 2008-11-26 - Good Story, But the Artwork...
This book is really a history of Arkham and its founder more than it is a Batman story, and the story is a dark one indeed. The artwork is much different from that of other Batman graphic novels I have purchased (Batman: Year One, Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again) and is a little hard to get used to; I had to really struggle to figure out what Joker was saying. This is the story of Arkham, and it is a very good, if somewhat dark and depressing; but then again, this is Gotham. It makes me wonder if there's some sort of otherworldy / supernatural beacon in the city that attracts criminals, crazies and crazy criminals.
 2008-11-18 - Fantastic
This was an amazingly detailed graphic novel. It was rich in character development as well as story line. I strongly suggest that those with a craving for everything Batman buy this.
 2008-10-27 - Gorgeous and Twisted
I can't add much to what's already been said about this masterpiece, except for that I loved it. The artwork is beautiful, and is reason enough to buy this, but then there's also the story-telling achievement therein. Mood and tone is masterfully created with interesting and creep typography, and the color palette screams fear and distress, common moods of Gotham and Arkham specifically.
I recommend this to the more hardcore Batman fan, and the casual fan, especially those of the latter category who are left reeling after the grimmer Nolan-films. It's a satisfying experience and interesting psychological exploration into the heart of the Batman mythos: Arkham and its infamous inmates.
 2008-10-26 - Incomplete
My copy arrived with several pages missing, which meant the exclusion of some key scenes. Apparently, this has been known to happen with certain printings of this book. I would recommend purchasing this from a place where you can read through it first, and make sure everything's there.
(The book, in its complete form, is easily 5/5 stars)
2008-10-24 - Joker gooses Batman
The art in this is fantastic which was really the basis of appeal for me overall. The story idea is really a good one also and even though it kinda glides through it, it works because the writing and art feed off each other perfectly. I also like how the history of arkham is wound up in the psychological delivery of this book. Some pages if you just stare at them and absorb all that is printed on them you can feel the chaos. My only gripe is that some of the text is hard to read, but who cares. The art is so good the pages deserve a closer look.
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