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Tim Burton’s Batman #4
Batman Returns
1st Mandarin 1992 film edition paperback, vg++ In stock shipped from our UK warehouse
238 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
9 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Craig Shaw Gardner
151 books134 followersCraig Shaw Gardner was born in Rochester, New York and lived there until 1967, when he moved to Boston, MA to attend Boston University. He graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Broadcasting and Film. He has continued to reside in Boston since that time.
He published his first story in 1977 while he held a number of jobs: shipper/receiver for a men's suit manufacturer, working in hospital public relations, running a stat camera, and also managed of a couple of bookstores: The Million Year Picnic and Science Fantasy Bookstore.
As of 1987 he became a full time writer, and since then he has published more than 30 novels and more than 50 short stories.
He also published under these pseudonyms:
Peter Garrison
He published his first story in 1977 while he held a number of jobs: shipper/receiver for a men's suit manufacturer, working in hospital public relations, running a stat camera, and also managed of a couple of bookstores: The Million Year Picnic and Science Fantasy Bookstore.
As of 1987 he became a full time writer, and since then he has published more than 30 novels and more than 50 short stories.
He also published under these pseudonyms:
Peter Garrison
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 30, 2017
I got this in 2013 for dirt cheap from a thrift store, and years it's sat ignored on my shelf. I figured it would be a so-so read one day that would be dry - but it surprised me by being so fun and carried humor stronger than the movie did.
I'm not the biggest fan of Tim Burton's Batman flicks, but the second has always been my favorite of the director's work. Selina and Bruce's relationship was the cat's meow. I loved the dance scene where Bruce tries to explain they are the same - split into two and in contrary nature to themselves. Good thing she's got nine lives after all.
While the penguin was a mean little monster with some annoying parts that drove me slightly batty - he mainly was an amusing villain. There is humor in the text that came through to me more clearly than it did in the movie. Sure we miss out on the music and the shiny celluloid effects the film had, but this one stayed faithful. It was an easy, smooth read with simplified writing that flew by.
And yeah, Batman totally did kill that one guy. Just sayin'.
Maybe it's not worth hunting down or paying much for, but it's worth a read if you have it lying around. We don't get deep emotions or characterization or anything, look into deeper original Batman books for that sort of stuff - this one was a playful companion to the film and doesn't steer from the course to spread any creative wings. As I said, worth a read if you have it close by and handy.
I'm not the biggest fan of Tim Burton's Batman flicks, but the second has always been my favorite of the director's work. Selina and Bruce's relationship was the cat's meow. I loved the dance scene where Bruce tries to explain they are the same - split into two and in contrary nature to themselves. Good thing she's got nine lives after all.
While the penguin was a mean little monster with some annoying parts that drove me slightly batty - he mainly was an amusing villain. There is humor in the text that came through to me more clearly than it did in the movie. Sure we miss out on the music and the shiny celluloid effects the film had, but this one stayed faithful. It was an easy, smooth read with simplified writing that flew by.
And yeah, Batman totally did kill that one guy. Just sayin'.
Maybe it's not worth hunting down or paying much for, but it's worth a read if you have it lying around. We don't get deep emotions or characterization or anything, look into deeper original Batman books for that sort of stuff - this one was a playful companion to the film and doesn't steer from the course to spread any creative wings. As I said, worth a read if you have it close by and handy.
August 5, 2016
The second installment in the Tim Burton Batman Franchise. The Caped Crusader is back, a few years after the Joker's demise, Batman is back this time to face not one but two deadly villains, The Penguin, who wants to run for Mayor, and at the same time, rule Gotham City. And the second villain, The Catwoman, who has an agenda of her own, formerly secretary Selina Kyleof corrupt businessman Max Shreck, who supposedly killed her to cover up something she found out about him that he didn't want anyone to find out. She returns as Catwoman to seek revenge on Shreck, and also is infatuated with Batman, and also as Selina Kyle, develops a relationship with Bruce Wayne, both now knowing each others secret identities.
When I saw Batman Returns as a kid, The Penguin terrified me, I had nightmares, but I still liked the movie. Now he doesn't terrify me, and of course Danny DeVito was perfect to play Penguin!
When I saw Batman Returns as a kid, The Penguin terrified me, I had nightmares, but I still liked the movie. Now he doesn't terrify me, and of course Danny DeVito was perfect to play Penguin!
July 16, 2022
I'm not a big fan of the film, but when I saw the novelization, I couldn't resist, especially after I recently listened to the audio edition of the first film's novelization.
