The Resurrection book fills the gap between Batman 1989 & Batman Returns

John Jackson Miller's “Batman: Rebirth” is a new book from Random House Worlds that feels like it came out of nowhere. The last thing I expected in 2024 was a novel that filled the gap between Tim Burton's “Batman” (1989) and “Batman Returns,” but here it is — and it's incredible.

I was almost nine when Tim Burton's first “Batman” movie came out and almost 12 when “Batman Returns” came out. I can tell you that I sat in the theater watching “Batman Returns” and felt like so much time had passed in that universe, and the sequel didn’t really answer many of the obvious questions the original left. It also left out some of my favorite and most fascinating characters. Vicky Vale (Kim Basinger) and Alexander Knox (Robert Wool) simply disappear. Gotham City seemed to have forgotten about the whole Smilex explosion. Also, Batman (Michael Keaton) seemed to become a household name along with businessman Max Schreck (Christopher Walken).

Even as a young child, there were so many questions I wanted to answer that were avoided. That's not to say I don't like “Batman Returns,” but I feel like the comic missed some issues and picked up on others by accident.

Fortunately, reading “Batman: Rebirth” felt like I had a chance to pick up those missing issues after 35 years.

Jack Nicholson fashioned one of the most terrifying and unpredictable comic book movie villains by reprising the Joker in Tim Burton's film, who had to be convinced to take on the role at first. Every version of the Joker owes a debt to his portrayal, and in my mind, he's still the best cinematic clown Prince of Crime.

But from the standpoint of people living in that version of Gotham City, how do you account for the consequences of living through Joker's Smilex attack and his march through Gotham? This is a massive terrorist attack. Since the Joker is presumed dead, how does his shadow live on in the city? How does a city move on from such shared trauma, with so many victims still bearing his scars, whether it's the Joker smiling, or the thugs and clowns wearing clown masks? The book explores this in great detail, starting from its opening pages and showing us what it looks like even in the midst of smilex fear.

Miller goes one step further. What happens if the Joker doesn't die? How will people react if it looks like the Joker is back? How will people react then? Thoroughly exploring the realistic ramifications of the Joker's abilities – specifically Bruce Wayne, Alfred, Knox and Vicky and its impact on the police and average citizens – Miller digs into it, while also delivering an incredibly character-driven look. feels Like a Tim Burton movie in every sense. And Jack Nicholson haunts many of its pages.

“Batman: Rebirth” has the honor of bringing back some characters that simply disappeared after “Batman” and putting them in meaningful places until “Batman Returns.”

One of my favorite characters as a child was Robert Woolley's Alexander Knox. His smart-ass reporter persona was responsible for almost all of the most quotable lines in the movie (lines that I quote to this day), but he simply disappeared without explanation in “Batman Returns.” Likewise, Kim Basinger's wiki also disappeared. Both seemed incredibly important to the story and Bruce Wayne's ongoing story, and we didn't have answers to wrap up their threads, just dangling questions. My siblings and I debated endlessly whether or not Knox survived the Smilex attack at the parade. After all, he kept his mouth shut during the attack, but he was hit by that car. Meanwhile, Vicki has a crush on Bruce, and he reveals her secret to her! How could she go alone?

John Jackson Miller was a fan of both of these movies, and he was able to take all of these threads and connect them in meaningful and satisfying ways. But he took it a step further, because on top of that, “Batman: Rebirth” sets up threads that come out of nowhere in “Batman Returns,” like the meteoric rise of Christopher Walken's Max Schreck. From the very first film, the story of gang wars was woven into it. Another thread starting in the book allows for a cameo by Selina Kyle, Michelle Pfeiffer's character who becomes Catwoman.

By making the two films feel more cohesive, Miller makes the world between the films feel more complete. “Batman” movies since then, but I think these two have stood the test of time and still deserve this treatment. I think most people would agree if they give this book a shot.

After all, John Jackson Miller managed to capture the voice of Tim Burton's “Batman” movies and the portrayal of the superhero in them. The quirky, modern yet 1940s Gotham City of these films is on full display in the writing, but Miller is also able to capture the voices of the characters.

Each take on Batman and Bruce Wayne was different, and it's not as if Val Gilmer's Bruce Wayne has the same voice as Michael Keaton's take on the billionaire, which Miller understood. Every word out of this Bruce's mouth feels Like it's coming out of Michael Keaton's mouth. In fact, every word that comes out of the mouths of every returning character feels like it was written for the actor who starred in the film. Miller has an uncanny ear for film dialogue and delivers it perfectly in this book.

If you're reading the book and playing the scenes in your head like you're watching a Tim Burton “Batman” sequel, that's your problem. Sitting there, reading the book, I was often tricked into feeling like I was watching a deleted scene from a movie rather than reading a book. In fact, when I finished reading it, I wished we had gotten a “Batman” sequel in 1990. Don't get me wrong, I love “Batman Returns,” but I wish John Jackson Miller had made this movie in between.

For those interested, Miller has another book coming next year set before “Batman Returns.” It's called “Batman: Revolution,” and early details tease a certain enigmatic presence. Taking a green-clad villain (one of my favorites) far removed from what Jim Carrey gave us in “Batman Forever,” I have a sneaking suspicion that this will be the movie I loved in 1991.

“Batman: Rebirth” by John Jackson Miller is now in bookstores everywhere.