Arkham patients overrun Gotham City in Arkham City: The Order of the World

Arkham City: The Order of the World
(Image credit: DC)

With Arkham Asylum no more, its inmates now have a new place to live: dark corners of Gotham City. Announced in DC's October 2021 solicitations, the six-issue series Arkham City: The Order of the World will follow some of the survivors of Joker's A-Day attack from Infinite Frontier #0 – including patients and employees of Arkham.

(Image credit: DC)

"The Joker's attack on Arkham Asylum left the long-standing Gotham establishment in ruin, most of the patients killed or missing, and only a handful of surviving staff—a few nurses, a gravely injured security guard, and one doctor," reads DC's description of Arkham City: The Order of the World #1. 

"In the chaos of the assault, it is believed that several of the asylum's patients escaped and scurried off into the dark nooks and crannies of Gotham City. Now, these Arkhamites walk among us, and it's up to the Asylum's one remaining doctor, Jocasta Joy, to round up her former patients."

Coffin Bound's writer Dan Watters and artist Dani are reuniting for Arkham City: The Order of the World, joined by all-star colorist Dave Stewart.

But who will they – and Jocasta Joy – be tracking down? DC gives some clues in the debut issue's description. Here they are, along with our own guesses in bold – although we could definitely use your help to figure the rest out:

  • "A woman with no face" The Joker's Daughter
  • "A pyggy in search of perfection" – Professor Pyg
  • "A man who feels nothing and burns everything" – Firefly
  • "A man unfit for the waking world who looks instead to Wonderland" – Mad Hatter
  • "A woman who must devour life to save herself" 
  • "A body with more than one soul" 
  • "A being unbound from time who lives in the present and the past"
  • "A boy who seeks the comfort of vermin"
  • "A twisted man who seems them all for who they are"

And there's one more mystery person – not an Arkhamite, but instead "the avenging angel who stalks them."

So how does Gotham plan to deal with the destruction of Arkham Asylum? In upcoming issues of Detective Comics, mayor Nakano will announce plans for a new Arkham Tower to be erected in the heart of Gotham City. 

Sam Wolfe Connelley has drawn the cover to Arkham City: The Order of the World #1, with variant covers planned by Francesco Mattina and Steve Beach.

Check them all out below.

Arkham City: The Order of the World #1 (of 6) goes on sale on October 5.

Check out our list of the 50 greatest Batman villains. 

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)