Rating: 
Summary: Insanity breeds Genius. Graphic art breeds monsters.
Review: First off, I must say that ARKHAM ASYLUM sticks to it's guns and tells the story of ARKHAM ASYLUM. That being said, it is interesting to have the Batman and all of his foes cast into this unlikely place (in comic, graphic book terms). They have to work with being in a very modern look at OUR world through the eyes of an asylum staff, who are inexperienced, or overzealous people. The asylum is failing at it's job. The original creator of the asylum, Amadeus Arkham, is shown to be quite insane... But what is going on here? Is it the pat phrase: "the inmates are running the asylum" and that's that? Or is it saying something very primordial about insanity itself? Insanity is contagious...? Possibly. But I do know that of all the subjects I have seen or read or discussed, insanity is the most fascinating and elusive of topics. Why? Because of it's inherent nature. To be insane, is not to think CLEARLY, or (duh) sanely. You would constantly differ from any and all opinions thrown at you.
Which brings me to discuss the art that gets such black marks from many people. The art is shown as it is to keep you disoriented. What happens to Killer Croc? What is the Mad Hatter talking about? Why does the Joker and his words look like a salvador Dali painting?
Let me put it this way. If there was a story about superman's fortress of solitude, would you want the storytellers to stage many epic superman battles there while you read about it? NO. (at least I say no...) You would want the story of the Fortress itself. When was it built? Why was it built? Why ice? Why not under a volcano? Or under the ocean itself? Or on the moon? But anyway, I digress... The story would be about the fortress, and superman would be a supporting character in it. In that story, superman would be directly involved in the creation of the building, firmly entrenching it as a superman tale.
In Batman's story, he was not responsible for the Asylum's creation, it is his job to fill it (unfortunately). The story behind the asylum's creation gets center stage in this novel, and if you like the films ASYLUM, SHOCK CORRIDOR, MARAT/SADE, and UN CHIEN ANDALOU (the andalusian dog), or the art of Goya, Bacon, and Dali, then you will LOVE Arkham Asylum. If not, then you are probably not still reading this review. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A MUST have book for all comic geeks...
Review: Geez...this one's right up there with "The Dark Knight Returns"...whether or not "Arkham Asylum" takes place in real Batman continuity I don't care...in and on itself this book rocks. And the art! DAMN it's good! Dave McKean just doesn't give up! The man's an awesome-art-creating machine!
Rating:
Summary: You'll feel you're in the Asylum
Review: Grant Morrison and Dave McKean's Arkham Asylum is the best Batman book. The story chronicles the establishment of the Asylum as the dumping ground for the criminally-insane. Morrison also asks, is Batman the source of all insanity in Gotham? It may be debatable but Bats keeps the cells filled and it's too coincidental that almost all of his adversaries are wackos. McKean's art truly captures the insanity that goes within the walls. Using various techniques, he conveys each inmate's personality with subtle shifts in art. Truly excellent. Truly a must have.
Rating:
Summary: This book scared me.
Review: Grant Morrison is truly the post-modernist superhero writer. This book is more a psychological exploration than a superhero tale. It defines and actually explains the Joker's psychosis, Two-Face's derangement and with surgical precision, dissects everything behind the Batman himself. It's so visceral, it's frightening. I loved it, and have shared it with 12 non-comic nook reading people, all of whom loved it.
Rating: 
Summary: looney toons...or just an excuse for sloppy work
Review: Hey, let's write about the criminally insane. Then let's use that same theme for the plot and artwork in a graphic novel. Splash in some perverted violence just to show how evil these guys are. For a horror type comic, I recommend Sandman instead.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Superhero Comic
Review: I am sure I am going to confuse a lot of Batman fans with this review and I expect a lot will rate this review as not useful, but this book is NOT a superhero comic, and it would do it a disservice to review it as such. It is instead a psychological theory presented as a superhero comic that will appeal more to fans of Eraserhead than to fans of Batman. The first thing to note about this book is that Batman is not mentioned in the title for a reason. Although Batman is in the book and Arkham Asylum is where all of his criminally insane adversaries are kept locked up, this is not a book about Batman engaging in physical battles. Batman only serves, on the one hand, as the eyes and ears of the reader so that we can explore Arkham in all its details, and on the other, as a representation of the conscious mind.Basically, Arkham serves as a Jungian metaphor for the mind, and all of its inmates represent the hidden aspects of the unconscious, with the Joker representing (in my opinion) the Trickster archetype whose role is to challenge and tear down the conscious mind, often with humour, and sometimes at the risk of destroying it. Batman himself serves to represent the conscious facade (i.e. those parts of one's personality people present to the external world while trying to suppress the unconscious) trying to keep the inmates (the unconscious) locked behind walls. Therefore Batman, with his mask, trying to keep the inmates in the Asylum is the perfect metaphor for Jungian psychology. However, as the artist, McKean, has pointed out in interviews, Batman himself is not the picture of rationality, dressing up like a bat to fight crime, just as Jung points out the Facade is not a totally sane representation of the Self. Therefore, as Batman (the conscious) continues to try to fight back against the inmates (the unconscious), cracks begin to show in his character. According to Jungian theory, the truly sane person can face their unconscious and accept it as part of their personality instead of suppressing it and mistaking their public facade as their true identity. The Joker basically sums up Jungian theory by noting that it is the people outside (like Batman, presenting a false public persona) who are the real inmates. As usual, McKean's multimedia art is spectacular, and noone is better at representing imagery straight out of dreams and the unconscious than he. Morrison's writing is less emotionally involving than his other works like the Mystery Play, reading more like an intellectual exercise, but McKean's art helps make up for the lack of the script's impact.
