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Batman: Miniseries
Batman: Arkham Reborn
Following the Black Mask's destruction of Arkham Asylum in BATTLE FOR THE COWL, Dr. Jeremiah Arkham has rebuilt the Asylum following the design of his mad Uncle Amadeus. Intended as a model for enlightened treatment of mental illness, the building soon mutates into a torture house, and the inmates find themselves trapped in a living hell. And when Jeremiah starts hearing a voice from beyond the grave, it becomes painfully clear that the lunatics really have taken over the Asylum and he is forced to call in Batman to put down a riot. But who or what is behind the sabotage? Is it possible that the asylum itself is inflicting its own retribution on the inmates? Find out in this This haunting graphic novel is brought to you by the creative team of BATTLE FOR THE COWL: ARKHAM ASYLUM, writer David Hine and artist Jeremy Haun.
Collecting BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL – ARKHAM ASYLUM #1, ARKHAM REBORN #1-3 and DETECTIVE COMICS #864-865
Collecting BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL – ARKHAM ASYLUM #1, ARKHAM REBORN #1-3 and DETECTIVE COMICS #864-865
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
September 13, 2020
(B) 74% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: A completionist side-story, it doesn’t add much context or insight beyond a paint-by-numbers Jekyll and Hyde rehash.
Notes: A completionist side-story, it doesn’t add much context or insight beyond a paint-by-numbers Jekyll and Hyde rehash.
July 28, 2017
Usually any Batman book with “Arkham” or “Asylum” in the title is Bantha poodoo but I was pleasantly surprised to find that David Hine and Jeremy Haun’s Arkham Reborn breaks that tradition by being surprisingly brilliant. It’s a tale of creepy psychological horror that becomes more enthralling as the strange story of Jeremiah Arkham, the head of the Asylum and descendant of the founder, unfolds.
Following Black Mask’s impromptu demolition of Arkham Asylum in Battle for the Cowl, a new, modern Asylum has sprung up with state-of-the-art treatment facilities. But it’s Arkham Asylum so the shit hits the fan immediately! Jeremiah Arkham is about to discover that you don’t have to be crazy to work at the Asylum, but if you’re working there to start with, you probably already are…
Arkham Reborn isn’t really a Batman book. Obviously it’s set in the same universe but the Dark Knight only appears in a handful of scenes. The main character is instead Jeremiah Arkham whose vulnerability and fragility, in being the opposite of Batman, makes him a more compelling protagonist for this kind of story, especially once he’s surrounded by the worst of Batman’s rogues and their darkness begins to poison his state of mind.
Like a Poe character, Jeremiah becomes increasingly more disturbed until the twist in the third act revealing his true identity shows how damaged he’s become. That, along with his unsettling private cadre of deformed patients, felt like reading a comic starring John Doe from Se7en with a sprinkling of Fight Club – as a fan of both movies I say that’s a pretty damn interesting mix!
The story is a little unfocused and meandering in places. The Raggedy Man subplot didn’t seem to have any point to it except to emphasise the psychological horror aspect some more but it was entertaining so I didn’t mind so much. And Jeremiah’s tormentors’ motivations were a bit weak. Jeremiah’s reveal is cool in the moment but I’m not sure it works completely.
It’s also not the most cohesive narrative. There are either pages missing from the end of Act 2 and the beginning of Act 3 or the transition was just awkwardly written/edited - time has passed and characters’ circumstances have changed in between the pages without us seeing how or why. And the scene when the inmates predictably take over the Asylum and Batman predictably put them back in their boxes was dull purely because it’s been done so many times before and is at this point the archetypical Arkham Asylum scene.
They were minor complaints though that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. It’s a dark, creepy and gripping read that’s sharply realised and well-written and drawn – exactly what an Arkham Asylum comic should be and yet what they almost never are! It’s flawed but if you want to read a good Arkham Asylum book/horror comic, I recommend Arkham Reborn.
Following Black Mask’s impromptu demolition of Arkham Asylum in Battle for the Cowl, a new, modern Asylum has sprung up with state-of-the-art treatment facilities. But it’s Arkham Asylum so the shit hits the fan immediately! Jeremiah Arkham is about to discover that you don’t have to be crazy to work at the Asylum, but if you’re working there to start with, you probably already are…
Arkham Reborn isn’t really a Batman book. Obviously it’s set in the same universe but the Dark Knight only appears in a handful of scenes. The main character is instead Jeremiah Arkham whose vulnerability and fragility, in being the opposite of Batman, makes him a more compelling protagonist for this kind of story, especially once he’s surrounded by the worst of Batman’s rogues and their darkness begins to poison his state of mind.
Like a Poe character, Jeremiah becomes increasingly more disturbed until the twist in the third act revealing his true identity shows how damaged he’s become. That, along with his unsettling private cadre of deformed patients, felt like reading a comic starring John Doe from Se7en with a sprinkling of Fight Club – as a fan of both movies I say that’s a pretty damn interesting mix!
The story is a little unfocused and meandering in places. The Raggedy Man subplot didn’t seem to have any point to it except to emphasise the psychological horror aspect some more but it was entertaining so I didn’t mind so much. And Jeremiah’s tormentors’ motivations were a bit weak. Jeremiah’s reveal is cool in the moment but I’m not sure it works completely.
