Enjoy this great comic from DC’s digital archive!

Batman isn’t the only masked crusader in town-and Arkham Asylum has many, many cells beyond those detaining the Penguin, the Joker, and Poison Ivy. But this is not the dark, dismal Arkham Asylum of old-this modern Arkham is run by the son of the original founder, Jeremiah Arkham. He is determined to improve on his father’s methods, and in doing so walks perilously close to the abyss of madness himself. Can Jeremiah cure the Dark Knight when Batman is committed to Arkham for killing a cop? Writer ALAN GRANT (DETECTIVE COMICS) joins artists TIM SALE (BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN), NORM BREYFOGLE (BATMAN), and more in these stories about the men and women in shadow-the shadow of the Bat! Collects BATMAN: THE SHADOW OF THE BAT #1-12!

The Spirit of 2000' part 1! Featuring art by Mark Buckingham (FABLES) and Wayne Faucher! Batman teams up with Fate to battle four supernatural menaces that are among the most feared beings in the world.

A collection of the three DEMON tales, each story explores the connection between Batman and the villain Ra's al Ghul. The first tale focuses on the two teaming up and a union between the Dark Knight and Talia al Ghul; the second focuses on Ra'sattempting to father a heir; and the third explores the real story behind the seemingly immortal villain and his motivation for world domination. Collects BATMAN: SON OF THE DEMON #1, BATMAN: BRIDE OF THE DEMON #1 and BATMAN: BIRTH OF THE DEMON #1.

Battling bad guys. High-tech hideouts. The gratitude of the masses. Who at some point in their life hasn't dreamed of being a superhero? Impossible, right? Or is it? Possessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: Could a mortal ever become Batman? Zehr discusses the physical training necessary to maintain bad-guy-fighting readiness while relating the science underlying this process, from strength conditioning to the cognitive changes a person would endure in undertaking such a regimen. In probing what a real-life Batman could achieve, Zehr considers the level of punishment a consummately fit and trained person could handle, how hard and fast such a person could punch and kick, and the number of adversaries that individual could dispatch. He also tells us what it would be like to fight while wearing a batsuit and the amount of food we'd need to consume each day to maintain vigilance as Gotham City's guardian. A fun foray of escapism grounded in sound science, Becoming Batman provides the background for attaining the realizable—though extreme—level of human performance that would allow you to be a superhero.

For the aspiring artist who wants to become an expert comic book inker, The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics is the definitive, one-stop resource! America’s leading comic book publisher brings its superstar creators and classic characters to the third in an authoritative series of books on how to create comics. Legendary comic book inker Klaus Janson uses DC’s world-famous characters—including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman—to demonstrate an array of inking techniques, covering such topics as using textures, varying line weights, creating the illusion of three-dimensionality, and working with light and dark. Janson’s lively, step-by-step instructions are informative, exciting—and clear enough for even beginners to follow. In addition, every technique shown in this guide conforms to actual industry standards. The perfect how-to on everything from basic inking materials to storytelling techniques, this one-stop sourcebook is packed with a wealth of tested techniques, practical advice, and professional secrets for the aspiring comic artist.

Batman has been one of the world’s most beloved superheroes since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Clad in his dark cowl and cape, he has captured the imagination of millions with his single-minded mission to create a better world for the people of Gotham City by fighting crime, making use of expert detective skills, high-tech crime-fighting gadgets, and an extensive network of sidekicks and partners. But why has this self-made hero enjoyed such enduring popularity? And why are his choices so often the subject of intense debate among his fans and philosophers alike? Batman and Ethics goes behind the mask to shed new light on the complexities and contradictions of the Dark Knight’s moral code. From the logic behind his aversion to killing to the moral status of vigilantism and his use of torture in pursuit of justice (or perhaps revenge), Batman’s ethical precepts are compelling but often inconsistent and controversial. Philosopher and pop culture expert Mark D. White uses the tools of moral philosophy to track Batman’s most striking ethical dilemmas and decisions across his most prominent storylines from the early 1970s through the launch of the New 52, and suggests how understanding the mercurial moral character of the caped crusader might help us reconcile our own. A thought-provoking and entertaining journey through four decades of Batman’s struggles and triumphs in time for the franchise’s 80th anniversary, Batman and Ethics is a perfect gateway into the complex questions of moral philosophy through a focused character study of this most famous of fictional superheroes.

Enjoy this great comic from DC’s digital archive!