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Batman
Arkham Asylum: Madness
It is the most feared house in all of Gotham. It contains the worst that the city has to offer. It is the place where the Dark Knight's most dangerous and psychotic foes call home. Writer / artist Sam Kieth, the creator of THE MAXX, invites you to spend 24 hours in the most haunted house in the DC Universe, Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane in this original Batman graphic novel.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
10 people are currently reading
588 people want to read
About the author
Sam Kieth
402books261followersKieth first came to prominence in 1984 as the inker of Matt Wagner's Mage, his brushwork adding fluidity and texture to the broad strokes of Wagner's early work at Comico Comics. In 1989, he drew the first five issues of writer Neil Gaiman's celebrated series The Sandman, but felt his style was unsuited to the book (specifically saying that he "felt like Jimi Hendrix in The Beatles") and left, handing over to his former inker Mike Dringenberg.
He acted as illustrator on two volumes of writer William Messner-Loebs' Epicurus the Sage and drew an Aliens miniseries for Dark Horse Comics, among other things, before creating The Maxx in 1993 for Image Comics, with, initially, writing help from Messner-Loebs. It ran for 35 issues and was adapted, with Kieth's assistance, into an animated series for MTV. Since then, as a writer-artist, he has gone on to create Friends of Maxx, Zero Girl, Four Women and Ojo.
Ojo comprises the first and My Inner Bimbo the second, in a cycle of original comic book limited series published by Oni Press. Loosely connected, the cycle will concern the intertwined lives of people with each other and sometimes with a supernatural entity known as the Mysterious Trout. Kieth has stated that other characters from The Maxx series will appear in this cycle of stories. My Inner Bimbo #1 was published in April 2006. Issue #2 was delayed past its original release date; It was finally resolicited in "Previews" in 2007 and hit the store shelves in November 2007.
DC Comics' Batman/Lobo: Deadly Serious, a two-issue prestige format mini-series that started in August 2007, was written and drawn by Kieth. This was followed by 2009's two-issue prestige format mini-series Lobo: Highway to Hell, written by Scott Ian and featuring art by Kieth.
He acted as illustrator on two volumes of writer William Messner-Loebs' Epicurus the Sage and drew an Aliens miniseries for Dark Horse Comics, among other things, before creating The Maxx in 1993 for Image Comics, with, initially, writing help from Messner-Loebs. It ran for 35 issues and was adapted, with Kieth's assistance, into an animated series for MTV. Since then, as a writer-artist, he has gone on to create Friends of Maxx, Zero Girl, Four Women and Ojo.
Ojo comprises the first and My Inner Bimbo the second, in a cycle of original comic book limited series published by Oni Press. Loosely connected, the cycle will concern the intertwined lives of people with each other and sometimes with a supernatural entity known as the Mysterious Trout. Kieth has stated that other characters from The Maxx series will appear in this cycle of stories. My Inner Bimbo #1 was published in April 2006. Issue #2 was delayed past its original release date; It was finally resolicited in "Previews" in 2007 and hit the store shelves in November 2007.
DC Comics' Batman/Lobo: Deadly Serious, a two-issue prestige format mini-series that started in August 2007, was written and drawn by Kieth. This was followed by 2009's two-issue prestige format mini-series Lobo: Highway to Hell, written by Scott Ian and featuring art by Kieth.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
April 3, 2015
I think this is my favorite book with the Joker in it ever. Batman will have to get over it for a few since he didn't show up for work the day this book was made. That slacker.
This is the story of a nurse's workday at the Arkham Asylum. She starts the day with her husband and son driving her to work. She tells her son what a wonderful work place she has and how all the inmates there should be shown forgiveness and caring feelings. Uh yeah.
Once there after gossiping with her co-worker..she admits how really bad it is.
The place is full of the bad guys that Batman has put away.
And of course..my favorite baddie of all.
So what has the Joker been up too since being committed?
He has taken up arts and crafts!
Including a former guards leg. It's a work of art people! Back off the man.
Plus, he has taken up watching Antiques Roadshow.
Hey, he is the good one for awhile here. Just don't mess with his collectibles.
There is all kinds of freaky deaky going on at the Asylum. Including hooking up for some nooky in some of the rooms.
....and it all boils down to not screwing with the mom. Joker..you should know better.
This book is dark and fun. Go read it.
Hulk-boy made me do it.
This is the story of a nurse's workday at the Arkham Asylum. She starts the day with her husband and son driving her to work. She tells her son what a wonderful work place she has and how all the inmates there should be shown forgiveness and caring feelings. Uh yeah.
Once there after gossiping with her co-worker..she admits how really bad it is.
The place is full of the bad guys that Batman has put away.
And of course..my favorite baddie of all.
So what has the Joker been up too since being committed?
He has taken up arts and crafts!
Including a former guards leg. It's a work of art people! Back off the man.
Plus, he has taken up watching Antiques Roadshow.
Hey, he is the good one for awhile here. Just don't mess with his collectibles.
There is all kinds of freaky deaky going on at the Asylum. Including hooking up for some nooky in some of the rooms.
....and it all boils down to not screwing with the mom. Joker..you should know better.
This book is dark and fun. Go read it.
Hulk-boy made me do it.
March 17, 2015
This one follows a day in the life of a nurse, Sabine Robbins, who works at Arkham Asylum and I think Batman’s mentioned twice in passing, so welcome to Batman week, Gothamites.
Working at Arkham Asylum, home to Batman’s rogue’s gallery, has to be one of the more stressful ways to make a buck in comics. Between jobs as a Male Exotic Dancer and a Riverboat Pilot, I once worked in a mental institution which had its own wing for the criminally insane. They didn’t have any super villains* housed there, but every time I went into the wing, the air was always leaden with tension. Imagine not only working in this environment, but having to deal with The Joker, Killer Croc, Man-Bat and the Scarecrow on a daily basis.
Sabine gets dropped off early in the morning by her husband and young son and my dread-o-meter started going off.
You find that Arkham isn’t that much different than any other workplace: people complain about the work, people complain about management, co-workers play practical jokes on one another (with a fake bloody foot**), co-workers grabbing a quick one in the broom closet and the Joker offs one of your co-workers on a bi-weekly basis.
The art is a combination of expressionism and what-the-hell-is-thatism (i.e. It resembles something my wife put on the refrigerator when my then five year old brought it home from school.) and almost undercuts the writing.