It’s also not the most cohesive narrative. There are either pages missing from the end of Act 2 and the beginning of Act 3 or the transition was just awkwardly written/edited - time has passed and characters’ circumstances have changed in between the pages without us seeing how or why. And the scene when the inmates predictably take over the Asylum and Batman predictably put them back in their boxes was dull purely because it’s been done so many times before and is at this point the archetypical Arkham Asylum scene.
They were minor complaints though that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. It’s a dark, creepy and gripping read that’s sharply realised and well-written and drawn – exactly what an Arkham Asylum comic should be and yet what they almost never are! It’s flawed but if you want to read a good Arkham Asylum book/horror comic, I recommend Arkham Reborn.
September 18, 2018
A "lunatics are running the asylum!" psychological suspense-horror story, with only a supporting role by our Dark Knight - though his name is in the title, he doesn't even swing into ass-kicking action until the halfway point - and the briefest of cameo appearances by Nightwing (who is inexplicably referred to as 'androgynous' in a villain's 'thought box') and Robin. No, Dr. Jeremiah Arkham is really the 'star' of this narrative, along with the staff (security chief Aaron Cash, the slippery and suspiciously-named assistant director Alyce Sinner) and inmates (Killer Croc, Mister Freeze, and the unnerving 'Three Beauties') of Gotham's new and supposedly improved Arkham facility.
December 3, 2018
Batman Arkham reborn is all about building Arkham Asylum back up after it exploded.
Silly huh? I think so. Most of the characters in the story are on the same page. Why rebuild something that never works. But Dr. Jeremiah Arkham is on a mission to fix things. At the start it actually is working. Most of the villains that scare us are starting to show a better side to themselves after treatments. However, the further it goes we have someone manipulating the system and destroying the Asylum from within. Who will stop it?
Good: I thought the start was pretty solid. A interesting idea even if you knew it wasn't going to work. I also thought the moments with the inmates trying to do better was cool to see.
Bad: The big bad reveal was so obvious it hurt. The characters, especially Jeremiah, were to on the nose. The "evil" was too obvious. The planning was silly and the destruction of the place from within was easy to see even Batman seemed to roll his eyes.
Overall just a meh story. It's not horrible, and it's pretty different from the normal Batman story, but I know David Hine can do better. A 2.5 out of 5.
Silly huh? I think so. Most of the characters in the story are on the same page. Why rebuild something that never works. But Dr. Jeremiah Arkham is on a mission to fix things. At the start it actually is working. Most of the villains that scare us are starting to show a better side to themselves after treatments. However, the further it goes we have someone manipulating the system and destroying the Asylum from within. Who will stop it?
Good: I thought the start was pretty solid. A interesting idea even if you knew it wasn't going to work. I also thought the moments with the inmates trying to do better was cool to see.
Bad: The big bad reveal was so obvious it hurt. The characters, especially Jeremiah, were to on the nose. The "evil" was too obvious. The planning was silly and the destruction of the place from within was easy to see even Batman seemed to roll his eyes.
Overall just a meh story. It's not horrible, and it's pretty different from the normal Batman story, but I know David Hine can do better. A 2.5 out of 5.
November 25, 2013
“I have a natural affinity for crazy people.”
David Hine
When I reflecting on Batman: Arkham Reborn , two things come to mind: 1) this is a creepy, horror story & 2) this is not a Batman tale. Batman is a minor, supporting character; the main character is Arkham Asylum itself.
David Hine has a gift of telling stories in the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. His vision of a twisted reality, where the lines between perception, imagination and insanity blur. He also has a gift to transform these blurry lines into characters, and Jeremy Haun did a marvelous job bringing Hines vision to paper. New characters are introduced to the Batman Universe. The Hamburger Lady, No-Face and The Mirror Man are great, each worthy of getting a permanent place in the DC Universe.
Like Gotham City as a whole, Arkham Asylum has often served as a character in and of itself – one that's every bit as important to the Batman franchise as the Dark Knight or any of his famous rogues. Watching writers dig deeper into the harrowing underbelly of Gotham's resident nuthouse has often made for a fascinating experience.
Now we come upon Jeremiah Arkham's attempt to rebuild the infamous facility as a state of the art rehabilitation center. Knowing Jeremiah's own fragile mental state and the history of his family's attempt to heal Gotham's psychological wounds, there's a creepiness at work in these pages that's only heightened by the strange characters – both new and old – that appear.
The plot operates as a tour of sorts through the new Arkham, with Jeremiah leading a group of Bruce Wayne / Hush, Kate Spencer, Commissioner Gordon, former Head of Security Aaron Cash and his creepy new assistant, Alyce Sinner. Hine does a nice job using Kate as the main dissenting voice to Jeremiah's plans for rehabilitation, capturing her cynicism to great comedic effect. I also liked how Hine included a shout-out to Aaron Cash's past with Killer Croc.
Following the opening tour, the issue continues to lead the reader through the bowels of the new Arkham. Jermiah's strange methods of treatment are on full display as he and Sinner attempt to rehabilitate The Raggedy Man by giving him his costume, and it's here that Hine once again displays his talent for writing disturbing villains. By the time he delves into Sinner's back story, the issue kicks into a higher gear, barreling forward towards a connection between Sinner and Black Mask and a powerful statement on Amadeus Arkham's true intentions in founding the asylum.
