Batman '89: A New Sequel Fixes Those Old plot holes (Finally!)
Batman: Resurrection – A Novel That Solves the Mysteries of Batman '89!
Tim Burton's Batman (1989) is iconic! Jack Nicholson's Joker is legendary! But for over 35 years, a couple of glaring plot holes plagued that classic movie! Now, a new sequel novel, Batman: Resurrection (written by John Jackson Miller), tackles those issues and builds on that film's strengths. Miller had a brilliant insight; using those pre-existing questions within that story and cleverly weaving an entire narrative to explain and answer many previously left unanswered, and highly anticipated details concerning what transpired in Burton’s initial release. It’s a total bold move to use the weaknesses in Burton’s critically lauded classic movie, especially because many fans already feel as though Burton’s story doesn't really require many explanations. Yet, surprisingly it worked remarkably well!
This creative and impressively successful writing makes two iconic Batman villains—seen for the first time in a live-action DC film – completely appear; yet are made relevant in a totally fresh perspective to that classic narrative. That’s even crazier, and that’s even before discussing that core focus which centers around that enduringly popular Joker – created and portrayed by the incredibly talented Jack Nicholson. The success demonstrated here showcases just why relying upon previous narratives isn’t necessarily the worst strategy to increase movie ticket sales!
The Big Plot Holes in Batman '89
Let’s discuss that iconic, unforgettable ending of Batman ’89, that final showdown: The Joker falls from a helicopter onto Gotham City's cathedral. The dramatic dent in the street becomes his apparent final resting place; showcasing just how devastating the conflict was for everyone involved, even in an almost triumphant manner! However, rewinding slightly creates problems.
The first major problem centers around Batman’s quest for vengeance: It starts intense: "I'm going to kill you!" Followed by this incredibly bizarre comment: “You IDIOT! You made me. Remember?” Yet a very small comment within the overall dialogue – the claim made by the Joker of being "a kid when I killed your parents" makes no sense at all! The entire context implies far too many other complexities; which is otherwise unsupported by the rest of Batman ’89’s narrative.
There is another crucial plot hole in Batman ’89, It occurs near that rooftop scene when Batman and Joker climb that impossible spiral staircase impossibly quickly. The Joker then calls ahead that he’ll soon be at the roof to be picked up by his helicopter; but strangely when Batman arrives many of Joker's henchmen already await him on that very rooftop – despite completely impossible odds of actually being in this position already.
There’s also that whole Jon Peters intervention – that movie producer who infamously attempted to create a fight involving a giant spider and Superman– completely affecting this ending scene: this involved changes that involved creating impossibilities including: additional character appearances which involved Vicki Vale. Those changes were mostly pointless and it's widely agreed now those decisions made this ending slightly confusing and extremely less impressive.
Batman: Resurrection Admits the Problems… and Solves Them!
Batman: Resurrection’s core plot centers around the supposed resurrection of Joker. Batman starts investigating if that's even possible; creating those haunting, recurring nightmares, resulting in intense hallucinations that add a new layer of intensity. It starts with revisiting the henchmen near that cathedral roof— these characters who strangely show up during those scenes involving the rooftop and Batman, that bizarre and very problematic moment that is discussed extensively throughout this article.
But even bigger problems come with that specific line from Joker that "he was a kid when he killed the Waynes,” those famous parents of Bruce Wayne, a detail crucial for understanding the character's immense trauma and personal hatred, creating such deep personal stakes to his battle against the Joker. Miller brilliantly uses uncertainty about Batman’s parents to set up a deceptively larger scheme orchestrated by a very famous DC villain; resulting in this new revelation surrounding his role in setting everything into motion. This uses that same lack of resolution to produce those needed cliffhangers!
Solving the Mystery of Batman '89’s Biggest Problems
Batman: Resurrection solves those plot holes very precisely, not by changing existing storylines. Those flaws are addressed surprisingly easily toward the end: A jailed henchman reveals information about how many men appeared on the roof, and Batman gets a supposed hallucination (a chilling glimpse into what an afterlife in this reality might involve), confirming his deepest and long-held anxieties regarding that pivotal conflict; that important moment from those years ago which had plagued Batman.
That seemingly mundane detail adds a significant moment of insight, showing how Joker's comment was actually meaningless bluster (those very detailed explanations help significantly); completely making his comment more plausible as a simple empty phrase, creating more room for other unexpected elements from other moments.
It might be frustrating for fans because this was done via a book and isn’t live action – but Miller’s approach really improves Batman (1989). He completely and effectively solves existing issues by cleverly developing another entirely new storyline. The entire book shows just how this could even be plausible.
Conclusion: A Satisfying Resolution (and a Missed Opportunity!)
Batman: Resurrection was truly masterful! Those two impossible elements–those inexplicable issues from that Batman movie from the 80s get elegantly addressed by cleverly incorporating these issues within Batman: Resurrection’s overall plot and narrative flow; creating moments that would otherwise have been completely implausible. This highlights some superb writing. And while this creative writing was great – some parts remain unsatisfactory. This entire storyline was great yet could’ve been much more valuable for fans if made live-action. The resulting potential would have been significantly improved, and the anticipation would only grow significantly.
