Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis

The Arkham series of Batman games have been heralded as masterpieces of the video game genre, and the fourth installment of the series, Arkham Knight, has been similarly celebrated. Arkham Knight: Genesis takes us deeper into the video game’s lore, providing backstory to one of the game’s big reveals: the identity of the Arkham Knight, a dark counterpart to Batman.

It’s hard to review this book, because how you react to it depends greatly on who you are as a fan. If you liked the game, then this tie-in prequel enriches that play experience. If you were underwhelmed by the “big” twist, then the depth of insight provided by this comic will help mitigate that disappointment. If you’re a fan of the comics, it feels a little bit like a retread of something quite similar we’ve already seen, though admittedly in greater detail and with richer, more satisfying storytelling. Although the strong narrative and striking visuals work under any of those conditions, hewing so closely to the Red Hood storyline of the comics detracts a bit from the reading experience. What could be an entirely fresh, vibrant read is simply a very good one instead.