David Hine is a master of the macabre, and the world of Arkham Asylum is a perfect match for his bent for the horrific. If you're interested in Arkham, this is definitely one mini-series you shouldn't miss.
July 25, 2015
This was a great read! I read a review for this book a long time ago that was really negative. And I kind of went back and forth on buying it. But I'm happy I did. This is a great story, with some interesting characters. I'm a huge Batman fan but I actually enjoyed how little he got involved in this book. It was fun reading a book in the Batman universe with some known and lesser known charachters, while not having Batman front and center in it.
The patiens/inmates of Arkham in this are as usual really deranged. There were some characters that stood out for me like Jeremiah Arkham, the Jester, No-face, the Hamburger Lady, Mirror Man and the Raggedy Man.
For everyone who is a fan of Batman and the charachters of the Batman universe or a fan of Arkham Asylum this is a must read. A really enjoyable story, with some interesting characters, plots and twists.
The patiens/inmates of Arkham in this are as usual really deranged. There were some characters that stood out for me like Jeremiah Arkham, the Jester, No-face, the Hamburger Lady, Mirror Man and the Raggedy Man.
For everyone who is a fan of Batman and the charachters of the Batman universe or a fan of Arkham Asylum this is a must read. A really enjoyable story, with some interesting characters, plots and twists.
June 22, 2011
David Hine - writer
Jeremy Haun - illustrator
3.5/5 stars
This collection focuses mostly on Jeremiah Arkham as he rebuilds his crazy uncles' destroyed asylum (using his uncles shcizophrenic blueprints) and slowly descends into madness himself. Pretty good stuff, but would be hard to follow if you're not a batman fan already.
Jeremy Haun - illustrator
3.5/5 stars
This collection focuses mostly on Jeremiah Arkham as he rebuilds his crazy uncles' destroyed asylum (using his uncles shcizophrenic blueprints) and slowly descends into madness himself. Pretty good stuff, but would be hard to follow if you're not a batman fan already.
May 22, 2019
This story feels like an introduction for a new character in the Batman universe: the Jester. The middle is a bit confusing since we are dealing with insane characters with multiple personalities. Though it explores some interesting psychological elements, it's a violent ride not recommended for the faint of heart.
Jeremiah Arkham reopens Arkham Asylum. Though his intentions are good, he is being sabotaged from day one. Food poisoning, equipment malfunctions, even a missing patient threaten to destroy his attempt to help the disturbed people of Gotham.
Jeremiah Arkham reopens Arkham Asylum. Though his intentions are good, he is being sabotaged from day one. Food poisoning, equipment malfunctions, even a missing patient threaten to destroy his attempt to help the disturbed people of Gotham.
May 4, 2023
Mediocre, hardly any batman and a very odd ending. Love the graphics though
June 7, 2013
I debated between 3 and 4. It was a twisting story and I'm not entirely sure I know what actually happened so that was exciting and the art was fine, nothing spectacular but nothing terrible.
I feel like maybe the story comes from a couple years rather than being a monthly series like most graphic novels I read. There is obviously some bigger Black Mask story being told in other books and time passing. The last story particularly seems to time jump from where we were left in the previous comic.
I'm not familiar enough with the Batman timeline to know if Arkham was always Black Mask or a replacement, or if there was some magic possessed mask... This book seems to indicate Black Mask was a creation of Hugo Strange and the Joker but by the time that comes up we know Arkham is a totally unreliable storyteller. It seems like the antidote just made him aware of what was done, so he wasn't separate from his Black Mask persona any more, but his threats in the cafeteria seemed to show he was aware of his evil actions beforehand.
I'm sure I saw the first section about the Beauties in some other collection, but it's possible I started to read this two months ago when I first got it from the library and then forgot as I read other things. I didn't bother to read it a second time but I did come to quite like the Beauties, especially No Face, and was sad about their conclusion.
I felt bad that things couldn't work out for the new program and apparently unjustifiably sad for Arkham as his world fell apart. That building was creepy and ugly though. The only place I want to see a multistory 3D giant statue on a building is in ancient Egypt. Do such gigantic people exist on buildings today? Seems like a big waste of space and stone.
I feel like maybe the story comes from a couple years rather than being a monthly series like most graphic novels I read. There is obviously some bigger Black Mask story being told in other books and time passing. The last story particularly seems to time jump from where we were left in the previous comic.
I'm not familiar enough with the Batman timeline to know if Arkham was always Black Mask or a replacement, or if there was some magic possessed mask... This book seems to indicate Black Mask was a creation of Hugo Strange and the Joker but by the time that comes up we know Arkham is a totally unreliable storyteller. It seems like the antidote just made him aware of what was done, so he wasn't separate from his Black Mask persona any more, but his threats in the cafeteria seemed to show he was aware of his evil actions beforehand.
I'm sure I saw the first section about the Beauties in some other collection, but it's possible I started to read this two months ago when I first got it from the library and then forgot as I read other things. I didn't bother to read it a second time but I did come to quite like the Beauties, especially No Face, and was sad about their conclusion.
