The year is 1989. Sixteen years BB (Before Bale). The summer of Batman was upon the world. Aside from the rather camp Adam West version, this was a live adaptation of the Dark Knight that audiences could take seriously. Gone is the grey costume with black underpants over the top. It’s replaced with an all-black rubber suit. This makes a lot more sense – when you think about it – because Batman can blend in with the night.
Both of the Michael Keaton Batman films will always hold a special place in my heart. And that’s not a knock at all on the Bale or Pattinson Batmans. I enjoy them too. But the Keaton ones have been with me far longer. Through the 90s, I was watching them all the time and playing with the toys. I’ve even rewatched Batman Forever within the last year, and I think that one holds up. We won’t talk so much about 1997’s Batman & Robin.
When I found out there was a continuation novel to Tim Burton’s Batman, I had to see this for myself. This book takes place between Batman and Batman Returns. I’m not entirely sure of how much story time there is between those two films, but there is apparently enough for Bruce Wayne to have another adventure.
Spoiler warning (if you haven’t seen Batman), but this story is set six months after the Joker falls to his death by falling from the roof of the cathedral. Miller introduces the reader to Clayface, a villain we haven’t yet seen on the silver screen – although it’s believed a movie is coming. Clayface, in this instance, begins the story as down-on-his-luck actor, Basil Karlo. Karlo’s fate takes a twist for the worse when he unknowingly uses makeup products laced with Smylex – a leftover thread from the 1989 movie.
What I love about this book is that as soon as I started reading, I was immediately transported back to the nostalgia of my childhood. Jackson sets the scene of those dark and creepy streets of Gotham City at nighttime. The dangerous alleyways with overturned trash cans and puddles. I wasn’t just reading the words off the page. I was there.
I could see and hear Michael Keaton every time he appeared in a scene. The same with Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth, who always had the most dulcet of sing-song English accents. This book also spends time with the likes of Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Dent. Let’s not forget that Billy Dee Williams was the incumbent holder of that role in the original film and was supposed to go on to become Two-Face before Tommy Lee Jones ended up with the role under the new director, Joel Schumacher.
Batman: Resurrection also introduces the likes of Max Schreck and Selina Kyle, who would be played by Christopher Walken and Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns. In doing so, Jackson spins a web that joins the two of Burton’s films together. It adds extra substance for fans of the originals who are left hungry for me. That includes yours truly.
If you’re anything like me – and you love the films – then you will love this book. It really is like discovering a long-lost movie. Yet it has the familiarity of slipping on comfy pyjamas and reconnecting with old friends you might have lost touch with. And yet, that’s not the end of it.
It has been revealed that John Jackson Miller is working on a sequel called Batman: Revolution which will cover the period between Resurrection and Batman Returns. And based on the tease that has been revealed, it would seem that a character in Batman: Revolution might be a fan of riddles.
My Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
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