Credit: DC / Warner Bros.
An official new sequel to Tim Burton’s iconic superhero film, Batman (1989), has finally introduced a fan-favorite Rogues Gallery villain to the Burtonverse.
Despite Batman’s pre-existing popularity at the time (thanks to Adam West’s 60s show and movie adaptation), Burton’s 1989 film, which starred Michael Keaton in the titular role, helped to permanently embed Batman in the collective pop culture psyche. But it wasn’t just the Caped Crusader who became iconic as a result—it was also The Joker (Jack Nicholson).
Batman villains became one of the main talking points of each movie thereafter, as audiences wondered who would be plucked from the Dark Knight’s extensive Rogues Gallery next (and which actor would end up playing them). Batman’s foes have since become as famous as he is, but it’s easy to lose track of which film continuity features which villains.
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Collectively, Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997), Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), have given us several depictions of iconic villains such as The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face, and Catwoman, while also introducing some lesser-known ones at the time, like The Scarecrow and Bane.
But if we’re looking strictly at the Burtonverse, so far, we’ve only seen Jack Napier/The Joker (Jack Nicholson), Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin (Danny DeVito), and Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).
For a long time, Schumacher’s Batman Forever and Batman & Robin were considered sequels—after all, despite the vast difference in aesthetics, tone, and, of course, Batman himself (Michael Keaton would hand over the cowl to Val Kilmer, and then Kilmer to George Clooney), that was certainly the intention, and there are plenty of consistencies such as Michael Gough’s Alfred Pennyworth and Pat Hingle’s Commissioner Gordon.
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Now, those last two films are considered soft reboots in their own right, or, as The Flash (2023) suggests, alternate off-shoots courtesy of the Multiverse.
As such, iterations of villains from those films like Jim Carrey’s Edward Nygma/The Riddler, Tommy Lee Jones’ Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze, and Uma Thurman’s Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy, are no longer part of the Burtonverse. The same goes for other portrayals, like Barbara Wilson (Alicia Silverstone) and Dick Grayson/Robin (Chris O’Donnell).
In fact, DC Comics’ relatively-new “Batman ’89” series, which is set after Batman Returns, introduces its own versions of characters like Batgirl and Robin, while reinstating the version of Harvey Dent introduced in Burton’s first film, as played by the actor Billy Dee Williams.
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Now, a new novel titled “Batman: Resurrection,” from author John Jackson Miller, which takes place directly after the 1989 film, therefore preceding the events of Batman Returns and the “Batman ’89” comic book series, has introduced a fan-favorite Rogues Gallery villain to the Burtonverse—one who didn’t even appear in the Schumacherverse: Clayface.
“Batman: Resurrection” deals with the aftermath of The Joker’s chemical attack upon the citizens of Gotham City, but it turns out that the Clown Prince has inadvertently created another iconic villain from beyond the grave. Without getting into any major spoilers, the chemical weapon “Smylex,” as seen in the 1989 film, has disastrous effects on a stage actor named Karlo Babić/Basil Carlo (one of many aliases Clayface has throughout Batman lore).
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The new book is considered a canonical Burtonverse installment and reintroduces several beloved characters from the first two films, such as Selina Kyle, Commissioner Jim Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Alexander Knox, Max Shreck (played by Christopher Walken), and, of course, Bruce Wayne/Batman himself.
If you haven’t picked up a hard copy or checked out the audiobook version yet, we highly recommend it!
Click here to read the full synopsis for “Batman: Resurrection”.
Have you read “Batman: Resurrection”? Let us know in the comments below!
