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Batman: Arkham City Comic Book Review
"I still see the tableau in my mind's eye, the way I dreamed it would end. Batman, one fist raised in a last pathetic act of defiance, a brave oath dying on his lips as I crushed the life out of him. And above it all, my laughter rising over the crack of his bones."
These are the first words spoken by The Joker in DC Comics' Batman: Arkham City prequel story, which hit store shelves today. Writer Paul Dini, who also penned the Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games, does a nice job of picking up the pieces from Arkham Asylum's ending and spinning them into an engaging new plot thread. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I should note that this story shows the event that leads to the construction of Arkham City, and also doesn't waste any time putting all of the game's major players (that we know of) into motion. The Joker and Two-Face are in surprisingly bad shape at the beginning of this tale. With these brief teases out of the way, I won't give away any more; just read it for yourself. Fair warning: It makes the wait for the game all the more excruciating.
This comic is beautifully drawn by Carlos D'Anda, the concept artist for the Arkham Asylum and Arkham City games, and is available with two different covers: one by D'Anda (above), and the other with a black and white render in the same style as Game Informer's Arkham City covers.
Today's release is just the first chapter in a five-issue series, which (oddly) isn't monthly. The second issue is coming sooner than expected, and will be available on May 25. Between each issue, DC is also releasing eight-page digital interludes focusing on Batman's villains. The comic retails for $2.99. The interludes, which are not available yet, will be 99 cents and are likely to be available on DC's website, as well as their tablet apps.
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