E64: The Madhouse

The Madhouse is the twelth episode of ''Batman: Shadow War. ''

Plot
Hugo Strange is seen at the Gotham docks with his associates and Bane to head to Arkham Asylum, where it is seen security officer Frank Boles secretly opens up all the cells to the asylum to release the patients. Chaos and anarchy is a party in the asylum, with security and doctors being killed ruthlessly and Joker notably kills his doctor and grins as he walks out of his cell. Batman quickly arrives and fights many patients before facing Bane, who shows more hatred and ruthlessness than before.

Batman fights him and, after nearly being killed, manages to defeat Bane by cutting his venom supply and beating him to unconsciousness due to being weakened. Batman then discovers Strange and Boles were responsible for the breakout; having Commissioner James Gordon deploy his men around Arkham quickly to prevent more patients from escaping. Then Batman finds Boles dead and strapped to a gurney, a knife plunged into his chest and green paint over his face to look like a smile, then a sign was placed on his back reading "Stab Me", Batman immediately knows who did this.

Strange is inside the asylum's control room with his associates, with Strange finding Batman's location and plans to place Gordon's daughter in danger by sending his associates after Batgirl. Meanwhile, Barbara Gordon, while speaking to Batman, is kidnapped by Strange's goons. Batman is concerned and confronts Strange, angrily beating and smashing him into various pannels. Strange answers to Batman; claiming she had been taken somewhere secret and must pass his test for her survival, to kill at least one individual.

Batman angrily refuses but Strange believes Batman should kill Joker due to letting him live will "let the poor soul of a comedian trapped in a psychotic mass murderer's body will suffer". Batman and Strange have a hostile conversation, so Strange gives him Joker's location and Batman goes to hunt him down, finding him in his cell. Batman beats Joker as the clown attacked, then grabbed Joker's knife to the clown's delight and says he finally won. However, Batman angrily tosses it away and locks Joker up in his cell, going to find Barbara.