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Tim Burton’s Batman #3
Batman: Revolution
Batman matches wits with The Riddler and uncovers Gotham’s past in this sequel to Resurrection, set in the world of Tim Burton's iconic Batman.
It’s summer, and Gotham City has cause for celebration. The last vestiges of The Joker’s toxic legacy have finally faded, just in time for the mayor to partner with retail magnate Max Shreck to stage a Fourth of July celebration for the ages. But not everyone is rejoicing. Batman’s eternal vigilance continues as threats from rival gangs and masked criminals escalate by the day. Meanwhile, on the streets, protests grow in opposition to the city’s lavish excesses.
No one is experiencing the struggle between Gotham’s optimism and doubt more than Norman Pinkus. The Gotham Globe’s humble copy boy, he’s the unacknowledged mastermind behind the newspaper’s mega-popular Riddle Me This word puzzles. But Norman harbors a secret. He is the smartest man in Gotham City, using his prodigious skills to solve crimes anonymously for years via the police tip line—before Batman even knows there’s a crime to solve.
While neither fame nor fortune finds Norman, he believes in the promise of Gotham and what’s right . . . until he doesn’t. The man no one notices watches time and again as the city and its leaders cast their eyes high above the rooftops toward Batman. Dejected and unappreciated, Norman devises a With the help of dangerous new friends, he exploits the simmering tensions of the long hot summer to draw the Caped Crusader into a volatile game of riddles to crown Gotham’s true savior. As they clash, Norman—now known as The Riddler—and Batman will uncover hidden secrets about Gotham’s past that will have dire consequences for the city’s future.
It’s summer, and Gotham City has cause for celebration. The last vestiges of The Joker’s toxic legacy have finally faded, just in time for the mayor to partner with retail magnate Max Shreck to stage a Fourth of July celebration for the ages. But not everyone is rejoicing. Batman’s eternal vigilance continues as threats from rival gangs and masked criminals escalate by the day. Meanwhile, on the streets, protests grow in opposition to the city’s lavish excesses.
No one is experiencing the struggle between Gotham’s optimism and doubt more than Norman Pinkus. The Gotham Globe’s humble copy boy, he’s the unacknowledged mastermind behind the newspaper’s mega-popular Riddle Me This word puzzles. But Norman harbors a secret. He is the smartest man in Gotham City, using his prodigious skills to solve crimes anonymously for years via the police tip line—before Batman even knows there’s a crime to solve.
While neither fame nor fortune finds Norman, he believes in the promise of Gotham and what’s right . . . until he doesn’t. The man no one notices watches time and again as the city and its leaders cast their eyes high above the rooftops toward Batman. Dejected and unappreciated, Norman devises a With the help of dangerous new friends, he exploits the simmering tensions of the long hot summer to draw the Caped Crusader into a volatile game of riddles to crown Gotham’s true savior. As they clash, Norman—now known as The Riddler—and Batman will uncover hidden secrets about Gotham’s past that will have dire consequences for the city’s future.
530 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2025
198 people are currently reading
1043 people want to read
About the author
John Jackson Miller
346 books1,003 followersNew York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller has spent a lifetime immersed in science fiction. His Star Trek novels include the Discovery – Die Standing, the acclaimed novel Discovery — The Enterprise War, the Prey trilogy, and Takedown. His Star Wars novels include A New Dawn, Kenobi, Knight Errant, Lost Tribe of the Sith, and the Knights of the Old Republic comics, available from Marvel as Legends: The Old Republic.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
October 28, 2025
John Jackson Miller is cementing himself as the best Media Tie-In Fiction writer. He can write for any franchise and not only make the book fit and be entertaining, but he can add such DEPTH to the story!
This book's main strength is the character of Norman Plinkus...aka The Riddler. He is such a complex and heartbreaking character whose backstory really helps the reader understand and empathize with him, even if we disagree with his decision making. In fact, in the beginning of the book, I was ROOTING for Norman Plinkus, because when he was just trying to do the right thing he really felt like a parallel to Batman. His work scenes, his 'date' scene, his times visiting his mother, his descent into villainy, truly one of the best Villain origin stories ever.
One thing that makes this book also work is John Jackson Miller's themes. He infuses so many themes about Revolution, Anarchy, and even Communismk into the book. He expertly demonstrates how while some ideas sound desirable, and maybe even noble, they actually are very detrimental to society. It never seems preachy, but the way that he applies these themes fits the book perfectly.
Speaking of fitting perfectly, you can tell that JJM has researched the Batman character list and mythology. There were some really cool characters who showed up, who I only barely know about (thank you extended characters from the Lego Batman DS games!), and they worked well for the story he was telling.
The puzzles that John Jackson Miller used, from little clues, to riddles, to full on pages of riddles were just incredible. I thought that Miller did a good enough job of making them clever without being too overblown.
Also, Alfred pretending to be an anarchist in this book...hilarious.
This book is sadly the end of the series, making it a duology rather than a trilogy like I'd hoped. There's a door open that maybe more books could be written in the Burton Verse, or maybe other authors could come in and revitalize a franchise like JJM did with the Keaton movies. We can only hope!
One thing is for sure, I will continue reading every book that John Jackson Miller puts out!
Overall, I loved this book. It's about on the same level as book 1 "Batman Resurrection". I think the Villain in this book is better, but I believe the stories are both excellently written. 9.5 out of 10.
This book's main strength is the character of Norman Plinkus...aka The Riddler. He is such a complex and heartbreaking character whose backstory really helps the reader understand and empathize with him, even if we disagree with his decision making. In fact, in the beginning of the book, I was ROOTING for Norman Plinkus, because when he was just trying to do the right thing he really felt like a parallel to Batman. His work scenes, his 'date' scene, his times visiting his mother, his descent into villainy, truly one of the best Villain origin stories ever.
One thing that makes this book also work is John Jackson Miller's themes. He infuses so many themes about Revolution, Anarchy, and even Communismk into the book. He expertly demonstrates how while some ideas sound desirable, and maybe even noble, they actually are very detrimental to society. It never seems preachy, but the way that he applies these themes fits the book perfectly.
Speaking of fitting perfectly, you can tell that JJM has researched the Batman character list and mythology. There were some really cool characters who showed up, who I only barely know about (thank you extended characters from the Lego Batman DS games!), and they worked well for the story he was telling.
The puzzles that John Jackson Miller used, from little clues, to riddles, to full on pages of riddles were just incredible. I thought that Miller did a good enough job of making them clever without being too overblown.
Also, Alfred pretending to be an anarchist in this book...hilarious.
This book is sadly the end of the series, making it a duology rather than a trilogy like I'd hoped. There's a door open that maybe more books could be written in the Burton Verse, or maybe other authors could come in and revitalize a franchise like JJM did with the Keaton movies. We can only hope!
One thing is for sure, I will continue reading every book that John Jackson Miller puts out!
Overall, I loved this book. It's about on the same level as book 1 "Batman Resurrection". I think the Villain in this book is better, but I believe the stories are both excellently written. 9.5 out of 10.
January 2, 2026
"Questions are power. The world is designed to keep the answers from you. Question everything!"
The sequel to Batman: Resurrection, John Jackson Miller's Batman: Revolution has the reader visit Gotham City during the summertime. There is a cause for celebration, yet there are new foes Batman must face to protect the city and its citizens. And then there's the quiet, humble copy boy, Norman Pinkus, who steals the show.
And when I say Norman Pinkus steals the show, I mean he steals the show!
In my opinion, Norman Pinkus carried this book. I loved getting to know him and watching him work. He had a small role in the previous book, so I was thrilled to discover he had a larger role here. I loved him as Norman Pinkus, and I loved him as the Riddler because he nailed it. It makes me wish we had gotten this version of the Riddler on screen.
That said, I wasn't really a fan of Camille and the whole militia storyline. (They made me think of Talia al Ghul and the army from The Dark Knight Rises.) For me, that was the weakest part of the book. Where Norman's a likeable and sympathetic character, Camille was the complete opposite for me.
The epilogue was a wonderful touch, and .
Will Damron once again did a tremendous job performing the characters' voices, and like the previous book, I loved following along with my physical copy at times.
I can only hope to see more Batman books from Miller in the future. Batman: Resurrection and Batman: Revolution have given me a newfound appreciation and love for Tim Burton's movies, and for that I will be forever grateful.
"But a riddle, if it's any good, always has a solution. Make sure you're a part of it!"
The sequel to Batman: Resurrection, John Jackson Miller's Batman: Revolution has the reader visit Gotham City during the summertime. There is a cause for celebration, yet there are new foes Batman must face to protect the city and its citizens. And then there's the quiet, humble copy boy, Norman Pinkus, who steals the show.
And when I say Norman Pinkus steals the show, I mean he steals the show!
In my opinion, Norman Pinkus carried this book. I loved getting to know him and watching him work. He had a small role in the previous book, so I was thrilled to discover he had a larger role here. I loved him as Norman Pinkus, and I loved him as the Riddler because he nailed it. It makes me wish we had gotten this version of the Riddler on screen.
That said, I wasn't really a fan of Camille and the whole militia storyline. (They made me think of Talia al Ghul and the army from The Dark Knight Rises.) For me, that was the weakest part of the book. Where Norman's a likeable and sympathetic character, Camille was the complete opposite for me.
The epilogue was a wonderful touch, and .
Will Damron once again did a tremendous job performing the characters' voices, and like the previous book, I loved following along with my physical copy at times.
I can only hope to see more Batman books from Miller in the future. Batman: Resurrection and Batman: Revolution have given me a newfound appreciation and love for Tim Burton's movies, and for that I will be forever grateful.
"But a riddle, if it's any good, always has a solution. Make sure you're a part of it!"
October 26, 2025
This was the easiest 5 star review I’ve given all year. What a phenomenal tie in novel to a couple of movies that I enjoyed in my childhood and continue to enjoy this day. JJM is known for his tie in work but I think these two Batman novels might be his best work to date. It is very clear that he is a big fan of the Burton novels as all the voices sound perfect, the Riddler which was so awful in Batman Forever was given his due as both genius, deeply disturbed and forgotten about which you find as a reader you have real sympathy for. I was captivated by his story. We also see the tie in to Batman Returns with Max Shrek, Selina Kyle and the quickly mentioned but expanded upon in this book business associate of Shrek Fred Atkins (as well as his fate). My only disappointment (very small in the grand scheme of things) was the Camille story as it did closely resemble what we got in The Dark Knight Rises of the vigilante terrorists trying to destroy Gotham by attacking it’s wealthy directly. There’s a lot of focus there but I do give the author credit in creating new obstacles for Batman to overcome.
It is a shame that JJM will not continue this series as I would love to see a novel after Batman Returns as there are so many interesting aspects that could be explored like his relationship with Selina Kyle, the fallout of villain Max Shrek and I think in the hands of JJM we would get a much more satisfying story than the movies that followed Returns.
It is a shame that JJM will not continue this series as I would love to see a novel after Batman Returns as there are so many interesting aspects that could be explored like his relationship with Selina Kyle, the fallout of villain Max Shrek and I think in the hands of JJM we would get a much more satisfying story than the movies that followed Returns.
October 29, 2025
Loved it! Hope another follow up novel could be in our future.
November 18, 2025
4.5 stars. Goddamn I love this series.
I just recently rewatched the 1989 film - probably something I should've done that before reading the first in the series but here we are. The worldbuilding from the movie is so interesting but we only got such a small glimpse into it. These books have expanded on the world so much more.
I love seeing Detective Batman as opposed to the tough guy we see in most modern adaptations. The mystery here with The Riddler is so good. I was obsessed with The Riddler's descent and the fringe terrorist groups he ends up accidentally supporting. His story is sympathetic - like I almost wanted to root for him?? He is my favorite Batman villain so maybe I'm biased.
My favorite parts are the nostalgia - the book is set in 1990 so there's a lot of things that spark reminders in my brain. My favorite was when someone turned on a TV and it needed to take time to warm up before the picture came into view.
If you're a Batman fan PLEASE read this series!
I just recently rewatched the 1989 film - probably something I should've done that before reading the first in the series but here we are. The worldbuilding from the movie is so interesting but we only got such a small glimpse into it. These books have expanded on the world so much more.
I love seeing Detective Batman as opposed to the tough guy we see in most modern adaptations. The mystery here with The Riddler is so good. I was obsessed with The Riddler's descent and the fringe terrorist groups he ends up accidentally supporting. His story is sympathetic - like I almost wanted to root for him?? He is my favorite Batman villain so maybe I'm biased.
My favorite parts are the nostalgia - the book is set in 1990 so there's a lot of things that spark reminders in my brain. My favorite was when someone turned on a TV and it needed to take time to warm up before the picture came into view.
If you're a Batman fan PLEASE read this series!
February 21, 2026
This was a rip-roaring five-star read for a long time, but just like with Resurrection, Miller has a little trouble sticking the landing. It doesn't crash and burn but skids and slides on the runway, and some suspension of disbelief is required in the closing acts. That being said, I never wanted to put this down and stayed up later than was prudent on a couple of work nights.
Both books are their own stories subtly and masterfully woven into the greater Burtonverse. Resurrection closed some plot holes from Batman (1989) while this answers some questions in Batman Returns. For example, we find out what grievous sin Fred Atkins committed to warrant his dismemberment.
This also explains how the Penguin's troupe is able to make a device that gets them around the Batmobile's security so they can sabotage it, or at least the stage is set for that turn of events. Then there are several sly nods to both movies, E.G. "six is good," although that particular one is more in your face when both Batman and Knox pause after Batman says it.