Fun fact: The Joker is a big fan of Antiques Roadshow. Who knew?
*There was one guy who had an abnormally huge head who looked like a cross between Hector Hammond and The Leader. Who’s to say whether he was scheming about plans for world domination?
**
January 2, 2017
Stars, that's awful drawing! Just look what they did to my beloved Harley.
She looks like an old hag. She's not even pretty. She's plain ugly.
Everybody in this comic is ugly.
And the story makes no sense in the end. The conclusion is weird for both sides, the Arkham staff and the inmates.
Two bad ones in a row already. >.< Does that mean something to my 2017 reads?
She looks like an old hag. She's not even pretty. She's plain ugly.
Everybody in this comic is ugly.
And the story makes no sense in the end. The conclusion is weird for both sides, the Arkham staff and the inmates.
Two bad ones in a row already. >.< Does that mean something to my 2017 reads?
January 1, 2017
Ever wonder what a day in the life of an Arkham Asylum nurse is like? Me neither but here we have it anyway with Arkham Asylum: Madness. And it’s fucking boring!
I thought Sam Kieth’s art was unusual and quirky when I first saw it in The Maxx but over the years it’s just devolved into looking sloppy, lazy and ugly - some of the pages are such poor quality they look like a photocopy of a photocopy! The character designs are among the shittiest I’ve ever seen: Harley has dreads, Two-Face is a ‘roided out thug with a do-rag, and Scarecrow literally has his mouth sewn shut - so how can he speak?!
As for the pitiful non-story, our personality-free protagonist wanders about hearing dull stories about Joker and which doctor is sleeping with which nurse. Kieth writes such an uninteresting, predictable and lame Joker, fucking with a doctor by putting glass in his lunch.
There’s nothing but outright stupidity throughout. Why is Killer Croc - who’s drawn like an actual crocodile - in a tank full of gallons and gallons of water set at the top of the building? Why not put that shit on the ground floor or basement?! Why are there enormously tall ceilings where clocks are set out of reach of anyone? Why are there therapy sessions at 1am? Why are inmates allowed to wander freely from their cells throughout the night?! Garbage storytelling.
The real madness is DC hiring Sam Kieth to make Batman comics!
I thought Sam Kieth’s art was unusual and quirky when I first saw it in The Maxx but over the years it’s just devolved into looking sloppy, lazy and ugly - some of the pages are such poor quality they look like a photocopy of a photocopy! The character designs are among the shittiest I’ve ever seen: Harley has dreads, Two-Face is a ‘roided out thug with a do-rag, and Scarecrow literally has his mouth sewn shut - so how can he speak?!
As for the pitiful non-story, our personality-free protagonist wanders about hearing dull stories about Joker and which doctor is sleeping with which nurse. Kieth writes such an uninteresting, predictable and lame Joker, fucking with a doctor by putting glass in his lunch.
There’s nothing but outright stupidity throughout. Why is Killer Croc - who’s drawn like an actual crocodile - in a tank full of gallons and gallons of water set at the top of the building? Why not put that shit on the ground floor or basement?! Why are there enormously tall ceilings where clocks are set out of reach of anyone? Why are there therapy sessions at 1am? Why are inmates allowed to wander freely from their cells throughout the night?! Garbage storytelling.
The real madness is DC hiring Sam Kieth to make Batman comics!
November 23, 2016
I'm a big fan of Sam Kieth. I wasn't disappointed. Was it gripping? No, but it's not meant to be. It's a day spent at Arkham Asylum. And I loved it.
December 29, 2018
The art is horrendous, I just can’t get past it or in to it. Story seems over the top, with the level of ‘homesickness� the nurse displays - her family drops her off at work and she’s whining and crying about missing them 15 minutes in. Gonna be a hard pass from me.
September 13, 2013
Sam Kieth’s Arkham Asylum: Madness has no Batman and nothing to pull it above being a relentlessly crappy comic.
Normally I wouldn’t have read this. I actually own a first edition of “The Maxx”—Kieth’s big claim to fame—but I preferred a different comic in that four-in-one read (the one about a dude riding around a giant, flying gun). Whatever way you put it, I’m not on the Kieth fan boy track. In fact, I think Kieth’s artistic style has actually gotten worse since then. What happened is I went looking for the popular Arkham Asylum at the library. The librarian spent a long time looking for it, and when she finally returned with this knockoff, I didn’t have the heart to say no. I even returned it late so that I could finish, racking up a dime a day in fees. Principles, man.
Anyway, the story follows a nurse who works too much at Arkham Asylum—the place full of locked up Batman villains. She stays because it provides a paycheck for her family and she doesn’t have to work the dreaded night shift� until she has to work the dreaded night shift. Of course, things go awry and the staff get overrun, but it’s all boring and trite. For example, one of the nurses is forced to have sex with a doctor to keep her job. The doctor is off-screen, in a closet, but you can see it coming from far off—the doctor and the nurse are both chicks! Being gay! In a closet!—and while I hoped Kieth would veer off from an obvious and childish route, he did not. He could have put heart and complexity into the plot point; he could’ve focused on the demoralizing aspect of such a relationship; but nah, let’s make it a passing high-five joke on chicks totally making out, brah! Garbage.
There were several other cliché plot routes, but that’s the one I’m notching as the key example of ongoing lazy storytelling. There’s more I should remember from the overall plot, but the big thing I recall is no Batman. But wait! you say. If there’s an array of villains, then there could be a great level of complexity in the interaction of their skewed standards and beliefs. Alas then I note the “lesbians in a closet� example above and the conversation ends. About the only part I recall liking was when Kieth delineated Two-Face’s halves with different font, so maybe I should be glad he didn’t include Batman. If he did, there’d likely be nipples on the Batsuit (and if there’s one thing I oppose in life it’s nipples on the Batsuit). One star.
Normally I wouldn’t have read this. I actually own a first edition of “The Maxx”—Kieth’s big claim to fame—but I preferred a different comic in that four-in-one read (the one about a dude riding around a giant, flying gun). Whatever way you put it, I’m not on the Kieth fan boy track. In fact, I think Kieth’s artistic style has actually gotten worse since then. What happened is I went looking for the popular Arkham Asylum at the library. The librarian spent a long time looking for it, and when she finally returned with this knockoff, I didn’t have the heart to say no. I even returned it late so that I could finish, racking up a dime a day in fees. Principles, man.
