The graphic novel was Grant Morrison's first work on Batman, and he would later note that the story was intended to be the start of his own version in the Batman saga. Grant Morrison, writer of Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth.
He turns to the stack of tarot cards and knocks them over, reciting a passage from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: "Who cares for you? You're nothing but a pack of cards." As the Joker bids Batman goodbye and the police arrives to retake the asylum, Two-Face looks at the coin and it is revealed that it actually landed scratched side up, implying he decided to ignore it. He flips the coin and declares Batman free. Two-Face declares that they will kill Batman if the coin lands scratched side up and let him go if the unscarred side lands. He returns Two-Face's coin to him, stating that it should be up to him to decide his fate at the hands of the inmates. He accuses Batman of feeding the evil of the asylum by bringing it more insane souls and they fight, which ends when Adams slashes Cavendish's throat to save Batman.īatman breaks down the front door of the asylum, proclaiming that the inmates are now free. 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. He killed Hawkins during a shock therapy session and continued his mission even after he was incarcerated in his own asylum, up until his death.Ĭavendish came to believe that he was destined to continue Arkham's work. Traumatized, Arkham vowed to bind the evil spirit of "The Bat" with sorcery. 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. After believing to have seen the creature himself (a bat), Arkham killed her to end her suffering. In flashbacks, it is shown that Arkham's mentally ill mother, Elizabeth, suffered delusions of being tormented by a supernatural entity. It is revealed that Cavendish orchestrated the riots, and has Batman read the diary of the asylum's founder, Amadeus Arkham, when questioned why. He reaches a secret room in the towers, where he finds Cavendish holding Adams hostage. Through the asylum, Batman encounters Clayface, Doctor Destiny, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, Maxie Zeus, and Killer Croc. The Joker forces Batman into a game of hide and seek, giving him one hour to escape Arkham before his adversaries are sent to hunt him down. Instead, the treatment renders him incapable of making even the simplest decisions, such as going to the bathroom. At the asylum, Batman discovers that Two-Face's mental condition has deteriorated as a result of Adams' therapy she replaced Two-Face's trademark coin with a six-sided die, then a tarot deck, increasing the number of choices he has in the hope that he will eventually not leave any of his choices up to chance.
Charles Cavendish, Arkham's administrator, and Dr. On April 1st, 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. The critically acclaimed, similarly titled video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, the first game in the Batman: Arkham series, was partially influenced by the graphic novel. The graphic novel would later become the definitive story of Arkham Asylum, a critical part of the Batman mythos. Morrison's narrative and Dave McKean's artistic style were described as more mature, unique, psychologically-driven and horror-oriented take on the Batman mythos and the distinctiveness from other conventional superhero works. Upon its release, the graphic novel garnered commercial and wide critical acclaim and is considered by many to be one of the greatest Batman stories of all time, and one of the best works in Grant Morrison's career. As Batman ventures deeper, he discovers the origin of how the asylum was established, the history of its founder Amadeus Arkham, and the supernatural and psychological mystery that has been haunting the mansion. Inside, Batman confronts many of his enduring rogue gallery, such as the Joker, Two-Face, and Killer Croc. The story follows the vigilante Batman, who is called upon to quell a maddening riot taking place in the infamous Arkham Asylum, a psychiatric hospital housing the most dangerous supervillains in Gotham City. Cover of Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious EarthĪrkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (often shortened to Batman: Arkham Asylum) is a Batman graphic novel written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Dave McKean.