The book did feature some differing things from the film, some rearranging of scenes, some additional dialogue, character depth, insights that we didn't get in the film, and some additional information.
Could have been worse, but it was actually pretty decent and that prologue was creepy, moreso that the prologue in the film.
The book did feature some differing things from the film, some rearranging of scenes, some additional dialogue, character depth, insights that we didn't get in the film, and some additional information.
Could have been worse, but it was actually pretty decent and that prologue was creepy, moreso that the prologue in the film.
December 15, 2024
2.75/5
This is a perfect example of how important actor performances are for a script to work.
This is a perfect example of how important actor performances are for a script to work.
January 27, 2024
not a bad adaptation
June 11, 2023
1.5 stars rounded up to two, and just like with the first Batman book (also written by Craig Shaw Gardner), the extra half star is a nod to the movie which is so much better.
God, this shit sucked walrus gonads. The story sucked. The writing sucked. The whole thing just sucked. It's strange that I like the movie so much, but I realize now that it's Tim Burton and the actors that carry it. Christopher Walken was the best of them, but Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito were great in their roles as well. Michael Keaton was really good too, but I'm afraid the others outshine him. Sadly, none of their abilities translate to the written page, at least not the way Gardner wrote them. In fact, the best thing about this book is that there were many chapters, some only two or three pages long, and every new chapter started on the right-hand page. That means if a chapter ended on the right-hand page, the next left-hand page was completely blank, and that made the book move along that much quicker. Plus, this wasn't a difficult read at all, and all that together made this just fly by, so there wasn't a lot of time wasted.
I don't expect much from movie novelizations. One shouldn't. They're the red-headed step-children of the novel world, and finding great prose in one is a major bonus. I read them because I like to see what might've changed between the screenplay upon which most of them are based and the finished product on the screen. I also like to just watch the movie play out in my head as I read, but that only kinda/sorta happened here. I had to force the characters into their roles as I went along because they were a little screwed up. This is the second Gardner I've read, and I just ain't digging his style. (Unfortunately I have two more from him I plan to read, both of the Back to the Future sequels.) Not only is the conversational, chatty inner monologue which kind of addresses the reader obnoxious, it is the same for every. single. character. You wouldn't be able to tell them apart if he didn't drop in the character's name before he started. Also, none of the characters behave the way you'd think they would, and so much of what they think and do makes no sense. Part of that is the story's fault, so Gardner is off the hook for that part, but still... ugh.
I confess that the movie isn't great. I love it notwithstanding but recognize its shortcomings which are many. The film is aware that it's rather ridiculous and Burton makes the most of that, but I'm still amazed at how badly the story itself translates from screen to page, and you can really see it without Burton and the cast involved. Speaking of the cast, this movie reunited Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger (Pee Wee Herman and Simone from Pee Wee's Big Adventure) as the Penguin's parents. This was actually the first film Reubens acted in after getting caught strangling his one-eyed trouser snake in a movie theater.
Nah, just keep your hands to yourself... oh wait, you did. And after witnessing all the "me too" stuff a couple of years ago, you might be the only actor in Hollywood who does, actually. That whole thing was so blown out of proportion. Can't we let Pee Wee peal his pee pee in peace? No? Okay, so long as we're on the same page. (Well, I'm sorry the media circus from that incident traumatized the poor man for a few years, but after all, that kind of situation is just begging to be ridiculed, and those of us with no scruples don't seem to be able to resist the temptation.)
Anyway, sorry about that. I'm supposed to be talking about Batman Returns, but trust me when I say that the Pee Wee story is better than the story in this book. I don't remember any major plot differences between this and the movie, not a lot of dialogue was altered, and very little extra explanation for character and setting backgrounds was added. Just watch the movie instead. And yes, this is a Christmas movie/book, hence its inclusion on my Christmas shelf. I used this to kick off my Christmas reading this year, and hopefully I've gotten the worst out of the way. (I have Gremlins on deck for this year also, and surely that can't be as bad as this.) Next up will be my annual reread of A Christmas Carol which is my favorite book of all time, and boy, do I sure need it after this disappointing tripe. Jiminy Christmas!