I felt bad that things couldn't work out for the new program and apparently unjustifiably sad for Arkham as his world fell apart. That building was creepy and ugly though. The only place I want to see a multistory 3D giant statue on a building is in ancient Egypt. Do such gigantic people exist on buildings today? Seems like a big waste of space and stone.
May 5, 2012
I'm correct in thinking there are thousands of struggling writers with big ideas out there trying to make their way in comics, right? And yet, they allow utter garbage like this to get published. Definitely the worst Batman story I've read, and one of the worst in comics in general.
Absolutely nothing in this story makes sense. The character motivations are hazy at best, often contradictory of themselves. One minute someone is a good guy, then they're bad, then they're good again with no explanation as to why they switched or why the morons (including Batman) around them believed their bullshit. A lot of plot elements seem to happen offscreen and are (sort of) explained to the reader via very, very clunky and expository dialogue. It feels like a game of telephone or something.
This feels like David Hine was sitting around one day just writing down lots of neat little scenes he thought would be so cool, then putting them into a script with no structure and no semblance of plot flow. I'm serious, do not waste your time with this. I only read it because I'm trying to catch up with the Detective Comics/Batman stuff I'm behind on, otherwise I would tossed it straight in the garbage.
Absolutely nothing in this story makes sense. The character motivations are hazy at best, often contradictory of themselves. One minute someone is a good guy, then they're bad, then they're good again with no explanation as to why they switched or why the morons (including Batman) around them believed their bullshit. A lot of plot elements seem to happen offscreen and are (sort of) explained to the reader via very, very clunky and expository dialogue. It feels like a game of telephone or something.
This feels like David Hine was sitting around one day just writing down lots of neat little scenes he thought would be so cool, then putting them into a script with no structure and no semblance of plot flow. I'm serious, do not waste your time with this. I only read it because I'm trying to catch up with the Detective Comics/Batman stuff I'm behind on, otherwise I would tossed it straight in the garbage.
September 20, 2012
This was a total pleasure to read; I devoured it. After the Final Crisis, Arkham Asylum is burnt to the ground; but, Jeremiah Arkham, the nephew of Amadeus Arkham, has grand plans to rebuild the asylum, not as a high security prison for the insane, but as a cushy rehabilitation centre. We are introduced to three new characters that are sooooo very cool. There's "No-face", "Mirror Man", and "The Hamburger Lady", and each of their backstories are are simply brilliant, if not, skin-crawlingly eerie. Of course, Jeremiah Arkham is eventually revealed to be the man behind the evil Black Mask, so we learn that his intentions to rebuild Arkham where not such good intentions after all. Batman is just a peripheral character in this volume, so the full-focus is on the villains of the Batman universe.... makes for damn fine comic book reading!!!
October 28, 2010
This was a deranged tale.
Very well written (although I had some of it spoiled for me unintentionally).
I also got one question I had answered unexpectedly, which was wicked cool!
There really isn't a lot to say about this without spoiling anything.
It was a solid story for featuring so little of Batman.
Very well written (although I had some of it spoiled for me unintentionally).
I also got one question I had answered unexpectedly, which was wicked cool!
There really isn't a lot to say about this without spoiling anything.
It was a solid story for featuring so little of Batman.
October 30, 2010
Surprisingly strong and different story. Kinda shocking really! Excellent writing and art.
June 12, 2011
These Arkham Asylum arcs are fun. Hope there are more of them. As fun as you can get in Batman's world without having Batman present. Focus on the insane villains = good times for all!
November 25, 2012
I always enjoy Batman, something about how it plays with masks, and social roles and primal madness. This one was about Arkham's descendant, and his own struggles running the asylum
July 25, 2011
Just give us more Alyce Sinner, and less Black Mask.
January 11, 2021
Arkham Reborn is a three-issue mini-series that has Jeremiah Arkham rebuilding the Asylum, but finds out that Black Mask intends to ruin this building too. Batman: Arkham Reborn collects the mini-series with Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum and Detective Comics #864–865 bookending it and collects three storylines: "The Place Where Beauty Lies", "Arkham Reborn" and "Beneath the Mask".
"The Place Where Beauty Lies" (★★★★☆) is a standalone story (Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum), has Jeremiah Arkham returns to Arkham Asylum and finds it utterly destroyed. As he enters the place and walks through the destroyed hallways, he starts recalling the events during his last day in his asylum. While talking to various inmates, he finds a new purpose in life – to rebuild Arkham Asylum from his uncle's vision.
"Arkham Reborn" (★★★★☆) is a three-issue mini-series story (Arkham Reborn #1–3) has Jeremiah Arkham rebuilding the Asylum, named after his family, following the design of his mad Uncle Amadeus. Intended as a model for enlightened treatment of mental illness, the building soon mutates into a torture house, and the inmates find themselves trapped in a living hell and is forced to call in Dick Grayson as Batman to quell the riot.
"Beneath the Mask" (★★★★☆) is a two-issue storyline (Detective Comics #864–865), which has Dick Grayson as Batman trying to quell the riot at Arkham Asylum at the request of Jeremiah Arkham, while trying to figure out who the identity of the new Black Mask as Selina Kyle as Catwoman has killed Roman Sionis – the previous Black Mask.