The fun also extends to the greater DC Comics universe. Norman Pinkus was a copy boy at The Gotham Globe that nobody paid attention to except to abuse him for 20 years. He eventually gets sacked on a really, really bad day. A few weeks later, after he's been causing a lot of fun and not-so-fun trouble for the city and The Globe, he's on TV in his new Riddler getup and his former boss sees him after he'd been talking to the publisher about the former copy boy.
Speaking of the Riddler, what a great character. He's not as Riddlery as The Riddler I'm more familiar with in the comics, the 60s TV show, or other movie incarnations, though those vary greatly as well. This one is more like an impish Joker who teases with riddles. He causes a ton of trouble, though there's no real malice in his mischief. He doesn't really want to kill anyone, but he's more than happy to stoke chaos among the people and institutions he's pissed off at with some rather ingenious pranks, and he doesn't mind collateral or direct property damage. He started out as a really decent guy, and the character development is top notch. He's kind of played by others who have more nefarious motives in mind, and that's where the big trouble begins. He's a very complex character, and I always love those in a story.
I found out that there are actually two Riddlers in the complete Burtonverse cycle, and the real one who doesn't mind committing murder, burglary, etc. shows up in Sam Hamm's Batman '89 comic book sequel to Batman Returns. I haven't read that and don't plan to, but it makes sense. The character who becomes that Riddler puts in a brief cameo in this, so everything is tied together from start to finish in Miller's two books.
This strikes a nice balance between the silly camp of the 60's show/early comics (who could ever forget the issue about the Joker's boner) and the much darker movies that have come out in recent years. I'd rate it PG-13 which is refreshing. Miller also managed to take a couple of the franchise's villains that are very hard to take seriously and make them convincingly formidable. The Archer from the TV show and from the comics give Bats quite a bit of trouble, though both are a bit different from the source material, especially the Archer. But that's the beauty of all the Burton villains. The Joker resembled his comic book counterpart at the time, but Catwoman and the Penguin... not so much. But they were still Catwoman and the Penguin.
As for the other major players in Batman Returns, Selina Kyle, that silly corndog, gets plenty of page time as does Max Schreck. The Penguin isn't even alluded to that I recall, but there was a brief mention in Resurrection. Oh, and Knox is featured prominently again, and we find out why he's not in Returns.
Both this and Resurrection are great, but this one is easily the better of the two. We have Norman's story to thank for that. Check it out if you don't mind a good Batman story sans artwork and speech/thought bubbles.
Both books are their own stories subtly and masterfully woven into the greater Burtonverse. Resurrection closed some plot holes from Batman (1989) while this answers some questions in Batman Returns. For example, we find out what grievous sin Fred Atkins committed to warrant his dismemberment.
This also explains how the Penguin's troupe is able to make a device that gets them around the Batmobile's security so they can sabotage it, or at least the stage is set for that turn of events. Then there are several sly nods to both movies, E.G. "six is good," although that particular one is more in your face when both Batman and Knox pause after Batman says it.
The fun also extends to the greater DC Comics universe. Norman Pinkus was a copy boy at The Gotham Globe that nobody paid attention to except to abuse him for 20 years. He eventually gets sacked on a really, really bad day. A few weeks later, after he's been causing a lot of fun and not-so-fun trouble for the city and The Globe, he's on TV in his new Riddler getup and his former boss sees him after he'd been talking to the publisher about the former copy boy.
Reminded of Norman, Coggins looked again at the figure on-screen. But for the purple glasses and the hat, he could almost see a resemblance between the two--but that was ludicrous. The Riddler had personality to spare, where Norman had none.This, of course, is a wonderful jab at Clark Kent/Superman, and it turns out that The Globe and The Daily Planet are equally sorry on that score. This thing is lightly peppered fun bon mots like that, and it was a joy to stumble upon them.
He put the thought out of his mind. It'd be a sorry newsroom indeed that could be fooled by a guy just by wearing glasses.
Speaking of the Riddler, what a great character. He's not as Riddlery as The Riddler I'm more familiar with in the comics, the 60s TV show, or other movie incarnations, though those vary greatly as well. This one is more like an impish Joker who teases with riddles. He causes a ton of trouble, though there's no real malice in his mischief. He doesn't really want to kill anyone, but he's more than happy to stoke chaos among the people and institutions he's pissed off at with some rather ingenious pranks, and he doesn't mind collateral or direct property damage. He started out as a really decent guy, and the character development is top notch. He's kind of played by others who have more nefarious motives in mind, and that's where the big trouble begins. He's a very complex character, and I always love those in a story.
I found out that there are actually two Riddlers in the complete Burtonverse cycle, and the real one who doesn't mind committing murder, burglary, etc. shows up in Sam Hamm's Batman '89 comic book sequel to Batman Returns. I haven't read that and don't plan to, but it makes sense. The character who becomes that Riddler puts in a brief cameo in this, so everything is tied together from start to finish in Miller's two books.
This strikes a nice balance between the silly camp of the 60's show/early comics (who could ever forget the issue about the Joker's boner) and the much darker movies that have come out in recent years. I'd rate it PG-13 which is refreshing. Miller also managed to take a couple of the franchise's villains that are very hard to take seriously and make them convincingly formidable. The Archer from the TV show and from the comics give Bats quite a bit of trouble, though both are a bit different from the source material, especially the Archer. But that's the beauty of all the Burton villains. The Joker resembled his comic book counterpart at the time, but Catwoman and the Penguin... not so much. But they were still Catwoman and the Penguin.
As for the other major players in Batman Returns, Selina Kyle, that silly corndog, gets plenty of page time as does Max Schreck. The Penguin isn't even alluded to that I recall, but there was a brief mention in Resurrection. Oh, and Knox is featured prominently again, and we find out why he's not in Returns.
Both this and Resurrection are great, but this one is easily the better of the two. We have Norman's story to thank for that. Check it out if you don't mind a good Batman story sans artwork and speech/thought bubbles.
October 23, 2025
What do you get when you cross Batman, the Riddler’s origin story, a militia, and Fourth of July? A Firework Brigade of a Booming action packed novel! Love being back in Tim Burton’s Batman. The mix of major and minor characters and some new ones is so fun! Super hard to put down. Action on every page and lots of cool history for Gotham. This series by JJM is my favorite! I also have enjoyed his Star Wars books too!
February 11, 2026
"But Norman grasped at him before he could move. "Did...we...save...the library?"
"We did." Batman said. "You did."
"Thanks, partner". Norman closed his eyes."
"We did." Batman said. "You did."
"Thanks, partner". Norman closed his eyes."
January 21, 2026
John Jackson Miller's books just keep getting better and better.
December 10, 2025
I enjoyed this one. I thought the character development was good, overall. The story moves at a good pace. It had an interesting array of villains that opposed Batman.
I thought the author made a solid, entertaining attempt to bridge the two Michael Keaton Batman movies. The biggest weakness of trying to write bridging stories is going to be "why wouldn't the events of the two books impact what happened in the movie?", and this weakness seemed to appear as I watched Batman Returns after finishing this book. However, I think including the various villains in this book helped bridge the gap between the two movies (as well as the prior book). Not sure how to explain it, but I felt that it fit.
