Customer Rating:  
Summary: Arkham Asylum: Seriously Is That Even A Font?
Comment: Avoid this like the plague. The art is god awful, the writing is illegible, and the plot itself is absolute garbage.
Look up a few pages online if you're curious what I mean. It looks like someone painted it (art and writing) while on the brink of passing out from too much booze.
If you want a real Batman graphic novel, go for something from either Miller or Loeb. Morrison can't write whatsoever.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I'm a graphic novel newbie but this left me a little cold
Comment: Arkham Asylum is the fifth graphic novel I've read. I started with The Aviary by Jamie Tanner (very weird), then moved on to Watchmen, and have since read Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and am working on Berlin: City of Stones: Book One (Part 1).
The story is good, though I suppose it is short (I have to adjust my needs as far as length goes when it comes to graphic novels I suppose) and everyone else covers it here, so I won't.
I'll say though that the art is very disorienting, like the liner notes for a early 90's industrial CD, which I guess is understandable since Dave McKean did a lot of artwork for Skinny Puppy and various other industrial projects. The art almost seems cheesy now, and the typesetting throughout the whole thing is very unattractive. I spent probably double the amount of time reading it that I would have otherwise because the Joker's dialog is so hard to read. It's so scrambled, in red, with a little white drop shadow on it, most of the letters are scribbled up next to each other and are very difficult to read. I'm not blind, I do wear glasses, but I've never, ever, had such a hard time reading text before.
Aside from the cheesy art and the ugly text, I'd say this is a good graphic novel. Certainly something to show your friends. If you're into more "literary" graphic novels, then this one might leave you cold, as the focus seems to be on the art and somewhat blatant silly psychoanalysis and symbolism.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of Batman's Best gets the Deluxe Treatment
Comment: Even if you own the original hardcover of this fantastic graphic novel, don't hesitate to pick up the 15th Anniversary edition.
Grant Morrison's script, with original notes to the editor and artist as well as newly added annotations, are quite insightful and entertaining to read. Upon completing this book, you will have a much greater appreciation for this outstanding and unique piece of work which was already brimming with depth and eariness.
As for the story itself, Grant Morrison and Dave McKean produced a masterpiece worthy of mention along side the Batman classics Dark Knight Returns, Year One and the Killing Joke. Now if we could only get these guys to do an encore.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Story, But the Artwork...
Comment: This book is really a history of Arkham and its founder more than it is a Batman story, and the story is a dark one indeed. The artwork is much different from that of other Batman graphic novels I have purchased (Batman: Year One, Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again) and is a little hard to get used to; I had to really struggle to figure out what Joker was saying. This is the story of Arkham, and it is a very good, if somewhat dark and depressing; but then again, this is Gotham. It makes me wonder if there's some sort of otherworldy / supernatural beacon in the city that attracts criminals, crazies and crazy criminals.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Comment: This was an amazingly detailed graphic novel. It was rich in character development as well as story line. I strongly suggest that those with a craving for everything Batman buy this.
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