Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth

[cyberghostface]

“The first shock came when I was told that the book had been canceled. Eager to embrace influences from Cabaret to the Theater of Cruelty, the Joker was to have been dressed in the conical bra worn by Madonna for her ‘Open Your Heart’ video. Warner Bros. objected to my portrayal on the grounds that it would encourage the widespread belief that Jack Nicholson, the feted actor lined up to play the Joker in an upcoming $40 million Batman movie, was a transvestite.

I wrote a long, impassioned letter to Jenette Kahn, and after some tense negotiations, we managed to keep the Joker in high heels at least, and Arkham Asylum went back on the schedule. I was sure that Nicholson would have loved it even more if he could have played the Clown Prince of Crime in a dress, but in the end, it was Heath Ledger who immortalized the [transvestite] Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight, vindicating my foresight.” — Grant Morrison

As an introduction I'd add that if this is your first time reading this and if you like it, you should definitely seek out the full version. There's an entire subplot involving the origins of Arkham Asylum and the recent editions include the script with commentary that explain all the psychological and religious symbolism and what the heck is going on.

The story begins with Gordon telling Batman that the inmates have taken over Arkham Asylum and are holding everyone hostage. Their final request is Batman.





Joker's face is referenced from a mask sculpted by McKean which you can view here. There are a few variations but it's why he has the same expression for most of the book.

Comments

[lordultimus]

Fun fact: the script for this draft was passed around the office as "the worst script ever". Morrison put a "who's laughing now" in the introduction of the special edition.

(Also, I think the script had something about Batman being misogynist?)

[cyberghostface]

I think it was that Batman was sexually repressed.

[jgraygaming]

Not according to Kevin Smith.

[cyberghostface]

What is?

[jgraygaming]

Kevin Smith's run on Batman, in which Silver St. Cloud loudly and proudly told Alfred she received eleven orgasms from Batman the first time they had set.

[tinygaylaura]

That does explain what women see in him

[janegray]

Because every parent wants to know in detail how their son does in the sack -_-

I assume Alfred "accidentally" put salt in her tea.

[cainofdreaming]

Salt? I'm thinking industrial strength laxatives.

[deh_tommy]

That was Kevin Smith’s miniseries, not his run. Still really darn stupid though.

[numeronone]

He's not repressed in the bladder area, if we're taking Smith as an authority.

[tinygaylaura]

Batman: What are you people DOING to these patients?

Doctor: We're treating them?

Using psychiatry?

Batman: In a mental hospital!!??!?

I believe this story was the first time DC started implying that unfortunately Mad Hatter has more in common with the writer of Alice in Wonderland than anyone ever should and later writers just ran with that

Jervis Tetch

The villain who shares the dubious "Honor" of being alongside Deathstroke in that he can't have his evil lair within five hundred yards of a school or public park

Killer Croc looks terrifying here

Professor Milo's cameo here is expanded on in the script notes. He was exposed to a gas that made him temporarily insane and comitted to Arkham but it's worn off

But no one believes him

"I want you listen to me. I am perfectly sane. THERE HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE MISTAKE"

[blues32]

Look, if the treatment causes the patient to be unable to decide if he can use the bathroom or not, they're doing it wrong. The die was probably enough. Do they even know how tarot cards work? It isn't something that can be done on the fly. Dent would need to sit down and deal the cards out properly or the cards are meaningless. And then he has to interpret what they mean! How does "The Fool" answer his question on whether or not he can use the bathroom? What if he draws the card inverted?

Where did Hatter get a hooka from? What's he smoking?

Love the Milo cameo. "It was just the effects of the gas! The gas that makes you insane, of course! Why are you looking at me like that? ...what are you writing?"

[tinygaylaura]

"Look, if the treatment causes the patient to be unable to decide if he can use the bathroom or not, they're doing it wrong. The die was probably enough. Do they even know how tarot cards work? It isn't something that can be done on the fly. Dent would need to sit down and deal the cards out properly or the cards are meaningless. And then he has to interpret what they mean! How does "The Fool" answer his question on whether or not he can use the bathroom? What if he draws the card inverted?"

Harvey: *Draws the Death card* Ah now that's actually a very good card isn't it?

