The superhero genre has been on a pretty wild ride over the last 80 or so years. During their first few decades of existence, superhero comics became one of the most popular forms of entertainment, but just a little while later, sales started to decline rapidly, and the comic book industry was plunged into uncertainty. After declaring bankruptcy in the mid-1990s, Marvel auctioned off some of its most popular characters to the highest bidders, all while DC was doing fairly well with its handful of successful Batman movies. But thanks to the advent of the MCU and prestige movies likeNolan’sDark Knighttrilogy, the superhero genre is more popular than ever, and that extends to the video game ecosphere, where games series likeBatman: Arkhamexist.
Debuting in 2009 withBatman: Arkham Asylum,Rocksteady’s Caped Crusaderseries revolutionized the superhero video game genre, and its sequels only continued to impress. But with theArkhamseries now done and dusted, and DC failing to live up to its legacy in the subsequent years, theBatman: Arkhamseries has essentially become DC’sAvengers: Endgame.
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How The Batman Arkham Series is the Avengers: Endgame of DC Video Games
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in troubled waters right now. Debuting withIron Manall the way back in 2008, the MCU has always had its fair share of disappointing entries, but those have usually been few and far between. Over the course of a decade, the MCU gradually built up a healthy roster of characters, and gave them all an overarching thread that connected all of their stories. When it was time to pull that thread, the world was ready, andAvengers: Infinity Warwas a cultural moment like no other. That palpable force only got stronger whenAvengers: Endgamerolled around, and though it wasn’t perfect, it delivered the fan-service and payoff that fans had been waiting over a decade for, a feat that was thought impossible.
But in the aftermath ofAvengers: Endgame, the MCU seems a little lost. Phase 4 of the MCU has severely lacked an overall sense of direction. ThoughShang Chi,Wandavision,Loki, andBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverwere all pretty great, they all lack the same overarching plot thread like the one that held the MCU together beforeEndgame.And with the start ofPhase 5 of the MCU, this issue has only gotten worse, withAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniahaving an extremely disappointing reception. For many fans, it feels as though the MCU will never be able to capture the same feeling thatAvengers: Endgamedelivered.
In many ways, theBatman: Arkhamseries follows a very similar pattern. The first game in the series,Batman: Arkham Asylum, was like theIron ManandAvengersof superhero gaming world, proving that big-budget superhero games can stand right alongside the best in the industry.Batman: Arkham Citycemented the series' quality, just as the MCU’sCaptain America: The Winter SoldierandGuardians of the Galaxydid. And thoughArkham Knightreceived a bit of a mixed reception on launch, fans still love it today and embrace its ambition, with the game trying to tie up all the series' loose threads while making everything bigger than ever before, just likeAvengers: Endgame.
Since Rocksteady’sBatman: Arkhamseries wrapped up in 2015, DC’s video game output has been fairly disappointing, failing to live up to the legacy of that original acclaimed series.Gotham Knights, and evenRocksteady’s upcomingSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, both fail to live up toArkham’s legacy. So in many ways,Batman: Arkhamis just like theAvengers: Endgameof DC video games.
