![]() | This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Additional sourcing and expanding.(February 2015) |
Batman: Arkham Unhinged | |
---|---|
![]() Cover of Batman: Arkham Unhinged #1 | |
Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
Schedule | Weekly |
Format | Ongoing series |
Genre | |
Publication date | October 2011 – January 2013 |
No. of issues | 58 |
Batman: Arkham Unhinged is an American comic book series published by DC Comics. Like the previous anthology, Batman: Arkham City , it acts as a tie-in to the events of the video game Batman: Arkham City , with stories set before and during the events of the game. Originally published online as 58 'chapters', it was later published in print as 20 issues. Chapters #1-43 were written by Derek Fridolfs and chapters #44-58 by Karen Traviss with a number of different artists.
Storyline | Chapters | Premise |
---|---|---|
"Inside Job" | #1–3 | Hugo Strange's Tyger guards have succeeded in apprehending every "outlaw" in Gotham City, except for Catwoman, Two-Face, and Batman. Thanks to a tip-off from Two-Face, a Tyger strike team locates Catwoman's apartment and breaks in to arrest her. She evades them, but the commandos crack her wall safe and steal her most prized valuables. [1] Furious, she confronts Two-Face while he is examining stolen blueprints of the Arkham City security facilities. Despite Batman's attempts to help her, both she and Two-Face are arrested and dragged to Arkham City, Catwoman furiously trying to grab a digital memory card from Two-Face with photos of the blueprints. [2] |
"Observations" | #4–6 | Batman confers with Commissioner Gordon, sharing what little he knows of Strange's murky past. [3] [4] Gordon admits that the GCPD is largely impotent since Quincy Sharp declared martial law, and Strange's Tyger guards have become the ruling authority in Gotham City. They are interrupted by Tyger guards, sent to arrest both of them, but Batman has already disappeared, and Gordon appears politely baffled at the accusation that he has been consorting with a known outlaw. [5] |
"Ruffled Feathers" | #7–8 | In his lair within Arkham City, the Penguin mulls over the origins of his bitter feud with the Joker, and vows to have revenge once his gang is powerful enough. [6] |
"Surgeon's General" | #9–10 | In his private clinic, Hugo Strange interviews several people battered by Batman, including Arkham City inmates, and his own Tyger guards. The normally implacable Strange is inwardly troubled at how effectively Batman is inspiring fear in his otherwise rational victims, becoming less a man than a phantasm. [7] |
"Separation Anxiety" | #11–13 | An origin story of the Abramovici twins who appear in Batman: Arkham City . Born Siamese twins in the former Soviet Union, the twins were discarded by their father and adopted by a traveling freak show, where they grew into strong and brutal animal wranglers. [8] News of their abilities spread, and they were "liberated" by the Joker, who hired a corrupt surgeon named Thomas Elliot to separate them. The Joker kept the twin known as "Hammer," while the other, "Sickle," was thrown out into the street, and later recruited by the Penguin. [9] While researching this history, Nightwing comments that it is odd for twin brothers to be working for opposing sides. Batman says the brothers' conjoinment forced them to get along, but that is no guarantee that they will do so after being separated. [10] |
"Theatre of Violence" | #14–16 | Robin enters Arkham City to investigate rumors of an underground fight club, and finds it being run out of the Penguin's hideout in the city's old natural history museum. Bane intrudes and finds himself matched against Solomon Grundy. [11] [12] [13] |
"Arkham City Sirens" | #17–19 | A brief team-up between Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn ends poorly, and later Ivy convinces Harley to help her get revenge by setting a trap for Catwoman, using a kidnapped Batman as bait. [14] [15] [16] |
"Crocodile Tears" | #20–22 | Killer Croc reflects on his origins while roaming the sewers in search of food. A group of the Joker's henchmen searching for the Penguin's men stumble upon him, but Croc takes an unexpected liking to "Hammer", the Abramovici twin in the Joker's employ, and agrees, for the time being, to focus on devouring the Penguin's men. [17] [18] [19] |
"Vicki in Wonderland" | #23–25 | The Mad Hatter "invites" Vicki Vale to his tea party with Catwoman, Poison Ivy and other entranced criminals. [20] [21] [22] |
"Operation: Kill Joker" | #26–28 | Deadshot is hired by the Penguin to kill the Joker, but later returns to the Joker with a cache of weapons from the Penguin's private arsenal, revealing himself to be Clayface in disguise. [23] [24] [25] |
"Clown Court" | #29–31 | Two-Face puts the Joker on trial with almost the entire inmate population of Arkham City as witnesses. [26] [27] [28] |
"Repentance" | #32–34 | Quincy Sharp, former warden of Arkham Asylum and former mayor of Gotham City, has become Arkham City's newest inmate, and the entire population wants revenge. He takes refuge in the church, expressing remorse for allowing himself to be manipulated by Hugo Strange. When Bane appears to help in breaking down the church's fortified doors, Sharp volunteers to give himself up to save the other refugees in the church. This proves to be unnecessary when Azrael arrives to save the day. [29] [30] [31] |
"Eviction Notice" | #35–37 | Black Mask is evicted by the Joker from his factory; he plans to kill him with the Penguin's help but is recaptured and re-sent to Arkham City. [32] [33] [34] |