Overall, it was a fun book to read. I enjoyed it far more than I anticipated or expected after reading the first book. I am not saying that this book did not have any weaknesses, any slow moments in the story, but I enjoyed it all the same despite its weaknesses. I find myself wishing the author were to write a few more books that take place after the second movie. I think he could do a bang up job of doing that after reading these two books. If I were to reread this book, I might knock it lower, but for now, four stars it is.
I thought the author made a solid, entertaining attempt to bridge the two Michael Keaton Batman movies. The biggest weakness of trying to write bridging stories is going to be "why wouldn't the events of the two books impact what happened in the movie?", and this weakness seemed to appear as I watched Batman Returns after finishing this book. However, I think including the various villains in this book helped bridge the gap between the two movies (as well as the prior book). Not sure how to explain it, but I felt that it fit.
Overall, it was a fun book to read. I enjoyed it far more than I anticipated or expected after reading the first book. I am not saying that this book did not have any weaknesses, any slow moments in the story, but I enjoyed it all the same despite its weaknesses. I find myself wishing the author were to write a few more books that take place after the second movie. I think he could do a bang up job of doing that after reading these two books. If I were to reread this book, I might knock it lower, but for now, four stars it is.
November 21, 2025
NaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNaNa - BAT SEQUEL!
In this follow-up to last year's Batman:Resurrection (which in turn is a follow up the the 1989 Batman film), Batman: Revolution delivers those Tim Burton, eighties, quirky crime-fighting vibes we've all come to expect from this version of the Caped Crusader.
Unfortunately, it's overly long and dare I say quite dull. About a quarter of the story felt like filler, and for a story full of riddles by none other than The Riddler, it never really felt gripping. Is it bad? No. Is it good? Eh.
The origin tale for this version of The Riddler is heartbreaking and is the emotional core of the book. In fact, Batman himself takes a backseat to the antagonist; it's really his story. There's some revolutionaries and some Gotham history stuff swirling around in there too. Also a mechanical flying menace and a bow and arrow mercenary. It does get muddled; but there are good bits too.
All said, this is the okay-est Batman book I've read. Take that as you will.
In this follow-up to last year's Batman:Resurrection (which in turn is a follow up the the 1989 Batman film), Batman: Revolution delivers those Tim Burton, eighties, quirky crime-fighting vibes we've all come to expect from this version of the Caped Crusader.
Unfortunately, it's overly long and dare I say quite dull. About a quarter of the story felt like filler, and for a story full of riddles by none other than The Riddler, it never really felt gripping. Is it bad? No. Is it good? Eh.
The origin tale for this version of The Riddler is heartbreaking and is the emotional core of the book. In fact, Batman himself takes a backseat to the antagonist; it's really his story. There's some revolutionaries and some Gotham history stuff swirling around in there too. Also a mechanical flying menace and a bow and arrow mercenary. It does get muddled; but there are good bits too.
All said, this is the okay-est Batman book I've read. Take that as you will.
November 29, 2025
Truly excellent franchise fiction. Really enjoyed it a great deal, and Miller leans into using the format with the second one. What's here is more complex than any movie could have hoped to be, but it still "feels" like a movie. He does an excellent job setting things up, as well, to make me want to revisit Batman Returns with this in my head. (I'm not the biggest fan of it, but what he does here sets it up for me to enjoy it as a capper to his own story.)
In short, I think it's well worth the read. As an old-school Batman 1989 fan, this has been one of my favorite reads of 2025.
In short, I think it's well worth the read. As an old-school Batman 1989 fan, this has been one of my favorite reads of 2025.
November 8, 2025
I read the first of this duology last year and loved it so I was really looking forward to reading this sequel.
Set a few months after the events of the previous book, Gotham finds itself under siege by a militia group, an assassin attacking people with arrows, a man with a flight suit, Batman has his hands full. But while this is going on Norman Pinkus, employee at the Gotham Globe and creator of the paper’s hot new puzzle game “Riddle Me This” is having the worst week of his life. Everything seems to go wrong all at once and soon Pinkus finds himself in the middle of all the chaos, taking on the mantle of the Riddler.
I went in with such high hopes and I have to say this is without a doubt the most infuriating and disappointing book I have read this year. That isn’t to say it is awful, but I am just baffled by some of the decisions taken in this book. Jackson Miller has single handedly ruined his own continuations of the Burton classic, this one feels less like a homage to those movies and more akin to a reimagining of the Schumacher films. There are some elements that feel like they are ripped straight out of the 60s TV show as well, I was expecting Batman to pull out some shark repellent bat-spray at one point, instead he has a freaking Bat-Van.
The stuff with Pinkus was decent enough but it almost felt like a retread of the same ground Jackson Miller walked with Basil Carlo on the previous book. A tortured soul who is turned into a villain by the people around him. I could see a baby face turn happening from a mile away and it just killed me that it was that predictable. The other villains are just there. The militia and their femme fatale leader, feel like they are in the wrong story, more a kin to the villains from Dark Knight Rises and having a rather similar goal. The other member of the rogues gallery that appears in the book is the novel’s flying villain, who I don’t want to spoil the reveal of as I was actually surprised at their inclusion. They are not the most obvious villain they could have chosen but he is treated again similarly to Bane from Rises…it feels like Jackson Miller just wanted to write his own version of that film instead.
Overall this was not the sequel I wanted it to be. By far the most disappointing this I read this year, not the worst but seriously not worth the wait.
Set a few months after the events of the previous book, Gotham finds itself under siege by a militia group, an assassin attacking people with arrows, a man with a flight suit, Batman has his hands full. But while this is going on Norman Pinkus, employee at the Gotham Globe and creator of the paper’s hot new puzzle game “Riddle Me This” is having the worst week of his life. Everything seems to go wrong all at once and soon Pinkus finds himself in the middle of all the chaos, taking on the mantle of the Riddler.
I went in with such high hopes and I have to say this is without a doubt the most infuriating and disappointing book I have read this year. That isn’t to say it is awful, but I am just baffled by some of the decisions taken in this book. Jackson Miller has single handedly ruined his own continuations of the Burton classic, this one feels less like a homage to those movies and more akin to a reimagining of the Schumacher films. There are some elements that feel like they are ripped straight out of the 60s TV show as well, I was expecting Batman to pull out some shark repellent bat-spray at one point, instead he has a freaking Bat-Van.
The stuff with Pinkus was decent enough but it almost felt like a retread of the same ground Jackson Miller walked with Basil Carlo on the previous book. A tortured soul who is turned into a villain by the people around him. I could see a baby face turn happening from a mile away and it just killed me that it was that predictable. The other villains are just there. The militia and their femme fatale leader, feel like they are in the wrong story, more a kin to the villains from Dark Knight Rises and having a rather similar goal. The other member of the rogues gallery that appears in the book is the novel’s flying villain, who I don’t want to spoil the reveal of as I was actually surprised at their inclusion. They are not the most obvious villain they could have chosen but he is treated again similarly to Bane from Rises…it feels like Jackson Miller just wanted to write his own version of that film instead.
