Batman’s Arkhamverse is at a critical junction followingSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice LeagueandBatman: Arkham Shadow. Any future Batman game in theArkhamseries will probably be met with excitement, to be fair, and with any luck the series will continue to mold itself the way thatBatman: Arkham Shadowhas: with a great deal of faithfulness in adhering to previously established lore and gameplay while also not being afraid in the slightest to tell an authentic, bold story. Part of that boldness, at least inBatman: Arkham Shadow’s case, was indulging in a decadent and nuanced examination of Bruce Wayne.
Of course, Bruce is technically always playing a large role since he’s who inhabits the Batsuit.
But, with Batman famously being a dominant gradient of Bruce’s character, there’s an unmistakable distinction made when Bruce is not wearing the cowl. Such sequences are incredibly important as a result, regardless of how few times Batman removes his cowl in the series. Having so much time dedicated to Bruce inBatman: Arkham Shadow, whether he’s dressed as an inmate at Blackgate Prison or not, has demonstrated how precious these moments are and will hopefully inspirefuture Arkhamverse gamesto consider more of the same.
Batman’s Arkhamverse Needs to Let Bruce Out of the Cave More
The Arkhamverse is currently comprised of seven mainline games:Batman: Arkham Asylum,Batman: Arkham City,Batman: Arkham Origins,Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate,Batman: Arkham Knight,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, andBatman: Arkham Shadow(in release order). Batman being the focal point has always been favorable due to how little Bruce would contribute to gameplay when, dressed as a Caped Crusader, he can otherwise glide around. Bruce’s appearances in the series beforeBatman: Arkham Shadowreflect this disparity:
There isn’t much left to unpack about Bruce’s trauma that hasn’t been touched on or psychoanalyzed in the Arkhamverse, let alone other Batman-related media, but havingBatman: Arkham Shadowdebut Dr. Leslie Thompkinswas phenomenal as it added a nuanced layer to not only Bruce’s backstory but also Harvey Dent’s. Plus, it did so without rupturing the connective tissue of previously established lore. Bruce’s exaggerated voice and demeanor, like the cape and cowl, are another lens that he perceives Gotham City through.
AsIrving “Matches” Malone, Bruce begins to sympathize with certain characters like Joe and Dr. Harleen Quinzel. Moreover, Leslie is able to humble Bruce in ways never seen before in the Arkhamverse. If future Arkhamverse games wish to succeed, Bruce can no longer be left out of the picture.
