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challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Super powerful story about how Batman might belong with the crazies after all. It dives deep into the lore of the asylum and also how much Batman and his enemies question his sanity.
I've never liked McKean's illustration style and it rather ruined what could have been an interesting book for me. The story was hard to follow with the disjointed art.
After reading the graphic novel, being confused but intrigued, going back and reading the script, THEN reading the graphic novel three more times, I finally understand this complex piece of work.
The amount of symbolism Morrison injects is both overwhelming and impressive. I enjoyed doing some minor research on Tarot and the somewhat obscure Batman villains featured to help my understanding of this graphic novel.
Dave McKean also does a great job, there's no way Arkham Asylum would have worked without his direction and style. I contend that his visual interpretation of the Joker is one of the creepiest and best.
I'm the author of a graphic novel blog; for more information on graphic novels including reviews, news and other insights, visit ALD Graphic Novels.
The amount of symbolism Morrison injects is both overwhelming and impressive. I enjoyed doing some minor research on Tarot and the somewhat obscure Batman villains featured to help my understanding of this graphic novel.
Dave McKean also does a great job, there's no way Arkham Asylum would have worked without his direction and style. I contend that his visual interpretation of the Joker is one of the creepiest and best.
I'm the author of a graphic novel blog; for more information on graphic novels including reviews, news and other insights, visit ALD Graphic Novels.
i read this many many years ago. i am revisiting it thanks to a loaned copy from a good friend.
i am moved by grant morrison's ability to convey deeper complexity than one would off-the-cuff ascribe to comic book characters. the artwork by dave mckean is in a similar vein, pushing boundaries of the medium's form firmly into a palimpsestic art. many point to this work as a pivotal moment for comics and they may well be right. the choice to use such iconic and well-established characters as batman and the joker to illustrate the difficulties faced by a life of vigilantism and the nuanced decay that slowly usurps the psyche is a drastic departure from the "OOF!" "BIFF!" and "KAPOW!" title card panels we may have come to expect from a batman story. the form of conflict resolution displayed here is much less cut and dry, much more problematic, and dare i say: unresolved. there is vaguery of vaguery and a challenge present on just about every panel. i often found myself perplexed as to the thrust of story, the continuance of plot, and set adrift on the chaos. i am willing to take this trip. not all are. certainly there is great work here and it is highly conceptual. if you are looking for a dark, bleak, nearly impenetrable immersion in the madness of gotham's insane asylum you could do no better than this.
i am moved by grant morrison's ability to convey deeper complexity than one would off-the-cuff ascribe to comic book characters. the artwork by dave mckean is in a similar vein, pushing boundaries of the medium's form firmly into a palimpsestic art. many point to this work as a pivotal moment for comics and they may well be right. the choice to use such iconic and well-established characters as batman and the joker to illustrate the difficulties faced by a life of vigilantism and the nuanced decay that slowly usurps the psyche is a drastic departure from the "OOF!" "BIFF!" and "KAPOW!" title card panels we may have come to expect from a batman story. the form of conflict resolution displayed here is much less cut and dry, much more problematic, and dare i say: unresolved. there is vaguery of vaguery and a challenge present on just about every panel. i often found myself perplexed as to the thrust of story, the continuance of plot, and set adrift on the chaos. i am willing to take this trip. not all are. certainly there is great work here and it is highly conceptual. if you are looking for a dark, bleak, nearly impenetrable immersion in the madness of gotham's insane asylum you could do no better than this.
I found the premise of the comic interesting, which is why I initially picked it up. What I was not expecting was the vague artwork and scattered story line, the combination of these element made it difficult to read. In a story that would otherwise have been quite gripping, was one of the worst things I have ever had to read.
This is sad because Grant Morrison is a great writer, but I feel that with comics you need more the just a great writer for them to be enjoyable.
This is sad because Grant Morrison is a great writer, but I feel that with comics you need more the just a great writer for them to be enjoyable.
This comic was published in 1989 right before Warner Brother's came out with their Batman, and they asked that this comic be censored to a point. I think because of this a lot was lost in the story.
I read a review/summary on it after I read it through and it mentioned things like Batman dealing with his sexuality and a cannibalistic scene with Abraham Arkham that I totally missed.
I went back and read it through again and had to stretch my imagination on though scenes.
The artwork was beautiful in the book, but it didn't portray motion well. I don't think Dave Mckean wanted it to he went for an abstract approach. I think that it was to focus on the emotional and psychological issues that were supposed to be happening.
However I sort of lost that in the writing. A lot of scenes turned out to be Batman wandering the halls of Arkham Asylum occasionally peeking in to see old rivals and getting his ass kicked by the Croc.
WHAT?
What kind of conclusion was that?
The comic was supposedly exploring a different side of Batman which it did, however it did it weakly.
Arkham's story was better and clearer.
If they had removed the almost random Batman side story I think they could have made it an interesting look in Arkham's history instead it turned into a vague exploration of the Batman that didn't quite go anywhere.
I read a review/summary on it after I read it through and it mentioned things like Batman dealing with his sexuality and a cannibalistic scene with Abraham Arkham that I totally missed.
I went back and read it through again and had to stretch my imagination on though scenes.
The artwork was beautiful in the book, but it didn't portray motion well. I don't think Dave Mckean wanted it to he went for an abstract approach. I think that it was to focus on the emotional and psychological issues that were supposed to be happening.
However I sort of lost that in the writing. A lot of scenes turned out to be Batman wandering the halls of Arkham Asylum occasionally peeking in to see old rivals and getting his ass kicked by the Croc.
Spoiler
At that point I wondered why he came. He's Batman and he was doing what he was told by the Joker? What? and the only point I saw any psychological struggle was when he remembered his parent's murdered and whispered "Mommy?" Then he just lets all the villains go...WHAT?
What kind of conclusion was that?
The comic was supposedly exploring a different side of Batman which it did, however it did it weakly.
Arkham's story was better and clearer.
If they had removed the almost random Batman side story I think they could have made it an interesting look in Arkham's history instead it turned into a vague exploration of the Batman that didn't quite go anywhere.
vibess up there with killing joke and black mirror as my top Batman’s rn
I completely understand why this comic got horrible reviews. I think part of it is because of the stream of conscious narrative and the art work. It's definitely NOT for everyone. However, I loved it. It was wild and unlike anything I've ever read. It was creepy, which is how ANYTHING involving the Joker should be. It Was difficult to read at times, but that didn't make a different to read. I thought it was easy to follow and theoretically brilliant. I highly recommend it.
There is controversy around this book and its depiction of mental illness. Although I think it is an important conversation to have, and I'm not nearly well versed enough in Batman lore to have it, I still found the artistry in this book fascinating. It felt like a descent into a fever dream that some may love and some may hate.