Overall this was not the sequel I wanted it to be. By far the most disappointing this I read this year, not the worst but seriously not worth the wait.
December 8, 2025
The author works hard on the characters and the environment of Gotham City. This isn’t a poor substitute for a book like many based off of comic books are, but an actual enjoyable novel. It could have used a little more focus on the heroes, and it wasn’t quite as good as the first one, but it’s still an enjoyable read.
November 5, 2025
I liked it, and the way it weaves “Batman” and “Batman Returns” together. Just wish the author watched “The Dark Knight Rises” before plotting this one.
December 2, 2025
While not as fast-paced as the prior novel in the series, still an enjoyable read.
December 18, 2025
We love tim burton's batman so its nice to have two books continuing the franchise. We also love batman!
October 29, 2025
Great sequel to last year's Batman Ressurrection, so much fun. Gutted we arent getting more of these. JJM absolutely knocked it out of the park.
December 18, 2025
Not quiet good as the first book, but I still loved it
October 31, 2025
Real rating: 3.5/5
So big thing about this book - it's longer, it contains a stronger "Burton voice" than the last one, but obviously it really is a mix. A mix of Burton, Adam West, Animated Cartoon and Schumacher Batman. There's elements of everything. Burton can be seen in some of the dialogue. 66 and Animated Batman can be seen in the description of the Riddler and the audiobook voices, Adam West can be seen with the pole leading to the bat cave. It's all there, which is awesome for a Batman fan, but unrealistic for a Tim Burton fan, because more than dialogue, Burton is known for his vision, dreary, weird, pale, gothic.... and I don't really sense that with this book.
Story wise, I was a big fan of the Riddlers backstory, introduced as a good, humble man, who slowly turned into the Riddler after a really bad day and realization that maybe he's not as smart as he always thought he was. I really loved the transformation here. Even after becoming the Riddler, his actions aren't great, but they are fully understandable and you feel for him in certain parts. That's great.
The side story stuff with the underground militias and terror groups were the biggest part of the book I didn't care for though. The Riddler never really gets to fully shine on his own because he's simply just a part of this group. He becomes a bit of a celebrity, but not in the way you'd think.
This book also has a LOT of Selina Kyle though, aka Catwoman, and her boss Max Shreck, who you both see in the story that follows - Batman Returns. That is.... if there isn't another book between this and that. You never know
So big thing about this book - it's longer, it contains a stronger "Burton voice" than the last one, but obviously it really is a mix. A mix of Burton, Adam West, Animated Cartoon and Schumacher Batman. There's elements of everything. Burton can be seen in some of the dialogue. 66 and Animated Batman can be seen in the description of the Riddler and the audiobook voices, Adam West can be seen with the pole leading to the bat cave. It's all there, which is awesome for a Batman fan, but unrealistic for a Tim Burton fan, because more than dialogue, Burton is known for his vision, dreary, weird, pale, gothic.... and I don't really sense that with this book.
Story wise, I was a big fan of the Riddlers backstory, introduced as a good, humble man, who slowly turned into the Riddler after a really bad day and realization that maybe he's not as smart as he always thought he was. I really loved the transformation here. Even after becoming the Riddler, his actions aren't great, but they are fully understandable and you feel for him in certain parts. That's great.
The side story stuff with the underground militias and terror groups were the biggest part of the book I didn't care for though. The Riddler never really gets to fully shine on his own because he's simply just a part of this group. He becomes a bit of a celebrity, but not in the way you'd think.
This book also has a LOT of Selina Kyle though, aka Catwoman, and her boss Max Shreck, who you both see in the story that follows - Batman Returns. That is.... if there isn't another book between this and that. You never know
November 11, 2025
Burton-verse continues to expand!
This a prose novel which serves as a bridge between “Batman” and “Batman Returns” movies, but also is a direct sequel of the first novel “Batman: Resurrection”, which is a duology.
REWRITING THE SAGA
I have some initial mixed feelings with the premise of this second entry of the prose sequels by John Jackson Miller, working as a bridge between 1989’s Batman and its film sequel Batman Returns, since in the first entry you have a book using the plot holes left by the first film and preparing what was set for the film sequel and that was cool and brilliant.
When I knew about this book and I saw the cover, I thought “Cool! Like “Resurrection” was a bridge between “Batman” and “Batman Returns”, this second book will be a bridge between “Batman Forever” and “Batman & Robin””, but nope, that wasn’t the case, this second prose novel clearly establishes that the only canon stuff will the the first two movies directed by Tim Burton, and the remaining two didn’t exist here.
I know that Batman Forever and Batman & Robin aren’t in the same league than the original two movies, especially the disastrous Batman & Robin, but I think that Batman Forever is quite acceptable in its general development leaving that the final climax is sadlly too goofy and campy (while I am huge fan of the same campy 60’s TV series Batman, what works in the 60’s, it won’t work in the 90’s), still are part of the same saga, you have the same actors for Alfred and Commisioner Gordon, and while they have different actors for Batman character and different director, I have no problem to see them as part of a same saga..
…but it’s clear that many people don’t think the same and certainly John Jackson Miller didn’t think the same either.
Therefore, you have here a new Riddler, the Jim Carrey’s Riddler isn’t anymore, and now a totally new Riddler is developed. Of coourse, I can’t deny that this new Riddler is brilliantly developed and easily can be a way better version of Riddler, but still I’m kinda sad that instead of trying to use other plot holes or characters unused (while there is indeed several unused characters in the novel) that it was selected The Riddler that it was a too recognizable character and already used in the 90’s film saga.
Another thing that surprised me, it was this project will be only a duology, in other words, only two prose novels, I thought that it would at least a third entry, where a character Billy Dee Williams’ Harvey Dent would become Two-Face, I mean, I didn’t enjoy to have decanonize Batman Forever but if the author would erase Jim Carrey’s work, then why not erase Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face? I mean, I am fan of Tommy Lee Jones, but certainy his Two-Face wasn’t the pinacle of his acting career.
If they’d decanonize Batman Forever, well, do it all the way!
Even, since the genie is already out of the bottle, then why not being more ambitious and instead of just developing between the first two movies (and since the author isn’t tied to the remaining movies), well why not enlarge this prose expanded universe, and presenting his own versions of Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy or Bane, and even better to present totally new unused villains.
RIDDLE ME THIS, BATMAN!
OK, fair is fair, leaving behind the issue of decanonize the rest of 90’s “Batman” film saga, this second entry is as goood as the first one, where John Jackson Miller presents you a solid, very compelling new version of The Riddler, in the shoes of the character Norman Pinkus who is easily the cleverest person in Gotham City who when he was only a child, he deduced the identity of Thomas & Martha Waynes’ murderer! No less! Sadly in a long chain of tragic events in Pinkus’ life, his mother didn’t believe in his son’s intelect and she didn’t send a letter that Norman prepared to the GCPD trying to help to solve the grimm crime. Now as adult, he is convinced that the authorities are corrupt or inept, and he’s the only one to deal with the criminallity consuming Gotham City (even it’s revealed that he was the mysterious helper sending info to Batman in the previous book).