Rating: 
Summary: GOOD BUT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
Review: I JUST BOUGHT "ARKHAM ASYLUM" ALONG W/ "THE LONG HALLOWEEN". I READ THE ARKHAM ASYLUM AND THOUGHT....WOW....THIS IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER BATMAN STORIES I'VE READ. FIRST OFF, BATMAN IS SHOWN TO BE VERY VULNERABLE AND HUMAN. HE IS STILL DARK BUT THERE IS STILL A BIT OF SELF-DOUBT IN HIM, I.E. "IT WILL BE LIKE COMING HOME", AS HE RELUCTANTLY DECIDES TO COMPLY W/ THE DEMANDS OF THE INMATES. SECOND, THE JOKER IS AT HIS DEVILISH BEST, HIS DEMENTIA FULL ON MATCHES HIS APPEARANCE. HE DOESN'T EVEN LOOK HUMAN ANYMORE, ADD TO THAT HE REALLY KNOWS WHAT BUTTONS TO PUSH ON BATMAN. AND FINALLY, THE JOURNAL OF AMADEUS ARKHAM. IT WAS A BIT CONFUSING AS TO HOW GRANT MORRISON KEEPS FOCUSING IN THE PAST AND IN THE PRESENT WHILE BATMAN IS RUNNING THE GAUNTLET AND AMADEUS' JOURNAL REMINISCES ABOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ASYLUM. BUT READ IT CAREFULLY AND THAT CONFUSION WILL FIX ITSELF. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS THE ART WORK, KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS BOOK IS FULLY PAINTED...BUT ALEX ROSS STYLE IT'S NOT. MCKEAN'S WORK IN THIS BOOK PREFECTLY COMPLEMENTS THE STORY, IT IS DARK, GRAPHIC AND SOMETIMES GETS CONFUSING. BUT ONCE AGAIN, IT TOTALLY COMPLEMENTS THE ALMOST SUPERNATURAL STORY. BE AWARE THAT THIS IS NOT RUN OF THE MILL PUNCH AND SLASH COMIC BOOK STORIES, THE VIOLENCE IS THERE AND IS MOSTLY CONVEYED THROUGH MORRISON'S WORDS BUT THIS VIOLENCE IS MUCH DISTURBING THAN THE VIOLENCE CONVEYED IN THE REGULAR SERIES. THE STORY IS GOOD AND MOST WILL ENJOY IT BUT IT FALLS SHORT AND KIND OF FALLS APART AT THE END (BATMAN'S ESCAPE FROM ARKHAM ASYLUM). IT COULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED A LITTLE MORE TO GIVE A FULLY COMPREHENSIVE COMPLETION. BUT DESPITE ALL THAT THIS BOOK IS HIGLY RECOMMENDED AND HOPEFULLY THE OTHER READERS WILL ENJOY IT AS WELL.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant examination of one hero's psychosis
Review: I thought this book was simply incredible. A book that really looks deeply at Batman's sanity. A definite must have.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome art and story but with a few minor flaws
Review: I'll get the flaws over with. While the art is beautiful, it is difficult to follow in some scenes. I couldn't really tell what happened with Dr. Destiny and Croc. Perhaps too many villians were used in this story. I thought Maxie Zeus's dialouge was just stupid. He definately should have been left out of the story. Worst flaw, Batman does something near the end that struck me as way out of character. But he does get driven towards the edge in this story so maybe it can slide. Now for the goodness. Dave McKean's art is beautiful. The Joker is downright frightening in this one. He and Two-Face have the best portrayal in the story and Dr. Milo's "I'm okay, its you guys who are nuts" routine provdided some great dark humor. The dual-story about Amadeus Arkhams's descent into madness is also chilling. This first came out in 1989, so it must take place around then in Batman continuity. It doesn't impact any characters in the current books in any way like the Killing Joke does, but it will make some people view Batman and his foes in a whole new light. Especially the Joker. He is particulary morbid in this story.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite Batman story!
Review: I'm a HUGE fan of the Batman graphic novels and TPB, like this one! I remember reading through it when it first came out (I was probably 10 or 11) and I had to buy it a few years later when I was older and actually had money. Like Havok and Wolverine, the painted art drew me in, but it's also Morrison's incredible story.
The Joker is insane, but so is everyone and everything else in the book. The art is just dark, painted and wonderful!
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