Carnivalesque, Creativity, and the Becomings

A Critical Assessment of the Politics of Resistance in Batman: Arkham Asylum

Bibliographic Data

ID21243647
AuthorsAnupama Kodencheri (0000-0002-9652-3142, Vellore Institute of Technology University), Gandhapodi K Chithra (School of Social Sciences and Languages, Vellore Institute of Technology, 600127 Chennai, India)
Year2024
Volume17
Issue1
Pages59-72
Publication date2024-02-09
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCreativity Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2345-0487 • E-ISSN: 2345-0479
PublisherVilnius Gediminas Technical University (PUBLISHER • LT)
DOI10.3846/cs.2024.17447
OpenAlexW4391684738
LanguageEN
References cited14

There is a growing academic interest in respect for critical game studies from the domains such as cultural studies, literature, ludology, and gender studies. However, the research done on videogames from the perspective of the political discourse is not broad enough. Rocksteady Studios’ Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009, director Sefton Hill) is a franchise that has redefined the superhero videogame genre. Although previous Batman transmedia adaptations would usually portray Gotham City as the prime location to narrate the story from the perspective of Batman, the videogame utilizes the carceral setting of Batman to subvert the traditional narratives and makes it completely a Joker’s (character) game. Therefore, this version of storytelling carries a character with a more nuanced demeanor and a setting with socio-political influence. The current paper examines the underlying structural inequality present in Batman using Giorgio Agamben’s bare life theory and the subsequent discourse of resistance using the theoretical framework of Mikhail Bakhtin. The analysis reveals the various carnivalesque elements present in the game and illustrates how the game takes advantage of them to mount an attack against the bare life status of the antagonists that are usually seen in Batman transmedia universe. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on the posthuman traits of Joker’s becoming through a Gilles Deleuze-inspired perspective

Art · Biology · Carnivalesque · Creativity · Literature · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Comics and Graphic Narratives · Digital Games and Media · Law · Psychology · Shakespeare, Adaptation, and Literary Criticism · Social Psychology

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