We Build LEGO Batman: Arkham Asylum, a Revolving Door of Villainy

The LEGO Arkham Asylum is simply a classical 'Expert' modular building, which means it is enclosed connected each sides alternatively than unfastened successful the back. The gathering consists of 3 layers: the archetypal floor, the 2nd floor, and the roof. To entree the interiors, you unstack the building; each level is easy detachable from the 1 beneath and above.

The closest comparable acceptable would beryllium the LEGO X-Men: The X-Mansion, which we built successful November 2024. But wherever that acceptable was longer (16 inches wide, 11 inches high), LEGO Arkham Asylum is taller (10 inches wide, 13 inches tall) with a comparable portion count. Arkham comes successful 24 integrative bags with 2 sticker sheets (65 stickers!) and 2 acquisition booklets. You physique each furniture arsenic a abstracted entity, which means that 2 oregon 3 radical tin physique astatine the aforesaid clip and not interest astir moving into each other.

After gathering the aesculapian transport van (which comes with a Hannibal Lecter-esque restraint system), you physique Arkham's foundations. The full acceptable lies connected a azygous quadrate baseplate that appears, astatine archetypal glance, similar it's excessively tiny for its intended intent – a cognition that's enhanced by the L-shape of the gathering and a gated courtyard retired front. This physique is dense; each quadrate inch has either a applicable relation oregon is an Easter ovum for Batman's rogues' gallery.

There's a manhole with claw marks crossed it – a notation to Killer Croc, who prefers the sewers nether Gotham. There's a greenish Riddler question people vandalized connected a heater. There's the chemic look for photosynthesis – 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2 – written connected an announcement board, a wide notation to Poison Ivy. On the aforesaid board, there's an alert for a missing spoon. You tin find the spoon successful a compartment connected the archetypal floor, wherever an inmate was utilizing it to passageway out. Also connected the aforesaid committee is an flight representation that leads from the 2nd compartment to the information door. The Riddler wrote down the doorway entree codification close adjacent to the map.

The archetypal floor's cardinal country is simply a processing halfway for inmates, and it includes a afloat assemblage scanner and a information console, displaying information camera footage of villains. Correspondingly, determination are galore 360-degree information cameras scattered passim the building, which creates communicative consistency.

Elsewhere, there's a ketchup vessel and a mustard vessel side-by-side – a heavy chopped notation to the Condiment King – and a splattered yolk which references Egghead. There are dozens much Easter eggs, but my favourite is the 'Vote for Harvey Dent' run poster connected the asylum's backmost wall. It's torn successful fractional down the middle, a foreshadowing of what Dent volition become.

This acceptable depicts Arkham Asylum connected a atrocious day; the inmates are moving the asylum, and each of their eccentricities are connected afloat display. But successful lawsuit you privation to amusement Arkham connected a bully day, respective of the ocular elements are reversible. On the angel statue for instance, you tin either amusement the Joker-vandalized look with the Glasgow smile, oregon you tin amusement the mean face, unspoiled.

The inmate pods person sliding doorway mechanisms that tally connected a rail, which let you to unfastened and adjacent each the pods astatine the aforesaid clip and initiate lockdown. There is besides a high-security pod close adjacent the processing country with a dense vault door.

The 2nd level has different enactment of slidable pods and a psychiatrist's office. On the door, we spot a placard for Dr. Harleen Quinzel, the civilian sanction of villainess Harley Quinn. In astir continuities, Harley was a doc astatine Arkham Asylum until the Joker manipulated her towards madness. Inside the bureau is simply a sofa for Freudian investigation sessions. Hanging connected the partition is the diploma of Hugo Strange, who is presumably the existent bureau occupant.

Then you physique the roof, with its melodramatic spires and curled metallic work. The arched windows are recessed into the cupolas, and they are precise satisfying to acceptable together. The past constituent successful the physique is the arched motion implicit the robust gross that reads "ARKHAM ASYLUM." The arch is simply a spot of reappropriated roller coaster way from anterior fairground builds.

The acceptable comes with 3 leader minifigures: Batman, Robin, and Batwing. It comes with 10 villain/inmate minifigures: Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, Bane, The Joker, The Penguin, and Killer Croc. And it comes with 2 Arkham defender minifigures, who are astir to person the worst time of their lives. There is besides the chromatic angel that caps the facility, if you see that a minifigure.

Some of the villains are dressed successful their Arkham inmate jumpsuits, and others are dressed successful their trademark villain costumes. Oddly enough, Penguin is wearing an Arkham jumpsuit (doesn't helium typically spell to Blackgate?). But regardless, I'm blessed that helium comes with the set; it wouldn't consciousness similar a implicit rogues' assemblage without him.

This is simply a acceptable that gets amended the much you look astatine it and the much you play with it. Every country of this physique tells a story. In 1 portion of the building, the bricks are arranged successful a crooked pattern, to springiness the content that the partition is crumbling. All implicit the build, determination are exposed transportation points and holes – seams that the LEGO designers would typically screen implicit with tiles oregon fell with angles. The connection is clear; this is an old, dilapidated building, and Arkham's directors bash not instrumentality pridefulness successful its appearance.

You'll besides announcement modern facilities co-existing disharmoniously alongside past architecture. Right adjacent to a integrative pod from a modern situation installation is simply a barred model from the crook of the century. The East Wing of the archetypal 1800s mansion is missing (presumably destroyed decades ago). And successful its place, attached straight to the classically-designed house, is simply a modern watchtower and sniper's nest. Aesthetically, it looks hideous. Inside, the asylum's hallways are constrictive and angular, made much truthful by the summation of caller structures that don't rather acceptable into the archetypal level plan.

I look astatine thing similar this, and I ideate the series of events that mightiness person created this mess. Perhaps Arkham secured immoderate backing – not capable to refurbish oregon modernize the full facility, but capable to physique thing piecemeal. But past the fund got cut, and the designers either scaled down their plans oregon abandoned them outright.

Maybe a decennary later, they got immoderate much backing – again, not capable to marque immoderate existent organization change, but capable to instal immoderate cameras truthful the politicians could boast to the voters that they're "modernizing" the facility. And meanwhile, successful spite of each these public-facing improvements, the literal walls are astir to collapse.

This is simply a bureaucratic nightmare, captured successful ceramic form. And I emotion it. The LEGO Arkham Asylum is cute, impressive, and darkly humorous, each successful one. And the satire comes not from an on-the-nose reference, but from the physique process itself. Of course, this is simply a acceptable that you tin respect aft the fact. But you truly person to physique it, and spot the dysfunction for yourself, to afloat admit it.

LEGO Batman Arkham Asylum, Set #76300, retails for $299.99, and it is composed of 2953 pieces. It is disposable now, exclusively astatine the LEGO Store. For more, cheque retired our picks for the champion LEGO Batman sets.

Kevin Wong is simply a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing successful LEGO. He's besides been published successful Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him connected Twitter astatine @kevinjameswong.