After eight years of anticipation, the next chapter in Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham series is almost here. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League may be dropping the Batman: Arkham moniker in favor of Suicide Squad, but it will apparently continue Bruce Wayne's story after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight. While the pre-release gameplay leaves much to be desired, this game seems like it will be a must for any fan of Rocksteady's acclaimed Batman: Arkham universe.
Some fans may be a bit confused about how Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League can include the Caped Crusader. After all, this version of Bruce Wayne has been through so much over the course of four games and his career was seemingly finished at the end of Batman: Arkham Knight. However, it seems like The Dark Knight's career has only just begun. With that in mind, it's worth reviewing all of this Batman's past adventures before seeing what becomes of him under Brainiac's control.
Arkham Origins
After stopping a jailbreak at Blackgate Penitentiary, Black Mask puts a $50 million bounty on Batman. This leads to eight of the world's deadliest assassins in Gotham City vying to take down Batman to claim the prize. He must combat these assassins while also trying to uncover Black Mask and bring him to justice. However, things quickly get complicated when Black Mask is revealed to actually be Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker.
Batman and the Joker quickly get embroiled in their classic cat-and-mouse rivalry. Even Alfred's pleas cannot stop Bruce Wayne from abandoning his newfound crusade. He must learn to work with the likes of Captain James Gordon if he wants any chance at surviving. After a lot of fighting and a hulk-like Bane, Batman is able to subdue Joker and save the city, for now.
Arkham Asylum
While transporting the Joker to Arkham Asylum, Harley Quinn takes control of the Asylum's security. Joker breaks free, and a corrupt cop kidnaps Commissioner Gordon. Joker threatens to detonate bombs across Gotham City if anyone tries to enter the Asylum, and traps Batman inside alone. The Caped Crusader must traverse the eerie hallways of the Asylum and combat his most iconic villains as he tries to stop the Joker once again.
As Batman progresses further into the Asylum, he discovers that Joker's real plan is to acquire a drug known as Titan. He wants to utilize it to build an army of superhuman henchmen like Bane. One of his first targets being Commissioner Gordon, but Batman jumps in front of the dart. As Batman fights back against the drug, Joker injects himself with an even larger dose of it. He is mutated into a massive monster, and Batman is forced to take him down. He succeeds, Joker changes back to normal, and he is taken into custody once again.
Arkham City
In Batman: Arkham City, a giant super-prison get erected around the decaying slums of Gotham City. Bruce Wayne holds a press conference in opposition of the City, but mercenaries arrest him. He gets tossed into Arkham City, and its warden Hugo Strange reveals that he knows Bruce is Batman. Strange has plans to enact something known as Protocol 10, and Batman tries to stop it.
One of the first villains that Batman encounters is the Joker. He quickly learns that the Titan formula has begun mutating Joker's blood slowly killing him. Joker ends up capturing Batman, and infects him with the same disease via a blood transfusion. This forces Batman to abandon his search for Hugo Strange, and he seeks out Mr. Freeze in hopes of finding a cure.
After combating Solomon Grundy, the Penguin, Ra's al Ghul, and Talia al Ghul, Batman is able to help Mr. Freeze create a cure. That cure quickly gets stolen by Harley Quinn, and Batman must confront a now healthy Joker. At the same time, Hugo Strange begins to activate Protocol 10 which is supposed to wipe out all of Arkham City and the criminal element of Gotham City.
After Protocol 10 is stopped, Batman confronts Joker at the Monarch Theater. It is there that the healthy Joker reveals himself as Clayface while a second dying Joker desperately tries to use Ra's Lazarus Pit to attain immortality. Batman is able to destroy it, and Joker ends up succumbing to his illness. Batman silently carries Joker's body out of the theater, and sets him on the hood of Commissioner Gordon's car. He then leaves Arkham City in silence, and the game ends.
Arkham Knight
Batman: Arkham Knight sees Scarecrow and the mysterious Arkham Knight rampage through Gotham City. Due to Scarecrow's fear toxin and lingering infected blood, Batman begins to get haunted by visions of the Joker. Players also learn that Batman was not the only one infected by Joker's blood, and the other four infected seem to be transforming into new Jokers. While Batman has the other infected imprisoned, it may be a sign of things to come for the Caped Crusader.
As Scarecrow spreads his fear toxin throughout Gotham, Harley Quinn attempts to break the infected out. Batman and Robin are able to stop Quinn, but not before one of the infected kills the other three and himself. He believed that Batman was going to become the perfect Joker. Robin attempts to imprison the infected Batman, but Batman is able to beat Robin and imprisons him instead.
Batman is able to stop the Arkham Knight and Scarecrow from flooding the city with even more fear toxin, but Poison Ivy perishes in the process. Batman is also increasingly being affected by Joker's blood, but he continues to pursue the Arkham Knight. The Knight ends up revealing himself as Jason Todd. He blames Batman for abandoning him, and refuses his help. Scarecrow ends up taking Robin hostage as Jason Todd escapes.
Batman confronts Scarecrow at the ruins of Arkham Asylum, and it is there that Scarecrow reveals Batman's identity to the world. He then begins injecting Batman with fear toxin to break him on live TV. He struggles to fight back against Joker's infection, but he ends up succeeding in locking him away in his mind forever. Todd then saves Batman, and Scarecrow is subdued.
After saving Gotham City once again, Batman activates the Knightfall Protocol. He returns to Wayne Manor, and enters it alongside Alfred. As they enter, the manor explodes and seemingly kills them both. However, two muggers are saved in an alley by a nightmarish figure sometime later. Maybe it was Batman, or maybe it was someone else entirely.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League launches on May 26, 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
