Batman: Arkham City spawns comic miniseries

In 2009, DC's superhero comic Batman made a successful leap into the world of games with the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum. Now that franchise is getting back to its roots, as DC Comics today announced a miniseries tied in to the upcoming sequel, Batman: Arkham City.

Starting in May, the six-issue Batman: Arkham City will serve as a connecting story between Arkham Asylum and this fall's follow-up. Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini will once again be chronicling the Caped Crusader's adventures in the series, with the game's concept artist, Carlos D'anda, handling the visuals. In addition to the six full issues, DC will be releasing a series of eight-page interludes online for $0.99 each. For print purists, those comics (which aren't crucial to the main storyline) will be published in a collected edition at a later date.

Like its predecessor, the Arkham City game drops Batman in the confines of an unconventional prison. But where Arkham Asylum stuck players in the halls and courtyards of a mental hospital overrun with the Joker's goons and allies, Arkham City deposits them in a sprawling neighborhood of Gotham City that has been walled off to contain the criminal element.

Under the watchful eye of "warden" Dr. Hugo Strange, who knows Batman's secret identity, inmates of Arkham City are free to do anything they want short of attempting escape. In addition to Strange, the game will feature Batman villains like Two-Face and the Joker.

Arkham City is set for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this fall. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's recent interview with the game's director, Sefton Hill.