Batman: Arkham, sometimes called Arkhamverse, is the name for the shared continuity of the video games launched with Arkham Asylum in 2009.
The franchise consists now of four main installments (and an upcoming spin-off), a few mobile games, a virtual reality game, tie-in comic books, and an animated movie.
It is important to acknowledge that the games are what is canon. The tie-in comics sometimes contradict things introduced during the games (or future games retconned what has been written in the comics).
What is it about? Here is the official synopsis: The Dark Knight was young, inexperienced, and untested when he began his one-man war to save the soul of Gotham City. The vigilante known as Batman was new to the city’s dark streets, and his errors were costly. Though his mind, body and arsenal of crime-fighting gear were all honed to near-perfection, his methods were yet unproven. But Batman’s rookie lessons were just the prelude to far more desperate tales.
Despite becoming an outlaw himself after quelling the Arkham Asylum riots, the World’s Greatest Detective takes it on his shoulders to unravel why the new mayor, Quincy Sharp, wants to create Arkham City–a section of Gotham where heinous criminals and the insane can roam freely. Now not only is the Dark Knight up against City Hall, but also the amassing armies of his numerous enemies–the Penguin, Two-Face, and even The Joker himself.
On top of the machinations of Batman’s full rogues gallery, a new vigilante emerges–the Arkham Knight. It’s a life-or-death battle unlike any other for the Caped Crusader’s allies and enemies, with no end in sight!
What to read before Batman: Arkham?
The franchise Batman: Arkham is not just an adaptation of comic book stories, it is inspired by the character and the mythos in order to give us original stories (with its own timeline).
But of course, some comics have more influence than others and you can then read the two that have helped shape the first game:
- Arkham Asylum: Living Hell by Dan Slott
- Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth by Grant Morrison
Batman: The Arkham Saga Omnibus, or All the Comics in the Arkhamverse
Before exploring the Arkhamverse, with the games and all, let’s begin by pointing out the omnibus collecting all the comic backstories written taking place in the Arkhamverse.
- Batman: The Arkham Saga Omnibus
Collects Batman: Arkham Asylum: The Road to Arkham, Batman: Arkham City #1-5, Batman: Arkham City: End Game #1, Batman: Arkham Knight #1-12, Batman: Arkham Knight Annual #1, Batman: Arkham Knight: Batgirl & Harley Quinn #1, Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis #1-6, Batman: Arkham Knight: Robin Special #1, Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Unhinged #1-20.
Batman: Arkham or the Arkhamverse by Game Release Order
Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009)
Batman: Arkham Asylum is the first game in the series, written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini and developed by Rocksteady. 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 the fictional Gotham City with hidden bombs.
Comic tie-in: Batman: Arkham Asylum – The Road to Arkham which serves as a prequel to the events of the game (collected in Batman Arkham Saga Omnibus)
Batman: Arkham City (2011)
The sequel to the 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, also scripted by Paul Dini. This time, Batman is incarcerated in Arkham City and must uncover the secret behind a sinister scheme orchestrated by the facility’s warden, Hugo Strange.
Other game: Batman: Arkham City Lockdown (2011), set several weeks before the events of Arkham City. It is also considered non-canon.
Comics tie-in: five-issue miniseries titled Batman: Arkham City bridge the gap between the story of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City the game
- Batman: Arkham City
Collects Batman: Arkham City #1–5
Batman: Arkham Unhinged is an original digital comic series spinning directly out of events in the game itself, or are flashbacks to events prior to either game.
- Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 1
collects Batman: Arkham Unhinged #1–5 - Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 2
collects Batman: Arkham Unhinged #6–10 - Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 3
collects Batman: Arkham Unhinged #11–15 and Batman: Arkham Unhinged End Game #1 - Batman: Arkham Unhinged Vol. 4
collects Batman: Arkham Unhinged #16–20
Batman: Arkham Origins (2013)
The third entry in the Batman Arkham mythology is also a prequel to the first game (written by Corey May, Ryan Galletta). Set eight years before 2009’s Batman: Arkham Asylum, the story follows a younger and less experienced Batman facing eight of the world’s greatest assassins on Christmas Eve after a bounty is placed on him by crime Lord Black Mask.