However, the path to Heaven is paved with good deeds, and Riddler’s deady methods soon enough would clash with Batman.
Something amusing is that it seems that always there is an incoming celebration in Gotham City, in the first movie, there was the 200 Anniversary, in the second movie, it was Winter and they have Xmas Celebrations, and now it's summer a new celebration is coming!
Also, there is the Aeterna Militia, which is reallly interesting, since they are villains but their goal is to fight the corrupt authorities and pivotal city figures, then like The Riddler, their cause is “just”, the problem is their killing methods. In this group, you have the introduction of some B-Level know vilains like Killer Moth and even cooler The Archer (who was a invented villain for the 1966’s Batman TV show) (and another cool reference to the 60’s TV show is that The Riddler at some point uses a knickname to address the GCPD using the name of “Bookworm” (who was yet another invented villlain for that TV Show and even he was a “replacement” of the The Riddler in a moment that the production was in conflict with Frank Gorshin (actor who played The Riddler in the TV series).
John Jackson Miller continous to masterfully filling up the gaps between the movies, like Batman’s reasoning that he needs a “Batboat” and start to prepare it.
It was a great book to read, and I do hope that it won’t the last that we seen of this “Burtonverse” prose novels.
This a prose novel which serves as a bridge between “Batman” and “Batman Returns” movies, but also is a direct sequel of the first novel “Batman: Resurrection”, which is a duology.
REWRITING THE SAGA
I have some initial mixed feelings with the premise of this second entry of the prose sequels by John Jackson Miller, working as a bridge between 1989’s Batman and its film sequel Batman Returns, since in the first entry you have a book using the plot holes left by the first film and preparing what was set for the film sequel and that was cool and brilliant.
When I knew about this book and I saw the cover, I thought “Cool! Like “Resurrection” was a bridge between “Batman” and “Batman Returns”, this second book will be a bridge between “Batman Forever” and “Batman & Robin””, but nope, that wasn’t the case, this second prose novel clearly establishes that the only canon stuff will the the first two movies directed by Tim Burton, and the remaining two didn’t exist here.
I know that Batman Forever and Batman & Robin aren’t in the same league than the original two movies, especially the disastrous Batman & Robin, but I think that Batman Forever is quite acceptable in its general development leaving that the final climax is sadlly too goofy and campy (while I am huge fan of the same campy 60’s TV series Batman, what works in the 60’s, it won’t work in the 90’s), still are part of the same saga, you have the same actors for Alfred and Commisioner Gordon, and while they have different actors for Batman character and different director, I have no problem to see them as part of a same saga..
…but it’s clear that many people don’t think the same and certainly John Jackson Miller didn’t think the same either.
Therefore, you have here a new Riddler, the Jim Carrey’s Riddler isn’t anymore, and now a totally new Riddler is developed. Of coourse, I can’t deny that this new Riddler is brilliantly developed and easily can be a way better version of Riddler, but still I’m kinda sad that instead of trying to use other plot holes or characters unused (while there is indeed several unused characters in the novel) that it was selected The Riddler that it was a too recognizable character and already used in the 90’s film saga.
Another thing that surprised me, it was this project will be only a duology, in other words, only two prose novels, I thought that it would at least a third entry, where a character Billy Dee Williams’ Harvey Dent would become Two-Face, I mean, I didn’t enjoy to have decanonize Batman Forever but if the author would erase Jim Carrey’s work, then why not erase Tommy Lee Jones’ Two-Face? I mean, I am fan of Tommy Lee Jones, but certainy his Two-Face wasn’t the pinacle of his acting career.
If they’d decanonize Batman Forever, well, do it all the way!
Even, since the genie is already out of the bottle, then why not being more ambitious and instead of just developing between the first two movies (and since the author isn’t tied to the remaining movies), well why not enlarge this prose expanded universe, and presenting his own versions of Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy or Bane, and even better to present totally new unused villains.
RIDDLE ME THIS, BATMAN!
OK, fair is fair, leaving behind the issue of decanonize the rest of 90’s “Batman” film saga, this second entry is as goood as the first one, where John Jackson Miller presents you a solid, very compelling new version of The Riddler, in the shoes of the character Norman Pinkus who is easily the cleverest person in Gotham City who when he was only a child, he deduced the identity of Thomas & Martha Waynes’ murderer! No less! Sadly in a long chain of tragic events in Pinkus’ life, his mother didn’t believe in his son’s intelect and she didn’t send a letter that Norman prepared to the GCPD trying to help to solve the grimm crime. Now as adult, he is convinced that the authorities are corrupt or inept, and he’s the only one to deal with the criminallity consuming Gotham City (even it’s revealed that he was the mysterious helper sending info to Batman in the previous book).
However, the path to Heaven is paved with good deeds, and Riddler’s deady methods soon enough would clash with Batman.
Something amusing is that it seems that always there is an incoming celebration in Gotham City, in the first movie, there was the 200 Anniversary, in the second movie, it was Winter and they have Xmas Celebrations, and now it's summer a new celebration is coming!
Also, there is the Aeterna Militia, which is reallly interesting, since they are villains but their goal is to fight the corrupt authorities and pivotal city figures, then like The Riddler, their cause is “just”, the problem is their killing methods. In this group, you have the introduction of some B-Level know vilains like Killer Moth and even cooler The Archer (who was a invented villain for the 1966’s Batman TV show) (and another cool reference to the 60’s TV show is that The Riddler at some point uses a knickname to address the GCPD using the name of “Bookworm” (who was yet another invented villlain for that TV Show and even he was a “replacement” of the The Riddler in a moment that the production was in conflict with Frank Gorshin (actor who played The Riddler in the TV series).
John Jackson Miller continous to masterfully filling up the gaps between the movies, like Batman’s reasoning that he needs a “Batboat” and start to prepare it.
It was a great book to read, and I do hope that it won’t the last that we seen of this “Burtonverse” prose novels.
October 23, 2025
Batman: Resolution by John Jackson Miller is the follow-up to last year’s Batman: Resurrection. Taking place in the Tim Burton universe between Batman (1989) and Batman Returns, Miller once again breathes incredible depth into Burton’s Gotham City.
This sequel unfolds during the Fourth of July as Gotham attempts to redo its centennial celebration—an event previously ruined by the Joker. The story follows Norman Pinkus, a copy boy first teased in Resurrection, who has a fascination with riddles. Meanwhile, Gotham is under siege by an activist militia with big ideas and a mysterious flying monster tormenting Batman. Over the course of the story, Norman experiences one truly bad day that drives him to become the Riddler, eventually joining forces with Camille, the militia’s leader.
