Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious EarthWritten by Grant Morrison
Art By Dave McKean
1989
Available now from Islington Libraries
You can reserve this item for free here:
http://www.library.islington.gov.uk/TalisPrism/
The only Batman book you'll find on the shelves of the London Review of Books and other such lofty establishments Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth is for those people that like a little highfalutiness with their Caped Crusanders. Written in 1989 by Grant Morrison (who goes to town with the tarot card imagery) and with realistic (for Batman anyway) Dave McKean art and thanks no doubt to a film Tim Burton made around the same time - this is one of the best selling comic books ever (true fact) and the book responsible for launching Grant Morrison's illustrious career. Lovely art, lots of talk about symbolism and oodles and oodles of Batman villains all represented in fresh new exciting ways (love the explanation of Joker psychology and the attempted cure of Two Face) with a story that twists and turns like a snake crawling down your spine. A bit too clever for it's own good maybe and - for me anyhow - a little bit stilted (would it really have hurt to make it a bit more fun?): even I have to admit that it's beautifully designed and ideal for being looking for their Dark Knight tales told a little more seriously...
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Links: I Am Not The Beastmaster Review, The M0vie Blog Review.
Further reading: From Hell, Cages, Violent Cases, Batman: Batman and Son, Promethea, Supergods, Batman: Knightfall.
Profiles: Grant Morrison.
All comments welcome.
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