Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Arkham Asylum From 1985's Who's Who #1

Christopher Priest's "Arkham" story arc from Deathstroke (2016) #s 36-40 was figuratively insane in its portrayal of the literal insanity within the tortured walls of Gotham's Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Slade Wison found himself an unwilling patient/inmate in the infamous institution courtesy of his ex-wife, Adeline Kane, and colleague, Wintergreen following his disastrous confrontation with Doctor Ikon. Without giving away too much of the story, let's just say that the next six issues of Deathstroke are full of deep character examination and therapy, copious amounts of gaslighting, sanity-doubting, new friends (Yay, Death Masque "with a 'Q'"), alien invasions (maybe?), an accidental (?) murder, and all of the twisted, tormented Batman villains one could want in a Deathstroke tale. In honor of Priest's brilliant "Deathstroke: Arkham" story, posted below is a scan of the 1985 Arkham Asylum Who's Who entry from issue #1 (I) with art by Steve Bissette and John Totleben.