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scoobierubie's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Overall, I enjoyed this book! I really loved the art, I thought that the book’s take on Two Face was fresh and interesting, and I always enjoy when authors step up to the plate with a new Robin concept, I thought he was interesting and they did leave some room for him to grow. I just wish he got more space in the narrative of this one? I believe they’re planning a spin-off following this Robin specifically, but I think that coupled with the fact that I don’t really have an intense familiarity with the Burton Batman films or their intended continuations that made some of the references and narrative choices feel really “inside baseball” left this as just a three star for me personally. But if you’re someone who grew up on or really loved those films and wanted to see where they would have gone I do think you’ll enjoy this! I think those “inside baseball” qualities show a clear attention to the films that would be appreciated by someone not like me.
kathrynmorrison's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
sayre_94's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Direct sequel to the original Keaton Batman films. We see Billy Dee Williams become Two-Face. We also are introduced to a Robin. Fun read if you enjoy the original Batman films.
kolbo's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wonder how Tim Burton feels about this comic sequel to his two Batman films having a black Robin and putting a large focus on the black community of Gotham?
pbraue13's review
3.0
A pretty darn good follow up to what could have been Tim Burtons Batman trilogy.
ndizz87's review
3.0
Tim Burton’s Batman is my Batman. Michael Keaton is Batman Prime. That was the universe I grew up in. I watched both Batman and Batman Returns on a near endless loop as a child. While others worship Nolan’s trilogy or (dare I say) the DCEU…I say give me the dark, dank, gothic art deco aesthetic that Burton built. When I heard that there was a continuation of the timeline through Batman ‘89 I was instantly both intrigued and wary. It’s been so long since that universe has been touched. However, everything old is new again and with the new Flash film everyone wants to revive what was perfectly preserved in the past. While this continuation didn’t thrill me in the same ways that the first two films did, the plot and fresh ideas were enough to elevate what could have otherwise been a schlocky mess.
The plot revolves around Harvey Dent’s desire to stamp out the violence plaguing the city that he largely puts at the feet of Batman and Commissioner Gordon, who has publicly aligned with Batman. Tensions are starting to boil over with the creation of Joker and Batman inspired gangs who roam the streets. Areas of Gotham are hit harder, and the Black community of Burnside is not immune. Through tragic events, Batman is forced to reckon with how both he and Bruce Wayne have impacted this disenfranchised community. One of those events is the accidental death of a youth in front of Batman. Another is the disfigurement of Harvey Dent during an arson attack. The accident precipitates a descent into madness upon the realization that his perfect future is no longer attainable. Using his now-twisted sense of law and justice, Two-Face will plunge Gotham into chaos in order to help a community that’s been largely forgotten, no matter the cost.
I felt the story was particularly strong. What really shines in the plot is the focus on the Black community in Burnside, Gotham. One of the more sour spots in Burton’s universe is that it feels like there’s only one Black man in Gotham, Harvey Dent and he has less than five minutes of screen time. I don’t include Black people among the canon fodder of a crew that the Big Bad has because they’re simply window-dressing. In this sequel, however, we shift our focus to the suffering of Gotham’s Black citizens and it was largely a success. While other series have made this community a focus, and probably to better effect, it is still skillfully done here. Whether it’s the struggle of a Black politician like Dent, the neighborhood of Burnside that loses so much in Batman’s never-ending crusade against injustice, or the introduction of the decently developed character of Drake Winston (aka Robin)...it all works to makeup for the glaring omission of Black people in Burton’s Gotham. Both Dent and Drake are rich characters that aren’t simply checking off a box. They each come to the table with mirrors that are put in front of Bruce, but also have their own stories to tell.
Speaking of Harvey Dent, I felt that this story really took the character in new directions that worked. I thought his origin story, being burned while attempting to rescue Drake from a fire, was fresh and interesting. The series took its time with Harvey’s descent into madness and made a compelling case of his twisted motivations. The life he had so skillfully built, and the future that he had all but secured, was wiped away. The concept of a multiverse is explored and how his choices have sent him to a dark timeline where all his hopes have been dashed. Through the use of his coin he hopes to make choices that will get him back to a place where he’s able to achieve his goals, no matter how unhinged those choices may be. He desires to hurt Batman and the Gotham police-state while at the same time he wants to help Burnside, regardless of how misplaced his sense of justice or his means to that end are.
