Summary
TheBatman: Arkhamfranchise had a pretty great run overall. Hitting the gaming scene with a bang,Batman: Arkham Asylum’s 2009 launch proved that superhero video games could be far more than just mediocre movie tie-ins, and its 2011 sequelBatman: Arkham Citycemented those notions even further. ThoughBatman: Arkham Originsdidn’t quite live up to expectations, it’s remembered much more fondly a decade later. And even thePS Vita and 3DS spinoffBatman: Arkham Origins Blackgatestill has its merits.
But 15 years after its debut, theBatman: Arkhamfranchise might have just met its untimely end, withSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguedoing some irrevocable damage to the brand. Though the VR-exclusiveBatman: Arkham Shadowcan fix some of the damage done to the Arkhamverse, it likely won’t move the needle enough to change the public’s perception entirely. Instead, it might be easier to just scrap the current Arkhamverse and reboot it, and though it’s a major decision, it’s one that could really help Harley Quinn.
An Arkhamverse Reboot Could Be a Great Opportunity for Harley Quinn
The Arkhamverse’s Harley Quinn Has Been Rather Inconsistent
Introduced back in 1992, Harley Quinn was an originalcharacter created forBatman: The Animated Series. This original iteration formed a strong basis for the character, though it’s a far cry from the version of Harley Quinn that many fans are now used to over three decades later. That being said, Harley Quinn’s first appearance in the Arkhamverse is very similar to this original depiction of the character, with Arleen Sorkin reprising the role.
Though Tara Strong took over voice acting duties in the sequel,Batman: Arkham City’s Harley Quinnfeels like a natural progression from her portrayal inBatman: Arkham Asylum. InCity, Harley is still very much The Joker’s sidekick, only appearing on-screen when beside him and having little agency over her own actions or the larger story. Following the Joker’s death, Harley Quinn is given a bit more to do inBatman: Arkham Knight, though her dependency on the Clown Prince of Crime is still a key plot point in the game’s story.
But in the most recent entry in the Arkhamverse, Harley Quinn feels like a completely different character. Set five years after the end ofBatman: Arkham Knight,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguefeatures a very different version of Harley Quinn, one much more aligned with the character’s most recent portrayals in the comics and the animatedHarley Quinnshow. While thisnewSuicide Squadversion of Harleyis much more compelling and in keeping with the version that fans are now more used to, it’s still a jarring decision, as she feels like a very different character from the one fans last saw inBatman: Arkham Knight.
An Arkhamverse Reboot Would Allow Harley Quinn to Start Fresh
If a reboot of the Arkhamverse was to ever happen, then it would allow the creators to start Harley Quinn’s character again from scratch. With a fresh slate,aBatman: Arkhamrebootcould tap into the modern Harley Quinn comics as much as it wanted without it feeling too jarring. This would pave the way for a deeper relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy, and potentially a working relationship with Batman, which could go a long way in making a rebooted Arkhamverse feel modern and new.
Batman: Arkham Knight
WHERE TO PLAY
Batman™: Arkham Knight brings the award-winning Arkham trilogy from Rocksteady Studios to its epic conclusion. Developed exclusively for New-Gen platforms, Batman: Arkham Knight introduces Rocksteady’s uniquely designed version of the Batmobile. The highly anticipated addition of this legendary vehicle, combined with the acclaimed gameplay of the Arkham series, offers gamers the ultimate and complete Batman experience as they tear through the streets and soar across the skyline of the entirety of Gotham City. In this explosive finale, Batman faces the ultimate threat against the city that he is sworn to protect, as Scarecrow returns to unite the super criminals of Gotham and destroy the Batman forever.“Be The Batman” – Live the complete Batman experience as the Dark Knight enters the concluding chapter of Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy. Players will become The World’s Greatest Detective like never before with the introduction of the Batmobile and enhancements to signature features such as FreeFlow Combat, stealth, forensics and navigation.
