until his death.

After discovering the diary, razor, and dress, Cavendish came to believe that he was destined to continue Arkham's work. On April Fools' Day (the date Arkham's family was murdered), Cavendish released the patients and lured Batman to the asylum, believing him to be the bat Arkham spoke of. Cavendish accuses Batman of feeding the evil of the asylum by bringing it more insane souls. Batman attempts to reason with Cavendish, but Cavendish attacks. Batman and Cavendish struggle, ending with Adams slashing Cavendish's throat with the razor.

Seizing an axe, Batman hacks down the front door of the asylum, proclaiming the inmates are free. The Joker offers to put Batman out of his misery. Batman states it should be up to Two-Face to decide his fate, and returns the coin. Two-Face declares that they will kill Batman if the coin lands scratched side up, but let him go if the unscarred side appears. Two-Face flips the coin and declares Batman free. The Joker bids Batman farewell, taunting him by saying that should life ever become too much for him in "the asylum" then he always has a place in Arkham. As Batman disappears into the night, Two-Face stands looking at the coin, which actually landed scratched side up. Two-Face turns to the stack of tarot cards and, knocking them over, recites a passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: "Who cares for you? You're nothing but a pack of cards."

Reception and legacy

References

• Arkham Asylum 2020 edition