Hey, you gotta start somewhere. One of the most controversial and challenging stories in the Dark Knight's canon, Arkham Asylum is also one of the most important. Batman's all-time bad trip is a different kind of Year One, a skeleton key of ideas that can unlock new meanings in every other Batman story.

You can find The Black Casebook on Twitter @blackcasebook and Instagram @blackcasebookpod, and you can write in to [email protected] to share any Bat-thoughts you have.

Music by Black Plastique.