Arkham Asylum is as intrinsic to Joker’s story as the Batcave is to Batman’s. It’s the toxic environment where he grew into the villain we know today and one of the few places he can reliably call home — even if he’s never locked up too long before he manages to escape. There have been countless portrayals of Arkham throughout the years, but right now, we’re getting two very different versions of Gotham’s most notorious prison.
In Joker: Folie à Deux, Arkham is the grungy facility where Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) lives in Shawshank-style squalor except for the few hours he’s allowed in the minimum security section of the facility. In The Penguin, Arkham is the place that broke Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), made her into the crime boss she is today, and armed her with a dangerous new weapon.
