Concept Art for a Rejected Batman '89 Pitch

[Hilden B. Lade]

From the blog of artist Joe Quinones:

http://joequinones.blogspot.com/2016/03/batman-89.html

It would've been a mini-series that was to be set post Batman Returns, and introduce not only Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face, but also Burton-esque takes on Ivy, Harley Quinn, Robin (presumably the Marlon Wayans mechanic take Burton had planned but never did), and Batgirl. The blog unfortunately does not go into detail as to why it got rejected.

[JBatmanFan05]

Batman '66 didn't end up as good as I wanted, so I doubt this would have appealed to me much either.

Burton's verse was just not that good anyway.

I'd have rather had another good main continuity title or just some other Elseworld idea...like perhaps a Nolanverse continuation/in betweener but with talented creative teams.

[TheNewFiftyForum]

I can see why DC didn't go for this. They're peddling enough nostalgia for past takes on characters as it is, and as much as I enjoyed Burton's bizarre take on Batman's world it's not really distinct enough from the current comics to justify it's own continuation.

[Nite-Wing]

DC sure does know how to garner bad publicity
I mean they okay Batman 66 which is basically a joke in itself with how its regarded in pop culture but rejects a continuation series on the movies that put the character back on the map and washed the bad taste that batman 66 left to the general public.

It sounds really good too
Tim Burton had some unique ideas

[Last Son]

I love the Burton Batman universe and hate that this didn't happen, but that Batgirl design leaves a lot to be desired. The spider-bat poncho is weird and doesn't fit with the rest of the suit at all, and the Keaton-style utility belt design doesn't look right worn in that feminine/sexy lopsided fashion.

[Steven Ely]

I love the Wonder Woman '77 comics, I love Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, for the most part, (and there already are comic adaptions of those two movies and the comic book Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #27 (1992) "The Destroyer Part Two: Solomon" written by Denny O'Neil brought the detailed architecture that production designer Anton Furst designed for Batman (1989) into the comic books with the Bruce Wayne ancestor Solomon Wayne and architect Cyrus Pinkney explanation) but I don't like this concept because it doesn't even look Tim Burton-esque.

I doubt Tim Burton would have introduced Batgirl, he didn't even want Robin involved, which is why, if he had to have a Robin, he was going to just downplay the Robin sidekick concept into just having a mechanic named Robin that repairs the Batmobile.

The Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn designs don't look Burton-esque to me, either. This probably got rejected by Tim Burton if they bothered to even show this concept to him and Michael Keaton for his likeness approval, etc. Also, Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face with a mustache looks ridiculously silly to me, instead of creepy, reminding me that Billy Dee Williams should have played a new character instead of Harvey Dent.

[taylortexas]

I hope they reconsider this someday. As a child of the 90's there is a lot more nostalgic appeal in an '89 series than the '66 one (for me, anyway). I think Burton still had some interesting ideas for Batman and I'd personally like to see some of them get some play in comic book form. Then again, I was also really excited for the rumored Batman Triumphant comic, AKA the third Schumacher film that never got made -- Nic Cage as Scarecrow, Madonna as Harley Quinn, the return of Nicholson, and an alleged return of the brooding Batman. It would have probably been another over-acted campy mess of a movie but would make for a fun mini-series or one-off.

Also Billy Dee waited around for two whole movies so that he could eventually play Two Face and got shafted right when it was going to count. Show him some justice here!

[Thomas Crown]

Funny as every comic proposal turned down by DC always becomes “the greatest comic book that never was”. But if it were published, probably it would have lackluster sales.

And since so many people are so eager to use ANYTHING as ammunition against DC, maybe they should start to include a "nondisclosure clause" on every rejected pitch.

[Sacred Knight]

I would have been into this. The Batman/Batman Returns verse before Schumacher got a hold of it is still the best incarnation to see film, imo.

[Flash Gordon]

Why didn't Billy Dee Williams play Two Face anyway? Anybody know?

I love BATMAN '89, but BATMAN RETURNS wasn't my jam at all. I loved BATMAN FOREVER as a kid, but only BATMAN '89 is still watchable for me.

[taylortexas]

Why didn't Billy Dee Williams play Two Face anyway? Anybody know?

From what I understand it was just simply a case of Schumacher taking over and putting who he liked in that role. I imagine anything was possible after they recasted Batman himself, although I believe that was a case of Keaton not interested in the franchise sans Burton. I remember reading that Schumacher couldn't see Billy Dee as anything but a hero so take that for what it's worth. Tim Burton was seemingly pretty ahead of the game when it came to casting actors that weren't the same race as the comic book characters -- not only Billy Dee as Harvey but he also wanted Marlon Wayans for Robin. It's interesting considering how controversial Michael B. Jordan as Human Torch was in 2015.

[PurpleGlovez]

...Okay, I would've been all over this, that cover gave me chills. Reminds me of that rumor awhile back that Schumacher was doing a Batman Triumphant comic - god, I would just be so interested to see that kind of thing. Would be cool if this went somewhere in the future.

[t hedge coke]

From what I understand it was just simply a case of Schumacher taking over and putting who he liked in that role. I imagine anything was possible after they recasted Batman himself, although I believe that was a case of Keaton not interested in the franchise sans Burton. I remember reading that Schumacher couldn't see Billy Dee as anything but a hero so take that for what it's worth. Tim Burton was seemingly pretty ahead of the game when it came to casting actors that weren't the same race as the comic book characters -- not only Billy Dee as Harvey but he also wanted Marlon Wayans for Robin. It's interesting considering how controversial Michael B. Jordan as Human Torch was in 2015.

It wasn't Schumacher, as it actually happens in Batman Returns, where the Two-Face/Dent role is rewritten to be Max Schreck and Williams was let go and paid off then. They had to buy Williams out of his contract for that.

[batnbreakfast]

Why didn't Billy Dee Williams play Two Face anyway? Anybody know?

I love BATMAN '89, but BATMAN RETURNS wasn't my jam at all. I loved BATMAN FOREVER as a kid, but only BATMAN '89 is still watchable for me.

^This. I'll be first in line to buy a Batman'89 comic (I'd rather buy that than RHATO or a Catwoman solo). There's a free slot after Batman'66 concluded.

OFFTOPIC: How did they get away with using Felix the Cat in Batman Returns for the Shreck warehouse/store building?

[t hedge coke]

How did they get away with using Felix the Cat in Batman Returns for the Shreck warehouse/store building?

It's just different enough



to be justifiably, and for the purposes intended, not Felix.