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That is, until Scott Snyder, Frank Tieri, and Josh Hixson’s latest one-shot, which went back in history to shed light on a few details kept from fans until now. Not only was there an actual Arkham Asylum, but it was once part of the Joker’s life (a fact that reaffirms Alfred Pennyworth’s conspiracy about the Grimm dynasty). The special also drops some major reveals about the modern-day Ark M, such as Joker’s new army. There are a lot of juicy details in the Absolute Batman: Ark M Special, and the following 5 are the ones fans definitely need to know.
Arkham Asylum Existed in the Absolute Universe
First and foremost, yes, despite Joker’s Ark M project being the ‘Arkham Asylum’ of the series for all intents and purposes, there actually was a legit sanitarium in the Absolute Universe. It was created by Dr. Amadeus Arkham, who was inspired to create a place dedicated to mental health after his mother snapped after the death of her husband, killing all of Arkham’s siblings and herself. The Asylum existed for roughly six decades before Arkham burned it to the ground, allowing the Joker to buy it for cheap and use the land as the foundation for Ark M.
Arkham Asylum Had Its Own ‘Joker’
As is usually the case, Arkham Asylum had more troublesome patients. For Amadeus, the hospital’s most infamous patient was a man the doctor would only refer to as Jack Doe. He was very much like the Joker we know from the Prime Universe, a gaunt and grinning madman who killed anyone and laughed all the while. Doe later went missing during a breakout, and though he was believed to have become Jack the Ripper, he was actually killed by a young Jack Grimm, whom Arkham had taken in as a boy.
