Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman and its sequel, 1992’s Batman Returns, are seminal works of superhero cinema leaving an indelible mark on Batman’s mythology. The original film can rightly be regarded as one of the earliest dominoes to fall in the sequence of cinematic releases that would lead to today’s glut of superhero films. Both films also laid the groundwork for Batman: The Animated Series, which many still regard as the definitive Batman. But Warner Bros. took a different approach to later Batman films, embracing a lighter tone with Joel Schumacher at the helm. Almost 30 years later, DC Comics is picking up where Burton left off in the pages of Batman ‘89 #1, a new series set in the same universe as those first two films and penned by their writer, Sam Hamm. With Joe Quinones providing stellar artwork, the issue proves to be a welcome return, though one that may be too rooted in the past in certain respects.