David Hine penned the trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well. Hine creates a wonderful narrative filled with horror and suspense. As the narrative progresses, the terror moves from the abstract to the immediate. Clayface, Mr. Freeze, and Killer Croc all suffer attacks, but the Raggedy Man's is perhaps the most shocking. The increase in actual violence mirrors Jeremiah Arkham's growing loss of control, until he himself becomes a perpetrator of violence.
Jeremy Huan penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Huan penciling is wonderful, dark, and apropos to the horror and suspenseful narrative.
All in all, Batman: Arkham Reborn is wonderful story filled with horror and suspense depicting one of the most iconic places in Gotham City – Arkham Asylum.
"The Place Where Beauty Lies" (★★★★☆) is a standalone story (Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum), has Jeremiah Arkham returns to Arkham Asylum and finds it utterly destroyed. As he enters the place and walks through the destroyed hallways, he starts recalling the events during his last day in his asylum. While talking to various inmates, he finds a new purpose in life – to rebuild Arkham Asylum from his uncle's vision.
"Arkham Reborn" (★★★★☆) is a three-issue mini-series story (Arkham Reborn #1–3) has Jeremiah Arkham rebuilding the Asylum, named after his family, following the design of his mad Uncle Amadeus. Intended as a model for enlightened treatment of mental illness, the building soon mutates into a torture house, and the inmates find themselves trapped in a living hell and is forced to call in Dick Grayson as Batman to quell the riot.
"Beneath the Mask" (★★★★☆) is a two-issue storyline (Detective Comics #864–865), which has Dick Grayson as Batman trying to quell the riot at Arkham Asylum at the request of Jeremiah Arkham, while trying to figure out who the identity of the new Black Mask as Selina Kyle as Catwoman has killed Roman Sionis – the previous Black Mask.
David Hine penned the trade paperback. For the most part, it is written rather well. Hine creates a wonderful narrative filled with horror and suspense. As the narrative progresses, the terror moves from the abstract to the immediate. Clayface, Mr. Freeze, and Killer Croc all suffer attacks, but the Raggedy Man's is perhaps the most shocking. The increase in actual violence mirrors Jeremiah Arkham's growing loss of control, until he himself becomes a perpetrator of violence.
Jeremy Huan penciled the entire trade paperback. Since he was the only penciler, the artistic flow of the trade paperback flowed exceptionally well. For the most part, Huan penciling is wonderful, dark, and apropos to the horror and suspenseful narrative.
All in all, Batman: Arkham Reborn is wonderful story filled with horror and suspense depicting one of the most iconic places in Gotham City – Arkham Asylum.
August 13, 2025
A very surface level story that had a lot more to offer than what was written.
Jeremiah Arkham, the great nephew of Amadeus Arkham, now controls the newly founded Arkham Asylum after the last one was destroyed by Black Mask (???? A plot point that came out of nowhere but I’ll go along with it). Jeremiah believes in different methods of rehabilitation and thinks that he can do better than Amadeus with his trusty team of Aaron cash and Alyce Sinner. (Who would trust somebody with the last name sinner?!?! Or knowing that she came from a cult where everybody died?!?! How did that clear the background check?!?!?)
What peaked my interest was the new characters I have never heard of. Alyce Sinner, a very intriguing character that gets a full arc throughout this three issue series. The Three beauties. Which consist of Hamburger Lady, Mirror Man, and No-Face. Three patients that we’re told were ‘rehabilitated’ by Jeremiah. The Raggedy Man is also a new character I found to be very interesting. It may be a very basic backstory and costume, but it’s always nice to see somebody new in the asylum.
The thing is…the only true character of interest within this whole series is Alyce Sinner. Someone who I think we shouldn’t have known was a bad guy right away. This situation kind of reminds me of the Batman telltale series. I NEVER would have known Vikki Vale was Lady Arkham. I was floored when I found out. Why couldn’t they do the same with her? There was no mystery or spectacle behind this whole series. Just…what’s she going to do next. None of it is interesting in the slightest. Poisoning the food, heating up Mr.Freeze’s cell, nearly drowning Killer Croc. Yawnnnn.
I would like to read a better series with her character in it though. Even Jeremiah Arkham after that ending where we find out he’s (spoiler). I really wish this could have been better.
Jeremiah Arkham, the great nephew of Amadeus Arkham, now controls the newly founded Arkham Asylum after the last one was destroyed by Black Mask (???? A plot point that came out of nowhere but I’ll go along with it). Jeremiah believes in different methods of rehabilitation and thinks that he can do better than Amadeus with his trusty team of Aaron cash and Alyce Sinner. (Who would trust somebody with the last name sinner?!?! Or knowing that she came from a cult where everybody died?!?! How did that clear the background check?!?!?)
What peaked my interest was the new characters I have never heard of. Alyce Sinner, a very intriguing character that gets a full arc throughout this three issue series. The Three beauties. Which consist of Hamburger Lady, Mirror Man, and No-Face. Three patients that we’re told were ‘rehabilitated’ by Jeremiah. The Raggedy Man is also a new character I found to be very interesting. It may be a very basic backstory and costume, but it’s always nice to see somebody new in the asylum.
The thing is…the only true character of interest within this whole series is Alyce Sinner. Someone who I think we shouldn’t have known was a bad guy right away. This situation kind of reminds me of the Batman telltale series. I NEVER would have known Vikki Vale was Lady Arkham. I was floored when I found out. Why couldn’t they do the same with her? There was no mystery or spectacle behind this whole series. Just…what’s she going to do next. None of it is interesting in the slightest. Poisoning the food, heating up Mr.Freeze’s cell, nearly drowning Killer Croc. Yawnnnn.
