DC Comics' All Time Best-Selling Graphic Novel! Batman ARKHAM ASYLUM by Grant Morrison + Dave McKean

[@cactusloaf]

That's Anthony Perkins at the end of the first Psycho, when you see him sitting calmly but thinking in Mother's voice. There's a quick frame of a skull superimposed over his face, and that's what you're seeing here.

[@rymars]

came here to say this

[@darrenkane9372]

1987 - 1989 was an unreal time for high end Batman products; that window of time between the wake of Dark Knight and lead-up to the Batman movie. You had the Son the the Demon HC. Killing Joke. The Cult. Gotham by Gaslight. Arkham Asylum. What a time to be buying this stuff new as it came out.

[@paulseidler1644]

Batman in the late 80s experienced imo the strongest run of quality any comic book character had ever seen before or since. Tons of great stories and creators to touch the character, but even the back to back to back releases of DKR(86), Year One(87), Killing Joke(88), and Arkham Asylum (89) is insane to consider...

[@The_Ice_Cream_Police]

Would love to see you cover Cages. Sandman, Maus, Ghost World and Acme Novelty were often the works that connected well to book readers who were not normally into comics. Meanwhile back in my art school days, Cages seemed to be the book that intrigued my drawing/painting classmates the most. The transitions between different art styles really stood out to them.

[@the_fillerbunny]

At my first read of this book, I was mesmerized. I couldn't comprehend how such a comic book existed. I remember thinking those are some long Batman ears, like Simon Bisley's Batman's ears. Also, that Joker face haunted me for some time.

[@joeanderson9045]

This is such a monumental work in so many ways. I would add that we don't seem to hear much about the title: A Serious House on Serious Earth. This is from a Philip Larkin poem called "Churchgoing" that is certainly worth reading for it's own sake but it takes on another meaning when one reads it in the context of this book.

[@bjscorpio4041]

I always love the Crowley cameo whenever I read Arkham Asylum.

[@marcmaniac12]

I think I remember Grant saying that he creates his drawn layouts for each page as an early step of his writing process. he sees the visuals, then describes them. the artist never sees his sketched out layout pages

[@marcmaniac12]

The early Fatman on Batman Kevin Smith interviews with Grant are incredible. Grant goes deep into the process of this book and the impact it had on his entire career and trajectory.

[@paulwhitfield2697]

Big fan of McKean here, loved hearing your guys take on his process and theories on how he does things. Please do Violent Cases next! A full shoot interview with McKean would be amazing too, I’d love to hear the three of you talk shop

[@williammcchesney9031]

If you wanna see McKean's Swamp Thing you guys should cover Neil and Dave's Black Orchid! Also Violent Cases and Signal to Noise are great early McKean / Gaiman collabs.

[@lucascatron8994]

Thank You for this, didnt know it!!?

[@brandonnhembree7439]

when I was 16 I took some LSD and was trying to find something to do to entertain myself and I opened this book and instantly shut it and to this day have not revisited it lmao

[@brianng8350]

Such beautiful art and photo manipulation before Photoshop. Would love to see a book with his sketches and ideas. And love his Sandman Mystery Theatre covers too. But this is probably his best work with the writing and the Batman character at his disposal.

[@nickchilds3155]

I started this book after reading the first arc of uncanny x force thinking I’d just read a little of it and the. Go back to x force, but I read the first pages and was absolutely taken by it. I ended up having to go to bed but this morning I dove back in with only like 30 minutes before I had to go to work and I was hooked again and had to crank through the whole thing. Currently clocked in thinking excitedly ab getting home and reading the annotated script in the back of my copy. X force will have to wait fr

[@thomasschmidt7649]

As a teenager I found this books imagery entirely too disturbing. Like I had wondered into the back room at the video store and my virgin eyes were not ready for such raw intensity. It was an entirely different visual language, so unfamiliar, forbidden even, R-rated. Am I even allowed to be looking at this!? As an adult I can just barely wrap my head around the accomplishment, it’s a mind blowing piece of work and I mostly hate it, ha!