Anyway, the story follows a nurse who works too much at Arkham Asylum—the place full of locked up Batman villains. She stays because it provides a paycheck for her family and she doesn’t have to work the dreaded night shift� until she has to work the dreaded night shift. Of course, things go awry and the staff get overrun, but it’s all boring and trite. For example, one of the nurses is forced to have sex with a doctor to keep her job. The doctor is off-screen, in a closet, but you can see it coming from far off—the doctor and the nurse are both chicks! Being gay! In a closet!—and while I hoped Kieth would veer off from an obvious and childish route, he did not. He could have put heart and complexity into the plot point; he could’ve focused on the demoralizing aspect of such a relationship; but nah, let’s make it a passing high-five joke on chicks totally making out, brah! Garbage.
There were several other cliché plot routes, but that’s the one I’m notching as the key example of ongoing lazy storytelling. There’s more I should remember from the overall plot, but the big thing I recall is no Batman. But wait! you say. If there’s an array of villains, then there could be a great level of complexity in the interaction of their skewed standards and beliefs. Alas then I note the “lesbians in a closet� example above and the conversation ends. About the only part I recall liking was when Kieth delineated Two-Face’s halves with different font, so maybe I should be glad he didn’t include Batman. If he did, there’d likely be nipples on the Batsuit (and if there’s one thing I oppose in life it’s nipples on the Batsuit). One star.
April 14, 2015
I'm struggling with rating this one because parts of it I loved and parts of it bored/confused me so 3.5 stars it is.
I honestly think that my expectations were just too high. I was just left wanting more by the end of it. Arkham Asylum: Madness follows the story of a nurse named Sabine who works in Arkham Asylum. I honestly think they're all fucking crazy just for setting foot in that building but guess you gotta get money however you can in Gotham.
Kieth does an excellent job portraying the creepy, fucked up feel of Arkham in both the writing and particularly the artwork.
Batman doesn't show up at all in this but that's honestly a good thing as the focus here is really on the interaction between the psychopaths and the nurses and doctors. The thought of Joker collecting things (and the way that turns out) was so perfectly dark and messed up that I couldn't help but love it.
And Harley! She was so damn wonderful that I was left wanting so much more of her.
But I found that the people who worked at Arkham bored the shit out of me. I mostly liked Sabine but the personal drama between nurses, doctors and guards just didn't interest me.
And I will admit that parts of this book confused the hell out of me. That could easily have been Kieth's intent (God knows I didn't understand either but McKean's artwork majorly won me over on that one). It just kept me from fully engaging and being super happy with the story.
Overall, still a very dark and fun story about how the creepiness and dark past and present of Arkham Asylum infects not only the building but all those inside it.
I honestly think that my expectations were just too high. I was just left wanting more by the end of it. Arkham Asylum: Madness follows the story of a nurse named Sabine who works in Arkham Asylum. I honestly think they're all fucking crazy just for setting foot in that building but guess you gotta get money however you can in Gotham.
Kieth does an excellent job portraying the creepy, fucked up feel of Arkham in both the writing and particularly the artwork.
Batman doesn't show up at all in this but that's honestly a good thing as the focus here is really on the interaction between the psychopaths and the nurses and doctors. The thought of Joker collecting things (and the way that turns out) was so perfectly dark and messed up that I couldn't help but love it.
And Harley! She was so damn wonderful that I was left wanting so much more of her.
But I found that the people who worked at Arkham bored the shit out of me. I mostly liked Sabine but the personal drama between nurses, doctors and guards just didn't interest me.
And I will admit that parts of this book confused the hell out of me. That could easily have been Kieth's intent (God knows I didn't understand either but McKean's artwork majorly won me over on that one). It just kept me from fully engaging and being super happy with the story.
Overall, still a very dark and fun story about how the creepiness and dark past and present of Arkham Asylum infects not only the building but all those inside it.
August 10, 2012
The narrative and the art style is all over the place, but I think that worked in this graphic novel's favor. It gave the impression very well that Arkham Asylum is a pressure-cooker, a living thing waiting to burst. It was a slow burn to begin with, but little things like the persistent thumps coming from the walls and a clock that inexplicably bleeds pushes the feeling that such a place would be unnerving to those who endure that environment for a living. And since Arkham Asylum Madness shows the asylum through the eyes of its workers, that makes it all the more effective.
Batman is nowhere to be found in this book, and there's no need for him. It's a showcase of the asylum itself, and a handful of its more notorious inhabitants, particularly Joker. If I had one complaint, it would be that the great buildup of tension kind of fizzles and sputters at the end.
Still, though many revere Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, I found this to be a similar take on the theme, but ultimately more coherent and readable.
Batman is nowhere to be found in this book, and there's no need for him. It's a showcase of the asylum itself, and a handful of its more notorious inhabitants, particularly Joker. If I had one complaint, it would be that the great buildup of tension kind of fizzles and sputters at the end.
Still, though many revere Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, I found this to be a similar take on the theme, but ultimately more coherent and readable.
July 31, 2014
I just love Arkham Asylum, I think it's hard to write a bad comic on the topic.
This story has absolutely no Batman nor does it need him the Asylum itself becomes the main character and the guards, nurses, doctors, and of course super villains who make up the character list are engaging and interesting on their own. The framework of the story lies with a new young nurse who is working a double (24hrs)and misses her son and husband terribly.
The narration is at times hard to follow because it seems to jump around with no way to determine who is speaking. The narration boxes are color coded so it gives you a hint (ex: pretty sure the green box with purple trim is the Joker) but for some of them you can't be entirely sure.
As for the artwork, I understand what Kieth was trying to accomplish but the inconsistency of the art makes it more difficult to get into the story at first. Some pictures are strikingly beautiful and dark while others look like mere sketches, this all adds to the madness the author is trying to project. Sometimes it was unsuccessful but overall I think it worked.
This story has absolutely no Batman nor does it need him the Asylum itself becomes the main character and the guards, nurses, doctors, and of course super villains who make up the character list are engaging and interesting on their own. The framework of the story lies with a new young nurse who is working a double (24hrs)and misses her son and husband terribly.