I would like to read a better series with her character in it though. Even Jeremiah Arkham after that ending where we find out he’s (spoiler). I really wish this could have been better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2024
Arkham Reborn is a companion piece to Batman: Life After Death. One of my main criticisms of that book is that it did nothing with the reveal of Black Mask’s identity. That’s because all the work is being done here. My only criticism here is that the actual reveal is over in Life After Death and not recreated here.
Let’s stop beating around the bush since this is a spoiler review/reflection. Jeremiah Arkham is the new Black Mask. This is the story of his descent into madness and it is really well done. It’s probably the best Batman story with Arkham in the title out there.
We can divide it into three parts. The first issue, The Place Where Beauty Lies, is a one-shot released alongside Battle for the Cowl and prologue to this story. It sets the eery tone for the rest of the book perfectly.
We see Jeremiah interact with some of his more familiar patients early on and it’s a brutal reminder that Jeremiah’s compassion for these villains is met with nothing but spite and mocking. He’s a tragic figure instantly.
An attack on Jeremiah during Batman RIP has left a convenient black out period for him in which Black Mask can operate without suspicion. But it’s worth noting his madness has started before the head injury - he’s already left himself the notes from Amadeus’ journal and the message on the mirror. Black Mask might not be active yet but, as we learn later, The Jester is already playing tricks on him.
The second part of the story is told in the Arkham Reborn 3 issue miniseries. Told from Jeremiah’s POV we see a tragic side to the story that we don’t often get to see. Our more heroic characters like Commissioner Gordon and DA Kate Spencer are entirely dismissive of Arkham’s efforts and uninterested in any possibility of reform for Gotham’s criminals. They just want Arkham to be a prison. The only person with any belief in him is Bruce Wayne, except Wayne here is actually Tommy Elliott and, as Jeremiah sees, purely self-interested. Jeremiah seeing everyone as wanting him to fail might be exaggerated by his own madness but there is clearly nobody supporting him. No wonder his mental health is falling apart after so many failures and no support network.
Jeremiah is not entirely without blame though. Like any good tragedy, hubris plays a role. He recruits Alyce Sinner, fully aware of her dark past, to fuel his own hero complex. He refuses to report any of the sabotage in the asylum or the missing patient to protect his reputation. His concern with the Raggedy Man’s disappearance and death is professional disappointment at not curing him, not any actual human compassion. And he keeps the patients he believes he’s actually helping in isolation so only he can see them as they become the support network he has nowhere else In his life.
Perhaps the biggest tragedy is that the new asylum could have worked. A genuine sanctuary of rehabilitation is Jeremiah’s actual dream - it’s not an evil Black Mask plan. The new building is impressive, the security systems seem effective when they’re not deactivated, and the patients do actually seem to respond. Of our 3 main Arkham Inmates, only Croc has to be let out by Alyce. It turns out Clayface and Freeze could have escaped to riot at any time but have chosen not to until pushed to by fear by the message from ‘Amadeus.’
The Black Mask persona makes a few appearances in secret meetings with Alyce but otherwise Arkham’s ‘Mr Hyde’ persona is largely unseen since this is largely from Jeremiah’s perspective which helps build the menace. Instead, his ghost in the machine is Alyce, working as his agent.
Alyce Sinner is a fascinating character. A deliciously unsettling and sadistic torturer hidden in plain sight. She’s clearly adept at playing the victim and used to getting what she wants. With the sexual element added to their relationship and the way she makes demands, we’re left wondering who’s using who in her partnership with Black Mask.
The final two issues, Beneath the Mask, are Detective Comics issues set immediately after Life After Death which resolve the Arkham Reborn plotline. We see Jeremiah in Arkham as an inmate and learn exactly what happened to him.
Seeing Jeremiah deal with the Mortician is particularly chilling and it’s clear Jeremiah Arkham is no longer to be messed with. The harmless ineffective doctor image now that he’s without mask is killed off instantly and Arkham’s grinning face becomes just as terrifying as the mask was.
The reveal that Hugo Strange and the Joker manipulated Arkham for years to build his split personalities should add interesting context to Life After Death where Strange works for Black Mask but sadly that book isn’t clever enough to pull that off.
The reveal the special patients are all figments of Jeremiah’s imagination as he ‘kills’ them in front of Batman is a great moment. Particularly since they die with his face. Batman might use their deaths to try and snap Jeremiah back from Black Mask but in fact the last trace of Jeremiah dies with them.
Learning Black Mask had other plans to take control of Gotham in play we never saw adds to his villainous image nicely. Black Mask was set up as a new mastermind in Battle for the Cowl but ended up little more than an ineffective figurehead by Life After Death. This nicely re-instates him as Gotham’s new criminal genius.
There’s an aspect of Arkham’s new personality here worth commenting on. The Black Mask persona was a way of getting everything he never had as Jeremiah - most obviously power, respect and a sense of control. But also women. I commented on Jeremiah’s isolation and loneliness earlier. Jeremiah’s sexual repression as he lives for his job comes out as Black Mask who is with Fright in Life After Death and Alyce here. In both those relationships, a key part is that he needs to be the dominant partner, but both of them have the actual control it turns out once you look past Jeremiah’s perspective.
