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Beyond Arkham City: Batman's cultural highs and lows
The Caped Crusader has always been a man of mystery, but maybe that’s because he’s so multifaceted he’d make Two-Face jealous. Take a look at some of the best, worst, and weirdest versions of Batman from 70 years of crimefighting:
I'm Batman: The Champion in Well-Rounded Form
Batman: Arkham Asylum (WB Games, 2009)
Though Batman: Vengeance tried to do the same thing years earlier, Arkham was the first videogame to let players tap into the full range of Bat’s diverse skills, including stealth, detective work, and martial-arts mastery. With the help of ace production values and a great story, it stands as one of the best-ever superhero videogames.
Batman: The Animated Series (Warner Animation, 1992)
Unlike earlier animated treatments, BTAS took a dramatic, occasionally tragic approach that combined the best aspects of the comics, the movies, and even the ’60s TV show. Extra points for the creation of Harley Quinn, Joker’s henchwench and the strongest addition to Batman’s rogues gallery in decades.
Batman: Tales of the Demon (DC Comics, 1971)This story arc introduced immortal ecoterrorist Ra’s al Ghul and his beautiful daughter Talia, who were determined to make our hero an heir to Ra’s’ empire or eliminate him altogether. Globetrotting high adventure, Batman-style.
In Darkest Knight: At His Grimmest and Grittiest
The Dark Knight Returns (DC Comics, 1986)
Frank Miller’s violent, unrelenting look at a 55-year-old Batman reluctantly drawn out of retirement defined the character for a whole generation of readers as the ultimate badass. His final, no-holds-barred battles with the Gotham cops, the Joker, and even Superman became the stuff of legend.
Batman: Venom (DC Comics, 1991)
Guilt-ridden over the death of a hostage, Batman crosses the line and begins to experiment with a super strength-enhancing steroid. The Dark Knight is jacked-up and out of control!
Batman: The Killing Joke (DC Comics, 1988)
This influential, disturbing graphic novel offered a chilling look inside the mind of the Joker as he crippled Barbara “Batgirl” Gordon (who later became Arkham Asylum’s Oracle) in an effort to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. Batman’s response would forever change his relationship with the Clown Prince of Crime.
Batman: The Ultimate Evil (Warner Books, 1995)
The Caped Crusader takes on the child sex-slave trade in this noir-ish novel from crime novelist and children’s activist Andrew Vachss, who writes a very human but still scary-as-hell Batman. Uniquely dark and thought-provoking, with a fascinating twist on the events in Crime Alley.
The Dark Knight (Warner Brothers, 2008)
Christopher Nolan’s masterful film did what many moviegoers felt was impossible: it eclipsed memories of Jack Nicholson’s over-the-top Joker with Heath Ledger’s dazzling portrayal, redefining the character as an eerily charismatic agent of chaos.
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Parri
October 18, 2011 at 12:17am
I'd definitely add Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth (DC Comics 1989) to the list of Batman's dark past.
Francesca OXM
October 17, 2011 at 6:10pm
it'll be posted later on tonight. We're hoping within the next few hours. Keep an eye out for it. :) We'll send out a tweet/FB post when it's up.
Corey OXM
October 18, 2011 at 4:14am
Our Arkham City review went up last night (a little while after Fran's post), but in case anyone missed it, it's here: http://www.oxmonline.com/batman-arkham-city-review
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