God, this shit sucked walrus gonads. The story sucked. The writing sucked. The whole thing just sucked. It's strange that I like the movie so much, but I realize now that it's Tim Burton and the actors that carry it. Christopher Walken was the best of them, but Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito were great in their roles as well. Michael Keaton was really good too, but I'm afraid the others outshine him. Sadly, none of their abilities translate to the written page, at least not the way Gardner wrote them. In fact, the best thing about this book is that there were many chapters, some only two or three pages long, and every new chapter started on the right-hand page. That means if a chapter ended on the right-hand page, the next left-hand page was completely blank, and that made the book move along that much quicker. Plus, this wasn't a difficult read at all, and all that together made this just fly by, so there wasn't a lot of time wasted.
I don't expect much from movie novelizations. One shouldn't. They're the red-headed step-children of the novel world, and finding great prose in one is a major bonus. I read them because I like to see what might've changed between the screenplay upon which most of them are based and the finished product on the screen. I also like to just watch the movie play out in my head as I read, but that only kinda/sorta happened here. I had to force the characters into their roles as I went along because they were a little screwed up. This is the second Gardner I've read, and I just ain't digging his style. (Unfortunately I have two more from him I plan to read, both of the Back to the Future sequels.) Not only is the conversational, chatty inner monologue which kind of addresses the reader obnoxious, it is the same for every. single. character. You wouldn't be able to tell them apart if he didn't drop in the character's name before he started. Also, none of the characters behave the way you'd think they would, and so much of what they think and do makes no sense. Part of that is the story's fault, so Gardner is off the hook for that part, but still... ugh.
I confess that the movie isn't great. I love it notwithstanding but recognize its shortcomings which are many. The film is aware that it's rather ridiculous and Burton makes the most of that, but I'm still amazed at how badly the story itself translates from screen to page, and you can really see it without Burton and the cast involved. Speaking of the cast, this movie reunited Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger (Pee Wee Herman and Simone from Pee Wee's Big Adventure) as the Penguin's parents. This was actually the first film Reubens acted in after getting caught strangling his one-eyed trouser snake in a movie theater.
Nah, just keep your hands to yourself... oh wait, you did. And after witnessing all the "me too" stuff a couple of years ago, you might be the only actor in Hollywood who does, actually. That whole thing was so blown out of proportion. Can't we let Pee Wee peal his pee pee in peace? No? Okay, so long as we're on the same page. (Well, I'm sorry the media circus from that incident traumatized the poor man for a few years, but after all, that kind of situation is just begging to be ridiculed, and those of us with no scruples don't seem to be able to resist the temptation.)
Anyway, sorry about that. I'm supposed to be talking about Batman Returns, but trust me when I say that the Pee Wee story is better than the story in this book. I don't remember any major plot differences between this and the movie, not a lot of dialogue was altered, and very little extra explanation for character and setting backgrounds was added. Just watch the movie instead. And yes, this is a Christmas movie/book, hence its inclusion on my Christmas shelf. I used this to kick off my Christmas reading this year, and hopefully I've gotten the worst out of the way. (I have Gremlins on deck for this year also, and surely that can't be as bad as this.) Next up will be my annual reread of A Christmas Carol which is my favorite book of all time, and boy, do I sure need it after this disappointing tripe. Jiminy Christmas!
April 21, 2024
whatever this writing style is, i hate it
June 18, 2025
Pretty straight forward adaptation of the film. Not much additional exposition.
October 3, 2022
Had difficulty finding the listed edition for the version of this that I listened to; so pretend that it says that I listened to the audiobook edition of this. I will say that while the previous novelization for the first film left much to be desired, I think that Gardner's writing improved with this one. I also really loved Michael Murphy as the narrator for this, he really made it spectacular.
June 20, 2019
Really good adaptation of the movie. Some good extra scenes. Lots of fun.
December 30, 2020
Not as great as the first film's novelization, but still enjoyable.
December 17, 2021
This was even better than the first one!
Really cool stuff.
Really cool stuff.
August 20, 2011
Nope, I never learn.
December 17, 2024
Batman Returns is a novelization of the Tim Burton film written by Craig Shaw Gardner based off the screenplay by Daniel Waters.
Max Shreck is a shrewd businessman who has a plan to build a new power plant in Gotham City. The mayor and Bruce Wayne are trying to block the build at every turn but when the annual lighting of Gotham City's Christmas tree is interrupted by the Red Triangle Gang, Shreck makes a deal with the gang's deformed leader, The Penguin.
Max reintroduces The Penguin to Gotham as a forgotten son, discarded by his rich parents because of his birth defects. Together the two plan on setting up The Penguin as the new mayor and taking over the city for their own nefarious needs. Meanwhile, Max's meek secretary Selina Kyle blunders from one day to the next. When she stumbles upon Max's secret plan for the power plant, he throws her out of his top floor window. Crashing to the snow below, Selina awakes to a new outlook on life as The Catwoman.