From the start, Norman felt destined for that bad day, and even though I saw it coming, his reveal and full transformation into the Riddler were well-earned. I loved how the book uses “Edward Nygma” as the name credited in the newspaper puzzles. Norman also calls into the police tip line to help solve crimes—something established in Resurrection—but under the alias The Bookworm, a clever callback to the classic villain from the 1960s Batman TV series. Since Norman works at the paper, we also get a lot more of Knox in this book. One of my favorite parts of Resurrection was his expanded role, and this story continues that nicely. I laughed out loud when it was revealed that Norman would go on a double date with Knox—and that his date would be none other than Selina Kyle!
Although Selina seemed a bit timid here, she didn’t quite feel like the same character we meet later in Returns, before her Catwoman transformation. Still, I loved their entire interaction—from Norman’s awkward “accident” at the table to their showdown with some goons. We even get a few more Knox and Selina moments later in the story, which were great touches.
The militia plays a major role throughout, with strong connections to the Revolutionary War and even Corto Maltese. It’s not something I expected, but it added a unique and timely layer to the story. The political themes felt surprisingly relevant, regardless of where you stand. Norman’s intellectual approach to connecting all the threads was fascinating and really showcased his intelligence. Miller’s Riddler feels very reminiscent of Paul Dano’s version from The Batman—less about a killing spree, more about intellect and influence.
One reveal I absolutely didn’t see coming was that the flying menace terrorizing Gotham—and aiding the militia—was Miller’s take on Killer Moth! I honestly don’t remember ever seeing the character executed this well. Miller nailed it.
As before, Gotham feels more fleshed out than ever. We see plenty of Max Shreck, with Riddler pulling elaborate pranks on him through his hotline (the one with the animals in the store had me grinning). In Returns, Penguin mentions Fred Atkins—or more specifically, his hand—but here, Fred is alive and well… at least for now. It’s a small detail, but it helps tie the world together beautifully. We also get more from Dent, Barbara Gordon, Mayor Borg, and other familiar Gotham faces.
Another standout aspect is how much more Batman and Gordon work together. There’s a heartfelt moment after an ambush that really strengthens their bond. I wish we had seen more of that dynamic in the Keaton films. We also learn Gordon was more involved in Bruce’s life after his parents were killed by Napier—and that his partner in that flashback wasn’t Bob, but someone else tied to Batman lore.
I truly hope Miller continues exploring the Burtonverse. He connects this story to Sam Hamm’s Batman ’89 comic, which featured a potential Riddler of its own. Maybe we’ll get a third act from both creators! I’d love to see this story expand further, especially after Strange’s return at the end—and the ending of Echoes.
Miller has once again expanded Burton’s Gotham in a fantastic way. His take on Batman feels perfectly in line with Keaton’s portrayal. While the story can get a bit detail-heavy at times, that fits perfectly with a villain like the Riddler. The ending ties everything together wonderfully, connecting both the Burton films and Miller’s first novel with tons of callbacks that will make fans smile.
It’s a must-read for any Batman fan. 5 out of 5! 🦇
This sequel unfolds during the Fourth of July as Gotham attempts to redo its centennial celebration—an event previously ruined by the Joker. The story follows Norman Pinkus, a copy boy first teased in Resurrection, who has a fascination with riddles. Meanwhile, Gotham is under siege by an activist militia with big ideas and a mysterious flying monster tormenting Batman. Over the course of the story, Norman experiences one truly bad day that drives him to become the Riddler, eventually joining forces with Camille, the militia’s leader.
From the start, Norman felt destined for that bad day, and even though I saw it coming, his reveal and full transformation into the Riddler were well-earned. I loved how the book uses “Edward Nygma” as the name credited in the newspaper puzzles. Norman also calls into the police tip line to help solve crimes—something established in Resurrection—but under the alias The Bookworm, a clever callback to the classic villain from the 1960s Batman TV series. Since Norman works at the paper, we also get a lot more of Knox in this book. One of my favorite parts of Resurrection was his expanded role, and this story continues that nicely. I laughed out loud when it was revealed that Norman would go on a double date with Knox—and that his date would be none other than Selina Kyle!
Although Selina seemed a bit timid here, she didn’t quite feel like the same character we meet later in Returns, before her Catwoman transformation. Still, I loved their entire interaction—from Norman’s awkward “accident” at the table to their showdown with some goons. We even get a few more Knox and Selina moments later in the story, which were great touches.
The militia plays a major role throughout, with strong connections to the Revolutionary War and even Corto Maltese. It’s not something I expected, but it added a unique and timely layer to the story. The political themes felt surprisingly relevant, regardless of where you stand. Norman’s intellectual approach to connecting all the threads was fascinating and really showcased his intelligence. Miller’s Riddler feels very reminiscent of Paul Dano’s version from The Batman—less about a killing spree, more about intellect and influence.
One reveal I absolutely didn’t see coming was that the flying menace terrorizing Gotham—and aiding the militia—was Miller’s take on Killer Moth! I honestly don’t remember ever seeing the character executed this well. Miller nailed it.
As before, Gotham feels more fleshed out than ever. We see plenty of Max Shreck, with Riddler pulling elaborate pranks on him through his hotline (the one with the animals in the store had me grinning). In Returns, Penguin mentions Fred Atkins—or more specifically, his hand—but here, Fred is alive and well… at least for now. It’s a small detail, but it helps tie the world together beautifully. We also get more from Dent, Barbara Gordon, Mayor Borg, and other familiar Gotham faces.
Another standout aspect is how much more Batman and Gordon work together. There’s a heartfelt moment after an ambush that really strengthens their bond. I wish we had seen more of that dynamic in the Keaton films. We also learn Gordon was more involved in Bruce’s life after his parents were killed by Napier—and that his partner in that flashback wasn’t Bob, but someone else tied to Batman lore.
I truly hope Miller continues exploring the Burtonverse. He connects this story to Sam Hamm’s Batman ’89 comic, which featured a potential Riddler of its own. Maybe we’ll get a third act from both creators! I’d love to see this story expand further, especially after Strange’s return at the end—and the ending of Echoes.
Miller has once again expanded Burton’s Gotham in a fantastic way. His take on Batman feels perfectly in line with Keaton’s portrayal. While the story can get a bit detail-heavy at times, that fits perfectly with a villain like the Riddler. The ending ties everything together wonderfully, connecting both the Burton films and Miller’s first novel with tons of callbacks that will make fans smile.
It’s a must-read for any Batman fan. 5 out of 5! 🦇
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2025
4.5/5 stars
In Batman: Revolution, John Jackson Miller returns once again to the world of Tim Burton’s Batman films, marrying their gothic overtures with a surprisingly grounded and tense exploration of political unrest. It’s been mere months since Batman’s defeat of the Joker, and tensions run high in Gotham City. A brand new serial killer stalks the streets of Gotham, terrorizing victims with a cello and a bow and arrow; there’s a group of radical revolutionaries targeting the political elite of Gotham City; and, most unexpectedly of all, there's the newspaper puzzle that’s sweeping the city, written by the mysterious Edward Nygma. But, as is often the case in Gotham, this seemingly disparate group of people are about to cross paths in the deadliest of ways—and it’s up to Batman to put a stop to the carnage before July 4th sparks a brand new, far deadlier American Revolution.