The narration is at times hard to follow because it seems to jump around with no way to determine who is speaking. The narration boxes are color coded so it gives you a hint (ex: pretty sure the green box with purple trim is the Joker) but for some of them you can't be entirely sure.
As for the artwork, I understand what Kieth was trying to accomplish but the inconsistency of the art makes it more difficult to get into the story at first. Some pictures are strikingly beautiful and dark while others look like mere sketches, this all adds to the madness the author is trying to project. Sometimes it was unsuccessful but overall I think it worked.
June 27, 2013
It was OK. That sums it up pretty well. The art just wasn't doing it for me. It worked with the Joker but the other inmates and staff, nope didn't work. Perhaps that's a sign of how adaptable the Joker is as a character? I enjoyed his storyline, but the story of the nurse 'Sabine' was just a waste of time as were most of the rest of the occurences here. I suppose it did a good job of conveying just how broken Arkham is in every way...but non-essential unless you like to read about Arkham. No Batman here, not even a cameo, but I guess that's OK too. Don't rush to check this one out, just nothing to really catch you.
August 29, 2019
Altra storia eccezionale sull’Arkham Asylum da un punto di vista molto interessante, struttura fatiscente ma anche posto di lavoro per il personale adibito.
Gente che arriva, parcheggia la macchina, fa due chiacchiere e si cambia gli indumenti per iniziare un’altra giornata presso il manicomio criminale della città :P
Abbiamo così sotto gli occhi la quotidianità di quest’istituto, dipendenti che svolgono le proprie mansioni in un’ambiente, beh� folle! Lo fanno cercando di sdrammatizzare la situazione, concedendosi pause caffè/sigaretta/scappatella che li aiutino a sopportare lo stress, aspettando coi nervi a fior di pelle che il lento trascorrere della giornata giunga al termine per lasciarsi tutto alle spalle ed “evadere� da lì il prima possibile. Nessuno ci è arrivato per vocazione o filantropia, queste persone sono qui ad assistere dei pazzi pericolosi e la cosa non gli piace, ma ci sono le bollette da pagare.
Artisticamente l’autore ha svolto un lavoro davvero fenomenale, con tavole talmente ispirate e suggestive da creare una impeccabile connessione tra la percezione mentale e quella visiva delle pagine che ci troviamo davanti. Ineccepibile sia nei consueti rapporti tra familiari e colleghi sia nella grezza dimostrazione dei villain.
Mi ha fatto sorridere vedere una Harley Quinn tanto rozza (e lo dico in senso positivo) tanto nell’aspetto quanto nei modi, lontana anni luce dalla versione pin-up adottata da qualche annetto a questa parte con i suoi atteggiamenti licenziosi:
La vera perla però è un altro habitué, mi riferisco a Killer Croc� nel suo serbatoio da 20.000 litri °.°
Pur restandosene là dentro come un pesciolino rosso nell’acquario di casa ha un certo “peso�, anche in senso letterale non soltanto figurato, il che lo rende una minaccia costante - e ticchettante - che tutti sminuiscono perché hanno troppa paura di pensare alle conseguenze del vederla realizzata.
Insomma qui allora è tutto fantastico? Nì, un tasto dolente c’� a mio avviso ed è� Joker! Era partito anche bene anzi benissimo, come ottimo elemento complementare. Ma a quanto pare un nome così altisonante non poteva rimanere lì tranquillo, il ruolo gli andava troppo stretto. Un poco per volta ha iniziato a fagocitare con ingordigia personaggi e storia, come un bambino egoista e capriccioso in cerca di attenzioni. La cosa mi ha talmente indispettito che mi pare abbia consumato persino parte della vena artistica di Kieth, progressivamente più monotematico, ripetitivo e insoddisfacente rispetto a com’era partito.
L’autore merita comunque un applauso, ci è andato vicino tanto così dal realizzare il capolavoro. Nel frattempo questo qui se la ride per lo scherzetto che gli ha giocato -_-
Un’altra folle giornata (nottata compresa) ad Arkham è finita, lo si capisce da quelli del turno di giorno che stanno arrivando. Lettura conclusa con molta soddisfazione e un po� di rammarico�
Gente che arriva, parcheggia la macchina, fa due chiacchiere e si cambia gli indumenti per iniziare un’altra giornata presso il manicomio criminale della città :P
Abbiamo così sotto gli occhi la quotidianità di quest’istituto, dipendenti che svolgono le proprie mansioni in un’ambiente, beh� folle! Lo fanno cercando di sdrammatizzare la situazione, concedendosi pause caffè/sigaretta/scappatella che li aiutino a sopportare lo stress, aspettando coi nervi a fior di pelle che il lento trascorrere della giornata giunga al termine per lasciarsi tutto alle spalle ed “evadere� da lì il prima possibile. Nessuno ci è arrivato per vocazione o filantropia, queste persone sono qui ad assistere dei pazzi pericolosi e la cosa non gli piace, ma ci sono le bollette da pagare.
Artisticamente l’autore ha svolto un lavoro davvero fenomenale, con tavole talmente ispirate e suggestive da creare una impeccabile connessione tra la percezione mentale e quella visiva delle pagine che ci troviamo davanti. Ineccepibile sia nei consueti rapporti tra familiari e colleghi sia nella grezza dimostrazione dei villain.
Mi ha fatto sorridere vedere una Harley Quinn tanto rozza (e lo dico in senso positivo) tanto nell’aspetto quanto nei modi, lontana anni luce dalla versione pin-up adottata da qualche annetto a questa parte con i suoi atteggiamenti licenziosi:
La vera perla però è un altro habitué, mi riferisco a Killer Croc� nel suo serbatoio da 20.000 litri °.°
Pur restandosene là dentro come un pesciolino rosso nell’acquario di casa ha un certo “peso�, anche in senso letterale non soltanto figurato, il che lo rende una minaccia costante - e ticchettante - che tutti sminuiscono perché hanno troppa paura di pensare alle conseguenze del vederla realizzata.
Insomma qui allora è tutto fantastico? Nì, un tasto dolente c’� a mio avviso ed è� Joker! Era partito anche bene anzi benissimo, come ottimo elemento complementare. Ma a quanto pare un nome così altisonante non poteva rimanere lì tranquillo, il ruolo gli andava troppo stretto. Un poco per volta ha iniziato a fagocitare con ingordigia personaggi e storia, come un bambino egoista e capriccioso in cerca di attenzioni. La cosa mi ha talmente indispettito che mi pare abbia consumato persino parte della vena artistica di Kieth, progressivamente più monotematico, ripetitivo e insoddisfacente rispetto a com’era partito.