Therapist: No

It means death

"Where did Hatter get a hooka from? What's he smoking? "

Whatever Lewis Caroll was smoking when he wrote Alice in Wonderland, that's what he's smoking here

My guess would be Opium

"Wicked wicked Opium

This is the dopest room I've ever been in"

[blues32]

Yes, Death would be a VERY interesting card to draw when wondering if he can go to the bathroom. "...do I...do I have to just go until I die...?"

He's in an asylum. Where did Hatter get opium? Well, any GOOD opium anyway. Probably just raided the infirmary, chopped up some pills, put it water, lit the hooka and went to town.

[numeronone]

I feel like this book would have had a much worse legacy if they'd kept in the Joker-wears-a-bra-for-funsies angle.

[numeronone]

It says a lot about Morrison's...unique take on characterisation that the "Director's Cut" edition had to be released before readers knew the sad mud-man was meant to be Clayface.

[icon_uk]

I'm not sure what it says about me that I had already guessed that it was Clayface III (especially the "avoiding his touch" part, since Clayface III melted people by contact when he was having one of his "episodes")

[blues32]

He looks SO unlike the third Clayface though. He doesn't look like any of them, really.

[numeronone]

Also, is that guy watching Psycho on two TVs simultaneously?

[icon_uk]

What makes you think that that there's two TV's?

I see only one TV with an indoor aerial on top of it, but I might be missing something.

[numeronone]

The shot is from the final moments of the movie but the lines "Mother! Oh god, mother! Blood...blood!" happen in the first 30 minutes, after the murder of Marion Crane.

[icon_uk]

Ooh, nice cinematic detective work there! :)

[lego_joker]

We could, of course, always chalk this up to Morrison having another Talia Moment. (Heck, I don't think Psycho was even on VHS back in '88 - it's not like anyone could've checked easily.)

[icon_uk]

I think it was, we weren't animals back then you know! :)

I think it's more likely Morrison wanted to use the quote, and that photo of Norman was readily available as reference for McKean and it didn't occur to either of them that there would be a disparity.

[scorntx]

It didn't occur to them, while writing a story which kind of requires in-depth scrutiny just to figure out what's going on at any given moment, in a medium whose fanbase tend to be overly analytical nitpickers anyhow, to not make a mistake which nerds would notice and jump upon like a pack of lions on a wounded gazelle?

Whoops.

[lissa_quon]

Enh Morrison is way too smug about this book. I really don't think this book would be revered or remembered at all if it wasn't for the art. McKean is working overtime on this one. I remember his visuals more than I actually remember the like...EVENTS in this book.

[cyberghostface]

Grant Morrison’s work tends to be well regarded enough that I think it would be remembered regardless of who drew it. If anything the art hinders the story as a lot of the plot/symbolism is hard to grasp from the art alone.

[lego_joker]

IIRC, they originally wanted a straightforward artist like Dave Gibbons to draw it. I honestly don't know how that might've affected the book's legacy - I do think McKean's art makes everything 500% more haunting, even when it's applied to something as pedestrian as Gaiman's original Black Orchid mini.

[shakalooloo]

Yes, they let the Joker wear heels, but you can count the number of panels you can actually see those heels on the fingers of one hand. Until it was pointed out to me, I never even noticed the first time I read this, to be honest.

[informationgeek]

Honestly, I still really don't like the book one bit. The plot and writing are one thing, but the artwork is garbage. I can't follow anything about what's going on. It's a visual noise nightmare that is a pain to follow and comprehend what's happening. If I need to read the script to understand what's happening, we have problems.

[tripodeca113]

Well I finished reading this story. I think I got maybe 75% of it.

I hope someday someone write about the twisted psyche of the Terrible Trio.

[blues32]

This book is just weird. It's a building. Unless someone released some kind of hallucinogenic gas, there's no reason for Batman to be tripping out this badly.

He's being very out of character here. Stabbing Croc with a spear? Really? Then he just brushes off Ruth slitting the doctor's throat. Following it up with, "He deserved it" is just bizarre.

...Ruth Adams... Doctor Ruth Adams. My god. Could this be a "This Island Earth" reference?

Does Clayface have bones to break?