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Arkham
Asylum: Living Hell
Chapter Three: Cracked Up
3[of 6]/SEP/2003
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Dan Slott
Pencils: Ryan Sook
Inks: Jim Royal
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Mike Heisler
Price: $2.50 US/R10.00 SA
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A comic from a few months ago which might have slipped by you like
a golden nugget nestled beside the rocks in a riverbed
as the stream ebbs on. A comic which by definition seems to have
less to do with Batman and more with his enemies
and their stories than any Bat title currently on the shelves.
We learn of the origin and life history of one of Gotham City’s
more enduring criminals, Humphrey Dumpler aka.
Humpty Dumpty. The day to day routine of some of
Arkhams other inmates is pleasantly changed by the helping hand
of a certain warden and in the end Mr.Fish finds out that Humpty
isn’t as ‘dumb’ty as he first
thought…
This issue is reminiscent of what Geoff Johns [Flash,
JSA] has done with the Rogues Gallery focus in
the recent issues of The Flash. Dan Slott focuses
on the criminally insane members/inmates of the notorious Arkham
Asylum and although it has some big names such as Poison
Ivy and Killer Croc within its not so
hallowed halls, it’s the smaller names such as Dumpty
and Doodlebug that make this story so interesting.
Everyone’s read a thousand stories focusing on Batman and
the Joker but now it’s time to delve a little deeper into
Gotham’s underground and truly see how the other side live.
First off this issue doesn’t star Batman, in fact the only
‘Bat’ reference is to Babara Gordon the original
Batgirl. The reason for this is because ¾ of the
issue revolves around the delightful telling of Humpty Dumpty’s
life story, which takes places a few decades back in Gotham’s
timeline.
Not only does this create a great nostalgic setting of old-fashioned
Gotham but is opens up some great characters as well, such as the
aforementioned Batgirl. The art suits the story at hand nicely and
Ryan Sook [Spectre, Detective
Comics] renders the ‘old school’ Gotham scenes
with great skill.
Sook’s art style seems to be lifted straight from the Vertigo
stable and Lee Loughridges [The Losers]
colours certainly add to that non-mainstream feel which permeates
throughout the comic. The pencils and colour are reminiscent of
the artwork seen in the recent Vertigo POP! Bangkok series.
The quaint tale of Humphrey Dumpler is made all the more ‘Fairytale’
like by the powerful use of rhyming stanzas and the ‘Fables’
like art of Sook. The old style Gotham comes complete with large
cows on top of Burger Joints and strange animal characters walking
the streets. This style helps to perpetuate the spookiness of the
tale and individual at hand, the psychotic Humpty Dumpty.
A really great story with nice art, but probably not aimed at mainstream
Batman fans, with a focus on a relatively unknown character in Gotham’s
marked history.
Score 8/10
Reviewed By:Iain Duncan
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Comic Reviews
