Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On Serious Earth - Characterizations

Characterizations

The graphic novel presents very different versions of several characters in the Batman universe. Examples include: Maxie Zeus, an electrified, emaciated figure with messianic delusions obsessed with electric shocks and coprophagia; Clayface (presumably Preston Payne), who is rapidly wasting away from lack of "feeding"; the Mad Hatter, whose obsession with Alice in Wonderland has pedophilic overtones; and Batman himself, who is driven close to the breaking point by the Asylum itself. Killer Croc was originally drawn as suffering deformities similar to those of Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man", although his final incarnation is that of a humanoid crocodile. The Joker was also originally going to be a Madonna-like transvestite. Evidence of this in the final draft is of the clownfish in Amadeus Arkham's aquarium, which can change their own sex at will. The Joker also mentions the fact that he wears high heels in the final draft.