[@sammajkrzak8887]

One of my all time favorite comics. This and Dark Knight Returns made the biggest impact on me as a kid. Both of them had the extra scripts in the back, which would have been the first process or scripts I saw. The scripts says Clayface represents the AIDs crisis, and Dr Destiny can't sleep, so he's much more decrepit. Morrison really puts Batman almost beyond human. I'm following along with an older copy, and the more saturated colors and tighter crops stand out more, but the higher resolution photos in the new one are great too. It is Anthony Perkins from the end of the original Pyscho, when his mom's voice and skull appear over his, which fits the theme of this comic great.

[@kersjous]

Dave McKean did Swamp Thing in Black Orchid ;)

[@marcmaniac12]

Loving this video! Please do more Dave McKean!!! Arkham, Mr Punch, Signal to Noise, and Cages all blew my mind when I was grabbing them up in the mid to late 90s. the art still holds up so well. incredible works

[@marcmaniac12]

a look at Sandman: Dustcovers would be sweet too!

[@richbuxo]

Ground breaking novel, I remember getting a copy for my High School English teacher and he loved it at the time. It was a great time for comics and comic readers, thanks for your review on this one, I feel like reading my copy once again.

[@williammcchesney9031]

Also Violent Cases is McKean at peak Sienkiewicz influence imo

[@zoliizs2300]

Amazing work!! And perfect timing I'm in what I guess can be called my Dave McKean phaze

[@davidaaronartist]

I dont have the blck label version but a recent one with the extra material and i read that Dave was influenced on jan svankmajer. And that makes sense!!! he isnt in the tradition of american superhero comics but in the cinematic surreal and mix media were created in that period and expanded on the dada period were collage was invented so he is pulling all the resources of a multidiciplinary contemporary artist. This bbook is a huge inluence for me to become a fine art figurative painter. i was 15 ysr old and a Early encounter with painting was pepsicads here in Mexico you get 5 cards with dc characters painted by Boris Vallejo, Mignola, Fegredo Tristan etc. that and this comicbook melt my childhis brain forever. I dream to continue the painting comicbook legacy that this and Alex Ross open to the mainstreem audience.

[@hcanderson3787]

Guys, thanks so much for this review. This book set off shock waves when it premiered. I can still feel them all these years later

[@oreganillo]

When is Cartoonist Kayfabe gonna cover the late master Tim Sale? Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Superman: For All Seasons, Daredevil: Yellow, Hulk: Grey, Spiderman: Blue...

[@donhartigart]

Wow! This was literally the first graphic novel I ever encountered (before I even knew what "graphic novels"were). I found it and an early edition of Watchmen at a library in a small desert town in South Africa and remember being traumatized by the page with the doll house and spiders coming out of the mouth pages... so much so that I actually stopped reading it around half-way through (first time I ever purposely stopped reading a "comic"). Of course, I had no idea what I was holding and, in hindsight, the fact that it was "Batman" was obviously the reason it bypassed the adult supervision filter (presumably in the case of the librarians too since it was indexed with other comics). Looking at it now however, the artwork was revolutionary for this medium IMO. Fantastic video and analysis! Thanks guys. Please keep it up! 💪👏

[@lagenchase5188]

I picked up the Absolute Edition off the shelf when it released. One of my favorite pieces in my ABSOLUTE collection. A lot of process material. Really really cool.

[@carlkligerman1981]

Yeah I had to spring for the absolute too, it’s a beautiful edition.

[@capearce81]

Jim I’m with ya… I picked the hardcover up at a Javitz Center con in the mid-90’s for an unbelievable $5 dollars. The seller had a gigantic stack of ‘em. I was a kid and couldn’t believe my luck. What a value!

[@brianng8350]

$5? For hardvcover or trade? And should you be reading this as a "kid"? Hahaha... It was too mature for me when I was growing up. But I also picked up it up for the art before I was ready to the story. Such a beautiful book in all aspects.

[@whyloechoedome8122]

The weirdness that comics can accomplish are why I got back into them. Why not just go wild

[@ericmongeon8938]

The artist McKean is paying homage to at 34:50 is Fritz Scholder.

[@MonolithJones]

If you compare the original edition with the newer one you can definitely see where the photos of the Joker sculpture were pasted on the board or whatever McKean was working on.