The ending with Zsasz brings things nicely full circle and shows the transformation Jeremiah had gone through, tying all three parts together as one cohesive narrative.
Best read alongside Battle for the Cowl and Life After Death, Arkham Reborn is the strongest part of that narrative by far and one of the most impressive comics of the Batman Reborn era.
Let’s stop beating around the bush since this is a spoiler review/reflection. Jeremiah Arkham is the new Black Mask. This is the story of his descent into madness and it is really well done. It’s probably the best Batman story with Arkham in the title out there.
We can divide it into three parts. The first issue, The Place Where Beauty Lies, is a one-shot released alongside Battle for the Cowl and prologue to this story. It sets the eery tone for the rest of the book perfectly.
We see Jeremiah interact with some of his more familiar patients early on and it’s a brutal reminder that Jeremiah’s compassion for these villains is met with nothing but spite and mocking. He’s a tragic figure instantly.
An attack on Jeremiah during Batman RIP has left a convenient black out period for him in which Black Mask can operate without suspicion. But it’s worth noting his madness has started before the head injury - he’s already left himself the notes from Amadeus’ journal and the message on the mirror. Black Mask might not be active yet but, as we learn later, The Jester is already playing tricks on him.
The second part of the story is told in the Arkham Reborn 3 issue miniseries. Told from Jeremiah’s POV we see a tragic side to the story that we don’t often get to see. Our more heroic characters like Commissioner Gordon and DA Kate Spencer are entirely dismissive of Arkham’s efforts and uninterested in any possibility of reform for Gotham’s criminals. They just want Arkham to be a prison. The only person with any belief in him is Bruce Wayne, except Wayne here is actually Tommy Elliott and, as Jeremiah sees, purely self-interested. Jeremiah seeing everyone as wanting him to fail might be exaggerated by his own madness but there is clearly nobody supporting him. No wonder his mental health is falling apart after so many failures and no support network.
Jeremiah is not entirely without blame though. Like any good tragedy, hubris plays a role. He recruits Alyce Sinner, fully aware of her dark past, to fuel his own hero complex. He refuses to report any of the sabotage in the asylum or the missing patient to protect his reputation. His concern with the Raggedy Man’s disappearance and death is professional disappointment at not curing him, not any actual human compassion. And he keeps the patients he believes he’s actually helping in isolation so only he can see them as they become the support network he has nowhere else In his life.
Perhaps the biggest tragedy is that the new asylum could have worked. A genuine sanctuary of rehabilitation is Jeremiah’s actual dream - it’s not an evil Black Mask plan. The new building is impressive, the security systems seem effective when they’re not deactivated, and the patients do actually seem to respond. Of our 3 main Arkham Inmates, only Croc has to be let out by Alyce. It turns out Clayface and Freeze could have escaped to riot at any time but have chosen not to until pushed to by fear by the message from ‘Amadeus.’
The Black Mask persona makes a few appearances in secret meetings with Alyce but otherwise Arkham’s ‘Mr Hyde’ persona is largely unseen since this is largely from Jeremiah’s perspective which helps build the menace. Instead, his ghost in the machine is Alyce, working as his agent.
Alyce Sinner is a fascinating character. A deliciously unsettling and sadistic torturer hidden in plain sight. She’s clearly adept at playing the victim and used to getting what she wants. With the sexual element added to their relationship and the way she makes demands, we’re left wondering who’s using who in her partnership with Black Mask.
The final two issues, Beneath the Mask, are Detective Comics issues set immediately after Life After Death which resolve the Arkham Reborn plotline. We see Jeremiah in Arkham as an inmate and learn exactly what happened to him.
Seeing Jeremiah deal with the Mortician is particularly chilling and it’s clear Jeremiah Arkham is no longer to be messed with. The harmless ineffective doctor image now that he’s without mask is killed off instantly and Arkham’s grinning face becomes just as terrifying as the mask was.
The reveal that Hugo Strange and the Joker manipulated Arkham for years to build his split personalities should add interesting context to Life After Death where Strange works for Black Mask but sadly that book isn’t clever enough to pull that off.
The reveal the special patients are all figments of Jeremiah’s imagination as he ‘kills’ them in front of Batman is a great moment. Particularly since they die with his face. Batman might use their deaths to try and snap Jeremiah back from Black Mask but in fact the last trace of Jeremiah dies with them.
Learning Black Mask had other plans to take control of Gotham in play we never saw adds to his villainous image nicely. Black Mask was set up as a new mastermind in Battle for the Cowl but ended up little more than an ineffective figurehead by Life After Death. This nicely re-instates him as Gotham’s new criminal genius.
There’s an aspect of Arkham’s new personality here worth commenting on. The Black Mask persona was a way of getting everything he never had as Jeremiah - most obviously power, respect and a sense of control. But also women. I commented on Jeremiah’s isolation and loneliness earlier. Jeremiah’s sexual repression as he lives for his job comes out as Black Mask who is with Fright in Life After Death and Alyce here. In both those relationships, a key part is that he needs to be the dominant partner, but both of them have the actual control it turns out once you look past Jeremiah’s perspective.
