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Review: Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams

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Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams

When it comes to who is the most fascinating character in all of comic books, no one comes close to Batman. Bruce Wayne is a modern-day case in childhood trauma. He somehow manifested the death of his parents into a lifelong crusade against evil. As many fans who have read the comic books know, he is much darker than the cartoon version.

Many of us who grew up reading him know the dark recesses of this conflicted hero. This is why we are drawn to him and are attracted to heroes similar to him such as Moon Knight. His crossover adventures with other heroes are legendary, and it helps if his partners are a bit like him. In Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams, we find him with another complicated protagonist, as they hunt down an incessant evil.

We are taken to Gotham City, where Maxx’s delusions have led him to be amongst the homeless, which draws the attention of Batman, who thinks he belongs in Arkham Asylum. As Maxx gets admitted into Arkham, Batman soon unleashes chaos as the world Maxx sees and Gotham merges because of the experiments conducted by an unconventional doctor at Arkham, Dr.Disparu,  leading Batman to take drastic measures. He and the doctor must use the evil minds, some of which are Batman’s rogues, to find a solution to stop the worlds from converging. Eventually, Batman searches out Julie Winters, to enter a dimension hole, where they meet an alternate version of Harley Quinn while Disparu continues his experiments on the Joker, The Penguin, and Harley, which causes unsettling effects on Maxx. By book’s end, Disparu’s secret is revealed and our heroes fight one last stand against the deadliest versions of Batman’s rogues to protect the Outback, in a glorious victory.

Overall, Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams is a true mind-bending journey with the Dark Knight and one of Image Comics’ most complex protagonists. The story by Keith is fun. The art by the creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, an adventure that takes the reader on a bunch of twists and turns, an adventure that will have readers revisiting to see what they missed.

Story: Sam Keith Art: Sam Keith, Ronda Pattison, and Shawn Lee
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – TFAW – Bookshop

Preview: Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams

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Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams

(W) Sam Kieth (A/CA) Sam Kieth
In Shops: Jul 28, 2021
SRP: $24.99

A devious new doctor at Arkham Asylum is conducting unconventional experiments into the human psyche, and he kicks off a chain reaction of disaster when he carries out tests on Arkham’s newest patient, The Maxx! The city of Gotham is starting to merge with The Maxx’s psychedelic mental landscape, known as the Outback, blurring the line between real and unreal. It’s up to Batman to save not just Gotham, but all of reality, and he and The Maxx are going to have to travel through some of the darkest places imaginable-the twisted minds of Batman’s greatest enemies!

Join Batman and The Maxx on an off-kilter and unforgettable romp through the diabolical consciousnesses of Batman’s greatest foes, including Harley Quinn, the Penguin, Killer Croc, and, of course, the Joker. Legendary artist Sam Kieth (The Sandman, Wolverine) returns to his greatest creation, The Maxx, after two decades and to Gotham City as well.

Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams

Preview: Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #5

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Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #5

(W) Sam Kieth (A/CA) Sam Kieth
In Shops: Nov 04, 2020
SRP: $4.99

The secret of Dr. Disparu is revealed and all Hell breaks loose as The Joker, Harley, Penguin, and more run amok in Arkham in the dead of night. Meanwhile, Julie (as the Jungle Queen), Maxx and Batman return to the Outback to confront a surrealistic hurricane of Gotham’s-and Batman’s-deadliest villains!

Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #5

Preview: Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #4 (of 5)

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Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #4 (of 5)

(W) Sam Kieth (A/CA) Sam Kieth
In Shops: Oct 07, 2020
SRP: $4.99

Midnight, the witching hour. Arkham is the scariest and most dangerous place in Gotham on a good day… but when the power is suddenly cut… super-sophisticated magnetic locks are now useless… and the worst inmates are released! Meanwhile, in the bowels of Arkham, Dr. Disparu has added the Riddler and Killer Croc to his insane plot to uncover Batman and The Maxx’s hidden secrets, buried deep in their inner psyches known as “Outbacks.” The plot thickens, and so does the tension, as Disparu’s secrets are finally revealed!

Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #4 (of 5)

Preview: Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams the Lost Year Compendium

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Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams the Lost Year Compendium

(W) Sam Kieth (A/CA) Sam Kieth
In Shops: Sep 23, 2020
SRP: $7.99

Sam Kieth’s best-selling Batman Maxx Arkham Dreams mini-series is (finally!) coming to its incredible conclusion!

But not here…

This bargain-priced compendium collects the first three issues of the acclaimed (and very late) Batman Maxx mini-series by superstar creator Sam Kieth-followed by the release of issues #4 two weeks later, and #5 two weeks after that-really!

And to show you how serious we are… we will present incredible added content-thumbnails of the entire two final issues of Sam Kieth art, every page!

The end is coming-in a wonderful way!

Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams the Lost Year Compendium

Preview: Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #3

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Batman/TheMaxx: Arkham Dreams #3

Sam Kieth (w & a & c)

With Joker back in Arkham, Maxx runs off into the night. Meanwhile, Batman grows more wary of Dr. Disparu’s experiments. In an effort to unravel the riddles of the Outback (and Disparu), Batman seeks out Julie Winters… and they both enter a dimensional hole leading to the Outback—where they encounter an alternate version of Harley Quinn! Back in the real world, Joker, Harley, and the Penguin are the current subjects of Disparu’s experiments—experiments that have a decidedly bad reaction on the Maxx!

FC • 36 pages • $4.99

Preview: Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #2 (of 5)

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Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams #2 (of 5)

Sam Keith (w & a & c)

Our surreal journey with Batman and Maxx continues into the deepest, darkest depths of Arkham! Maxx is locked in the most notorious asylum of them all and finds himself hopscotching one at a time through the secret spirit planes—“Outbacks”—of the most notorious villains in Batman’s famed rogues gallery—this time, featuring the master of mirth and mayhem, the JOKER!

FC • 40 pages • $4.99

Sam Kieth Makes Long-Awaited Return to The Outback in Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams

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Batman must face the strangest adventure of his career as he meets the most bizarre hero in comics: The Maxx!

IDW Publishing and DC Comics welcome legendary artist Sam Kieth back to his first Maxx story in over a decade, teaming his greatest creation with the Dark Knight for a mind-blowing five-issue miniseries event. The first issue of Batman/The Maxx: Arkham Dreams will debut this September with covers by Sam Kieth and Jim Lee.

When a devious new doctor at Arkham Asylum conducts unconventional forays into the human psyche, he kicks off a disastrous chain reaction by experimenting on Arkham’s newest patient: The Maxx! The city of Gotham soon begins to merge with the Outback, The Maxx’s psychedelic mental landscape. It’s up to Batman to save Gotham and all of reality… but only by joining The Maxx on a trip into the darkest depths imaginable: the twisted minds of Batman’s greatest enemies!