The latest addition to Tim Burton Batman franchise reveals who the villains of Batman Returns I thought of Jack Nicholson’s Joker from 1989 Batman. Batman Returns takes place in the same continuity as 1989 Batmanbut the DC film only made a few small callbacks to the events of its predecessor. 2024 novel by John Jackson Miller Batman: Resurrection is an interquel, set between the events of 1989 Batman and Batman Returnsdealing not only with the consequences of the events of the first film, but also including characters previously exclusive to each film within the same story.
Resurrection takes place a few months after the events of 1989 Batmanand explores how the citizens of Gotham City continue to deal with the fallout from the Joker’s crime spree. In the live-action Batman film, Joker poisoned hygiene and beauty products with Smylex (the movie version of his lethal Joker Venom from the comics), with specific combinations of products turning deadly. Joker murdered more innocents during Gotham City’s bicentennial parade, where he released Smylex gas. Resurrection reveals what the Penguin, Catwoman, and Max Shreck did during the events of the 1989 film, and specifically how they perceived the Joker.
The penguin respected the Joker
The penguin doesn’t appear Batman Resurrectionbut he and most of his criminal gang – the Red Triangle Circus gang – are referenced in the book. The Red Triangle gang’s unnamed Strongman makes several appearances, however, leaving the gang’s sewer hideout to buy food and other supplies for the Penguin and the other gang members. The Red Triangle gang itself did not like the fact that the Joker and his henchmen were using the clown theme, as they felt they were “taking advantage of the circus theme.” The Strong Man notes, however, that The Penguin liked the Joker’s style.
The Strongman reveals that the Penguin saw how the Joker took down Gotham in a matter of weeks and felt inspired by him. The Penguin also appreciated the audacity of the Joker’s mass poisoning of Gotham’s citizens, although he was aware that Smylex products also threatened him and his gang. The citizens of Gotham were flushing their toiletries and beauty products down the drain, putting the Penguin and the Red Triangle gang at risk.that reside in sewers. Resurrection even implies that the “pond”toxic waste in Returns contains Smylex, as well as toxic by-products from Max Schreck’s company.
Catwoman was scared of the Joker
Selina Kyle appears in Batman Resurrection too, and the novel not only reveals what she thought of the Joker, but also that she encountered him personally. When Joker revealed that he was poisoning the citizens of Gotham, Selina Kyle immediately got rid of all her hygiene and beauty products. After the Joker’s encounter with Batman and Vicki Vale at the Flugelheim museum, Selina passed him as he left. The Joker paid a backhanded compliment, causing Selina to panic and take a week off from work, hiding in her apartment and fearing that the Joker would follow her home.
Selina Kyle’s fear of the Joker is justifiedgiven his attacks on Gotham, unpredictability, and tendency to murder for fun. Of course, if Selina Kyle were Catwoman at this point, she would probably have a very different attitude towards the Joker. As Catwoman, Selina Kyle was a threat in her own right, and while she didn’t poison the city like the Joker or perpetrate a mass rocket attack like the Penguin, she was a skilled and cunning fighter. As Catwoman, Selina Kyle would be much more confident in her ability to defend herself against the likes of the Joker.
Max Shreck feared the Joker even when he was Jack Napier
Batman Resurrection also delves into the story of Max Schreck, revealing that the corrupt tycoon was so dangerous that Gotham’s most notorious crime boss – Carl Grissom – supposedly avoided incurring his wrath. Shreck himself avoided involvement with Carl Grissom’s criminal empire, although this was apparently mainly due to his fear of Grisson’s right-hand man – Jack Napier. Even before Napier’s transformation into one of the most iconic live-action versions of the Joker of all time, Shreck recognized Napier as the true threat within Grissom’s organizationand Shreck, unsurprisingly, feared him even more as the Clown Prince of Crime.
THE The Joker’s Smylex poisonings threatened not only the citizens of Gotham, but also Max Schreck’s business. Shreck also became aware of the Joker’s gruesome murder of crime boss Antoine Rotelli, whom the Joker killed with his lethal joy buzzer in 1989. Batman. According to Batman ResurrectionShreck“Couldn’t imagine a more terrible way to die.”
Batman is a 1989 superhero film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. The film features Jack Nicholson’s chilling portrayal of Jack Napier, who transforms into the Joker and reigns terror in Gotham. Kim Basinger also stars in the film as Vicki Vale, along with Michael Gough as Bruce’s faithful butler named Alfred.
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