It’s been said that Michael Keaton is the best Bruce Wayne out of all the filmverses out there and I think this series does a good job keeping that belief alive. While there were times the dialogue that Batman says felt phony (Keaton’s Batman says very little while in the suit and what was up with always whiting out his eyes?), I felt that this Bruce had a great character arc. Bruce struggles with the fallout from a National Guard’s stray bullet killing a thief he was tailing, which happened to be a Black boy trying to support his infant sister. This forces him to confront Batman’s legacy as it pertains to the Black community. There are other instances where Bruce stands out in his scenes with Drake disclosing he knows Bruce’s secret identity or the final climactic scenes with Catwoman and Two-Face in the Batcave. This story continued to make Keaton’s Bruce the best Bruce Wayne. The only thing I wished more of was the underlying disturbed pathology the Keaton exuded in Burton’s duology.
Unfortunately, there were some things in this series that I didn’t care for. While the characters of Bruce, Drake, and Dent are layered and well-developed, the series does it by sacrificing others. This is especially seen in the female characters. Barbara Gordon and Selina Kyle are largely written off. Barbara who has been pivotal in other stories is simply relegated to girlfriend/fiancé and nothing more. I loved seeing Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman again, but she felt like a more awkward inclusion. She’s the love interest that really isn’t a love interest. She makes decisions that feel right for Batman Returns’ Catwoman, but there’s not enough time in this series to be justified here. I wanted more for her, but this series came up shy. And why did they need to update her catsuit? Don’t mess with purrr-fection!
My biggest complaint by far is the artwork. It drags the entire series down. The style clashes with Burton’s aesthetic which is also glaringly absent. It’s far too cartoonish and lacking in details for the grimey and atmospheric Gotham we’re used to. This disappointing style also extends to the rendering of our beloved characters. The illustrations make caricatures out of Michael Keaton’s Bruce (what is up with those eyebrows?!?!). While I could see the likenesses of Michelle Pfeiffer and Billy Dee Williams (if unevenly) others like Commissioner Gordon were almost unrecognizable. The only saving grace is that they could have really messed up Two-Face, but for the most part, I was happy with how he was represented.
While this series may have felt somewhat rushed and the artwork cartoonishly rudimentary, I felt the focus and the story were worthy of the Burtonverse. While it didn’t always feel like the Gotham Burton built, it had enough hallmarks to be a worthy addition to the timeline. I hope this isn’t the last time we see Keaton’s caped crusader. If Hamm decides to take a different approach to the art direction, I would happily walk the dank streets of Batman ‘89’s Gotham again.
The plot revolves around Harvey Dent’s desire to stamp out the violence plaguing the city that he largely puts at the feet of Batman and Commissioner Gordon, who has publicly aligned with Batman. Tensions are starting to boil over with the creation of Joker and Batman inspired gangs who roam the streets. Areas of Gotham are hit harder, and the Black community of Burnside is not immune. Through tragic events, Batman is forced to reckon with how both he and Bruce Wayne have impacted this disenfranchised community. One of those events is the accidental death of a youth in front of Batman. Another is the disfigurement of Harvey Dent during an arson attack. The accident precipitates a descent into madness upon the realization that his perfect future is no longer attainable. Using his now-twisted sense of law and justice, Two-Face will plunge Gotham into chaos in order to help a community that’s been largely forgotten, no matter the cost.
I felt the story was particularly strong. What really shines in the plot is the focus on the Black community in Burnside, Gotham. One of the more sour spots in Burton’s universe is that it feels like there’s only one Black man in Gotham, Harvey Dent and he has less than five minutes of screen time. I don’t include Black people among the canon fodder of a crew that the Big Bad has because they’re simply window-dressing. In this sequel, however, we shift our focus to the suffering of Gotham’s Black citizens and it was largely a success. While other series have made this community a focus, and probably to better effect, it is still skillfully done here. Whether it’s the struggle of a Black politician like Dent, the neighborhood of Burnside that loses so much in Batman’s never-ending crusade against injustice, or the introduction of the decently developed character of Drake Winston (aka Robin)...it all works to makeup for the glaring omission of Black people in Burton’s Gotham. Both Dent and Drake are rich characters that aren’t simply checking off a box. They each come to the table with mirrors that are put in front of Bruce, but also have their own stories to tell.