L’autore merita comunque un applauso, ci è andato vicino tanto così dal realizzare il capolavoro. Nel frattempo questo qui se la ride per lo scherzetto che gli ha giocato -_-
Un’altra folle giornata (nottata compresa) ad Arkham è finita, lo si capisce da quelli del turno di giorno che stanno arrivando. Lettura conclusa con molta soddisfazione e un po� di rammarico�
February 10, 2020
More than anything, the end was just...weird, and so anticlimactic!! I didn’t click with the art style either, it seemed to shift oddly, after reading the closing words I understand why, but also it just make the story hard to follow along with. Not my favourite Arkham tale.
September 3, 2020
An inside look into the Asylum...interesting artwork and interesting story.
December 25, 2012
I'm always thrilled to get an original take on Batman's Rogue's Gallery, and Sam Keith's Arkham Asylum: Madness is certainly that. Unfamiliar with his previous work (aside from my friend's glowing review of his creator-owned book The Maxx), I was unsure what to expect. What I got was an experiment in mixed media art that, while not my usual cup of tea, was quite enthralling in its willingness to explore such a bold visual palette.
The plot revolves around Sabine Robbins, a nurse working a 24-hour shift at Arkham Asylum. A typical day-in-the-life at a workplace that is anything but typical, AA:Madness is a wonderful companion piece to Gotham Central. I say this not because the two titles are anything alike, but because they both delve into the Bat-Universe from the perspective of an average Joe (or Jill, as the case may be).
Everything about this book is unapologetically avante garde. One's willingness to "take the ticket and ride the ride" will determine how enjoyable they find it. Of particular interest is the characterization of The Joker. One of his fellow inmates calls him "gutless" and "old", but the Clown Prince of Crime still has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
An awesome and bold (if somewhat uneven) look at the criminally insane. Forserious Bat-fans, Kieth fans, and those who enjoy taking a close-up psychological look at the madness of humanity. Grade: B+
The plot revolves around Sabine Robbins, a nurse working a 24-hour shift at Arkham Asylum. A typical day-in-the-life at a workplace that is anything but typical, AA:Madness is a wonderful companion piece to Gotham Central. I say this not because the two titles are anything alike, but because they both delve into the Bat-Universe from the perspective of an average Joe (or Jill, as the case may be).
Everything about this book is unapologetically avante garde. One's willingness to "take the ticket and ride the ride" will determine how enjoyable they find it. Of particular interest is the characterization of The Joker. One of his fellow inmates calls him "gutless" and "old", but the Clown Prince of Crime still has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
An awesome and bold (if somewhat uneven) look at the criminally insane. Forserious Bat-fans, Kieth fans, and those who enjoy taking a close-up psychological look at the madness of humanity. Grade: B+
May 23, 2021
It seems like most of Sam Kieth's work is very polarizing. I find that I like his later work, although sometimes not so much his early stuff.
In this case we get a fairly deep story about Arkham Asylum. It's done as a "day in the life" type story, just showing a typical day in Arkham. But there's something deeper here in the way of a haunted house type story showing that Arkham Asylum may just be cursed. Or is it?
I liked Sam Kieth's art here even though it can be hard to follow at times. I thought the coloring was well done. His art has never been realistic, and has always been a bit cartoony for some readers.
Overall I thought this was a great read for something different. Even though there was very little action, it held my attention the entire way. This isn't for everyone, but if you like Sam Kieth's artwork and are looking for something different, maybe it is for you.
In this case we get a fairly deep story about Arkham Asylum. It's done as a "day in the life" type story, just showing a typical day in Arkham. But there's something deeper here in the way of a haunted house type story showing that Arkham Asylum may just be cursed. Or is it?
I liked Sam Kieth's art here even though it can be hard to follow at times. I thought the coloring was well done. His art has never been realistic, and has always been a bit cartoony for some readers.
Overall I thought this was a great read for something different. Even though there was very little action, it held my attention the entire way. This isn't for everyone, but if you like Sam Kieth's artwork and are looking for something different, maybe it is for you.
March 9, 2020
Not Sam Kieth's best work but still really good. His art is, as always, spectacular and haunting. The idea is a fantastic one - it's set in a prison mental hospital for all the villains Batman has put away. It's a little predictable, but Sam Kieth puts his spin on the characters and I think anyone working in an underpaid overworked hospital IRL could relate so that’s disturbing. Went back to reread to see what Kieth did with Harley Quinn after seeing the movie Birds of Prey. She’s more classic comic in this version, less nuanced than in the movie, but she’s also a minor character here.
June 11, 2017
Well... I feel this is just lazy in the art and a bit predictable in the story. The main character is dull and really not interesting. There are some stuff that makes no sense (Harley Quinn with dreads, Killer Croc being an ACTUAL croc). I dunno, the Joker doing a very old, not clever prank putting glass in the food... It just feels that it was written in one night and draw in another one.
I wonder what happened with Sam Kieth. I'm just familiar with his Sandman art but it's SOOO much better than this.
I wonder what happened with Sam Kieth. I'm just familiar with his Sandman art but it's SOOO much better than this.
October 15, 2015
2 1/2 stars
..said no Arkham worker ever.
"She will always belong to Arkham Asylum.
And she will always be a part of the madness." - The Joker
..said no Arkham worker ever.
"She will always belong to Arkham Asylum.
And she will always be a part of the madness." - The Joker
February 17, 2013
DC, which, unlike Marvel, still releases original graphic novels every once in a while, released this one, which is written, drawn, and occasionally colored by Sam Kieth, colored the rest of the time by Michelle Madsen and Dave Stewart, and lettered by Steve Wands. It’s a slim volume � not quite 100 pages long, and it retails for $19.99.
