Obscure Comics: Batman Arkham Asylum: The Road To Arkham #1

Who Wants A Video Game Based On A Comic That Actually Plays Well?

DC Comics had a horrible record when it came to having video games based on their characters.  Until 2004, most video game players and comic book fans could agree that there hadn't been one great video game done for any character that really captured what it was like to be a superhero.  Then 2004 brought us Spider-Man 2 the Video Game, and the curse was broken, as the game got praise from video game reviewers, gamers, and comic book fans who loved playing as Spider-Man. However, it took DC another 5 years to finally get a game that could be held up as a worthwhile competitor, if not a better game than Spider-Man 2.  In 2007, Rocksteady Studios began development on Batman: Arkham Asylum. 

With a team of forty that grew to sixty, veteran Batman The Animated Series writer Paul Dini, incredible voice work from Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorken, plus a ton of material to draw from, the team created a genre-defining video game in 21 months.  Launching in 2009, Batman Arkham Asylum became a runaway hit. It launched an Arkham video game franchise spanning almost ten video games (Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham City Lockdown, Arkham Origins, Arkham Origins Blackgate, Arkham Origins Mobile, Arkham Knight, Arkham VR, and the upcoming Suicide Squad) as well as an animated Assault on Arkham movie, and many comic books based on the games. The first major release was the Arkham City prequel comic, written, like the game, by Paul Dini and drawn by Carlos D'Anda, who, as part of WildSTORM, was heavily involved in working on DC video games.  The prequel comic was very popular, leading to Batman Arkham Unhinged and many more comics.  Even a few novels were done, and toys and many statues were produced, the Arkham Asylum game was, and remains, a major franchise.  However, the Arkham City comic by Paul Dini and Carlos D'Anda was not the first Batman Arkham Asylum video game franchise comic book.

Pre-Order The Batman Arkham Asylum Collector's Edition From Amazon

The Arkham Asylum game launched with a sixty dollar regular version or a fancy "collector's edition" with many bells and whistles.  This edition came in a Batarang case, with a customized prop Batarang, an extra behind the scenes disc on the making of the game, and a 48 page Arkham Asylum journal with art by Carlos D'Anda, enclosed by a leather case.  It was a very nice package, but there were several different preorder variations on the game as is still the norm.  With Gamestop, Best Buy, Gamecrazy, Toys R Us, and Walmart all offering different incentives to preorder with them. However, Amazon offered an exclusive comic book if you preorder the game from them, in the collector's edition, done exclusively for Amazon to be included only with their collector's edition, Batman Arkham Asylum: The Road To Arkham.

This 12 page 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" mini-comic is not only obscure but expensive to own on the secondary market.  On eBay, the comic commands a price of at least $150, with most online comic stores wanting at least that, if not closer to $200.  Considering the narrow window that fans could obtain the comic through, only if you preordered the game through Amazon. Only if you preordered the $99 Collector's Edition, the prices aren't surprising.  It is a fantastic comic by top creators.  However, it has been reprinted once in the Batman Arkham Saga Omnibus, with a price tag of $150, though you can find it on sale for anywhere ranging from $75 to $100.  This reprint is also full size, so it is a great way to read it.  Nevertheless, this preorder only comic is pricey and obscure if you want it in hand to read.