Nobody asked for this, but Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum continues its prequel storyline. In this issue, an unexpected prison break causes Arkham’s prisoners to take revenge on the Arkham guards. Now, Deadshot needs to team up with the other deadliest assassin in the asylum to make his escape. Lets talk about it!
A Sadist Paradise
Allegedly, there is a method to Amanda Waller’s madness. Ever since taking over Arkham Asylum, A.R.G.U.S has been allowing its guards to abuse the inmates. As described in the first issue, A.R.G.U.S systematically deprives the prisoners access to mental health, hygiene, or other forms of decency. In fact, the guards have found sadistic glee in being able to beat, torture, or humiliate any of the supervillains incarcerated. In particular, one guard named Krupps has gone above and beyond to make life in Arkham a living hell. Not only does Waller encourage this abuse, but she requires it! Under Waller’s promise, the guards carry out behavior that they’ve “always wanted” to try.
Kill Arkham Asylum #2 partially tells its story from correctional officer Krupps’ point of view. Deplorably, Krupps tortures the cast of the video game in numerous ways. In addition to stomping out Killer Moth, Krupp threatens King Shark, starves Deadshot, feeds Boomerang chum, and cruelly murders Harley’s mouse “Squeakums.” Now that I think about it, the creature could be a reference to the one Margot Robbie adopts in Suicide Squad (2016). Regardless, none of the prisoners are none to happy with the guard. In spite of his gross pleasure at his actions, things quickly turn when the cells miraculously open.
The Killers
The b-story surrounds Deadshot’s plan to escape the asylum. After bonding with Deathstroke and Great White Shark about who should finish Krupps off, the trio form an shaky alliance. After several teases in the video games, and being the main character of Arkham Asylum: Living Hell; the Great White Shark cameo is nice to finally see. Eventually, following a chance encounter with Man-Bat, the trio stumble upon an armory holding all their costumes, accessories, and ammunition. Suspicious, Deathstroke questions the coincidence, but the writers quickly remind the reader that this still falls within the scope of Waller’s plans. Although, I can’t understand the ridiculous logic behind intentionally angering, releasing, and arming homicidal maniacs.
Still, the book manages to have interesting moments. Particularly, the Saratoga Heights incident that lands Deadshot in Arkham. Then, Deadshot finds himself in the crossfire of a mysterious sharpshooter. Despite catching his rival off guard and killing them, Green Lantern apprehends Lawton before he can confirm his kill for his ego. Curiously, not knowing the shooter’s identity or their status bothers Lawton more than anything. In fact, he even wonders if Deathstroke was the hitter or knew anything about it. I haven’t played the game yet myself, but it would fascinate me to know if this storyline factors into actual game. Outside of these interesting moments, the story is goofy and often strangely rendered. For instance, poses like Harley Quinn’s attack on Krupps makes no anatomical sense.
Recommended If…
- Seeking to expand your Kill The Justice League experience.
- You’re adamant on reading or playing anything Arkham related.
- You randomly pull this book on a whim.
Overall
While I still can’t recommend this book, this issue was a vast improvement over the first. The dark humor in Krupps rise and fall in Arkham garners a few chuckles from me, and Deadshot’s tale is equally pleasing. That said, the artwork is sloppy and unclear at times, the premise makes no sense, and the bulk of the story feels like unnecessary padding. Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum has nothing to say and nothing to add to an already mindless experience. Fortunately, I did enjoy the Stanford Prison Experiment-like vibe of the book, even if it felt unwarranted.
Score: 5/10.
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purposes of this review