Craig Shaw Gardner returns to write the sequel novel and I believe the writing in this follow-up was even worse than the first. He doesn’t have a good way of capturing action and it often feels like he is describing scenes from the movie as he is watching them, rather than creating the action. We get a little bit of further insight into character motivations than in the movie, but not enough to justify reading this unless you are a die hard fan.
Max Shreck is a shrewd businessman who has a plan to build a new power plant in Gotham City. The mayor and Bruce Wayne are trying to block the build at every turn but when the annual lighting of Gotham City's Christmas tree is interrupted by the Red Triangle Gang, Shreck makes a deal with the gang's deformed leader, The Penguin.
Max reintroduces The Penguin to Gotham as a forgotten son, discarded by his rich parents because of his birth defects. Together the two plan on setting up The Penguin as the new mayor and taking over the city for their own nefarious needs. Meanwhile, Max's meek secretary Selina Kyle blunders from one day to the next. When she stumbles upon Max's secret plan for the power plant, he throws her out of his top floor window. Crashing to the snow below, Selina awakes to a new outlook on life as The Catwoman.
Craig Shaw Gardner returns to write the sequel novel and I believe the writing in this follow-up was even worse than the first. He doesn’t have a good way of capturing action and it often feels like he is describing scenes from the movie as he is watching them, rather than creating the action. We get a little bit of further insight into character motivations than in the movie, but not enough to justify reading this unless you are a die hard fan.
November 12, 2024
Delight from childhood
I came across this work in the youth library of my city and immediately took it to read. After all, it was a book with famous characters from the Burton film on the cover. And the reading started. Page by page, chapter by chapter. The book is practically a copy of the movie. The same gloomy city of Gotham, the same melancholic streets, people, colors. And this is felt literally in every line of Gardner. It is written in an interesting and predictable way for someone who watched the film, which was me. But I really enjoyed reading it, immersed in the oppressive atmosphere of the world presented by the author.
The characters are spelled out well, but there is little in the book that reveals their character, because there is no proper description of their thoughts, reasoning, and experiences. It is understandable. It's a novelization of the film. But I still really liked it.
10 out of 10
I came across this work in the youth library of my city and immediately took it to read. After all, it was a book with famous characters from the Burton film on the cover. And the reading started. Page by page, chapter by chapter. The book is practically a copy of the movie. The same gloomy city of Gotham, the same melancholic streets, people, colors. And this is felt literally in every line of Gardner. It is written in an interesting and predictable way for someone who watched the film, which was me. But I really enjoyed reading it, immersed in the oppressive atmosphere of the world presented by the author.
The characters are spelled out well, but there is little in the book that reveals their character, because there is no proper description of their thoughts, reasoning, and experiences. It is understandable. It's a novelization of the film. But I still really liked it.
10 out of 10
June 13, 2021
This was a letdown after the innovative and delightfully visionary Burton first film. The main issue was rouge's gallery: Catwoman, The Penguin, Shrek, and The Red Triangle Circus Gang. It was overload, and the diffusion prevented the tale from gelling.
And remember, this film is about BATMAN, not a psychodrama about his many villains.
As I read the book, I did notice some subtle touches, such as Catwoman being killed 8 times in the film, and disappearing in the confusion. Also, there were some elements—such as the Bruce and Selina dancing, and Catwoman's acrobatics—that made their way in The Dark Knight Trilogy, wich balanced a crowd of villains with a better fulcrum.
And remember, this film is about BATMAN, not a psychodrama about his many villains.
As I read the book, I did notice some subtle touches, such as Catwoman being killed 8 times in the film, and disappearing in the confusion. Also, there were some elements—such as the Bruce and Selina dancing, and Catwoman's acrobatics—that made their way in The Dark Knight Trilogy, wich balanced a crowd of villains with a better fulcrum.
September 16, 2025
This was a disappointing sequel to a great novelization of the first movie — the first and only movie novelization I had ever read. The first Batman book by this author was amazing because you got into each character’s head. It expanded the world of Tim Burton’s movie almost to the point you could say the book was better. For Batman Returns, it reads like a rush job. Or just as likely, the screenplay left much to be desired. As the surgeon in the first movie put it, “you see what I have to work with here!”
