Before the modern superhero trend, Rocksteady Studios redefined the presence of DC Comics in video games with the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum all the way back in 2009. The Batman: Arkham franchise became legendary through the subsequent follow-up adventures of the dark knight, but the status of its legacy in the years since hasn’t been so certain. With Batman: Arkham Knight releasing all the way back in 2015, fans haven’t had a direct continuation of the Batman: Arkham experience in nearly a decade. Rocksteady has expanded the wider universe around the Arkham games by shifting its focus towards spin-off titles in the years since, but there is one underrated character who has yet to make a reappearance.
After countless on-screen portrayals of the caped crusader and even the passing of the legendary Kevin Conroy, it's clear that the studio behind Batman: Arkham Knight have been more inclined towards passing the torch than revisiting similar material. With 2022’s Gotham Knights distancing itself from the Arkham series significantly with its different focus, Rocksteady is set to continue to push the franchise into a new direction with its own upcoming spin-off, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The games have moved further away from the original feeling of controlling Batman himself as expanded universe titles have continued to release, but Arkham’s Azrael offers an opportunity to bridge the gap.
Azrael’s Arkham Knight Storyline Sets Him Up as Batman’s Successor
A vigilante of Gotham’s underworld, Azrael appeared in Arkham City as an ominous part of the open-world that remained mysterious against the main plot of the game. When he returned as one of the most memorable anti-heroes in Arkham Knight, however, Azrael’s story was fully developed in a major way. Showing up to challenge Batman’s entire status as the protector of Gotham, Azrael presents himself as an heir to the mantle of the dark knight himself.
In a series of simulation fights that see the player taking control of Azrael as one of the several playable characters in Arkham Knight, Batman genuinely considers passing the torch to this mysterious vigilante in discussions with Alfred. The situation with Azrael is not as simple as it seems, however, as many other circumstances in the Arkham series also turn out to be. A disgraced former Gotham City police officer named Michael Lane, Azrael’s true origin is that of a brainwashed religious fanatic working as the tool of a group known as the Order of St. Dumas.
While Azrael has been sent to protect Gotham City, he has also been sent to gain Batman’s trust so that he may assassinate the caped crusader and truly usurp his title as the protector of the city. Batman will defeat and arrest Azrael if attempting to kill him is selected, but players also have the option of completing Azrael's Arkham Knight storyline by having him turn his back on the Order of St. Dumas to redeem himself and live up to the principles of a true successor.
Azrael’s Darker Batman has Untapped Potential
While the character wasn’t always the Michael Lane iteration, the original incarnation of Azrael has already famously taken up the mantle of the caped crusader back in the 90s era of DC Comics. During the iconic Knightfall storyline that saw the iconic villain Bane incapacitating Batman by breaking his spine, a newer character named Azrael was in the right place at the right time to be entrusted with the duty of protecting the people of Gotham City. Jean-Paul Valley maintained his religious fanaticism and brainwashed nature as the original version of Azrael, and his mental struggles would ultimately corrupt his efforts as Batman when he proved to be one of the most brutal and ruthless incarnations of the character ever seen.
Consistent with the Arkham series’ signature focus on atmospheric narrative that has expanded into more open-world centric action, the story of Azrael taking on the role of Batman could be the perfect direction for the franchise. Considering the more villainous perspective of a title like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, a spin-off centered on the anti-heroics of Azrael falls perfectly in between the future of Rocksteady’s titles and the origins of the broader Arkham universe.
There was even a skin of Knightfall's batsuit available in Batman: Arkham Origins, showing players the potential of what Azrael’s version of Batman could look like in action if the holy crusader ever gets the chance to lead his own title. With his compelling and dark history, a protagonist like Azrael could one day elevate the Arkham franchise’s storytelling while continuing its gritty legacy.
Batman: Arkham Knight is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.