The Groginati Sales Thread

[Gusington]

Thank you Pratt. Looks like I got some New 52 purchasing to do.

[JasonPratt]

Over lunch I was thinking about "source" stories in the Arkham series. The problem is that most of the source stories differ significantly from their implementation in the series (which is fine in itself).

In no particular order:

1.) I'm sure there's a classic Hugo Strange story somewhere, or several versions of them, where he does the one thing he's famous for: being the first rogue to figure out Batman's secret identity. The only one I can recall, partly, is a Legends of the Dark Knight miniseries, the title of which I've forgotten, where he also wants to turn himself into Batman (and bang Catwoman). There are some distant thematic ties in the game series, in that he's the first rogue to figure out Batman's identity and he wants to prove himself better than Batman at fighting crime, sort of. (LotDK was a usually great side-series that often offered alternate origin stories for various villains.)

2.) Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, which was never intended originally to be canon, is treated as direct canon in the games, at least in regard to the Joker's origin and what he does to Batgirl. Gail Simone's early run on Birds of Prey introduced Barbara's way of coping, by becoming the tech AWACs, codenamed Oracle, for the extended Bat family. (Simone's run is itself highly regarded but doesn't seem to affect the games much otherwise.)

3.) I was wrong about Professor Pyg being a New52 introduction (though I think he's there, too). He actually showed up in a highly regarded run of Batman and Robin where for a few (publishing) years, Dick Grayson (somewhat reluctantly) took over Batman duties. This story also introduced Bruce's actual son Damien (not in the games yet but rumored to be the main character of the sequel to Knight), who became the new Robin. The dynamic of the duo changed a lot, with Batman being the well-adjusted playful professional (because he's actually Nightwing) and Robin being the overly serious hardcore badass. Fans loved it. It doesn't affect the games much except for the Pyg side mission in Knight.

4.) Batman's relationship with Ra's al Ghul and his daughter Talia, factors strongly into one game (possibly a coming intraquel, too), plus a major side-mission in Knight. You should find a trade collection of early X "of the Demon" storylines to get the story there. Ra's was the second main villain to suss out Wayne's identity, and wanted him to inherit his secret assassin empire and marry his daughter. Talia and Bruce do get married and she's a strong contender for the most serious love of his life, but she's also mostly loyal to her father.

5.) At some point between games, part of Gotham City is destroyed in an earthquake, which area is then repurposed into "Arkham City". This distantly references the miniseries "No Man's Land", and I think maybe "Cataclysm" as the sequel.

6.) The massively influential "Knightfall" storyline contributes several obvious thematic points to the games, including the character of Bane (and his main henchman in the game, Bird), and the character Azrael. I think it's also the first appearance of the modern version of the villain Firefly, and the second main appearance for the serial killer Victor Zsasz. (The first appearance was in a miniseries of Shadow of the Bat, the title of which I forget. Shadows of Arkham or something like that, where Z is a more clever Lecter expy.) The basic notion of Batman having to fight a string of his classic foes back to back informs all the games, although strictly speaking Ra's al Ghul himself had run a very similar plan not long previously in Batman #400 (iirc). Bane's introduction in the game is quite different from this series, though.

7.) The excellent expansion DLC "Cold, Cold Heart" for Origins, directly ports over the Mr. Freeze origin story "Heart of Ice" from the first season of Batman: the Animated Series (which has become the standard origin now). I don't know of a good print version, but you can watch the ep in various places. In my opinion the game's implementation is better!

8.) The story (mostly in Detective Comics iirc) "Death in the Family" happens in the Asylum continuity sometime shortly before Asylum, but the actual details are quite different aside from the Joker killing a Robin. There was a storyline years later, "Under the Red Hood" (adapted quite well into an animated film) which contributes some details, too, though not very many.

9.) For the canon origin of Harley Quinn, "Mad Love" by Paul Dini (who created the Harley character for BTAS in the first place). The games feature two somewhat distinct origin stories for her, although I suppose they could be harmonized with some work.

10.) There have been several version of Clayface over the decades, going quite far back. The game borrows and conflates some of the names, but the personality, look, and abilities are borrowed directly from BTAS season one's two-part series "Feat of Clay". If I recall correctly that two-parter also introduced the character of Lucius Fox (and may use the same voice actor in the game), played much more famously by Morgan Freeman in Nolan's "Dark Knight Trilogy". Fox's portrayal in the game, primarily in Knight, owes more to his development in the movies and comics as one of Batman's tech sources and a chief ally who manages the Wayne Enterprise businesses while Bruce is otherwise occupied.

I should note here that Paul Dini, a chief writer for BTAS, was chief writer for Asylum (maybe contributes to the other games somewhat?) and the game series borrows heavily from his work. ;)

11.) The Deacon Blackfire side-story in Knight is verrrrryyyyyyyyy thinly borrowed from a rather notorious graphic novel The Cult.

12.) The mob/gang background references in the game, are borrowed from Frank Miller's Batman: Year One. Jeff Loeb's miniseries The Long Halloween and its sequel Dark Victory, which are regarded as main sequels to Year One, contribute to several game plots, too, though not in super important ways. One subtle parallel is the Calendar Man being a Lecter-esque serial killer.

None of the main stories from the four (or rather five) games, is borrowed from any prior work I know of, although the main plot of Knight has a superficial connection to something previously mentioned.

For Origins I'd watch "Heart of Ice" before the DLC sequel, and... I dunno, read the Killing Joke and the Knightfall miniseries maybe?

[Gusington]

Your lack of passion for the subject matter is noted.

[mirth]

Looks like I got some New 52 purchasing to do.

Don't forget the Aquaman books.

[jamus34]

Looks like I got some New 52 purchasing to do.

Don't forget the Aquaman books.

Seaman and Swallow

[Gusington]

Gah gross, man...

Would you believe that LB himself actually gifted me the first one?

[mirth]

Would you believe that LB himself actually gifted me the first one?

He always was kinda sweet on you.

[Gusington]

Who could blame him?

[mirth]

I can't.

[Nefaro]

[Gusington]

'You get some commerce, and you get some commerce, and you get some commerce, and Gus gets every Arkham game ever made for 90% off!!'

[steve58]

Just a heads up that Stellaris is in the Humble Bundle Monthly. $12 for Stellaris (and more) :bd:

[Jarhead0331]

Syrian Warfare is 32% off on steam, only $13.59.

Red Faction: Guerilla is 75% off on steam, only $4.99....it still holds up as a great game.

What do these game have in common, you ask?  Destruction physics are riotously enjoyable in both.

[Shelldrake]

Eador Genesis is free for the next 48 hours at GOG.  :bd:

[steve58]

GreenManGaming.com is offering their Green Man Gaming: 7-Years Birthday Celebration Game (PC Digital Download) for Free when you apply voucher code FREEGIFT at checkout.   (scroll down a bit after you click on the green GMG link to see the free game link/info)

Game will be chosen at random so probably will be some indie game.  May take a while for order to go through and to get code via email.  Site seems a bit bogged down at the moment...

...order finally processed.  Got Rooks Keep.