December 3, 2025
I'm not a big fan of the film, but the book made me look at the film in a different perspective
The book did feature some differing things from the film, some rearranging of scenes, some additional dialogue, character depth, insights that we didn't get in the film, and some additional information.
Could have been worse, but it was actually pretty decent and that prologue was creepy, moreso that the prologue in the film.
The book did feature some differing things from the film, some rearranging of scenes, some additional dialogue, character depth, insights that we didn't get in the film, and some additional information.
Could have been worse, but it was actually pretty decent and that prologue was creepy, moreso that the prologue in the film.
November 29, 2024
What an unhinged and completely unnecessarily horny novelization for a film that is ALREADY BOTH OF THOSE.
Penguin is a straight up Richard Laymon character in this novel hahahaha it is kind of amazing.
As a novelization it gets all of the main points of movie well and doesn't overstay its welcome. It is much more R-rated than the film its based off of, be warned.
Penguin is a straight up Richard Laymon character in this novel hahahaha it is kind of amazing.
As a novelization it gets all of the main points of movie well and doesn't overstay its welcome. It is much more R-rated than the film its based off of, be warned.
June 11, 2018
Almost the exact experience you'd get by watching the movie. The only thing missing is Danny Elfman's score.
April 27, 2021
Porąbane jak lato z radiem i dokładnie na takim samym poziomie, właśnie tego oczekiwałam od tej nowelizacji!
A Batamaran będzie mnie prześladował przez najbliższe pół roku.
A Batamaran będzie mnie prześladował przez najbliższe pół roku.
February 16, 2022
This really captures just how over-the-top the movie was. Lots of fun.
December 29, 2023
Muy buena novelización de la película.
February 18, 2025
I did not enjoy the audiobook narrator. Also, the Penguin was much more misogynistic, which felt unnecessary. Stick with the movie.
May 18, 2025
Thrifted this for kitsch and because it’s somewhat valuable and read it because I keep telling myself I’ll only buy books I intend to actually read and well, the punishment fits the crime.
June 21, 2025
Deep discussion and review from Paper Movies:
Batman Returns Novelization Discussion
https://youtu.be/EAoaHdjQGME
Batman Returns Novelization Discussion
https://youtu.be/EAoaHdjQGME
August 13, 2025
My least favorite of the movies and the novel proves it. A bore at times. Batman was fine but I could care less for Max and The Penguin parts.
February 11, 2017
Very cheesy. Very cool.
December 18, 2024
I saw this movie in a drive-in theater years ago, and it was a grand experience to see this sequel. Eventually, I found this novelization and the graphic novel tie-in, reading the latter first. But this was next on my list, so I was ready to read it.
It's been years since the events of the previous story, as this one starts during a Christmastime in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne is still Batman, having gained the respect of the people after having defeated the Joker. Now he contends with the appearance of a seedy underground led by the mysterious Penguin. But he contends with a beautiful but dark soul in the Catwoman who is out to settle the score with a criminal businessman who had tried to have her killed. All these parties involve lead to days of treachery, death, and adventure.
Okay. Tim Burton was given more leeway with this than he was with his previous movie and I admit that most of the changes weren't that great. Adding all these dark themes to a Christmas setting, I guess this was a warm-up to the Nightmare Before Christmas. It was great having Batman Return but this story didn't add much to his character but towards his villains. While I enjoyed Danny Devito's performance and Michelle Pfieffer's, I didn't like Penguin as a lecherous freak show or Catwoman as a supernatural meta-human. I also feel saddened that the character of Max Shreck was created as an alternate for Two-Face. But this was still a fine story all things considered.
It's been years since the events of the previous story, as this one starts during a Christmastime in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne is still Batman, having gained the respect of the people after having defeated the Joker. Now he contends with the appearance of a seedy underground led by the mysterious Penguin. But he contends with a beautiful but dark soul in the Catwoman who is out to settle the score with a criminal businessman who had tried to have her killed. All these parties involve lead to days of treachery, death, and adventure.
Okay. Tim Burton was given more leeway with this than he was with his previous movie and I admit that most of the changes weren't that great. Adding all these dark themes to a Christmas setting, I guess this was a warm-up to the Nightmare Before Christmas. It was great having Batman Return but this story didn't add much to his character but towards his villains. While I enjoyed Danny Devito's performance and Michelle Pfieffer's, I didn't like Penguin as a lecherous freak show or Catwoman as a supernatural meta-human. I also feel saddened that the character of Max Shreck was created as an alternate for Two-Face. But this was still a fine story all things considered.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews