23 Dec, 2011
Title: Batman: Arkham City – 168 pages
Genre: Superheroes
Author: Paul Dini & Carlos D’Anda
Publisher: Titan Books
If you’ve ever stopped to wonder what happened between the Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games, this one’s for you. Following on from the events of Arkham Asylum, former warder Quincy Sharp has snagged all the glory, successfully become mayor of Gotham and outlawed all costumed, superhero freaks – including, you guessed it, Batman. Sharp creates a private police force and turns half of Gotham into Arkham City – a place where criminals and the insane can live a free, chaotic life – physically cut-off from the decent, upstanding folk of Gotham. But is there a more sinister player controlling events from the shadows?
The graphic novel is essentially an extended introduction to the game. That said, there’s no denying that the art work is excellent (though personally I think Robin looks like he’s on too many steroids) and as with the game, most of the major Batman universe villains turn up – as sneering, ghoulish and insane as ever. This does mean that no villain in particular really gets the opportunity to shine or truly entertain to their full potential, with the honorable exception of the Joker and Harlequin scenes, which are just fabulous.
The artwork is truly exceptional and maintained throughout. Its tightly woven plot is a work of art in itself (as one would expect from Paul Dini, one of the writers of Batman: The Animated Series) but as a whole the story is simply not compelling enough to be a decent standalone piece.
Much the same can be said for the Digital Chapters, which are more or less Webisodes by another name – did I mention Dini also wrote for TV series Lost? They feature a particularly welcome appearance by Bane, and again, they’re good, but unnecessary for those without the game.
All in all, Batman: Arkham City is very slick, attractive, well-plotted, intermittently gripping and a good addition for the Arkham City player, which is of course the intended audience, and on those terms it succeeds. But at £16.99 RRP a bit steep and a bit superfluous for the rest of us, unless you manage to nab it at a bargain price.
The Good
- Nice lead in to the game
- Well written dialogue
- Fantastic artwork throughout
The Bad
- For fans only
- Unsatisfying ending (for some)
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