Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham series stands out as an achievement in both the world of superhero media and video gaming in general, leaving an indelible mark on both spheres for years to come. 2015's Arkham Knight served as the conclusion to the saga, leaving behind a dedicated fanbase with no new content to discuss but an unwillingness to simply let their passion for these games fade away.
The Batman: Arkham subreddit was left to discuss the same three games (sans Arkham Origins, the black sheep of the series) over and over, eventually becoming an incomprehensible mess of self-cannibalizing debates and increasingly byzantine in-jokes, creating the kind of sealed environment where a poster can gain thirty thousand upvotes by asking if there's a "lore reason" they contracted cancer:
If you have even a passing interest in Batman, this subreddit, lovingly dubbed "the Asylum" by its frequent users, is worth a scroll through. Years without a new game in the series have twisted characters into parodic versions of themselves- who could forget the valiant Man, locked in an endless battle with the dastardly Jonkler?
In a way, it's heartwarming to see a fandom carrying the torch (in one form or another) after a nearly decade-long drought, even if the layers of irony and in-jokes are downright impenetrable without some of Batman's trusty explosive gel. But is there a lore reason they're not posting about Rocksteady's upcoming Suicide Squad video game, which serves as a pseudo-sequel to to the Arkham series? Are they stupid?
