Each Friday, we'll be letting a different DC.com writer share what they'll be reading over the weekend and why you might want to check it out. Here's this week's suggestion for a perfect Weekend Escape!
 

It may be Halloween season, but it’s also arguably the season of the bat! We just got an incredible new Batman #1 from Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez, Absolute Batman continues to deliver one of the greatest versions of Batman to date, and just recently, Scott Snyder revealed that we are getting an Absolute Arkham special! Which brings me to topic at hand…

Batman is an incredibly versatile character and can fit into pretty much any genre or time period, but personally, I think Batman works the best within horror. Being the darkest character of DC’s golden trio, there are so many incredible horror Batman titles out there. One of my all-time favorites is Batman: Arkham Asylum. It’s an absolutely breathtaking comic that you should read, or reread, this Halloween season. Perhaps this very weekend.
 

The Premise:

The inmates of Arkham Asylum have broken free and taken over, and Batman is the only person they are willing to trade for their hostages. Now the Dark Knight has to traverse the haunting hallways of Arkham, which hold the most dangerous members of his rogues gallery—including the Joker, Scarecrow, Two-Face and more. Woven throughout the story is the harrowing and heartbreaking history of the founder Amadeus Arkham. But, most of all, Batman will have to face himself as the Joker holds a mirror up to the man behind the mask and asks the question: Does Batman belong in Arkham Asylum?
 

Let’s Talk Talent:

The Batman: Arkham Asylum creative team is legendary. Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman, Doom Patrol) gives us an outstanding story that draws so much inspiration from classic and gothic literature. If you love Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, you’re going to appreciate all the references and Easter eggs throughout this title.

Dave McKean (The Sandman), who rarely works as an interior artist, has created one of the most visually unique and stunning comics to date, bringing hand-painted Expressionism to the pages of DC. McKean’s art is one of my favorite aspects of this incredible book and breathes so much life into this haunting gothic tale.

Letterer Gaspar Saladino has done a fantastic job capturing the voices of these characters through unique word balloons that push boundaries and blend perfectly with McKean’s artwork. Most notably, the Joker’s voice is brought to life with Saladino’s decision to ditch the physical boundaries of balloons, paired with the unique font used solely for the Joker.
 

A Few Reasons to Read:

• The artwork! There are no other comics that look like this one. I can’t even say how obsessed I am with McKean’s art on this title. Drawing inspiration from Expressionist and Surrealist paintings, McKean delivers a breathtaking mixed media comic that is primarily hand painted. His work crafts a unique and terrifying world that brings these classic characters to life in a new way—this is truly one of the most beautiful comics in history. Batman: Arkham Asylum pushes the boundaries of how comic books can tell a story visually, through an art style that honors art history in an experimental and modern way.
• Batman and the Joker take center stage. Batman: Arkham Asylum focuses on the Dark Knight, but is equally, if not more so, a Joker story. While Batman is the protagonist of this book, there isn’t necessarily a hero in this journey. Arkham Asylum focuses on the darker aspects of Bruce Wayne and how his decisions oftentimes result in more bloodshed, especially when it comes to his parasitic relationship with the Joker. It’s the age-old question: Did Batman create the Joker?
• But really, the Joker steals the spotlight. This is one of my favorite versions of the Joker as he serves as the villain of the story. He feels more monster than human, which you can see reflected Saladino’s stark red lettering used for the Joker. The Joker usually terrifies us with his actions, but this is one of the only comics where his mere appearance may keep you up at night.

• We learn the haunting history of how Arkham Asylum came to be. Amadeus Arkham’s harrowing backstory gets a full circle arc that rounds out this story perfectly—from childhood to his final breath and the legacy he has left behind. And his creation, Arkham Asylum, is without a doubt a character of its own. Seeped in tragedy and having witnessed horrific deaths within its walls, the house seemingly influences the poor souls who inhabit it. You’ll get to know Arkham Asylum—the house, the myth, the legend—in an eerily intimate way in this comic.
• Gothic themes and supernatural undertones shape this story. Much like with the book The Haunting of Hill House, you’ll be left wondering—is the house alive? And if so, is it a malicious force that drives these characters and their actions? This is truly a gothic tale set in the DC Universe. There are pieces of this story that suggest nefarious supernatural forces that are potentially affecting these characters, but are they real? Or is this a tried-and-true physiological thriller? Well, that’s going to be for you to decide!
   

Why It’s Worth Your Time:

This is one of the most unique titles DC has ever published and, I believe, an essential Batman title every fan should read. It's a gothic tale that might leave you with more questions than answers, but each time you read it, you’ll notice or interpret something new. And if you’re looking for more along this line after you’re done, it pairs perfectly with Christian Ward’s spiritual successor, Batman: City of Madness, which explores the world behind the mirror that you see referenced in Batman: Arkham Asylum. This incredible book by Morrison and McKean is visually breathtaking, thematically captivating and will leave you with a chill down your spine. In other words, a perfect Batman comic for October!

Batman: Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean is available as a softcover graphic novel in bookstores, comic shops, libraries and digital retailers. You can also read it in full on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.

Sami DeMonster writes about superheroes, horror and sci-fi for DC.com and reviews comics every week on social media. Follow her at @samidemonster on Instagram and Substack.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Sami DeMonster and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.