[@foofinatic]

Wow, reading along it feels like I have the best of both worlds with my battered, used '15th anniversary' edition. I get the white around the joker text for (somewhat) better legibility - But you also still have the texture detail on things like the wedding dress(!). Thanks for helping me contextualize some of the abstract imagery in this book fellas.

[@drawrobot6439]

1200 is still kinda overkill. At my day gig, 600 renders virtually the same as a 1200 dpi image. What has changed in Xerox tech is the toner ink has gotten much finer & digital imaging has caught up with offset. So much so that a lot of smaller shops are leaving offset and going full digital printing. The Igen 5 class of Xerox presses has three alternative inks that when mixed in with the cmyk nail some harder to hit Pantone’s. Like reflex blue or 021 orange.

[@jeremystone286]

Regarding McKean's convention "sketches," I got 2 from him at SDCC - Sandman and Death. I got the first one in 1998 for $125 and the second one in 2000 for $150. On the first day of the con, you could be put on a list for a sketch (your choice of character, but I think he reserved the right to refuse; although I don't know of any instance where he refused). It usually filled up the first day. I don't recall how many he would do. All of his convention sketches that I've seen are done in this method, (looks like painting over torn photos?), and he does them in the evenings, not while he is at the table. I think he still does them, but I think it's much more limited and expensive.

[@jjvaz]

Get the original hardcover in 1991 at SanDiego Comicon, i first saw this book at college in Mexico city while studying graphic design a few months erlier, one of the only things that i wanted from that trip to the convention was this book. I thank Dave Mckean for my knowledge in semiotic and narrative

[@marcmaniac12]

some of those gorgeous graphite panels that have lots of drawn type and pattern are very Barron Story influenced... you guys should do a Baron Storey Marat Sade episode. Storey is the lesser known Patriarch of the McKean, Kent Williams, David Mack, Sienkievich school of art.

[@antdujar]

One of my fave 80's bat books aside from killing joke and year one. Just a fun, visually horrific thrill ride and a dope depiction of Batman the world of arkham.

[@nicholaspu]

Man thank you guys so much for doing this

[@JamesHaney]

I still have my OG 1st Printing crappy-binding edition; the Black Label would give me the chance to read this again without having to put the pages back together... ARKHAM was my first exposure to Grant's take on DC characters. Walked away dazed, but intrigued. The Madonna bit was nixed because this was coming out close to Burton's BATMAN movie and Warner's didn't want Nicholson's Joker possibly being seen as a potential transvestite. I firs saw McKean's work in a copy of VIOLENT CASES, Neil Gaiman's tale of a boy meeting Al Capone's Osteopath, that a friend brought back from England while he was doing an internship at the BBC. There is a picture of an ashtray on the back cover that left me wondering: "Is that a photo?". His realism had that Uncanny Valley feel, long before the term was coined. His work on the covers for Gaiman's MIRACLEMAN Golden Age (Eclipse) run is a sublime as it is varied. Gotta get those under the camera before Marvel releases the Finale this Fall (also: Barry Windsor-Smith's covers for the first two issues of the original Silver Age are gorgeous!) Can Neil and Bucky bring this puppy in for a landing at long last? Stay Tuned...🖖♾

[@kerektor]

I have the 1st HC printing on Titan Books from '89 and it has held up well. I wonder if there was a big difference quality-wise between that edition and the US one.

[@loosenutz2]

the one painting is after Fritz Scholder

[@Graphicxtras1]

Got the absolute edition, have to say, I still prefer the earliest version. There were a lot of changes to the colours as well as the images. Clearly that was what DM wanted but personally, didn't enjoy it as much. Still a great story / art. Thanks for the video as ever

[@SpacedCobraIII]

Ah yes, I remember that The State sketch with prison with the wide open gate that was "off limits".

[@ahmedt2146]

Everyone sites The Killing Joke as the definitive Joker book but for me Arkham Asylum has always been it. This is my Joker!

[@kpdane]

Subscribed. This was a great watch. Thank you for this.

[@neilsanzari9723]

This was another awesome video! Please do Cages, Black Orchid, and Mr. Punch. Thank you 🙏

[@mgrivas3674]

I got this for my 14th birthday and I loved it. I got the hardcover edition and the pages started falling out as I was reading it.😔 anyone else's do that?

