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Batman
Full-color photographs from the newest Batman movie illustrate a novelization of the caped crusader's and Robin's confrontation with archenemies Two-Face and the Riddler. Movie tie-in.
Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
About the author
Alan Grant
1,766 books145 followersAlan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 15, 2026
I read this as part of a summer reading challenge under the tag “A book you haven't read since you were a kid” and Batman Forever was on a pretty regular daily rotation as a child so naturally I had the book.
It was okay. The deleted giant bat scene is there and the author mostly does an okay job portraying the duality struggle Bruce Wayne/Batman goes through but it overall is just a lesser version of the film itself.
Which I hate to dismiss this as “not as good as the film” because I’d like to hold it on it’s own but sometimes in a novelisation you can really see where the actors or editors bring the script to life. Specifically there’s jokes in this that might be said in the film so it’s easy to hear Tommy Lee Jones or Jim Carrey saying them but then there’s an extra punchline or two that makes it weirdly unfunny. Then there’s ideas that were obviously scrapped somewhere between script and screen that do make the book a bit tonally all over the place as well.
Also an addition to the book. “Just too many questions” that the Riddler says repeatedly in the film is changed to “just too many question marks” which doesn’t role of the tongue quite the same and the bat boat that Robin pilots at the end is now a boat he has to stand up to steer, I’m not sure, it’s only vaguely described but so are a lot of things in this but that’s usually the difference between a junior novelisation and a regular novelisation. The order at the start is different as well, we’re introduced to Edward Nygma before the “boiling acid!” at the bank which I actually quite liked. A tiny bit more Gordon as well, not heaps, as he does very little in the Schumacher Batmans anyway but the little more was nice. We’re introduced to Bruce Wayne’s childhood guilt much sooner as well which I liked and there’s some Riddler hacking of the Batmobile which explains how Riddler and Two Face were able to steal so much without getting caught which I really liked. Weirdest difference has to be who Robin saves after he steals “the other car”. In the film it’s a girl that inexplicably kisses him which make Robin exclaim “I could definitely get into this superhero gig” but in this novelization and maybe in the original script it’s a business man. There’s no kissing but the line about superhero gig remains. Just felt like Robin sure loves unnamed business man of Chapter 10.
Overall where it may not be as good as the film anyway. As a piece of storytelling it’s only okay. Tonally feels a bit all over and there’s a lot of threads that don’t feel entirely ironed out, so that on top of little descriptions just felt a bit lacklustre for me. It’s okay though, child me won’t be too disappointed because I remember not loving it then either and mostly just focused on the pictures from the film in the middle.
It was okay. The deleted giant bat scene is there and the author mostly does an okay job portraying the duality struggle Bruce Wayne/Batman goes through but it overall is just a lesser version of the film itself.
Which I hate to dismiss this as “not as good as the film” because I’d like to hold it on it’s own but sometimes in a novelisation you can really see where the actors or editors bring the script to life. Specifically there’s jokes in this that might be said in the film so it’s easy to hear Tommy Lee Jones or Jim Carrey saying them but then there’s an extra punchline or two that makes it weirdly unfunny. Then there’s ideas that were obviously scrapped somewhere between script and screen that do make the book a bit tonally all over the place as well.
Also an addition to the book. “Just too many questions” that the Riddler says repeatedly in the film is changed to “just too many question marks” which doesn’t role of the tongue quite the same and the bat boat that Robin pilots at the end is now a boat he has to stand up to steer, I’m not sure, it’s only vaguely described but so are a lot of things in this but that’s usually the difference between a junior novelisation and a regular novelisation. The order at the start is different as well, we’re introduced to Edward Nygma before the “boiling acid!” at the bank which I actually quite liked. A tiny bit more Gordon as well, not heaps, as he does very little in the Schumacher Batmans anyway but the little more was nice. We’re introduced to Bruce Wayne’s childhood guilt much sooner as well which I liked and there’s some Riddler hacking of the Batmobile which explains how Riddler and Two Face were able to steal so much without getting caught which I really liked. Weirdest difference has to be who Robin saves after he steals “the other car”. In the film it’s a girl that inexplicably kisses him which make Robin exclaim “I could definitely get into this superhero gig” but in this novelization and maybe in the original script it’s a business man. There’s no kissing but the line about superhero gig remains. Just felt like Robin sure loves unnamed business man of Chapter 10.
Overall where it may not be as good as the film anyway. As a piece of storytelling it’s only okay. Tonally feels a bit all over and there’s a lot of threads that don’t feel entirely ironed out, so that on top of little descriptions just felt a bit lacklustre for me. It’s okay though, child me won’t be too disappointed because I remember not loving it then either and mostly just focused on the pictures from the film in the middle.
June 25, 2020
Eh, it's ok. The story is very rushed, and what character moments are in the book feel very wooden. Honestly, you're better off watching the movie than reading the novelization, which is unfortunate because there are plenty of good novelizations out of there (the Star Wars prequels novelizations, Darkman, and Daredevil immediately come to mind). But if you want a breezy read for a YA audience, you could do worse.
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January 1, 2010Fantastic book
April 28, 2016
This was the version that has all of the deleted scenes including the movie's now infamous alternative opening of Two Face's escape that was removed from the film, more detailed but good book!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews