In the anticipation for the upcoming Batman VS Superman film (of which I want to see Batman win), I thought to share with you what I think is the timeline for the Batman Arkham games. There are the main games yes, but for those of you not in the know, for every game that comes out, some supporting materials like comic books and DLC, help expand the universe to make it more than just a series of games. The franchise as a whole is based purely on the Batman mythos and is in no way based on any specific Batman whether it be from the films, from the TV shows or even some comic books. So let's not waste any time and get right to it:
And because of the nature of this post, there will be spoilers. You have been warned.
Thomas and Martha Wayne's Death
So you all know the story. Bruce Wayne was born having two very rich and successful parents who ran their own company, Wayne Enterprises which specialise in gadgetry and technology. Thomas is a successful surgeon who has managed to save the Falcone family twice while Martha dedicated herself in the upbringing of Bruce Wayne and was well known in Gotham's social circles. One night after watching a film, the family enter Crime Alley where Thomas and Martha Wayne got shot and killed by gangster Joe Chill, thus starting Bruce Wayne's lifetime mission to get rid of the evil spread around Gotham,which would lead him to become Batman. James Gordon who at the time was a simple police officer would then make it so that he would be able to find and take down Joe Chill which is presumed that he eventually does.
Initiation
As part of his training in becoming Batman, Bruce Wayne travelled to the East corners of the world to learn martial arts for several years before returning to Gotham. During this time, he would find a teacher called Kirigi who would teach him. Its here where Bruce Wayne first meets Shiva (one of the many assassins seen in Origins) as well as Talia (of which Bruce had some kind of relationship with and is one of a handful of known and trusted associates who know of him being Batman).
Year One
After several years of training, Bruce Wayne would then return to Gotham to regain control of Wayne Enterprises which is rightfully his and would learn of a cave beneath his mansion. At this stage, he would then start to become Batman with only letting Alfred Pennyworth (the family's long serving butler) know of who he is. It would take some time, but eventually he would get there. In his first year as the dark knight, he would be responsible for a man with a red hood for a face to be knocked into a pool of acid at Ace Chemicals who would later become his greatest enemy, the Joker. Its also safe to say that many villains of Batman would also slowly start to turn insane and evil during this year as well.
Arkham Origins
With a corrupted police force in Gotham, Batman does all he can to get rid of the corruption, but to no avail. While that is happening, a gangster kingpin by the name of Black Mask (though later revealed to be the Joker in disguise) marks Christmas Eve as the night where assassins from across the world can come to take down the Bat for money. It is then where Batman meets many of his greatest and most reoccurring enemies for the first time such as Bane, Deadshot, Deathstorke, Killer Croc, Penguin, Joker, Black Mask, Mad Hatter, Riddler, Harley Quinn, Calendar Man and Firefly. While most of these characters have at this point become who they are to Batman, some characters such as Riddler and Harley Quinn have yet to turn into the supervillians that they are. Fortunately, Batman is able to take all these villains down and Alfred becomes convinced about his crusade and thus becomes a major part in Bruce Wayne's plans to take down Gotham's villains. Also James Gordon at first is hostile to Batman much like with the rest of the GCPD, but eventually sees Batman as nothing more than a guy just trying to help. Even so, he tries to take him in, but fails.
Cold, Cold Heart
New Year's Eve approaches and its here where we Batman meets Mr. Freeze for the first time and learns of his intentions. Although hostile at first, Batman then sees Freeze as being nothing more than a man wanting to help his wife and then decides to take down a man who was to be awarded something, but after the night's events, Batman thinks otherwise.
Blackgate
Its year three and when March comes, an incident occurs in Blackgate prison. So James Gordon reaches out to Batman to investigate the matter and Batman finds out about prisoners taking the staff hostage and then sets out to take the prisoners down while also meeting Catwoman for the first time and finally winning James Gordon over as another valuable ally to his cause. Also during year three, Arkham Asylum is reinstated and the city's most criminally insane are taken there. Solomon Grundy chronologically also makes his first appearance here.
Nightwing
For the next couple of years, Batman would eventually come to realise that he can't do all the work on the field alone, even with the help of James Gordon, Catwoman and Alfred. So after seeing an emotional Dick Grayson who just lost his parents, Batman takes him in and he then becomes the first Robin. The dynamic duo as it were, would then work together to take down Gotham's criminals and eventually, Dick would move to Bludhaven and become Nightwing as well as getting a job as a police officer at BPD.
Batgirl
At some point between Dick Grayson's departure and the arrival of Jason Todd, James Gordon's daughter Barbara would then become a new ally in her own right to Batman as Batgirl and would spend many years fighting alongside him, until a certain incident that involves a certain clown prince of crime.
Jason Todd's Life and Death (or so we think)
After taking care of the suicide squad who attempt an assault in Arkham, Batman one day finds a boy called Jason Todd trying to take the tires of the Batmobile and in exchange for not turning him in Batman gives Jason the chance to become the next Robin. Unlike Dick Grayson, Jason's time as Robin would be more brutal and would at times, be far more careless and arrogant. That of course leads to him going after the Joker alone, but in doing so, gets captured and tortured by him in an abandoned wing in Arkham Asylum. Eventually, Joker kills Jason and gives Batman the video tape of his demise. Batman would then devote time to find him, but in doing so, breaks one of his rules to never give up. This then leads him into recruiting Tim Drake as the third and to date, current Robin who knows of his identity. But despite this, Jason Todd is not out of the woods yet.