[@Untitled_Coffee_Art]

@_@ I had no idea this was "remastered," I hope this means the color version of From Hell is on the table

[@stevenholland4801]

Great feature. I bought this when It came out and I agree with Jim, I understand it better now than I did then!

[@normancooper2762]

All this time, I thought it was my colour blindness that made reading the Joker font virtually impossible. I am relieved to know that there was a real challenge present and the font is unreadable.

[@78deathface]

When I was a kid going to my local comic shop way back I wanted this book so bad, but the nice lady who worked there wouldn’t let me buy it! She told my parents it was too mature for me haha

[@randalwung8715]

Don't know how much McKean was influenced by Sienkiewicz, but when I picked up Arkham I saw Dave as Bill's spiritual successor. After the later New Mutants and especially the Daredevil graphic novel (love that they referenced that Kingpin for Into the Spider-Verse), Bill kind of pulled back, gradually becoming less expressionistic and more realistic, returning in some ways to his Neal Adams days. Not that he wasn’t and still isn't wild and inventive, but for me he never took those next steps into pure “art” like Dave did. Oh, and if you’ve never seen this fan adaptation, check it out; Mr. McKean would be proud: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoXHeoKKbMuMZ6s.

[@D.B.-nw1fb]

Stray toasters

[@dwaynemuth8775]

Great 👍 video,guys! Definitely still holds up ! Also makes me finally realize how far DC has fallen over the years! The Vertigo line bit the dust and marketing gimmicks/events are far too common! Ohh well! There’s helluva lot of interesting indies out there to read! My favorite part is when Joker grabs Batman’s ass ,Lighten up,tightass! Lol! Thanks and keep reading and making comix!

[@tomeksadzewicz]

Shout out from Poland! I love this books. Especially the creepy Joker on heels...😱🤯

[@MonsieurMosca]

This, and “Violent Cases” are some of the best titles to come out in the 90’s

[@thebigdentist251]

@MonsieurMosca Arkham Asylum came out in 1989 and Violent Cases was 1987.

[@MonsieurMosca]

@@thebigdentist251 thanks. You’re right. These are some of the most striking titles I discovered in the 90’s ☺️

[@SketchbookTimeMachine]

Dave McKean, one of the GOATs! This is the book that got me into comics in '92! Thank you for featuring this important watershed book on the CK channel! My video and art tribute to the greatest Joker artist ever: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iImlq3qLf7uBrsk

[@Mr3161973]

I still have my original Hard cover in great condition.🤓

[@TaylorWinder]

Please go over Cages at some point. I love the more stripped-down McKean.

[@thewkovacs316]

this was a true work of art

[@isuriadireja91]

i bought the TPB back in late 90's without having any idea of what it was. the art is creepy AF..nightmarish, which is exactly what the intention i believe actually was by both Grant and Dave. it's one of my most valued DC titles.

[@MonolithJones]

Count me in for more McKean.

[@hollabackgod]

Check out the newest book from Dave too

[@kerektor]

I'm torn about Morrison. I have many of their comics, starting with Zenith, probably, but despite them being so prolific and celebrated, their work often seems a bit hamfisted to me. I love The Invisibles, though. Arkham Asylum remains a great Batman story, but that, to me, is mostly because of McKean's artwork.

[@tomb407]

I love his Animal Man, it just makes me smile.

[@VicRattleHead28]

Why do you keep saying "they"? McKean only did this one book with Grant. I liked Grant's Batman, him and Quitley did a great run.

[@ekurisona663]

half a million copies in over a decade? holy shit graphic novels are niche

[@azarthoth]

More Mckean please!

[@thewyldness]

Def more McKean. Do Cages.

[@Puddin_Tame]

The artwork on this is magnificent. The story, on the other hand, is shite. Batman is totally out of character and all the symbolism is as subtle as a train wreck. Pretentious crap.

[@mrScififan2]

I own this one! It was good!

[@KvestiOnMovies]

That Sandman cover story. Dave McKean was busy with this one when they wanted someone else to make Sandman covers.

[@hopelozano2862]

Gives me marvel ruins vibes