Absolute Batman Makes Arkham Asylum Even More Terrifying, Turning the Prison Into the Stuff of My Nightmares

Many things are different in the Absolute Universe, but one of the most horrifying changes, in my opinion, was revealed in Absolute Batman #3 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta. In this issue, Alfred reveals the existence of the Arks: black-site prisons run by governments all over the world. The first was known as Ark A and was in Santa Prisca. Now, it looks like the largest of the Arks - Ark M - is being built in Gotham City.

If Batman doesn't want his home to become the site of an illegal prison, he'll have to use everything he can to try and destroy Ark M before it opens. But the major concern is that Arks are all over the world. Considering Arkham's penchant for creating supervillains, there could be villains being created in every major country on Earth, which is a threat Batman can't stop on his own.

Arkham Is More Dangerous Than Ever in the Absolute Universe as a Series of Black Site Prisons

Absolute Batman #3 by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles

There's a lot to dislike about Arkham Asylum. After all these years of reading comics, I still can't believe its complete inability to hold onto criminals after they've been captured. The Joker even mocked this incompetence by giving Batman a revolving door as a gift. Arkham Asylum is meant to rehabilitate the villains who are institutionalized there, but they can't do that if they can't even hold onto the villains for more than a few days. Many fans, myself included, have asked why Arkham Asylum even exists, considering that it doesn't serve the only purpose it seems to have. But Arkham Asylum is actually way worse than most people think.

Arkham Asylum isn't just incompetent at rehabilitating villains; it's actually making more villains, which I think was best explained in Arkham Asylum: Living Hell by Dan Slott and Ryan Sook. In this story, Warren White was a white-collar criminal who embezzled a ton of money. When he was caught, he tried to plead insanity. Wanting to make an example of him, the judge sentences him to Arkham Asylum. I think this situation would be horrific for just about anyone, but it was absolutely worse for Warren White. He went into Arkham Asylum as a white-collar criminal, and he came out of Arkham Asylum as a legitimate supervillain.

The Arks Are Creating Supervillains All Over the World in the Absolute Universe

Snyder and Dragotta Reinvent Arkham for a New Universe

What I think is the most terrifying thing about the Absolute Universe's Arks is that they're all over the world. Alfred states that there are Arks in China, Russia, and several other locations, meaning that whoever is running these prisons could be creating supervillains all over the world. I don't think they'd be doing it intentionally, but those who work at Arkham Asylum have never been particularly competent at their jobs. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that the existence of Arks in multiple countries is simply making more villains, and I'm pretty sure I'm correct due to one location that Alfred mentions.

One of the Arks that Alfred specifically calls out is Santa Prisca. Any longtime fan of comics will recognize this location as the home of Bane. The entire reason Bane became a supervillain is because of how he grew up in Santa Prisca's worst prison, Pena Duro. It's possible that, in the Absolute Universe, Bane didn't grow up in Pena Duro, but instead in one of these Ark sites, possibly proving that the Ark sites are creating supervillains. After all, if Bane was created in one, I don't see any reason why other villains couldn't be, such as Warren White.

Arkham Asylum Is Now a Global Threat in the Absolute Universe

What Will Absolute Batman Do Next?

Arkham Asylum has always been a difficult part of Batman's lore. He can't shut the place down, as he has nowhere else to stuff his many villains after capturing them. But at the same time, Arkham Asylum doesn't seem to actually hold his villains at all and even creates more villains. Batman has never solved the Arkham problem in the main universe, which is why I think it's an absolute nightmare scenario in the Absolute Universe. With Arks all over the world that are potentially creating countless new villains, I don't see any way for Batman to solve this horrific problem. He can barely handle the Ark in his own city.

Absolute Batman #3 is available now from DC Comics!