When it comes to the most timeless characters in all of pop-culture, there is no doubt that Batman is on that list. The Caped Crusader has starred in movies, TV shows, animated projects, video games, novels and, of course, comic books and we simply can't get enough of him almost 100 years later.
His biggest success stories are undoubtedly on the silver screen, and we're going to see two more of them in the coming years with both the sequel to Matt Reeves' The Batman (starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight) and Andy Muschietti's The Brave and the Bold (the first Batman movie in James Gunn's DC Universe) on the horizon. That's alongside a long-awaited animated adaptation coming out next year in multiple films.
But there's also another highly-anticipated Batman sequel coming out in a different medium - a Batman sequel that is coming sooner than you might think!
Batman: Revolution arrives on October 21
Batman: Revolution is released in bookstores and on digital platforms on October 21. The heavily-anticipated novel from John Jackson Miller is the second sequel to Tim Burton's iconic 1989 Batman movie and it comes after Miller's previous novel Batman: Resurrection, continuing the stories of Michael Keaton's Batman.
The first novel was a hit with fans as it provided audiences with a more direct sequel to Burton's '89 classic. Although Burton's own 1992 film Batman Returns does take place after the original movie, it was more of a standalone sequel, with the director himself not wanting to do a direct follow-up to the previous film. As a result, direct references (outside of a namedrop or two) were far and few between in Returns.
Resurrection, on the other hand, is rife with references to the 1989 film as it takes place in the immediate aftermath of its events. Bruce Wayne is still getting accustomed to being Gotham City's hero but things take a surprising turn when it's revealed that The Joker (who was played by Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film) has seemingly returned from the dead for another crime spree. That launches an intriguing mystery as the gripping Bat-adventure is a thriller for the ages. That's why it's so exciting that the sequel, Batman: Revolution, is almost upon us.
One look at the cover art (which relies heavily on the color green along with stylizing the title as Batman: Revolut?on) makes it pretty clear that the novel's primary villain will be none other than The Riddler, and that means it's about to make further confirmations that the Joel Schumacher movies Batman Forever and Batman and Robin - which succeeded the Burton movies as sequels in the '90s - are no longer canon to the Burtonverse (as the first of them starred Jim Carrey as The Riddler).
Given the darker, macabre tone that Burton's Batman movies possess, it's going to be interesting to see how Miller's sequel tackles a villain like The Riddler. The Batman showcased how unnerving that character can be when allowed to go completely unhinged. There's a strong chance that Revolution's could employ a similar style while also being somewhat more reserved to match the Noir-ish style of this world.
We can't wait to find out!
Tim Burton's Batman movies have gotten multiple sequels in recent years
Although Tim Burton's Batman movies have always been considered among the greatest comic book movies of all time, they have been enjoying a renaissance in recent years. That has come from a renewed love for both films (highlighted via their high placements on various Batman movie rankings over the years and the revisiting of various characters, storylines, and visuals of them).
The first sequel came in the form of the Batman '89 comic series, which is actually written by Sam Haam - who wrote the script for the original 1989 movie. Set after the events of Batman Returns, it continues to establish the eerie Noir-like world of Burton's Gotham with a focus on crime, the GCPD, and the return of beloved villains like Catwoman. It was so successful that a sequel series titled Batman '89: Echoes was launched.
While the immediately post-Returns adventures of Michael Keaton's Batman were explored on the pages, Warner Bros. and DC took that one step further on the silver screen, bringing Keaton back to reprise his most iconic role in 2023's The Flash.
Focusing on the titular Scarlet Speedster, the film sees Barry Allen go back in time and change the past to save his mother, but in doing so, he creates a new timeline that wipes the DCEU as we know it out of existence - replacing Ben Affleck's Batman with Michael Keaton's, allowing us to catch up with him three decades after his previous on-screen appearance.
Keaton also appeared in the cancelled Batgirl movie and was expected to take over as the DCEU's new long-term Batman - playing more of a mentor role to younger heroes. Rumor has it that he would have reunited with Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman in a Batman Beyond movie. Unfortunately, all of those plans were scrapped when James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as the new co-chairmen and CEOs of DC Studios and decided to relaunch the entire franchise as the DC Universe.
It was amazing to see Keaton step back into the role after 30 years and he certainly hadn't lost a step. Although it should have lasted longer (we'll always long for Batgirl's release!), Keaton reiterated why so many of us consider him the greatest Batman of all time.
And now, we get to see what else his Batman was up to whenever he wasn't taking down The Joker, Max Shreck, Catwoman, and The Penguin, as John Jackson Miller's novels serve as delightful additions to the vivid, beautifully eerie world of Tim Burton's beloved Batman movies.
Let the revolution in the Burtonverse begin!
Batman: Revolution arrives on October 21, 2025.