The basic plot is simple: A nurse named Sabine arrives for her shift at Arkham Asylum in the morning and ends up staying for 24 hours when she’s drafted for the night shift as well. It is, of course, a strange 24 hours. The Joker is doing weird things, and everything kinds of comes to a head while Sabine is there. Kieth is concerned far more with Sabine and the way she and the staff reacts to the weirdness going on at the asylum, so the plot is somewhat inconsequential. In many ways, this book is a nice companion piece to The Killing Joke, in that the Joker is trying to drive many people mad, and instead of turning a carnival into a madhouse, he simply uses the madhouse in which he’s confined. In some ways, this is a far more disturbing comic than The Killing Joke, because Kieth leaves the ending more ambiguous than Moore did. We think that the Joker is proven wrong and that not everyone loses their sanity when confronted with the insane, but then Kieth forces us to reconsider what happens. The idea that Kieth is toying with is an interesting one. Sabine needs the job � she’s a young mother and she and her husband don’t make much money � but does she need it to the point where it destroys her soul? Is her love of her son enough to resist the insanity that surrounds her? Will defending her child against the Joker drive her to the point where he wants her to go anyway? Kieth brings all of these themes up throughout the book, and although they don’t always work perfectly (mainly because Sabine remains somewhat of a blank slate, emotionally � she reacts to things as we expect her to react, and so we don’t really get a sense that she might swerve), Kieth is good enough to make the ending fairly gut-wrenching. It’s a decent psychological horror story, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
The problem with the story is that Kieth doesn’t really do anything new with any of the characters. I know that he can’t really do too much because this is, presumably, “in continuity� and so he can’t change too much, but he doesn’t really give us new takes of the old chestnuts. The book that this is obviously hearkening back to, Morrison’s Arkham Asylum (yes, I just compared it to The Killing Joke, but I can compare it to two different books, right?), at least gave us an odder version of the Joker than we usually see, but Kieth’s Joker is just the Joker. Even Killer Croc, a malevolent presence on the top floor, is similar to many other versions. Because of this restriction, it’s kind of difficult to care too much about what theatrics the maniacs in Arkham pull, even when it directly affects Sabine. Kieth toys a bit with the Joker � his obsession with Antiques Roadshow and old toys in general ought to become canonical � but in the end, he’s just the Joker. Kieth also hits all the common notes about Arkham � he brings up the idea that something deeper lurks within its walls, for instance � but it’s still Arkham. In other words, it’s still ridiculously understaffed even though the greatest concentration of evil in the DCU is concentrated inside it, and it’s still a wreck of a building that, even in an economic recession, is an embarrassment in a major American city. The idea of Arkham is always more interesting than the reality, and Kieth doesn’t do much with the reality.
The reason I can mildly recommend this is because the ending really does work well, as Sabine comes to understand her warped relationship with Arkham and its patients and why she acts as she does at the end, and because Kieth’s art is always fun to look at. His character design is wonderful, as he draws people as slight caricatures that reveal much more about them than if he drew them straight. He shifts from cartoony and benign to cartoony and violent very easily, making the violence stand out and more disturbing. While his Joker looks like the Joker and even Killer Croc, as malevolent a presence he is, is still a big crocodile, Kieth’s visual portrayal of Harley Quinn is brilliant, wearing her hair in dreadlocks and laconically jousting with her replacement at Arkham, while Jonathan Crane, with his stitched-up lips, is a creepy demon haunting the halls. Kieth always does a good job moving from relatively simple line work in certain panels to fully painted panels in others, and his range is breathtaking. Kieth doesn’t quite earn the final image of horror (which breaks the tension that has been building up inside the asylum), but it’s a tremendous visual. While Kieth’s writing has been better than in this comic, it’s always a treat to look at his artwork and see what fun stuff he’s up to these days.
Arkham Asylum: Madness isn’t quite great, although it’s not bad. Kieth shies away from really delving into madness, giving us the standard insane characters of the DC Universe and not going too far into Sabine’s psyche to make a grand statement. Her struggle is a gripping one, but there’s a sense that Kieth had an opportunity to really dig in, and he passed it up to give us stories of characters we know far too well. Still, it’s a fascinating book because, like Dave McKean, Kieth is an artist who can make madness visually interesting. It’s a decent read, just not a brilliant one. But it’s still nice that DC actually publishes stuff like this every once in a while!
The basic plot is simple: A nurse named Sabine arrives for her shift at Arkham Asylum in the morning and ends up staying for 24 hours when she’s drafted for the night shift as well. It is, of course, a strange 24 hours. The Joker is doing weird things, and everything kinds of comes to a head while Sabine is there. Kieth is concerned far more with Sabine and the way she and the staff reacts to the weirdness going on at the asylum, so the plot is somewhat inconsequential. In many ways, this book is a nice companion piece to The Killing Joke, in that the Joker is trying to drive many people mad, and instead of turning a carnival into a madhouse, he simply uses the madhouse in which he’s confined. In some ways, this is a far more disturbing comic than The Killing Joke, because Kieth leaves the ending more ambiguous than Moore did. We think that the Joker is proven wrong and that not everyone loses their sanity when confronted with the insane, but then Kieth forces us to reconsider what happens. The idea that Kieth is toying with is an interesting one. Sabine needs the job � she’s a young mother and she and her husband don’t make much money � but does she need it to the point where it destroys her soul? Is her love of her son enough to resist the insanity that surrounds her? Will defending her child against the Joker drive her to the point where he wants her to go anyway? Kieth brings all of these themes up throughout the book, and although they don’t always work perfectly (mainly because Sabine remains somewhat of a blank slate, emotionally � she reacts to things as we expect her to react, and so we don’t really get a sense that she might swerve), Kieth is good enough to make the ending fairly gut-wrenching. It’s a decent psychological horror story, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
The problem with the story is that Kieth doesn’t really do anything new with any of the characters. I know that he can’t really do too much because this is, presumably, “in continuity� and so he can’t change too much, but he doesn’t really give us new takes of the old chestnuts. The book that this is obviously hearkening back to, Morrison’s Arkham Asylum (yes, I just compared it to The Killing Joke, but I can compare it to two different books, right?), at least gave us an odder version of the Joker than we usually see, but Kieth’s Joker is just the Joker. Even Killer Croc, a malevolent presence on the top floor, is similar to many other versions. Because of this restriction, it’s kind of difficult to care too much about what theatrics the maniacs in Arkham pull, even when it directly affects Sabine. Kieth toys a bit with the Joker � his obsession with Antiques Roadshow and old toys in general ought to become canonical � but in the end, he’s just the Joker. Kieth also hits all the common notes about Arkham � he brings up the idea that something deeper lurks within its walls, for instance � but it’s still Arkham. In other words, it’s still ridiculously understaffed even though the greatest concentration of evil in the DCU is concentrated inside it, and it’s still a wreck of a building that, even in an economic recession, is an embarrassment in a major American city. The idea of Arkham is always more interesting than the reality, and Kieth doesn’t do much with the reality.
