How did Arkham Asylum turn into Arkham City? Gamers will have the opportunity to find out ahead of Rocksteady's Batman video game sequel in a six-issue comic book mini-series set to land in May.

DC, Warner Bros. Interactive, and Rocksteady announced Batman: Arkham City the companion comic book series today, promising to bridge the gap between the two video games. The core series will be available in print and digital, and in between each issue, DC will also release digital eight-page interludes that will focus on the power struggle among Batman's enemies within Arkham City.

Cover art for the first Arkham City comic.

"The digital first stories offer a unique incentive for fans to experience interesting and exciting stories beyond the pages in the printed comic," DC Comics co-publisher and artist Jim Lee said in a statement. "The additional pages will serve as interludes within the regular issues and won't be necessary to follow the main story of the mini-series. Fans will also be able to read these interludes in print later, when we publish the collected edition."

The series is being written by award-winning TV and comic scribe Paul Dini (who also penned both games) and drawn by Carlos D'anda, the concept artist on both games. DC noted that the digital interludes will be drawn by a variety of artists.

The rundown from DC:
Batman: Arkham City picks up one year after the original game, where former Arkham Warden turned newly elected Mayor of Gotham City Quincy Sharp has decided to close down the infamous institution. In its stead, he establishes Arkham City, the new maximum security home for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, inmates can roam free and do whatever they want as long as they don't try to escape. To run this urban prison, Sharp has appointed Dr. Hugo Strange, a man who knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman.
Issues #1 and #2 of Batman: Arkham City the comic series will double-ship in May for $2.99 each. The digital interludes will be available for $.99 each. Batman: Arkham City the video game is being developed for Windows PCs, the Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 and is set to ship this fall.


Sharkey says: I recently downloaded the DC comics app for the iPad, and it's phenomenal (Marvel and other third parties have very similar offerings). It's tough to top paper and ink when it comes to comics, but the latest apps come damn close. This one will be a digital download for me.