This week is set to see the continuity that began with Tim Burton’s 1989 movie Batman continuing with a brand new sequel. When it was first released in 1989, Batman helped redefine the character for modern audiences, with Michael Keaton’s performance as the titular hero winning over critics and skeptics alike. The film’s success spawned a sequel, 1992’s Batman Returns, but Burton’s planned franchise was cut short when the director was replaced ahead of his third Batman movie, which slowly became the often maligned Batman Forever. However, the legacy of Burton’s Batman movies continues to live on, with the continuity expanding further with a new 2025 release.
This week will see the release of Batman: Revolution, the follow-up to 2024’s Batman: Resurrection. The second novel by John Jackson Miller to continue to build upon Burton’s movies, Batman: Revolution will not just continue the movie’s continuity, but also the story of its predecessor. Its story will feature a new incarnation of the Riddler, a villain that Keaton’s Batman never had the opportunity to face in Burton’s Batman movies, as he was reportedly planned for the third cinematic installment.
Batman: Revolution Will Continue To Expand On Burton’s Continuity
Image courtesy of Warner Bros.
Batman: Resurrection was set between the events of Batman and Batman Returns, bridging the gap between Burton’s movies with a story that examined the fallout of the Joker’s death. It introduced the villains Clayface and Hugo Strange into the continuity, but also set up its own version of the Riddler: a detective and journalist by the name of Norman Pinkus. Where he was a secondary character in the first book, he is set to play a more central role in Batman: Revolution.
Burton’s Batman movies may have created a relatively brief continuity, but they established a Gotham City that felt alive and unique. Delivering such a character-filled take on the iconic hero and his hometown left much room for development, and with so many characters still to be introduced, it’s no wonder that John Jackson Miller has been able to do so with novel continuations of Burton’s movies. The reaction to Batman: Resurrection was largely positive, and that has led to much anticipation over the sequel.
Fans may still be sore over Burton’s movie continuity ending prematurely, but at least it lives on in other forms. As well as a comic book continuation, John Jackson Miller’s novels continue to expand Burton’s universe in far greater depth, offering considerable insight into the characters and their stories even years after the movies ended. The release of Batman: Revolution cements that Burton’s take on Batman remains massively popular, and the novel will surely find success in that sphere alone.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!