Batman: Arkham Knight’s Big Twist Was Ruined By The Comics

In Batman: Arkham Knight, the reveal of the Arkham Knight’s identity is one of the game’s biggest twists, but its impact is somewhat ruined by revelations from the Batman: Arkham Knight comics. Unlike in DC Comics and the upcoming Gotham Knights, where Jason Todd is killed by the Joker and subsequently resurrected, the Arkhamverse’s version of the second Robin is captured by the Joker and subsequently tortured. The Joker films these torture sessions and sends videos of them to Batman as a way of taunting him. After six months of torture, the Joker finally ends his video series by shooting Jason Todd in the chest, leading Batman to believe that his protégé had been killed.

However, it is later revealed that the Joker had made Jason Todd wear body armor during the shooting, and that he had indeed survived. In this way, Batman: Arkham Knight‘s version of Red Hood/Jason Todd differs considerably from more traditional versions of his story, where the Joker goes through with murdering him and he is later resurrected. In Batman: Arkham Knight, the Joker lets Jason Todd live, but brainwashes him into believing that he was abandoned by Batman, convincing him to reveal Batman’s secret identity as Bruce Wayne before letting him go. Instead of going straight from his role as the second Robin to becoming the vigilante, Red Hood, Jason Todd takes on the moniker of The Arkham Knight, and is hellbent on taking revenge against Batman for abandoning him and leaving him behind to be tortured and brainwashed.

The unexpected twist helped propel the game’s already impressive story into the successful final chapter it has become, helping Batman: Arkham Knight earn many rave reviews. While the story of Jason Todd being turned against Batman after he tragically miscalculates his ability to take on the Joker is not altogether new to Batman fans, his return as the Arkham Knight was still a big surprise to many players. Since most Batman fans know Jason Todd as the Red Hood following his time as Robin, few suspected that the Arkham Knight might actually be Batman’s former protégé. The secret was not only a well-kept secret from fans, but also from Batman himself, until the Arkham Knight reveals his identity later in the game.

The Batman: Arkham Knight Comics Over-Complicate The Twist

The setup for the game’s big twist helps to make the Arkham Knight one of the Batman: Arkham series’ best villains. Unfortunately, this storyline is somewhat cheapened by the Batman: Arkham Knight– Genesis comic series. The comic series expands upon the game’s storyline, helping to build the world outside of the lens of what the player sees and experiences in the game. In Batman: Arkham Knight – Genesis #2, it is revealed that while holding Jason Todd captive, the Joker allowed other Arkham inmates to come and torture the young Robin as well. This revelation makes the twist far less plausible. While the Joker himself might be well known for playing the long game and taking secrets to his grave, this lets way too many villains in on the secret, making it implausible that not a single one of them ever spilled the beans to Batman under pressure.

Since the capture and torture of Jason Todd takes place prior to the events of the first game in the series, Batman: Arkham Asylum, this means that many of these villains have kept the Joker’s Jason Todd secret throughout the events of all three Batman: Arkham games. Some of these villains, which include Penguin, Scarecrow, Bane, Calendar Man, and even Victor Zsasz, have all refused to divulge this information, despite being confronted and defeated multiple times throughout the games’ runs. It also makes Batman feel less like the world’s greatest detective. With so many villains involved in Batman: Arkham Knight‘s big secret, it seems strange that Batman wouldn’t have been able to unearth any clues to decipher the truth behind Jason Todd’s alleged death.

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