A Matter of Family
With Batman preoccupied on something, Batgirl and Robin set out to find Joker and Harley Quinn who have taken James Gordon and members of the GCPD hostage and Batman's presence would have Joker kill all the hostages as a result. But as we all know, the duo that would later become a married couple, pulls through and save the hostages, but fail to capture Joker in the process who decides to escape leaving Harley Quinn and his men behind.
Oracle
Unaware of her allegiance to Batman, Joker one day pays Barbara a visit and shoots her in the back, which cripples her spine. Unable to carry on as Batgirl, Batman dismisses her. However, Barbara convinces Batman that she can help as an information broker and having convinced Batman, takes the persona of Oracle, giving Batman two allies in helping him find information, the other being Alfred. Soon after this incident, Batman learns of Poison Ivy who manages to release poisonous spores throughout Gotham which kills hundreds of civilians.
Arkham Asylum
One day in Gotham, Batman is somehow able to capture Joker without any fight needed to do so. Batman suspects something is up and escorts Joker from Gotham, into the depths of Arkham island. And then, just as he suspected, the Joker traps Batman and has Batman test all that he has in taking the Joker down while also dealing with other things lurking inside. As Batman ventures into the island, he learns of Joker planning to use something known as Titan to potentially poison Gotham and decides to test it on various inmates as well as a couple of police officers, Bane, Poison Ivy and even himself and Batman, though Batman is able to resist it. Batman also tackles the likes of Riddler, Zsasz and Killer Croc while also learning of Quincy Sharp's mayoral campaign. Scarecrow also takes part, but his whereabouts following the incident remain unknown until 2 years later.
Arkham City
Following Quincy Sharp becoming mayor, he decides to create Arkham City as a means to have all of Gotham's criminals in one place. With help from the appointed warden Dr. Hugo Strange, he manages to capture the majority of the criminals lurking in Gotham. The only one left to bring in, just so happens to be Batman and with Hugo Strange learning of Batman's identity, he captures him using his personal guards and Bruce Wayne is then taken in by Penguin, only to then escape, get into costume and become Batman. During this time, Catwoman is on her own personal vendetta in tracking down her belongings with help from Poison Ivy as well as trashing Two-Face in the process. As Batman investigates, he learns that Joker is dying and has put his own blood into Batman and only Batman can save them both by making a cure that requires the mind of Mr. Freeze and the blood of Ra's al Ghul. While working on getting the cure, Batman also tackles some other villains lurking around and learns from a man called Azrael that Gotham will burn soon. Batman then learns of protocol 10, something that Dr. Strange has set into motion which would kill everyone in Arkham City. In the end, Batman manages to stop protocol 10, but fails to save Hugo Strange from the real mastermind, Ra's al Ghul and also fails in saving Talia al Ghul and Joker, though with Joker, it was somewhat intentional. With Arkham City saved, the GCPD invade the facility to capture all the criminals inside.
Harley Quinn's Revenge
With Joker dead, Harley Quinn takes control of his men and using the remains of Joker's base, sets up a trap to exact her revenge on Batman. In doing so, she takes some cops as hostages which attracts Batman's attention who has not been feeling right since Joker's demise. He untys one of the hostages, only to then get shot by Harley and put inside a bubble being held by a giant Joker statue. Robin then arrives to finish finding the hostages and eventually manages to find and free Batman and together, they stop Harley and her men and the GCPD locks her away.
Rescuing Poison Ivy
After a few years not being around, Scarecrow returns and together with a number of villains and a man called the Arkham Knight along with his militia, they begin a plan to take down Batman for good. With each one having a part to play, Harley Quinn goes Bludhaven to free Poison Ivy with guidance from Penguin and has a run in with the local police force and Nightwing, but the mission proves to be successful.
Arkham Knight
Everything has all come down to this. Its Halloween and it will be the night that Batman dies. So Scarecrow makes his comeback and in doing so, forces the entire city to leave, leaving those who love the chaos behind. Batman along with the bat family and the GCPD, head out to take down the criminals one last time while Batman comes to terms with Joker being stuck inside him and finds out that one villain who wants him dead, just so happens to be an ally he once thought was dead, Jason Todd. In the end, Batman is able to lock all of Gotham's villains away while getting closure with all of them, but with his identity revealed, he initiates the Knightfall protocol and leaves Gotham in the capable hands of the GCPD and his many surviving sidekicks. However, it doesn't end there as Nightwing and Lucius Fox stop Penguin from escaping GCPD, Robin and Oracle (now married) take down Two-Face, Catwoman infiltrates and puts an end to Riddler's outside operations and Jason Todd (now taking the name Red Hood) takes down Black Mask.
And that's really it. I think this is how I see the timeline working based on the stories seen in all the games, the DLC, the comics and the one off direct to home media film. As I have always said, this truly is the definitive Batman experience that everyone wants and there will be no game like it. It reinvented the superhero genre in gaming which has otherwise received a mixed response and just shows that with the right developing team, a game based on a beloved IP like Batman, can be great, even if there are some flaws here and there. I still think Batman will win in Batman VS Superman, but if you guys think otherwise, let me know in the comments below.
No comments:
Post a Comment