35 years later, Tim Burton’s Batman is getting a new sequel. Yes, really. DC and Warner Bros. are set to release a new novel later this year titled Batman: Resurrection. The book is written by John Jackson Miller and is intended to serve as a more direct sequel to Burton’s seminal 1989 superhero movie.
Miller’s novel is due to hit shelves in October. The book takes place in the aftermath of The Joker’s death. It is sort of an alternate bit of history, as this shows us what could have been instead of Batman Returns. That film, released in 1992, was Keaton’s final turn as Batman until he suited up for The Flash last year. Batman Returns was a much darker film. While it’s found a lot of appreciation in recent years, it was a bit divisive at the time of its release. This novel seems to be more in line with Burton’s first film.
Here is the rather lengthy synopsis for Batman: Resurrection.
“The Joker is dead, but not forgotten. Gotham City is saved, but it is still not safe. By night, its new symbol of hope, Batman, continues his fight to protect the innocent and the powerless. By day, his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, wonders whether there may someday be a future beyond skulking the city’s rooftops or the cavernous halls of his stately manor alongside the ever-dutiful Alfred Pennyworth.
But even after death, the Clown Prince of Crime’s imprint can be seen in more than just the pavement. Remnants from The Joker’s gang are leading wannabes fascinated by his bizarre mystique on a campaign of arson that threatens the city—even as it serves greedy opportunists, including millionaire Max Shreck. And survivors of exposure to The Joker’s chemical weapon Smylex continue to crowd Gotham City’s main hospital.
To quell the chaos, Batman needs more than his cape and his well-stocked Utility Belt. Bruce Wayne is forced into action, prompting a partnership with a charismatic scientist to help solve the health crisis. But as he works in both the shadows and the light, Bruce finds himself drawn deeper into Gotham City’s turmoil than ever before, fueling his obsession to save the city—an obsession that has already driven a wedge between him and Vicki Vale. The loyal Alfred, who had hoped Bruce’s efforts as Batman could help him find closure, finds the opposite happening. Nightmares begin to prompt Bruce to ask new questions about the climactic events in the cathedral, and investigations by Commissioner Gordon and reporter Alexander Knox into the arsons only amplify his concerns.
Having told the people of Gotham City that they’d earned a rest from crime, Batman finds the forces of evil growing ever more organized—and orchestrated—by a sinister hand behind the scenes. The World’s Greatest Detective must solve the greatest mystery of all: Could The Joker have somehow survived? And could he still have the last laugh against the people of Gotham City?”
This isn’t the first time that DC has revisited Keaton’s Batman. The publisher previously released a limited comic book series titled Batman ‘89 that walked a similar path. DC also published Superman ‘78, which took a similar approach to Richard Donner’s Superman. Whether or not DC has any plans to do some sort of sequel novel for that franchise remains to be seen.
Burton’s Batman is one of the most important blockbusters ever made. Not only was it a massive, record-breaking box office hit in its day, but it helped prove to Hollywood that superheroes could be big business. Superman had helped with that in the late ‘70s, but the fever that surrounded this movie took it to another level. It would be nearly a decade before Marvel would catch up with the releases of Blade and X-Men. But without Batman, those movies might never have happened.
Batman: Resurrection hits shelves on October 15.
What do you think? Do you like the idea of a direct sequel to Batman ‘89? Do you plan on picking up a copy? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
