Hidden within Batman: Arkham Knight's Season of Infamy DLC is one of the Dark Knight's most tragic love stories, which resolves Mr. Freeze's arc from Batman: Arkham City. Although a key character in the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum, Freeze did not feature in the main story of Arkham Knight. Instead, his story was concluded in the game's DLC, along with several other characters who had previously appeared in Arkham Knight's predecessors.
Batman: Arkham Knight had an aggressive DLC plan, involving new DC costumes for Rocksteady's Batman, as well as new challenge map packs and Batmobile racecourses. The biggest additions, however, were story packs. The first story pack, Batgirl: A Matter of Family, focused on Barbara Gordon before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum, and saw her take on the Joker and Harley Quinn. This was followed by The Season of Infamy, which introduced more quests for Batman to resolve during the night of Scarecrow's attack on Gotham City.
Regardless of the other bonus content, one quest in Season of Infamy makes the DLC worth playing: "In From the Cold," which sees Batman team up with Mr. Freeze. At this point, Mr. Freeze's backstory has been well-established: he cryogenically froze his wife, Nora, after she was afflicted with a deadly disease. One reason he is considered one of the best Batman: Arkham villains is Mr. Freeze's motivations are never really selfish; he fell into a life of crime to fund his research to find a cure and give Nora the rest of her life back. "In From the Cold" sees Nora stolen by the nefarious Arkham Knight militia, who offers to return her in exchange for Batman.
Batman: Arkham Knight's Season Of Infamy DLC Resolves Mr. Freeze's Storyline
Rather than focus on Batman's relationship with his enemy, the story captures the complex ethical implications of Mr. Freeze's actions, resulting in a more poignant story than was seen in the main Batman: Arkham titles. Nora has no agency regarding her condition, and at this point, she has been frozen for 10 years. "In From the Cold" brings a uniquely tragic love story to a series that often boils down to good versus evil, making it perhaps the greatest side-mission in Batman: Arkham Knight. All Freeze and Nora want is to be together, but they can't do so without tremendous sacrifice.
Though Batman: Arkham Knight as a whole is polarizing, it is a shame that "In From the Cold" flew under the radar. It gives Mr. Freeze a complexity that few villains in the Arkham games received, and puts an end to perhaps the greatest love story in the Batman universe. This relatable struggle humanizes the iconic criminal and sets Mr. Freeze apart from Batman: Arkham's other villains. It is also one of the few situations in Batman: Arkham Knight where Batman has no clear morally right course of action. No matter how the story ends, it ends in tragedy.