The reason I can mildly recommend this is because the ending really does work well, as Sabine comes to understand her warped relationship with Arkham and its patients and why she acts as she does at the end, and because Kieth’s art is always fun to look at. His character design is wonderful, as he draws people as slight caricatures that reveal much more about them than if he drew them straight. He shifts from cartoony and benign to cartoony and violent very easily, making the violence stand out and more disturbing. While his Joker looks like the Joker and even Killer Croc, as malevolent a presence he is, is still a big crocodile, Kieth’s visual portrayal of Harley Quinn is brilliant, wearing her hair in dreadlocks and laconically jousting with her replacement at Arkham, while Jonathan Crane, with his stitched-up lips, is a creepy demon haunting the halls. Kieth always does a good job moving from relatively simple line work in certain panels to fully painted panels in others, and his range is breathtaking. Kieth doesn’t quite earn the final image of horror (which breaks the tension that has been building up inside the asylum), but it’s a tremendous visual. While Kieth’s writing has been better than in this comic, it’s always a treat to look at his artwork and see what fun stuff he’s up to these days.
Arkham Asylum: Madness isn’t quite great, although it’s not bad. Kieth shies away from really delving into madness, giving us the standard insane characters of the DC Universe and not going too far into Sabine’s psyche to make a grand statement. Her struggle is a gripping one, but there’s a sense that Kieth had an opportunity to really dig in, and he passed it up to give us stories of characters we know far too well. Still, it’s a fascinating book because, like Dave McKean, Kieth is an artist who can make madness visually interesting. It’s a decent read, just not a brilliant one. But it’s still nice that DC actually publishes stuff like this every once in a while!
September 18, 2017
This book started off kinda slow, and never really picked up the type of speed of a normal Batman title. But this isn't your ordinary Batman book, specifically this is a book about Arkham Asylum. The overall tone of the story is to convey the weight of being around the most dangerous psychopaths in Gotham. It was sorta anti-climactic, very much in the the way that H.P. Lovecraft would approach his writings. Use the weight and worries of the situation to help convey a slow descent into madness. Overall it was a good read, a bit of a slog at times. But a decent story none the less.
September 1, 2013
This was a mildly entertaining graphic novel that deals with a day in the life of Arkham Asylum - the place where a lot of the insane criminals captured by Batman end up. As one would expect, things do not go smoothly on this particular day! Although it is a reasonably atmospheric story, I felt it could've been much darker considering that it's about a weirdly constructed and decrepit building housing some seriously disturbed and dangerous inmates. That said, I liked the dark humour and antics of The Joker, whose depictions were among the best drawings in the book.
Since the book is unpaginated, I use the times given by the author to record the passage of time over the course of the book to indicate where a quote comes from.
But there were elements of the story that made little sense, including the explanation for the problems with the asylum's clock , and ?
Also, I didn't see the point why the author/artist, Sam Kieth, had to use text in his images to point out what was clear already from the images themselves or from the formal text, i.e. pointing out The Joker's 'colectobles' (sic) (3:30 pm), writing 'ouch' with an arrow pointing to a prone and bleeding inmate we had just seen being beaten up by guards ('4:00 pm'), the question 'What's in here?' (5:00 pm), and . The theme of the book is too dark for a 9 or 10 year-old to read, in my opinion, yet such annotations in the images would be more appropriate for a comic aimed at that age group. (However, using words within the images to represent sound effects - as Kieth does - is a different matter, of course, and is also a traditional feature of Batman comics.)
Overall, it was enjoyable enough but I don't think the book was worth the �20 price tag. I can only hope that my copy of the book (a first edition) will appreciate in value among collectors so that at some future point I could make a profit in selling my 'investment'!
Since the book is unpaginated, I use the times given by the author to record the passage of time over the course of the book to indicate where a quote comes from.
But there were elements of the story that made little sense, including the explanation for the problems with the asylum's clock , and ?
Also, I didn't see the point why the author/artist, Sam Kieth, had to use text in his images to point out what was clear already from the images themselves or from the formal text, i.e. pointing out The Joker's 'colectobles' (sic) (3:30 pm), writing 'ouch' with an arrow pointing to a prone and bleeding inmate we had just seen being beaten up by guards ('4:00 pm'), the question 'What's in here?' (5:00 pm), and . The theme of the book is too dark for a 9 or 10 year-old to read, in my opinion, yet such annotations in the images would be more appropriate for a comic aimed at that age group. (However, using words within the images to represent sound effects - as Kieth does - is a different matter, of course, and is also a traditional feature of Batman comics.)
Overall, it was enjoyable enough but I don't think the book was worth the �20 price tag. I can only hope that my copy of the book (a first edition) will appreciate in value among collectors so that at some future point I could make a profit in selling my 'investment'!
March 6, 2022
Really enjoyed this one. I love Arkham Asylum as a whole, the creepy Halloween vibes I get from just seeing the iconic building and the gated entrance. I was first exposed to Arkham in the 90s animated series, but it wasn’t till the release of Batman Arkham Asylum in 2009 that I fell in love with the lore of Arkham Asylum and how spooky and hellish the haunted place really is. So getting a book that is based solely on a day and night shift at Arkham Asylum? Sign me up.
What really enhances it even more is that I work in the medical field, so this at times felt like very realistic scenarios when it comes to situations you are put in that are outside the realm of the normal for most people and what that does to you mentally and the ever ticking clock that seems to only make it worse at times.
Overall, I gave it 3 stars because I did enjoy it, but while I love Arkham and it being connected to a profession I have experience with elevated it even more, the overall story was just okay. It’s a really short read that follows a newer nurse at Arkham as well as the Jokers POV throughout with the occasional switch to the other staff members and super criminals. But at times the pages can be so dark it’s hard to decipher what is going on or it’ll jump to a new staff member/villain and you have to take a minute and digest what is actually happening if you can.
Overall not the greatest, but also not a bad read and something I wouldn’t mind reading on a spooky fall night.
