100 Greatest Superhero Stories Ever
By Steve Lam
Image Courtesy of Rocksteady Studios
#20. Batman: Arkham (Main Series)
Medium
Video Game
Release Dates
August 25, 2009 (Batman: Arkham Asylum)
October 18, 2011 (Batman: Arkham City)
October 25, 2013 (Batman: Arkham Origins)
June 23, 2015 (Batman: Arkham Knight)
Credits
Developers: Rocksteady Studios, WB Games Notreal, Splash Damage, Human Head Studios, NetherRealm Studios, Armature Studio, Turbine Inc.
Directors: Sefton Hill, Eric Holmes, Benoit Richer
Writers: Paul Dini, Corey May, Dooma Wendschuh, Adam Beechen, Sefton Hill
Main Cast: Kevin Conroy Bruce Wayne / Batman (Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Knight), Roger Craig Smith as Bruce Wayne / Batman (Batman: Arkham Knight), Mark Hamill as The Joker (Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Knight), Troy Baker as The Joker (Batman: Arkham Origins), Tom Kane as James Gordon (Batman: Arkham Asylum), David Kaye as James Gordon (Batman: Arkham City), Michael Gough as James Gordon (Batman: Arkham Origins), Jonathan Banks as James Gordon (Batman: Arkham Knight), Arleen Sorkin as Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn (Batman: Arkham Asylum), Tara Strong as Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn (Batman: Arkham City, Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman: Arkham Knight)
The Reason It’s Great
Batman was always considered a dark character. So when a story makes him even darker, we’re talking some serious stuff. The Batman: Arkham series did just that. However, the story’s serious nature stands out because it’s a video game.
The series starts out with Batman: Arkham Asylum where the Joker has the Batman trapped in the infamous institution, fighting against a gallery of supervillains. The series would later expand on that and reveal deeper background stories for each character.
The overall series has been given universal acclaim for not only its gameplay, but its immersive story which is partly due to Paul Dini—famous for his writing on Batman: The Animated Series. In addition, longtime Batman franchise voice actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill enhance the experience.
The main series is still on-going, with the latest release being Batman: Arkham Knight. It also spawned a range of comic tie-ins that expand on the universe and fill in story gaps. Many fans have regarded this video game series as a gold standard for the Batman mythos.