Title Arkham Asylum: Living Hell
Format TPB
Binding TPB
Date 2004 (collection), 2003 issues
Writer(s) Dan Slott
Artist(s) Ryan Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger, Jim Royal
Collects Arkham Asylum: Living Hell 1-6
Storyline Warren White, a self-proclaimed billionaire playboy, was sentenced to evaluation in Arkham Asylum after pleading insanity to charges of stealing pensions from his employees. Fearful of the other inmates, he explained to his psychiatrist that his insanity plea was bogus. She began to believe him and agreed to get him moved to a normal prison for $20million. Batman burst in - Dr. Carver (his psychiatrist) was actually Jane Doe, an inmate who killed and took over the lives of her victims. She was planning on taking White next. 
Due to having not seen a real psychiatrist, White's transfer was negated. After hearing the man scream in fear, Scarecrow stuck a fork through his hand to hear it again. A riot broke out in the cafeteria. Harvey Dent cut his hands in the fight and drafted White as his coin flipper. Humpty Dumpty asked that he be put in a cell with White in hopes of putting him back together. They became cell-mates.
Humphrey told White he'd been captured by Batgirl (the original). He used to take things apart and put them back together - including his grandmother. A guard sold a favor to an inmate.
Joker and Two-Face broke out as things got crazy. Poison Ivy and Magpie made their break as well. Dr. Arkham ordered the facility to be gassed in hopes of getting the situation under control. 
The guards got the men back to their cells. Ivy and Magpie tunneled deep below the asylum, unearthing a cult's ritual grounds. Zombie reanimated and attacked the asylum. Sgt. Bullock and Jason Blood worked a serial murder case dealing with the occult. Jane Doe finally took on the form of Warren White; Doodlebug (the resident artist) killed Junkyard Dog.
After taking control of the zombies, Doodlebug had them attack Etrigan (he'd realized the serial murderer was in Arkham). Etrigan was defeated. Dr. Arkham called for help as Batman captured Joker. Deathrattle and Lunkhead were sacrificed by Doodlebug. The demons got the asylum employees to their ritual. The inmates were transformed into their namesakes (Ivy into a planet, Magpie into a bird, Killer Croc into a crocodile, etc.). Etrigan freed himself as Batman arrived. The demons returned to hell and all was blamed on Scarecrow's fear gas.


<<

MISC

>>