Batman: Arkham Asylum Collector's Edition

Fourteen inches of Batarang, and it matches the one in the game. The Batman: Arkham Asylum Collector's Edition on PlayStation 3 built its entire identity around that centerpiece, a full-scale replica with its own display stand that turns any shelf into a corner of the Batcave. But the extras don't stop at the weapon.

The Arkham Doctor's Journal spans 48 pages of handwritten-style notes on the asylum's most dangerous inmates, the kind of in-universe prop that makes you feel like you've intercepted classified documents from Gotham's most notorious institution. A behind-the-scenes DVD pulls back the cowl on the development process, and the exclusive Crime Alley challenge map DLC adds a location dripping with Batman lore that standard edition owners never got to touch. Arkham Asylum changed everything.

Before Rocksteady, superhero games were a graveyard of broken promises. This was the game that proved Batman could work in interactive form, that combat could flow like choreography, and that a licensed title could stand shoulder to shoulder with the best action games of its generation. Mark Hamill's Joker performance alone is worth the price of admission.

The collector's edition matches that ambition. The Batarang is a genuine display piece, not a flimsy novelty, and the Doctor's Journal has become a sought-after item in its own right. Complete sets in good condition are a serious find for any DC or PS3 collector.

This is the one that started it all.