The ending with Zsasz brings things nicely full circle and shows the transformation Jeremiah had gone through, tying all three parts together as one cohesive narrative.
Best read alongside Battle for the Cowl and Life After Death, Arkham Reborn is the strongest part of that narrative by far and one of the most impressive comics of the Batman Reborn era.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2022
Me gustó su lectura. Como ya se demostró en "Living Hell", se pueden contar buenas historias dentro del asilo Arkham. Argumento: "Después de la destrucción del asilo Arkham por parte de Black Mask en La Batalla por la Capucha, el Dr. Jeremiah Arkham vuelve a reconstruirlo siguiendo el diseño de su loco tío Amadeus. Diseñado como un modelo para el tratamiento ilustrado de las enfermedades mentales, el edificio pronto se transforma en una casa de tortura y los reclusos se encuentran atrapados en un infierno viviente. Y cuando Jeremiah comienza a escuchar una voz más allá de la tumba, se vuelve dolorosamente claro que los lunáticos realmente se han apoderado del asilo y se ve obligado a llamar a Batman para sofocar un motín. Pero, ¿quién o qué está detrás del sabotaje? ¿Es posible que el propio asilo esté infligiendo su propia retribución a los reclusos?"
July 21, 2024
It's weird to read a detailed character study bordering on deconstruction of a character who had played a minor side role throughout a couple of late 80s and early 90s Batman story arcs and had been re-established as a more important character for the purposes of this particular story alone, and then he essentially disappeared from continuity altogether. The story itself is not necessarily bad but it's hard to have a vested interest in Jeremiah Arkham when it's obvious how inconsequential he proved to be not only in the large scheme of DC comic books, but even within Grant Morrison's run on the Batman line while it was published.
August 6, 2020
Arkham asylum is rebuilt after it's destroyed, but things do not go well.
I'm not a fan of Batman, but there's something about Arkham Asylum that's always interested me. I don't have much to compare it to, but I didn't love this one. The story is very scattered and hard to follow. That might be on me for lacking a background in Batman.
I'm not a fan of Batman, but there's something about Arkham Asylum that's always interested me. I don't have much to compare it to, but I didn't love this one. The story is very scattered and hard to follow. That might be on me for lacking a background in Batman.
November 30, 2024
David Hine dips his toe in the insane waters of Arkham Asylum and its interesting but somewhat obvious. Readers get introduced to some new characters and their reveal were all overly foreshadowed. Batman's role was limited here and you wouldn't expect that given the circumstances. Haun's art was good. Overall, an interesting look at the new Arkham.
December 16, 2025
2.5 stars
If I had a nickel for every time Dr. Jeremiah Arkham rebuilds Arkham Asylum and is haunted by his uncle Armadeus Arkham's madness that may or may not be genetic, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.
Jeremiah Arkham is a character I love to hate. Maybe it's because my first introduction to him was <Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Volume 1, where he is arrogant, harsh in his treatments, and easily manipulated by Zsasz. Yet, there were some parts in this book where I felt sorry for Jeremiah. I think rehabilitation and not retribution is the way to go (maybe not for the Joker or Zsasz though) since Arkham is supposed to be a mental hospital, not a prison, but Alyce Sinner had to sabotage it all.
I feel like I'm missing part of this story. It goes from Jeremiah meeting/being controlled by the Jester and Alyce being a patient to Jeremiah being a patient in his own asylum and Alyce being elected the director. I understand that Jeremiah Arkham was revealed/is Black Mask, but...when was that? What happened to Roman Sionis? Was Jeremiah the Black Mask we saw with Alyce Sinner earlier in the story?
If I had a nickel for every time Dr. Jeremiah Arkham rebuilds Arkham Asylum and is haunted by his uncle Armadeus Arkham's madness that may or may not be genetic, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.
Jeremiah Arkham is a character I love to hate. Maybe it's because my first introduction to him was <Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Volume 1, where he is arrogant, harsh in his treatments, and easily manipulated by Zsasz. Yet, there were some parts in this book where I felt sorry for Jeremiah. I think rehabilitation and not retribution is the way to go (maybe not for the Joker or Zsasz though) since Arkham is supposed to be a mental hospital, not a prison, but Alyce Sinner had to sabotage it all.
I feel like I'm missing part of this story. It goes from Jeremiah meeting/being controlled by the Jester and Alyce being a patient to Jeremiah being a patient in his own asylum and Alyce being elected the director. I understand that Jeremiah Arkham was revealed/is Black Mask, but...when was that? What happened to Roman Sionis? Was Jeremiah the Black Mask we saw with Alyce Sinner earlier in the story?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2025
What do you know, another mediocre and forgettable batman story, that doesn't even have batman in it apart from like 5 pages. If you want to read Hine's works, check his better stuff like "Civil War X-Men" and "The man who laughs", you won't miss anything by skipping this one.
June 11, 2017
It's a bit short, It could have develop a bit more of action, but it has a frightening ring to it, the horror and the suspense it's well-built.
August 12, 2017
A truly creepy psychological Bat man tale without Bat man. Arkham rebuilt and reborn.
October 10, 2017
no level of complexity here. but at least batmans virtuous
March 25, 2019
If you don't know who Black Mask is,this ruins the surprise. If you do know, most of it is boring.
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