Written by: Peter J. Tomasi
Art by: Viktor Bogdanovic, Art Thibert
Published by: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Art by: Viktor Bogdanovic, Art Thibert
Published by: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
"I'm heading home, Alfred. Arkham City is closed."
Okay, so before I get started, I want to say something.....Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks?! Holy shit I did not see that coming. Alright, anyway! Video games! I grew up on video games. It was a large part of the culture of my generation. If you're reading this, chances are you've spent hours either with your face 2 inches from your GameBoy trying to level up your Squirtle or sitting criss-cross apple sauce in front of the TV with drool dripping down your face....or maybe that's just me. Either way, I believe that the storytelling aspect of video games is what first attracted me to comic books.
What's great about Batman is that he translates extremely well to gaming. The stealthy approach, brutal combat, and critical thinking are elements that make the Arkham series so much fun to play. If you've ever played Arkham Asylum, Arkham City or the prequel Arkham Origins, you're already familiar with the framework those games have set. I won't try to break down the story of three games in this review, but I encourage you to at least read up on the happenings in Arkham City, considering this book is the official prequel to the finale of this game series.
So I'm just going to assume you at least know what happens at the end of Arkham City moving forward. The Joker is dead, Arkham City has been shut down, and Gotham is safe once again. (Is it ever, though?) We see a small glimpse of this Arkham Knight character, who remains pretty mysterious. So far as we can tell from this issue, Batman isn't even aware of his existence yet.
Bruce's internal struggle between juggling the lives of both his public, multi-billionaire philanthropist persona and the Batman is weighing heavy on his mind. The aftermath of these events have both Alfred and Bruce wondering which side of Bruce is the best crusader for the good of Gotham. In an effort to not spoil the ending, I won't tell you what happens. What I will say, is...you must have seen it coming.
There's not much to say about the art, really. It's satisfactory art that delivers the mood of each scene fairly well. Nothing crazy stands out to me about it so far except the eerie images of Joker's dead body. With that said, it's absolutely worth the read and you should definitely keep up with this series if you plan on playing its video game successor later this year. I can't wait to see what's next! As always, don't take my word on this. I'm just a guy with an opinion. Go pick this up and see for yourself!
Favorite Quote: "I simply suggest that your focus on Gotham's nights have left it's days vulnerable...and one cannot thrive without the other."
Suggested Listening: The Shadows Betray You - The Dark Knight Rises score by Hans Zimmer
A quick note about the blog, we have a new contributor and you should go check out his posts and say hi! Holy hell I said "Arkham" a lot in this post.
Twitter: @BiGNasty91_
Great post Nasty!
ReplyDeleteThanks man I really appreciate it!
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