#23 in Graphic novels
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
- 216
- Pages
- about 4 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“Arkham Asylum” is a horror-tinged Batman story remembered above all for Dave McKean’s dark and intense artwork. Morrison sends Batman into an asylum that seems to breed madness, and the strand about its founder, Amadeus Arkham, is the strongest part of the writing. Some readers find the main Batman and Joker plot weaker than that history, and some struggle to read the lettering. Images and mood are the reason to open it.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth is a 1989 superhero horror graphic novel written by Grant Morrison and illustrated by Dave McKean. The story follows the vigilante Batman, who is called upon to quell a maddening riot taking place in the infamous Arkham Asylum, a psychiatric hospital housing the most dangerous supervillains in Gotham City. Inside, Batman confronts many of his enduring rogues gallery, such as the Joker, Two-Face, and Killer Croc. As Batman ventures deeper, he discovers the origin of how the asylum was established, the history of its founder Amadeus Arkham, and the supernatural and psychological mystery that has been haunting the mansion.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.8 across 204 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 58% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Graphic novels average of 8.4. That is how 8.0 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.5 | 17 | 8% |
| Hardcover | 7.8 | 187 | 92% |
Frequently asked
How long is Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth?
It has 216 pages — shorter than 85% of the ranked books in Graphic novels.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Graphic novels — with scores between 8.0 and 8.5, closest to this book.