Speaking of Harvey Dent, I felt that this story really took the character in new directions that worked. I thought his origin story, being burned while attempting to rescue Drake from a fire, was fresh and interesting. The series took its time with Harvey’s descent into madness and made a compelling case of his twisted motivations. The life he had so skillfully built, and the future that he had all but secured, was wiped away. The concept of a multiverse is explored and how his choices have sent him to a dark timeline where all his hopes have been dashed. Through the use of his coin he hopes to make choices that will get him back to a place where he’s able to achieve his goals, no matter how unhinged those choices may be. He desires to hurt Batman and the Gotham police-state while at the same time he wants to help Burnside, regardless of how misplaced his sense of justice or his means to that end are.
It’s been said that Michael Keaton is the best Bruce Wayne out of all the filmverses out there and I think this series does a good job keeping that belief alive. While there were times the dialogue that Batman says felt phony (Keaton’s Batman says very little while in the suit and what was up with always whiting out his eyes?), I felt that this Bruce had a great character arc. Bruce struggles with the fallout from a National Guard’s stray bullet killing a thief he was tailing, which happened to be a Black boy trying to support his infant sister. This forces him to confront Batman’s legacy as it pertains to the Black community. There are other instances where Bruce stands out in his scenes with Drake disclosing he knows Bruce’s secret identity or the final climactic scenes with Catwoman and Two-Face in the Batcave. This story continued to make Keaton’s Bruce the best Bruce Wayne. The only thing I wished more of was the underlying disturbed pathology the Keaton exuded in Burton’s duology.
Unfortunately, there were some things in this series that I didn’t care for. While the characters of Bruce, Drake, and Dent are layered and well-developed, the series does it by sacrificing others. This is especially seen in the female characters. Barbara Gordon and Selina Kyle are largely written off. Barbara who has been pivotal in other stories is simply relegated to girlfriend/fiancé and nothing more. I loved seeing Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman again, but she felt like a more awkward inclusion. She’s the love interest that really isn’t a love interest. She makes decisions that feel right for Batman Returns’ Catwoman, but there’s not enough time in this series to be justified here. I wanted more for her, but this series came up shy. And why did they need to update her catsuit? Don’t mess with purrr-fection!
My biggest complaint by far is the artwork. It drags the entire series down. The style clashes with Burton’s aesthetic which is also glaringly absent. It’s far too cartoonish and lacking in details for the grimey and atmospheric Gotham we’re used to. This disappointing style also extends to the rendering of our beloved characters. The illustrations make caricatures out of Michael Keaton’s Bruce (what is up with those eyebrows?!?!). While I could see the likenesses of Michelle Pfeiffer and Billy Dee Williams (if unevenly) others like Commissioner Gordon were almost unrecognizable. The only saving grace is that they could have really messed up Two-Face, but for the most part, I was happy with how he was represented.
While this series may have felt somewhat rushed and the artwork cartoonishly rudimentary, I felt the focus and the story were worthy of the Burtonverse. While it didn’t always feel like the Gotham Burton built, it had enough hallmarks to be a worthy addition to the timeline. I hope this isn’t the last time we see Keaton’s caped crusader. If Hamm decides to take a different approach to the art direction, I would happily walk the dank streets of Batman ‘89’s Gotham again.
embers_of_amber's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
What a fun continuation of the 89 universe!
I loved the smash-up of the 89 style and the animated series style.
Personally, THIS is the movie that I would have liked to see instead of the Schumacher ones. I know others have hated the racial aspect, but it is still SO important in the world we live in today (and would have been so impactful in the 90s).
It very much feels like a continuation of the Burton universe and is a fun, fast, and enjoyable read.
I loved the smash-up of the 89 style and the animated series style.
Personally, THIS is the movie that I would have liked to see instead of the Schumacher ones. I know others have hated the racial aspect, but it is still SO important in the world we live in today (and would have been so impactful in the 90s).
It very much feels like a continuation of the Burton universe and is a fun, fast, and enjoyable read.
johnny_anarchy's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
naail_ishy's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s a cracking sequel to the 89’ Batman mythos. Beautiful art style that hints at the films whilst still being a superhero comic book. Gets me excited to read more from this team and rewatch the movies.