Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • Research, Research, Research

      Jamil Scalese
      October 22, 2010
      Columns, The Burning Mind
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Collecting Profile: Teen Titans (DC)

      Jamil Scalese
      September 7, 2019
      Big Two, Collectibles, DC Comics, Miscellaneous Comic Book Content
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: 6 Most Expensive Comic Books April 2021 Update

      nguyen ly
      April 17, 2021
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • 5.0

      Advance Review: 'Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer Of Justice! #1' Hammers Its Way Into My Heart

      Jamil Scalese
      June 12, 2019
      Dark Horse, DC Comics, Reviews
    Recent
    • 4.0

      Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past

      Stephen Cook
      March 3, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 3.5

      American Horror Story Season 1 Blu-ray Review

      Jamil Scalese
      October 10, 2012
      Reviews
    Recent
    • Singles Going Steady – Vowels, Who Needs Them?

      Daniel Gehen
      March 8, 2021
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Dave Baxter: A Pure Adrenaline Punch

      Jamil Scalese
      September 3, 2011
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Classic Interview: Sy Barry - "Changes are what Keep Art and Comics Going"

      Jamil Scalese
      September 4, 2015
      Classic Interviews, Interviews
    Recent
    • VISITOR is the Quintessential “SPIRIT” Story

      Daniel Gehen
      March 26, 2021
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Exclusive Marvel Preview: Avengers: Operation Hydra #1

      Jamil Scalese
      April 16, 2015
      News, Previews
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Out of Nothing' is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jamil Scalese
      July 23, 2018
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: 6 Most Expensive Comic Books April 2021 Update
  • Collecting Profile: Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Collecting Profile: 1990 Marvel Universe Trading Cards
  • Collecting Profile: Red Sonja
  • Collecting Profile: Dr. Doom
  • VISITOR is the Quintessential “SPIRIT” Story
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Batman: Arkham City #1

Jamil Scalese
May 16, 2011
Reviews

If you’re reading this, and haven’t played Arkham Asylum yet, then you have no business surfing the web and should promptly directed yourself toward the nearest video gaming outlet and purchase a copy of the game (and a game system too if you’re also without one of those).

Alright, so if you’re still here then you agree — Arkham Asylum was possibly the best thing ever coded on a digital versatile disc. I grew up playing all those atrocious beat ‘em up Batman games that were obligatory with the release of a major movie. You know the ones — where you punch, kick and Batarang your way eastward across a screen until you get a boss stage where you realize Penguin can only take damage when his hat falls off. Those games were entertaining relics for their era, but with the ever-increasing capability of the gaming world, the epic Bat-game we needed was only a matter of time.

The premise of Arkham City started in the ultra-hidden back office of Quincy Sharp in Asylum, and the trailers for the game have revealed some extremely promising and novel storylines about the Bat. The producers have claimed the game up to five times bigger than its predecessor so the scope of the story will surely be more involved than the already impressive Asylum. It goes without blabbing — this is going to be some real good shit. The scribe of both games and master of the DC Animated Universe, Paul Dini, offers the eagerly waiting a five-issue stop-gap for the meanwhile.

The first issue does not reveal any significant information about the game we didn’t yet know. Rather, its focuses on the organization of the info we do know. The appearances by Joker, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Quincy Sharp and a shadowed figured who is presumably Hugo Strange establish the relationships between the many, many villains poised appear in the game. I was a fan of the pacing and dialogue of this first issue, but the story lacks a little forward momentum. If you told me this was a one-shot I wouldn’t be confused.

Still, the prelude has potential to be an interesting story. Being a video-game tie-in, limited series is stuck in a limbo of not being able to be too far-reaching with the source material, but the matieral is ripe with some of the best characters fiction has to offer. The addition of Strange as the game’s key antagonist is a brilliant move and fodder for a cool story. It is yet unclear what his motive, tactics, or overall role are, and we are told (via the producers and DC promotions) that he knows Batman’s identity from the outset of the game. His relationship to Quincy Sharp is explored in the first issue, and I hope Dini dwells into Sharp even deeper. Is the Spirit of Arkham as important at he seemed in Asylum? I would like this series to wrap up some stuff from the first game, as well as open up the next.

D’Anda was the concept artist for the game’s designs, and it’s apparent in Batman: Arkham City. Some panels look straight out of the game’s cutscenes, but others float more toward D’Anda’s animated style and away from the game’s trimmed-down, gritty, glossy tone. Overall, everything is money — I can’t complain about the artist’s vision of the city of Gotham.

Arkham City promises to be the best superhero game of all time. The comic adaptation is a not ground-breaking, but it’s a nice holdover until October 18, 2011. Until then, we can only dream of Scarecrows and Crocs.

Carlos D’AndaDCGabe EltaebJamil ScalesePaul Dini

Share On:
Tweet
The Smallville Finale: A Survivor’s Tale
Top 10 Most Boring Comics Covers

About The Author

Jamil Scalese
Jamil Scalese

Jamil Scalese would rather watch reruns of Frasier than catch up on media he's tragically behind on. Follow his weak tweets @jamilscalese

Related Posts

  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle

    nguyen ly
    February 27, 2021
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Mega Millions, I will buy Action Comics #1.

    nguyen ly
    January 30, 2021

Latest Reviews

  • Singles Going Steady – Vowels, Who Needs Them?

    Daniel Gehen
    March 8, 2021
  • 3.0

    Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2021
  • 4.5

    Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

    Daniel Gehen
    February 19, 2021
  • 2.3

    Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

    Daniel Gehen
    February 16, 2021
  • 4.3

    Review: RADIANT BLACK #1 Shines Brightly

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2021
  • 2.7

    Review: DEEP BEYOND #1 Can’t Commit to a Premise

    Daniel Gehen
    February 4, 2021
  • 2.0

    VINDICATION Falls Short of its Lofty Goals (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    February 1, 2021
  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders