The Arkham Sessions: Psychology of Batman & More

We revisit the psychology of the Mad Hatter, exploring his obsession with control, manipulation and alteration of other people's minds, and his fundamentally damaged and poor sense of self. Additionally, could symbolism and superstition actually have a significant effect on our behavior and thought patterns? And is having a worry-free or stress-free life such a good idea?

Batman diagnoses Arnold Wesker (AKA The Ventriloquist) as having Multiple Personality Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder. But is this diagnois accurate? And is Batman qualified to make this diagnosis, to begin with? In this episode, Dr. Andrea Letamendi breaks down this controversial disorder and tells us what she thinks of Batman's assessment.

This week, we get a clear portrayal of a full-fledged delusional disorder in a new villain: Maxie Zeus. We discuss the diagnosis of Delusional Disorder, types of delusions and the impact the illness could have on the family members, partners and colleagues around the person suffering. Finally, we consider what the real differences are between Batman and Maxie Zeus--could they actually be more alik...

What separates humans from robots? Dr. Andrea Letamendi dives into the psychology at play in this fantastic episode that brings up deep emotional themes seen in science fiction classics like Blade Runner and haunting imagery from others like The Terminator .

When we left our heroes, Ra's al Ghul was holding his own daughter above his head, ready to kill her in a sudden fit of insanity, brought on by the rejuvinating effects of the Lazarus Pit. In this episode, we look at the similarities between Batman and Ra's al Ghul, as well as whether Batman would ever be able to have a romantic relationship in addition to the life he leads as Gotham's number one...

It's our first real look at the mysterious Ra's al Ghul, "The Demon's Head!" First introduced, along with his daughter, Talia, in "Off Balance," this quintessential member of Batman's Rogues really gets to shine in "The Demon's Quest, Part 1."  When Robin and Talia are kidnapped on the same day, Ra's recruits Batman to help him rescue them. But is everything ever as it seems in Gotham City? Their...

Due to a catastrophic explosion at WayneTech Industries, Bruce Wayne is injured and suffers corneal flash burns. The bad news: He's temporarily blind! Against Dr.'s orders, he suits up as Batman and goes after The Penguin so he can stop him from causing anymore mayhem with a stolen military-grade helicopter, aptly nicknamed "Raven."  Aided by an occular device (that seems to be implanted in his br...

Commissioner Gordon has been arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from mob boss Rupert Thorne and Batman's on the case. But so is Gordon's daughter, Barbara, who's showing herself to be quite the accomplished crime fighter herself...as Batgirl! This week, The Arkham Sessions breaks down her acceptance into the Bat Family, how her origin is different than that of Batman and Robin's and whether be...

Why do we stay with people who hurt us? Why are so-called "toxic" relationships sometimes the hardest ones to leave? And what can we do when those relationships become too dangerous for our psychological or physical well-being? In this episode of The Arkham Sessions , we spend some time reviewing one of the most psychologically relevant episodes of Batman: The Animated Series , "Harley and Ivy."

The brutal bird is back! We revisit the psychology of The Penguin this week in our review of "The Mechanic." Due to a high-octane car chase, the Batmobile is pretty banged up. Batman takes his beloved wheels to his mechanic, a man who basically services all the bat-vehicles in a secret garage hidden under Gotham City. Unfortunately, The Penguin discovers the location of the secret garage and black...

Brian's love of magic is rewarded with this episode of The Arkham Sessions!  Zatanna, the daughter of one of Bruce's old mentors, has come to Gotham to put on a show. Boy, does she ever! But it might get her into trouble. Dr. Letamendi discusses the Batman's continuing saga with unobtainable love interests, the psychology of magic and we even learn how Zatanna's big trick could have been done!

Once again, we're given a glimpse into the sibling rivalries within Gotham's mob community. Only this time, it's the brother of Rupert Thorne, Matthew, a gifted surgeon--and former friend to Thomas Wayne and Leslie Thompkins--whose license was revoked, due to his participation in Rupert's criminal activities. "Paging the Crime Doctor," perhaps, gives us our best peek into the personality of Rupert...

Is Matt Hagen a criminal? Or is he just doing what he has to to survive? Clayface returns to Batman: The Animated Series in "Mudslide!" And, this time, he's joined by Dr. Stella Bates... and A LOT of classic movie references! Find out how Hagen's been doing since we last saw him and what Dr. Letamendi thinks about Stella in this episode of The Arkham Sessions !

A couple of episodes ago, we learned what Batman would be like with the possibility of losing Jim Gordon. Now, find out what Gotham would be like with the loss of Batman. Sidney Debris is the man who killed Batman. Or is he? And how does this potential blunder affect him and those around him? Find out, as Dr. Andrea Letamendi tackles the loss of Batman, for Gotham City, for Jim Gordon and...the Jo...

Meet Talia al Ghul, a mysterious woman in black, that seems to be on Batman's side. Or is she? In this episode of The Arkham Sessions , we learn about betrayal and what it does to our core schema and what this means for Batman--and Bruce--down the line!

It's been another year since the death of Bruce's parents and, like every year, Batman visits the site in Crime Alley with his old family friend Dr. Leslie Thompkins. But this year's different. Bruce has fallen into a much deeper depression and believes that Batman hasn't accomplished anything in Gotham City. This mindset gets Jim Gordon in trouble and Bruce has to make some very important decisio...

The Riddler is back and, once again, he's tapping into his advanced knowledge of gaming in "What is Reality?" This week, we discuss The Riddler's decision to renounce the identity of Edward Nygma, his early adoption of Virtual Reality, the possibilty of this technology actually killing Commissioner Gordon and VR's very real place in today's therapy. That and more in this week's episode of  The Ark...

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, insists that he's going straight. But will society--specifically, HIGH SOCIETY--allow him to do so? In this episode of The Arkham Sessions , we get our first solid look at the psychology of The Penguin.

We celebrate our one-year anniversary with this very special look at the most requested Batman story yet, Mask of the Phantasm ! Get a better look at the history of Bruce Wayne, his long lost love, and the painful missions of vengeance they both share.

The majority of Gotham's Rogues Gallery--Poison Ivy, Two-Face, The Penguin, Killer Croc and The Joker--are together to enjoy an evening of poker and storytelling, as they each get the chance to recount their tales of almost killing Batman. In this episode of The Arkham Sessions ,   we get a unique chance to take a look at each of our main Rogues; from their strengths to their shortcomings. We also...

Man-Bat returns! Or does he? In this episode of The Arkham Sessions , we re-visit Batman: The Animated Series' original villain, Dr. Kirk Langstrom. But he's not the same man, having been dealing with the aftermath of his transformations for the past year. But so has his wife. It's the perfect time for Dr. Andrea Letamendi to check in on their recovery!

Kyodai Ken has returned and this time, he plans to end Batman's life by discovering a 500-year-old scroll that holds the secret to the "Kiba no Hoko," a fighting style so lethal it can kill Batman with a single touch! This episode of The Arkham Sessions explores Batman's self-concept and how others influence his sense of self.

Meet Anthony Romulus, an athlete determined to be the best. But those ambitions could cost him more than he ever bargained for. In this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we take on steroids and something called Clinical Lycanthropy!

The Arkham Sessions is back with an in-depth look at one of the most fantastical episodes of Batman: The Animated Series , "Tyger, Tyger." The science fiction of genetically engineered cat-people aside, the unique episode deals with the tragic issues related to Dr. Dorian's condition. We compare his motivations to Man-Bat, who was equally delusional, but not as interested in creating familial rela...

Our first LIVE episode of The Arkham Sessions ! From San Diego Comic Fest, we bring you our conversation about "Joker's Wild!" This discussion with the audience gives us the perfect chance to re-analyze the Joker as well as Batman, himself. Especially since this episode proves that he can, at times, be a little too single-minded, putting the lives of those he's trying to protect in jeopardy.