Arkham Asylum

Grant Morrison and Dave McKean’s Arkham Asylum is a haunting, standalone graphic novel from DC that redefines the Batman mythos through a surreal, psychological lens. Set within the crumbling walls of Gotham’s infamous madhouse, it follows Batman’s harrowing journey to quell a riot led by the Joker, while the inmates’ twisted histories blur the line between sanity and madness. McKean’s expressionistic, painted art and Morrison’s dense, symbolic storytelling create a dreamlike horror that has become a landmark of the medium, influencing the darker tone of Batman stories for decades. This single-issue work remains a defining, atmospheric exploration of the hero’s greatest adversaries and his own inner demons.