Word is we are getting a possible HBO MAX spin off show of The Batman based on Arkham Asylum so fingers crossed it follows this tone mixed with the films tone.
What really enhances it even more is that I work in the medical field, so this at times felt like very realistic scenarios when it comes to situations you are put in that are outside the realm of the normal for most people and what that does to you mentally and the ever ticking clock that seems to only make it worse at times.
Overall, I gave it 3 stars because I did enjoy it, but while I love Arkham and it being connected to a profession I have experience with elevated it even more, the overall story was just okay. It’s a really short read that follows a newer nurse at Arkham as well as the Jokers POV throughout with the occasional switch to the other staff members and super criminals. But at times the pages can be so dark it’s hard to decipher what is going on or it’ll jump to a new staff member/villain and you have to take a minute and digest what is actually happening if you can.
Overall not the greatest, but also not a bad read and something I wouldn’t mind reading on a spooky fall night.
Word is we are getting a possible HBO MAX spin off show of The Batman based on Arkham Asylum so fingers crossed it follows this tone mixed with the films tone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2018
This is never leaving my shelf, so I’m dang glad it’s a hardcover.
I’m not that familiar with Batman and the world of Gotham or Arkham. My first exposure was reading Jonah Hex.
Hex gets around a lot.
So I’m getting off point...
Instead of ruing the entire book with a detail description, it’s much easier to write that Batman is NOT the main character.
This is a psychological thriller. The art pushes the limit.
The story is brilliant in simplicity and its viciousness.
Viciousness, you read?
I’m not writing about gore.
I’m describing the everyday victim. The victim of choice. The victim of necessity. The victim of chance.
And, of course, I’m writing about the perpetrator. The perpetrator can be the vicious criminal, the psychologically impaired individual or the every day humdrum of life. The tick tock of life, as it were, like a clock.
Humans seem to manage their lives around time.
The characters are incredibly well thought out.
It’s a very well written, well edited, beautifully artistic and terrifically put together book!
I’m not that familiar with Batman and the world of Gotham or Arkham. My first exposure was reading Jonah Hex.
Hex gets around a lot.
So I’m getting off point...
Instead of ruing the entire book with a detail description, it’s much easier to write that Batman is NOT the main character.
This is a psychological thriller. The art pushes the limit.
The story is brilliant in simplicity and its viciousness.
Viciousness, you read?
I’m not writing about gore.
I’m describing the everyday victim. The victim of choice. The victim of necessity. The victim of chance.
And, of course, I’m writing about the perpetrator. The perpetrator can be the vicious criminal, the psychologically impaired individual or the every day humdrum of life. The tick tock of life, as it were, like a clock.
Humans seem to manage their lives around time.
The characters are incredibly well thought out.
It’s a very well written, well edited, beautifully artistic and terrifically put together book!
July 31, 2016
Not just a story about Joker or the other immates. Not just a story about Sabine or the rest of the people working there. Not even a story about the building.
Arkham Asylum: Madness is a story about craziness, both psychopathic and mundane, about repeating mistakes, getting ourselves into something we know that leads to somewhere we don't want to go and about not being able to escape from something we know we need to run because it's killing ourselves slowly.
And saying that, then this 112-page comic is about the character that never talks in this book, the clock that bleeds too high in the insane building hall and sometimes makes a noise that tell us something is wrong, but we keep looking at it to guide our lives because even when it's far, broken, stinks and nobody knows who put it there, it's the best we have.
Arkham Asylum: Madness is a story about craziness, both psychopathic and mundane, about repeating mistakes, getting ourselves into something we know that leads to somewhere we don't want to go and about not being able to escape from something we know we need to run because it's killing ourselves slowly.
And saying that, then this 112-page comic is about the character that never talks in this book, the clock that bleeds too high in the insane building hall and sometimes makes a noise that tell us something is wrong, but we keep looking at it to guide our lives because even when it's far, broken, stinks and nobody knows who put it there, it's the best we have.
January 19, 2015
´Despite the art and narrative being all over the place, I think this comic depicted life in the asylum in a throughout manner. You can clearly see how unnerving it is for people to work there, the environment is so naturally spooky and mysterious. I seriously didn't like the art in it though. It was unnerving me more than the environment was. You can't find batman in here, and he isn't needed either. Like I said, it's more of a depiction of life. But you can find Harley - one of my favurite characters of all time - and she was ruined. With shaved hair and dreadlocks, Harley is not even funny but very serious instead. I'm thinking serious as in gloomy. The art style just didn't seem to fit. or maybe it's justthat im not used to it.
November 12, 2024
In addition to the dualism in Batman (the need to do good and the insanity of being a vigilante dressed up as a bat) and the similarities between Batman and the Joker I've found that I like prison literature - and therefore everything with Arkham Asylum is a must read/see/play for me.
Unfortunately this entire graphic novel is just "decent" - it's not deeply compelling and I took no trouble putting it down afterwards or felt any need to read it again instantaneously.
The different focus in this story � on the employed staff of Arkham Asylum is a good idea - but the execution of the idea is just not up to par.
Unfortunately this entire graphic novel is just "decent" - it's not deeply compelling and I took no trouble putting it down afterwards or felt any need to read it again instantaneously.
The different focus in this story � on the employed staff of Arkham Asylum is a good idea - but the execution of the idea is just not up to par.
January 26, 2021
Solid 3 star read.
I know a lot of people aren't crazy about the art but, personally, I thought it was a perfect representation of the characters within the story. The way the artist chooses to illustrate his characters perfectly aligns with the madness and diluted minds of the inmates within the asylum. I went into this expecting to be disappointed but I was pleasantly surprised.
I know a lot of people aren't crazy about the art but, personally, I thought it was a perfect representation of the characters within the story. The way the artist chooses to illustrate his characters perfectly aligns with the madness and diluted minds of the inmates within the asylum. I went into this expecting to be disappointed but I was pleasantly surprised.
November 13, 2021
The Arkham Asylum books are a big of a mixed bag: some are brilliant, terrifying and trippy, while others are mostly "just fun." This one is more of a "just fun" book: I don't regret reading it, but it never made me screenshot pages and show my friends to say "YOU NEED TO READ THIS RIGHT AWAY." Still, you never go wrong with a little Joker time.
March 15, 2017
This was one if the worst comics that I have ever read. It doesn't even deserve one star. The artwork is diabolical!
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