Other games: Batman: Arkham Origins on Mobile (following the same plot as its console and PC counterpart) and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, set three months after Arkham Origins.
Comics tie-in: Batman: Arkham Origins is a digital-first comic and a prequel to the game with Batman going up against crime bosses Black Mask and The Penguin for the first time! (collected in Batman Arkham Saga Omnibus)
Movie tie-in:Batman: Assault on Arkham is a 2014 direct-to-video animated superhero film, occurring after Arkham Origins.
Arkham Knight (2015)
Written by Sefton Hill, Ian Ball, and Martin Lancaster, Arkham Knight is set nine months after Batman: Arkham City. Crime is declining in Gotham, but an alliance consisting of Scarecrow, the mysterious Arkham Knight, and the former assassin Deathstroke will attempt to make Gotham a city of fear.
Other games: The first installment to use virtual reality headsets, Batman: Arkham VR takes place between Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Knight, and follows Batman as he investigates the disappearance of his allies Nightwing and Robin.
Also, Batman: Arkham Underworld was a mobile game released in 2016 that was set a few years before the events of Arkham Asylum (and after the movie Assault On Arkham). But the game was shut down in 2017 and is considered now non-canon.
Comics tie-in: Batman: Arkham Knight is a digital-first prequel comic Written by Peter J. Tomasi, with art by Viktor Bogdanovic and Art Thibert. The comic picks up after the events of Arkham City.
Also written by Tomasi, Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis explores the origin of the Arkham Knight.
- Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis
Collects Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis #1-6 - Batman: Arkham Knight Vol. 1
Collects Batman: Arkham Knight #1-4 - Batman: Arkham Knight Vol. 2
Collects Batman: Arkham Knight #5-9; Batman: Arkham Knight – Batgirl Begins #1 - Batman: Arkham Knight Vol. 3
Collects Batman: Arkham Knight #10-12, Batman: Arkham Knight Annual #1, Batman: Arkham Knight Robin #1 and Batman: Arkham Knight: Batgirl & Harley Quinn #1.
Novels tie-in:Batman Arkham Knight: The Official Novelization is, as the title indicates, a novelization of the game, whereasBatman: Arkham Knight – The Riddler’s Gambit is a prequel to Batman: Arkham Knight.
Coming in 2022 for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC is the game Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Batman: Arkham or the Arkhamverse in Chronological Order
- Batman: Arkham Origins Initiation DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Origins (Comic)
- Batman: Arkham Origins (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Origins – Cold, Cold Heart DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – Batgirl Begins (Comic, collected in Batman: Arkham Knight Vol. 2)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – Batgirl & Harley Quinn (Comic, collected in Batman: Arkham Knight Vol. 3)
- Assault on Arkham (Movie)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – Batgirl: A Matter of Family DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Underworld (Game non-canon)
- Batman: Arkham Asylum – The Road to Arkham (Comic)
- Batman: Arkham Asylum (Game)
- Batman: Arkham City – Black Mask Campaign DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham City (Comic)
- Batman: Arkham City Lockdown (Game non-canon)
- Arkham Unhinged (Comic)
- Batman: Arkham City (Game)
- Arkham City End Game (Comic, collected in Arkham Unhinged Vol. 3)
- Batman Arkham City: Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Knight Vol. 1 & 2 (Comic)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – The Riddler’s Gambit (Novel)
- Batman: Arkham Knight, Vol. 3 (Comic)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – Genesis (Comic)
- Batman: Arkham VR (Game)
- Arkham Knight: Harley Quinn Story Pack DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Knight (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Knight Novelisation (Novel)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – The Season of Infamy DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – Catwoman’s Revenge DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – Red Hood Story Pack DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – GCPD Lockdown DLC (Game)
- Batman: Arkham Knight – A Flip of a Coin DLC (Game)
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (Game)
Last Updated on October 30, 2022.
