Although LEGO began releasing superhero-themed products fairly recently in the company's long lifespan, it's the creativity of the fan community that continues to impress. Flickr user and LEGO enthusiast Xenomurphy put together a truly impressive (and massive) custom model of Arkham Asylum that's sure to turn some heads.

The model itself is impressive enough, but Xenomurphy actually released a full making-of PDF that details the exact specifications and research that went into everything from the architecture to the design of the mini figures. It's a truly astonishing accomplishment considering it took him a full year to complete.

"One thing became clear very fast -- my Arkham wouldn't look like a church or a cathedral, but rather like a hospital/prison," Xenomurphy wrote. "I didn't want to build a cathedral, but a gray, blockish and depressing multi-story building. It should loom large like a daunting monolith."

Xenomurphy drew from a number of different sources for inspiration, including the original comics, Batman: The Animated Series and the recent Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City video games; as well as real-world architectural marvels like the Tribune Tower in Chicago, the Atlanta City Hall and the General Electric Building in New York City.

The monolith of Arkham uses a number of different techniques, including a "mosaic box" for the "Arkham" sign, a cobblestone pattern leading up to the door and more. Xenomurphy even made custom Clayface, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow and Mr. Freeze figures. It's a truly astonishing accomplishment and well worth checking out. There are a number of stories going on in the model, including a Poison Ivy escape attempt and Clayface morphing into a truly horrifying monster.

(via Brothers Brick)