"Beloved" | #38–40 | Five years before the events of Batman: Arkham City, Bruce Wayne is reunited with Talia al Ghul, when she saves his life. In the present, they meet again and seem to rekindle their romance, but part company again when Bruce realizes she is testing his willingness to become Ra's al Ghul's heir. She returns to her father in disappointment, and he comforts her that he has found a new potential heir in Hugo Strange. [35] [36] [37] |
"Uninvited Guests" | #41–43 | Hugo Strange sends his Tyger guards to attack Wayne Manor, where they confront Robin, Nightwing and Alfred. [38] [39] [40] |
"Welcome to the Slough of Despond" | #44–58 | A new vigilante calling himself "the Bookbinder" attacks well-known people in Gotham, who he blames for contributing to the city's decline in education, health standards, and basic courtesy. Batman tries to figure out who he is and how to catch him, while Commissioner Gordon faces increasing pressure from Mayor Sharp to do the same. [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] |
Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 1 | Batman: Arkham Unhinged #1–5 (originally published as Batman: Arkham Unhinged chapters #1-13 and Batman: Arkham City chapters #6-7) | February 2012 | 978-1401237493 |
Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 2 | Batman: Arkham Unhinged #6–10 (originally published as Batman: Arkham Unhinged chapters #14-28) | August 2013 | 978-1401242831 |
Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 3 | Batman: Arkham Unhinged #11–15, Batman: Arkham Unhinged End Game #1 (originally published as Batman: Arkham Unhinged chapters #29-43 and Arkham City: End Game chapters #1-6) | January 2014 | 978-1401243050 |
Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 4 | Batman: Arkham Unhinged #16–20 (originally published as Batman: Arkham Unhinged chapters #43-58) | August 2014 | 978-1401246815 |
Batman: The Arkham Saga Omnibus | Batman: Arkham Unhinged #1-20 and Batman: Arkham Origins, Batman: Arkham Knight: Batgirl Begins #1, Batman: Arkham Asylum: The Road to Arkham #1, Batman: Arkham City #1-5, Batman: Arkham City digital chapters #1-7, Batman: Arkham City: End Game #1, Batman: Arkham Knight #1-12, Batman: Arkham Knight: Robin Special #1, Batman: Arkham Knight Annual #1, Batman: Arkham Knight: Batgirl and Harley Quinn #1, Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis #1-6. | September 2018 | 978-1401284329 |
The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book Batman on April 25, 1940. Credit for the Joker's creation is disputed; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Joker's design while acknowledging Finger's writing contribution. Although the Joker was planned to be killed off during his initial appearance, he was spared by editorial intervention, allowing the character to endure as the archenemy of the superhero Batman.
Harley Quinn is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, and debuted in its 22nd episode, "Joker's Favor", on September 11, 1992. While intended to appear in one episode, Quinn became a recurring character within the DC Animated Universe as the Joker's sidekick and love interest, and was adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic book canon seven years later, beginning with the one-shot Batman: Harley Quinn #1. Quinn's origin story features her as a former psychiatrist at Gotham City's Arkham Asylum named Dr. Harleen Quinzel who fell in love with the Joker, her patient, eventually becoming his accomplice and lover. The character's alias is a play on the stock character Harlequin from the 16th-century theater commedia dell'arte.
Kevin Conroy was an American actor. He appeared in a variety of stage performances, television series, and television films, but earned worldwide fame for his voice portrayal of the DC Comics superhero Batman in various animated media, beginning with the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series in 1992. Conroy went on to voice the character for multiple animated television series, feature films, and video games over the next three decades.
Black Mask is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake, the character debuted in Batman #386. He is commonly depicted as a brutal and ruthless crime lord in Gotham City who has a fixation with masks and derives sadistic pleasure from the act of torture. Black Mask is one of the most enduring enemies of the superhero Batman and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery.
Paul McClaran Dini is an American screenwriter and comic creator. He has been a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably Batman: The Animated Series (1992–1995), and the subsequent DC Animated Universe. Dini and Bruce Timm co-created the characters Harley Quinn and Terry McGinnis.
Karen Traviss is a science fiction author from Wiltshire, England. She is the author of the Wess'Har series, and has written tie-in material based on Star Wars, Gears of War, Halo, G.I. Joe and the newest Nomad Series working with Nick Cole and Jason Anspach. Her work crosses various forms of media including novels, short stories, comics, and video games.
Ratcatcher is a fictional character appearing in American comic books and other media published by DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of Batman. He belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up the Dark Knight's rogues gallery. Once an actual rat-catcher in Gotham City, Flannegan sank into a life of crime. Calling himself the Ratcatcher because of his special ability to communicate with and train rats, Flannegan has used his minions to plague Gotham on more than one occasion by unleashing hordes of the vermin.
