DC just made an iconic place much worse twice in less than a month

Thanks to The penguin And Joker: Folie a DeuxA major DC Comics location is somehow worse than it has been in under a month. Joker 2The detailed story was released worldwide on October 4 and expands the story of Arthur Fleck from its predecessor in 2019. Meanwhile, HBO’s The penguin Started earthing in September 2024 as a Batman– Adjacent TV show in the universe of Matt Reeves The Batman.

With the wait for The Batman – Part IIIt happened, The penguin offers an insight into the more grounded, gritty, realistic version of Gotham that the first film introduced in 2022. Despite being set in another universe, Joker 2 It was doing similar in many ways by exploring a less-exaggerated version of the iconic DC Comics city. Interestingly, both The penguin Episode 4 and Joker 2 have taken an infamous location of the source material housed in Gotham – Arkham Asylum – and made it even worse than it already was, doing so with less than two weeks between each project.

Joker: Folie à Deux has the cruelty of Arkham Asylum

Arkham is not somewhere that was depicted beautifully in Joker 2

first of all, Joker 2 Delved into the bowels of Arkham Asylum through Arthur’s storyline. The end of 2019 Joker Saw Arthur Fleck checked into Arkham for his actions as the eponymous clown, with Joker: Folie à Deux Explore his life at the iconic DC State Hospital in between his court case. Through the history of Joker 2Arkham is painted in an incredibly dark light due to the other patients, Arthur’s quality of life, and, above all, the treatment of the people by the guards responsible for rehabilitating them in Joker 2s figure.

Beginning with the general treatment of the Arkham patients, Joker 2 Highlights like them are essentially a joke for the prison guards. Characters like Brendan Gleeson’s Jackie relentlessly torment Arthur and the other patientsEven rewarding them with things like cigarettes if they lean into the mental health issues that saw them admitted to Arkham in the first place. This immediately dehumanizes the patients and certainly does not help them in their quest for rehabilitation.

More so than any other scene in Joker 2This harsh atmosphere is highlighted when Arthur is sexually assaulted by Jackie and the other guards. Although this horrific act was not shown on screen, it was heavily implied and broke Arthur to the point where he sought help for his trauma and abolished the Joker persona. above all, This scene and its implications outlined that Arkham Asylum in the Joker Universe is not a center for the useful rehabilitation of its patients, but an environment of vice and cruelty.

The Penguin Episode 4 builds on Joker 2’s depiction of Arkham

Sofia Falcone’s Arkham Journey compounded how terrifying Arkham Asylum truly is

While set in another universe like one of DC’s Elseworlds movies, The Batman Also explored Arkham to an extent. The asylum was featured briefly at the end of the movie, with the film’s main villain, The Riddler, sent there only to meet Barry Keoghan’s Joker. This didn’t allow for a lot of insight into Arkham itself, but that was rectified The Batmans spin off show, The penguin. The penguin Introducing the DC Comics character of Sofia Falcone aka The Hangman.

Played masterfully by Cristin Milioti in The penguinSofia Falcone’s ensemble cast was one of the show’s standout characters. The penguin Episode 4 made this more true than ever by exploring that Sophia was not the Hangman at all, but that she was framed by her father and wrongfully sent to Arkham. This episode details this journey, exploring how The penguins version of the asylum is just as horrible Joker 2s, although in different ways.

Although those in Arkham Asylum in The penguin They are not shown to be overly abusive like Jackie and the guards in Joker 2The abuse is nevertheless there in subtle ways. Immediately, Sophia is shown being roughly handled, stripped naked, sprayed with water and thrown into a cell without concern for her well-being. After all, these patients are supposed to be those who need care and rehabilitation, however The penguin Highlights that Arkham is not the place for this.

As Sophia’s story unravels, it is clear that The penguinS’s Arkham is actually the opposite of a recovery hospital, because the way Sophia is treated causes her mental health to deteriorate. Admittedly, this is the case due to Carmine Falcone’s manipulation of Sofia’s key carers in Arkham. Regardless, the way Sophia and the other patients are treated is strikingly similar Joker 2s exploration of Arkham and, although a degree more subtle, the abuse Arkham’s patients suffer is evident.

Is Arkham Asylum always bad in DC Comics?

Arkham has always housed unsavory Batman villains

The burning question about Arkham Asylum comes from Joker 2 And The penguin Will be if it was always depicted as a cruel place in DC Comics. It is worth noting that, initially, Arkham was founded to help its patients. However, over time, the location became infamous for creating or housing some of Batman’s most iconic villains. From Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow and Hugo Strange to Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Arkham has always had a bad reputation for creating some of the Caped Crusader’s biggest enemies. in this way, Joker 2 And The penguin Align with the source material.

How the DCU can build on Arkham Asylum in live-action

James Gunn’s Batman movies could detail the more unrealistic elements of Arkham

with Joker: Folie à Deux And The penguin Dealing in Arkham Asylum better than many other live-action Batman projects, the question turns to whether James Gunn’s upcoming DC movies will do the same. Gunn has confirmed that a new iteration of Batman will debut in The brave and the boldAlthough little else has been revealed about the project since. In a world very committed to depicting Batman with a realistic, gritty tone, many hope that the first chapter of the DCU, Gods and Monsters, will delve into the more comic book aspects of Gotham’s Dark Knight.

The primary way in which Gunn’s Batman Movies can do this by showing Arkham’s more comic book elements. Arkham is home to several villains and storylines that show how The penguin Or movies with the tone of Joker 2 would never investigate. Through the DCU, however, these plot points may be touched upon. James Gunn has always been a filmmaker who delves into the more comic book aspects of the source material, and he can do the same with The brave and the boldTaking the depiction of an infamous DC location in a new, exciting, but no less terrifying direction.