Published by DC Comics, Batman ’89 #1 is written by Sam Hamm with pencils and inks by Joe Quinones. Colours are by Leonardo Ito and letters by Clayton Cowles. Joe Quinones also provides the main cover art.
Batman ’89 #1 is available in print and on digital now where all good comics are sold. Grab your digital copy from Comixology right here.
Synopsis
Step back into the Gotham of Tim Burton’s seminal classic Batman movies! Batman ’89 brings in screenwriter Sam Hamm (Batman, Batman Returns) and artist Joe Quinones (Dial H for Hero) to pull on a number of threads left dangling by the prolific director. Gotham becomes torn in two as citizens dressed as Batman and The Joker duke it out in the streets. As D.A. Harvey Dent tries to keep the city together, he targets the one problem tearing it apart: BATMAN! And he’ll get Bruce Wayne’s help in taking down the Dark Knight!
Review
I’ve made no attempt to hide my excitement to return to Tim Burton’s version of Gotham in Batman ’89. With original screenwriter Sam Hamm on board it was clear that DC wasn’t looking to only superficially return to gothic Gotham. Similarly, with Joe Quinones on board I had very little doubt that the series would fail to impress.
The world with Hamm and Burton created back in 1989 has moved on. It’s clear in the opening pages that we’re not picking up seconds after the end credits rolled on Batman Returns. Time has passed and characters have moved on. There are also a number of exciting new faces from the wider Batman world joining the story. But thanks to Quinones visual style the world is still recognisable and that eases the audience in to the new story.
We re-enter the ’89 world through Harvey Dent, inspired by Billy Dee Williams from the film. Brilliantly rendered and instantly recognisable. It’s Halloween night and Dent is on a date with a female friend named Barbara. An important name in the Batman world. Their date is cut short by an explosion in the city, but not before Dent presents her with a ring and a two-headed coin. An excellent nod to the trajectory his character will take over the course of the story.
What truly surprised me was the direction Dent’s story takes even in this first issue. His crusade against Batman is clearly going to lead him down a desperate path. It’s reminiscent of what we saw in Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight but spiced up with Burton’s signature melodramatic style. Dent really takes centre stage here with Batman – and Bruce Wayne – following in a close second. It’s an ethos which helped Burton enter in to the world of DC Comics and keeps Batman very much in the shadows.
The story plays heavily in to the socio-economic and political issues Gotham faces. Dent is perceived to have turned his back on his own neighbourhood. Whilst he himself is focussed on ousting Jim Gordon who he sees as endorsing vigilantism and consequently opening the doors to psychotic criminals. The system is broken and Dent wants to be the one to fix it.
Meanwhile Batman is on the trail of some Joker goons. It provides the reader with some classic Batman action, factoring in the Batmobile and his penchant for swooping down off rooftops. But there’s no big bad to be stopped here just yet. The climax of issue one finds him chasing a petty thief and being cornered by a rather Robin-like character.
The scale of the action does allow for Quinones to go big with his artwork. His characters have wonderfully emotive facial expressions and his backgrounds are rich and layered. There’s also a huge amount of Easter eggs to watch out for. Keep an eye on the background for familiar faces and characters.
Knowing Quinones pitched a return to this world years ago only adds to the excitement. His character design work is outstanding and this is only the jumping-off point. I cannot wait to see more of what this creative team has in store for us.
Verdict
The opening issue of Hamm and Quinones series is a glorious return to the world of Tim Burton’s Dark Knight.
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