Troy Baker is an American voice actor and musician. Baker is known for his video game roles, including Joel Miller in The Last of Us (2013) and its sequel (2020), Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite (2013), Samuel "Sam" Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016) and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017), Rhys in Tales from the Borderlands (2014), Delsin Rowe in Infamous Second Son (2014), Snow Villiers in Final Fantasy XIII (2010), Kanji Tatsumi in Persona 4 (2008), Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding (2019), and Talion in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) and Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017). Baker currently holds the record for the most acting nominations at the BAFTA Games Awards, with five between 2013 and 2021.
Lego Batman: The Videogame is a 2008 action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X. The game is based on the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the eponymous LEGO Batman toyline.
Rocksteady Studios Limited is a British video game developer based in London, England. The company is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and the studio is best known for its work in the Batman: Arkham series.
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a 2009 action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman and written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini, Arkham Asylum was inspired by the long-running comic book mythos. In the game's main storyline, Batman battles his archenemy, the Joker, who instigates an elaborate plot to seize control of Arkham Asylum, trap Batman inside with many of his incarcerated foes, and threaten Gotham City with hidden bombs. Most of the game's leading characters are voiced by actors who have appeared in other media based on the DC Animated Universe; Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprised their roles as Batman, the Joker, and his sidekick Harley Quinn respectively.
Professor Pyg is a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly known as an adversary of the superhero Batman. Pyg was created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert and debuted as a corpse in the alternate reality story Batman #666 before being introduced as a recurring character in the mainstream DC Universe two years later in Batman and Robin #1. Professor Pyg was re-introduced following DC's The New 52 comics relaunch in 2011, appearing throughout the continuity and the subsequent DC Rebirth relaunch that began in 2016.
Batman: Arkham City is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum and the second installment in the Batman: Arkham series. Written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini with Paul Crocker and Sefton Hill, Arkham City was inspired by the long-running comic book mythos. In the game's main storyline, Batman is incarcerated in Arkham City, a super-prison enclosing the decaying urban slums of fictional Gotham City. He must uncover the secret behind a sinister scheme orchestrated by the facility's warden, Hugo Strange. The game's leading characters are predominantly voiced by actors from the DC Animated Universe, with Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill reprising their roles as Batman and the Joker, respectively.
Batman: Earth One is a series of graphic novels written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank. The series is a modernized re-imagining of DC Comics' long-running Batman comic book franchise as part of the company's Earth One imprint. Earth One's Batman exists alongside other revamped DC characters in Earth One titles, including Superman: Earth One and Wonder Woman: Earth One, as well as other graphic novels.
The New 52 is the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC canceled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series in September 2011. Among the renumbered series were Action Comics and Detective Comics, which had retained their original numbering since the 1930s.
Batman: Arkham Origins is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by WB Games Montréal and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the follow-up to the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City and is the third main installment in the Batman: Arkham series. Written by Corey May, Ryan Galletta, and Dooma Wendschuh, the game's main storyline is set eight years before 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum and follows a younger, less-refined Batman. When a bounty is placed on him by crime lord Black Mask, drawing eight of the world's greatest assassins to Gotham City on Christmas Eve, Batman must bring Black Mask to justice, while also being hunted by the police and having to face other villains, such as the Joker and Anarky, who take advantage of the chaos to launch their nefarious schemes.
Batman: Arkham is a series of action-adventure video games based on the DC Comics character Batman, developed by Rocksteady Studios and WB Games Montréal, and published originally by Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The franchise consists of four main installments and an upcoming spin-off, along with four smaller titles for mobile devices, a virtual reality game, and tie-in comic books and an animated film. The continuity established by the games is often referred to as the Arkhamverse.
Batman: Arkham Knight is a 2015 action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Based on the DC Comics superhero Batman, it is the successor to the 2013 video game Batman: Arkham Origins, a direct sequel to Batman: Arkham City (2011) and the fourth main installment in the Batman: Arkham series. Written by Sefton Hill, Ian Ball and Martin Lancaster, Arkham Knight is inspired by the long-running comic book mythos. Set nine months after the events of Arkham City, the game's main storyline follows Batman as he confronts Scarecrow, who has launched an attack on Gotham City and caused a citywide evacuation. Scarecrow, with the help of the mysterious Arkham Knight, plots to unite all of Gotham's criminals in an attempt to finally destroy Batman.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an upcoming action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the fifth main installment in the Batman: Arkham series, taking place after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight, and the first not to feature Batman as the main protagonist, though the character still appears, posthumously voiced by Kevin Conroy in his final performance as Batman. Based on the DC Comics supervillain/anti-hero team the Suicide Squad, the game revolves around the titular team of super-criminals, who are assembled by Amanda Waller and sent to Metropolis to stop the alien invader Brainiac and save the members of the Justice League who have been brainwashed by him.