For the last few years, comic book fans have been spoiled with some pretty stellar video game adaptations. At this point, it's hard to imagine that comic book video games used to only be disappointing movie tie-ins. Gone are the days of Superman 64 and X-Men: Destiny, and now comic fans can actually look forward to upcoming games that tackle their favorite heroes. The industry certainly didn't get like this overnight however, as it took the work of lots of developers to make sure superheroes got a fair shake. Fortunately for comic fans, Rocksteady started a superhero game revolution when it began the Batman: Arkham series.
The Batman: Arkham series managed to combine excellent gameplay with a compelling story, and it's served as the benchmark for a successful superhero game ever since Batman: Arkham Asylum released in 2009. As popular as the series is however, there hasn't been a new Batman: Arkham game in six years at this point. It's hard to believe that such a lucrative and revolutionary series would just come to an end after so much success, and it begs the question of whether or not the Batman: Arkham games are really over.
Where To Go From Arkham Knight
One pretty substantial piece of evidence against future Batman: Arkham games comes from the very end of the last title in the series. Batman: Arkham Knight ended in a way that practically screamed that it would be the last Batman: Arkham game. After getting his secret identity exposed, Bruce Wayne returned to Wayne Manor where he initiated a self-destruct protocol that very publicly destroyed all of Wayne Manor with him inside. Wayne was presumed dead by the time the credits rolled, and there was no reveal that he had secretly escaped and was now living in obscurity. This seemed like a pretty definitive way to end Batman's story for this series at the time, and it was likely Rocksteady's way of saying that the game would be Batman: Arkham's finale.
The Duality Of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
When considering whether or not there will be more Batman: Arkham games, the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has the potential to simultaneously prove or disprove that there will be a future installment. The game will be taking place in the same universe as the Batman: Arkham games, which shows that Rocksteady is committed to further building up the world that it has created. It's possible that Rocksteady could use the game to bring back the Dark Knight with a big twist reveal, but if Rocksteady is really set on giving other DC characters the spotlight then it could use the game to further cement that Batman is really gone.
The Futility Of Death In Comics
If there's one thing to keep fans of the Batman: Arkham series optimistic, it's the fact that when superheroes die in the comics, they don't really have a great track record of staying dead. Dramatic hero returns are part of what makes the comic book industry so exciting, and it wouldn't be much of stretch to think that the same could be done in a video game. The Arkham games have even provided a pretty good example of this, as when the Joker died in Arkham City, he still managed to return as a hallucination in Arkham Knight. Doing the same with Batman might require some major narrative legwork by Rocksteady, but it could make for a great return to the series.
With Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League still deep in development, it's hard to say how Rocksteady is going to pick up the Arkhamverse story. The appearance of Harley Quinn shows that the game is still going to have some kind of connection to Batman, but it's almost impossible to say to what extent. Bringing back the Arkham series would certainly have a lot of potential now that gaming is in its newest generation, but if Rocksteady wants to do something different then it has every right to focus on other DC characters.
Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Knight are available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.