What is this book about?

Inspired by the animated TV series on the kids’ WB!, Batman: Gotham Adventures features colorful characters and fast-paced action for younger readers.

Side note: This book takes place outside of regular continuity of this series but within the continuity of this book.

Why should you read this book?

The artwork alone is reason enough to read this book, but, I also found in the midst of a comic geared primarily towards children that there’s somewhat of a sophisticated plot to this issue in particular.

The story I want to recommend to you was printed in issue number 45 of Batman: Gotham Adventures. It’s called, “Running the asylum.”

The story at topic is about a night in Gotham city when Batman finds out Arkham Asylum (psychiatric ward for the the criminally insane) is in full lockdown, and one of it’s doctors has gone missing. So Batman goes to Arkham to investigate.

He immediately goes to the source he assumes is behind the missing persons, The Joker. Oddly enough for The Joker (who is usually the running the show and is always in the know), he isn’t behind the kidnapping, and he doesn’t know who took the doctor. Which leads Batman to investigate further.

He continues to search through Arkham eventually coming to the kitchen where he see’s the asylum’s chef sitting next to a walk-in freezer. Batman asks where the doctor is, and he explains she is in the freezer. The freezer is full of asylum patients who the chef let out to kidnap the doctor.

In the end, while the villains are being locked up the chef explains the reason he let them out was because he was making a point that he is actually the one that runs the asylum, not the doctors.

This story reminds me of a much more “adult” oriented story that I was tempted to review that was printed in a Batman one-shot book, (I think it may have been Batman: Villains, Secret files and origins). The story was very similar to Running the asylum except an innocent man was thrown into Arkham who was wrongly accused of a crime. And no matter how much he begged or pleaded none of the guards would believe him. So during his time at Arkham he was abused, beaten, terrified, ridiculed, and numerous other things until he snapped and killed a couple patients, doctors and cooks; just as he snapped in another part of the hospital a letter came in stating that the patient was wrongly accused and he should be let go immediately, but by then it was too late he was already driven insane. The point being that being around crazy people long enough could/will drive you to do crazy things as well.

Running the asylum, is very similar to this story, but takes a more light hearted approach to it, being a book primarily for kids and all. Which I thought was well done. I have respect for a writer who can write truly horrific tales for a younger audience so that it won’t give them nightmares but at least get them to think.

You can buy the issue here.

Discussion: Do YOU think being around people YOU would deem crazy would drive you crazy as well? (Please leave your comments in the comments section below, do not message or IM me with your answers)