Batman '89: Echoes

[Ruthborn]

So this takes place two years after Shadows. I wasn't expecting that big of a time skip. One year at most.

That's about the same time skip between the first movie and Returns. I think for Returns and '89 as well. *shrug*

[Frontier]

spoilers:

Bruce Wayne always winds up in Arkham at some point...

end of spoilers

[GamerSlyRatchet]

This was a pretty strong opening issue. As much as I think the first volume gets a lot of flack, I appreciate that we're introducing all these plot threads early on (Bruce's disappearance, Barbara, Harleen, Jonathan Crane, etc.) instead of introducing them later on and then rushing to conclude them later on. "Firefly" surprised me at first, but I liked the reveal by the end. The art's still pretty good and I appreciate the "casting" of Madonna and Jeff Goldblum as Harley and Scarecrow. Speaking of, I noticed that Alfred has no mustache and now looks more like Michael Gough, spoilers:

and Bruce looks a bit more like Michael Keaton

end of spoilers.

spoilers:

Bruce Wayne always winds up in Arkham at some point...

end of spoilers

spoilers:

I wonder if he's lost his memory or if this is a Matches Malone ploy to uncover the veteran fear scheme. Maybe he suspected Hugo Strange at first before being surprised by Crane.

end of spoilers

[JediBatman54]

I hope Burtonverse Harley Quinn is Jack Napier and Alicia Hunt daughter

[Refrax5]

spoilers:

Bruce Wayne always winds up in Arkham at some point...

end of spoilers

And he went gray pretty early. How old would Keaton's Bruce even be at this point? Early 40s?

[Hypo]

https://twitter.com/Joe_Quinones/sta...73656044102114

https://twitter.com/Joe_Quinones/sta...69888313434146

[Frontier]

Short-haired brunette Babs is a look.

[Hypo]

Batman '89: Echoes #3 Cover by Joe Quinones and Paolo Rivera

[Frontier]

It all comes back to Arkham...

[Hypo]

Batman ’89: Echoes #2 Preview
Writer: Sam Hamm
Artist: Joe Quinones

[Frontier]

Robin and Alfred meet!

Also, Hugo Strange mention!

[GamerSlyRatchet]

This was a good issue, but admittedly, it's also an example of how the constant delays of this book (and the previous story arc) can impact my thoughts on it. It's very plot-driven while fleshing out Drs. Crane and Quinzel, but it also lacks Batman and really any action aside from the Arkham brawl. While I would've been fine with a story like this for a monthly book, it's uneventful after waiting months for it. It's a fun mystery so far, but the wait was too large to be worth it.

Another negative is that the heavy amount of dialogue overwhelms Quinones's art. I could understand this in the previous volume where it was getting rushed, but it's too early in the story to do that.

Again, the villains are still entertaining, I like the overall story so far, and the use of Crane and Quinzel is better balanced than Two-Face and Catwoman were. I particularly like that Harleen is back to her roots as a morally bankrupt psychologist. I also enjoyed the sequence of Crane's therapy with Lewis Wilson/Robert Lowery. spoilers:

I guess the crossword in Arkham is our tease for Riddler as the next volume's villain, just like the Dr. Q broadcast was foreshadowing this series.

end of spoilers

Also, Hugo Strange mention!

I wonder if they'll reveal that Strange faked his death like in the comics and, more recently, the Batman: The Audio Adventures comic.

[Frontier]

I like the build up to Scarecrow and Harley.

spoilers:

I wonder what Harley's connection to Joker is if her "true face" is clown makeup.

end of spoilers

[GamerSlyRatchet]

Oh, and now I just realized that spoilers:

the clipboard with the puzzle belonged to "Maynard", who happens to resemble Martin Short. So I guess we already got our taste of Riddler. I wonder if the other two "Monsters Men" are also future villains.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

I wonder what Harley's connection to Joker is if her "true face" is clown makeup.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

I guess either she's a fangirl or she figured out he is her dad, like in the original concept.

end of spoilers

[Ruthborn]

Oh, and now I just realized that spoilers:

the clipboard with the puzzle belonged to "Maynard", who happens to resemble Martin Short. So I guess we already got our taste of Riddler. I wonder if the other two "Monsters Men" are also future villains.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

I thought it was a young Robin Williams. Due to Robin being attached to play the Riddler in Batman Forever, but left the project due to a disagreement with Joel Schumacher. Robin even stated that he was looking at the role of Riddler in a 1993 interview after he got snubbed to play the Joker by Jack Nicholson. He apparently was campaigning to play the Riddler for the Nolan trilogy, as well. But, again, he didn't get the role. Additionally, here's a telling quote from William's himself: "I would work with Chris (Nolan) again in a second, playing anyone in anything. I'd play The Riddler in the next Batman, although it'd be hard to top Heath as the villain, and I'm a little hairy for tights. [...] I'm using this article as an ad. Chris, call me, I'll do anything. I could be a great character — or some weird little man in the background in Arkham Asylum." I have no doubt that this is Robin, finally getting his Batman role after all these years of trying. https://www.slashfilm.com/1282162/ro...stopher-nolan/

end of spoilers