There is something wonderful about walking through the cells of 'Arkham Asylum', trying to figure out who they belonged to before you scan them and find out for sure. You can find references inside Arkham to a huge variety of characters from the Batman mythos, many seen for the first time by players unfamiliar with the comic books. Their inclusion seems to be an assurance from the creators to the fans who appreciate the cameos - “Hey, we've read a lot of Batman too!” - they seem to say. As with the casting of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill from 'Batman: The Animated Series', it is a way of saying that the creators of the game are also fans. They have a knowledge and a reverence for the material they follow. This is good for marketing, after all - why would anyone want a Batman game made by people who don't know who Batman is? As it stands though, this assurance is just an empty promise. All these winks and nods only demonstrate why the creators of 'Arkham Asylum' should be better at their jobs than than they are.
“For all the stern and the baterangs, you're just a little boy in a play-suit...”
