Tim Burton’s Batman Got a Brand New Sequel Most Fans Totally Missed

by

Man, Batman’s been on screen a lot, but Tim Burton’s 1989 version is still one of my favorites. After the super-fun, but kinda cheesy, Adam West TV show, Burton really changed things up. He went darker, drawing from comics like The Killing Joke and Year One – stuff that showed a different, more serious side of Batman. Honestly, there was a huge uproar when Michael Keaton was cast as Batman, people thought it was a terrible idea! But he totally proved everyone wrong and became the perfect Batman. The whole movie was a massive hit. The dark, gothic look, Jack Nicholson’s amazing performance as the Joker, and Danny Elfman’s incredible theme song all came together to make it a classic – both critically and at the box office.

Though Tim Burton didn’t direct any more Batman movies, Michael Keaton reprised his role as the iconic hero in 2023’s The Flash. Keaton’s return was a major reason people were excited about the film. Despite The Flash not performing well at the box office, fans still have a lot of affection for Keaton’s portrayal of Batman, and his legacy continues in other projects – including a recent one that many might not have noticed.

Michael Keaton’s Batman Nearly Played a Big Role in the DCEU

Before James Gunn and Peter Safran took charge at DC Studios, Michael Keaton was set to return as Batman after The Flash. He even filmed scenes for the movie Batgirl to make that happen. The initial idea was for Keaton to become the main Batman in the DC Extended Universe, with Ben Affleck moving away from the role. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. and DC Studios decided not to release Batgirl, so those scenes weren’t seen.

There was a lot of excitement about a possible Batman Beyond movie. The idea was to show Michael Keaton’s Batman as a mentor to Terry McGinnis, just like in the animated series. Although a Batman Beyond film has been considered before, fans are still disappointed that Keaton didn’t get to reprise the role in future DC movies. However, he has appeared as Batman in other projects.

Tim Burton’s Batman Recently Received the Comic Book Treatment

After the movies, Tim Burton’s Batman story continued in comic books. A series called Batman ’89 started in August 2021, picking up where Batman Returns left off. The comic was written by Sam Hamm, who also wrote the screenplays for Burton’s films, and ran until recently. The first six issues, titled Shadows, expanded on plot points hinted at in the movies and introduced new ideas that were never shown on screen.

The story arc in Shadows focused on Harvey Dent, played by Billy Dee Williams, who first appeared in Tim Burton’s original Batman movie. As District Attorney, Dent became increasingly frustrated with Batman due to his rigid commitment to law and order. Eventually, an explosion transformed Dent into the infamous villain Two-Face, resolving a plotline fans had hoped to see since 1989.

Although Batman Forever essentially started the film series over, Michael Keaton’s Batman never had a Robin until the comic books introduced him. While Robin was considered for Tim Burton’s movies, the comics finally brought the character – originally named Drake Winston – to life. In the comics, Winston was a mechanic caught in a conflict between Batman and Two-Face. He later became close to Bruce Wayne after a series of political attacks on Gotham City, and Bruce eventually trained him to become Robin.

After a brief hint at the end of Returns, the Shadows storyline brought Catwoman back and revealed more about how Harvey Dent became Two-Face. In this first story arc, Batman and Robin ultimately prevented Two-Face from reshaping Gotham City to fit his twisted ideals.

The Batman ’89 comic series continued with a six-issue story called Echoes. It began after the death of Two-Face, with Batman mysteriously vanishing. While he’s gone, new masked villains called Echoes start causing trouble in Gotham City. This story also delved deeper into the backstories of important characters like Jonathan Crane, Ra’s al Ghul, and Harleen Quinzel, building on the world created by Tim Burton.

A 2024 Novel Took Place BeforeBatman Returns

Tim Burton’s vision of Batman extends beyond the comics. A novel by John Jackson Miller, published in 2024, takes place between the 1989 film and Batman Returns. The story explores Bruce Wayne’s struggles after the Joker’s death, as he questions whether to continue his work as a vigilante while still being haunted by his nemesis. The novel also features a new threat: the remaining members of the Joker’s gang, calling themselves The Last Laughs, who terrorize Gotham with arson.

Gotham City is facing ongoing health problems, with residents still recovering from the Smylex gas attack by the Joker in the 1989 movie. The story also sets up Max Shreck’s future influence in Gotham and delves deeper into the strained relationship between Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale, which was only briefly shown in Batman Returns.

Beyond simply continuing the stories from the 1989 and 1992 Batman movies, the novel Batman: Resurrection introduced new versions of classic villains: Basil Karlo, who became Clayface after exposure to Smylex chemicals, and Dr. Hugo Strange, the head of the Smylex Ward at Gotham General Hospital. Similar to Batman ’89, the novel built upon Tim Burton’s established world and offered fresh takes on familiar characters. It also presented Batman as a more traditional detective, closer to how he’s portrayed in the comics.

Batman: Revolution Was a Follow-Up to Resurrections

A follow-up to the graphic novel Batman: Resurrection, called Revolution, was released this year. It expands on the story between the 1989 and 1992 Batman films. The portrayal of the Riddler in both Resurrection and Revolution differs significantly from the version played by Jim Carrey in the films.

The first story introduced Norman Pinkus, a seemingly ordinary copy boy at the Gotham Globe who was actually the mastermind behind the newspaper’s puzzles. Like other versions of the Riddler, Pinkus was incredibly intelligent and had secretly assisted the Gotham City Police Department for years, solving crimes even before Batman. However, feeling overlooked, he eventually became the villain known as the Riddler. Similar to the recent film The Batman, this version of the Riddler in Revolution also exposed hidden truths about Gotham City, which had a major impact on the plot.

So, “Revolution” wasn’t just about the Riddler being a new threat. I was surprised to find out Killer Moth and The Archer were also introduced in that story! It was cool to see some fresh faces challenging Batman.

Many people initially saw the films directed by Joel Schumacher as continuations of Tim Burton’s Batman movies, but they didn’t feel like a natural progression because of their very different style. Burton’s films were dark and gothic, while Schumacher’s were much more colorful and over-the-top. Burton’s first two films showed a lot of promise for expanding the Batman story after Batman Returns. The success of the 1989 Batman film led to Batman: The Animated Series, which, while starting as a spin-off, ultimately became a highly respected and definitive version of the character.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga wrapped up with The Dark Knight Rises, which has led fans to see Tim Burton’s Batman as ripe for new stories. The Flash movie hinted at a deeper history for Keaton’s Batman by showcasing various Batsuits, and now both comic books and novels are expanding on the world established in Burton’s films, delivering what fans have wanted for years.

Tim Burton’s take on Batman isn’t always what people expect, especially because of how often his Batman kills. However, it’s still an important piece of Batman’s overall story, and recent additions like the Revolution storyline have built upon that legacy in interesting ways, solidifying its place in the mythos.

Read More

2025-11-20 19:26