Batman: Revolution's greatest strength lies in the way Miller fleshes out the antagonists of the story. The Riddler (aka Edward Nygma, aka Norman Pinkus) is practically a co-lead in this book, and Miller writes him with a lot of empathy. You feel for the guy, even as he goes down this really dark path. In a way, he’s as much of a mirror to Batman as someone like the Joker is—a prime example of how good intentions can go incredibly wrong in the blink of an eye. Here’s this guy, his superpower is his ability to very quickly make connections that others miss, and he desperately wants to help the citizens of Gotham while being taken seriously in the process. But as is often the case in Gotham City, the little guy’s destined to be smashed underneath the boot of the powerful and corrupt. And that’s precisely what sends Norman down the rabbit hole that leads him to becoming the Riddler—a version of the character we've rarely seen before.
And then there are the revolutionaries threatening Gotham with untold destruction and mayhem. But, yet again, Miller explores them with a great deal of empathy and understanding. How does a person go from an average citizen to an anarchist craving a total upheaval of the government? Well, it’s complicated. And Miller explores those complexities immensely well, crafting a narrative around them that’s as tense and thrilling as it is emotionally satisfying. This is Gotham Coty at its worst. There are shades of the anarchy found in the Nolan Batman films mixed with the mobster drama and supernatural tendencies of the Burton ones. It’s a perfect blending of all kinds of Batman mythologies, just seen through the lens of that period between Burton’s two Batman films.
Like with Miller’s previous Batman novel, Batman: Resurrection, Bruce Wayne and Batman get the shorter end of the stick. But honestly, that’s for the best—and it’s in line with the approach Burton took with his movies, too. Batman is more of a symbol here, and Bruce continues to struggle with the balance of Batman’s responsibilities and maintaining a public persona that benefits the citizens of Gotham as much as Batman’s actions do. But really, this isn’t Bruce Wayne’s story, and he acts more as a figure to compare the Riddler and the Sons of Freedom to. But honestly, it works. You’re never missing Batman very much, and Miller’s exploration of the more political side of Gotham City proves immensely more fascinating than retreading a bunch of familiar Batman lore anyway.
Put simply, if you’re looking for a Batman story that weds the grandeur of the Burton films with more modern-day explorations of political unrest, you’re in for an absolute treat with Batman: Revolution. It’s a tightly-paced thrill ride from start to finish that’s as action-packed and tense as it is emotionally satisfying.
Reviewed for Geek Vibes Nation's October 2025 Book Round-Up.
Note: A review copy of Batman: Revolution was provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
In Batman: Revolution, John Jackson Miller returns once again to the world of Tim Burton’s Batman films, marrying their gothic overtures with a surprisingly grounded and tense exploration of political unrest. It’s been mere months since Batman’s defeat of the Joker, and tensions run high in Gotham City. A brand new serial killer stalks the streets of Gotham, terrorizing victims with a cello and a bow and arrow; there’s a group of radical revolutionaries targeting the political elite of Gotham City; and, most unexpectedly of all, there's the newspaper puzzle that’s sweeping the city, written by the mysterious Edward Nygma. But, as is often the case in Gotham, this seemingly disparate group of people are about to cross paths in the deadliest of ways—and it’s up to Batman to put a stop to the carnage before July 4th sparks a brand new, far deadlier American Revolution.
Batman: Revolution's greatest strength lies in the way Miller fleshes out the antagonists of the story. The Riddler (aka Edward Nygma, aka Norman Pinkus) is practically a co-lead in this book, and Miller writes him with a lot of empathy. You feel for the guy, even as he goes down this really dark path. In a way, he’s as much of a mirror to Batman as someone like the Joker is—a prime example of how good intentions can go incredibly wrong in the blink of an eye. Here’s this guy, his superpower is his ability to very quickly make connections that others miss, and he desperately wants to help the citizens of Gotham while being taken seriously in the process. But as is often the case in Gotham City, the little guy’s destined to be smashed underneath the boot of the powerful and corrupt. And that’s precisely what sends Norman down the rabbit hole that leads him to becoming the Riddler—a version of the character we've rarely seen before.
And then there are the revolutionaries threatening Gotham with untold destruction and mayhem. But, yet again, Miller explores them with a great deal of empathy and understanding. How does a person go from an average citizen to an anarchist craving a total upheaval of the government? Well, it’s complicated. And Miller explores those complexities immensely well, crafting a narrative around them that’s as tense and thrilling as it is emotionally satisfying. This is Gotham Coty at its worst. There are shades of the anarchy found in the Nolan Batman films mixed with the mobster drama and supernatural tendencies of the Burton ones. It’s a perfect blending of all kinds of Batman mythologies, just seen through the lens of that period between Burton’s two Batman films.
Like with Miller’s previous Batman novel, Batman: Resurrection, Bruce Wayne and Batman get the shorter end of the stick. But honestly, that’s for the best—and it’s in line with the approach Burton took with his movies, too. Batman is more of a symbol here, and Bruce continues to struggle with the balance of Batman’s responsibilities and maintaining a public persona that benefits the citizens of Gotham as much as Batman’s actions do. But really, this isn’t Bruce Wayne’s story, and he acts more as a figure to compare the Riddler and the Sons of Freedom to. But honestly, it works. You’re never missing Batman very much, and Miller’s exploration of the more political side of Gotham City proves immensely more fascinating than retreading a bunch of familiar Batman lore anyway.
Put simply, if you’re looking for a Batman story that weds the grandeur of the Burton films with more modern-day explorations of political unrest, you’re in for an absolute treat with Batman: Revolution. It’s a tightly-paced thrill ride from start to finish that’s as action-packed and tense as it is emotionally satisfying.
Reviewed for Geek Vibes Nation's October 2025 Book Round-Up.
Note: A review copy of Batman: Revolution was provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
January 27, 2026
Lower on my totem pole of John Jackson Miller works, this is still a gripping story with all the ‘89 trappings, reverence, and adoration that made the first so special. Where Resurrection was a tribute to the 1989 original, this is patently a sequel to that book. Meanwhile it does some lead-up to Returns. I don’t like Returns very much haha. So that stuff was neat to see, but it did not elicit the same response I had to the callbacks, references, and retcons/explanations of Resurrection. Story for story, I think this is a stronger one at first glance, but I also enjoyed it less because it was characters (really just villains) I cared about less. I fought the urge to Google and ultimately wish I’d done it, because I kept expecting a character reveal where none was planned — I just didn’t know the character was a character haha. It was also an accidental fakeout upon that character’s introduction for me, because I thought he was another DC hero we were getting to see in this universe. That was incorrect and I never quite got over that hurdle, even when it became clear it wasn’t him, because I still thought some other rug-pull was coming. It wasn’t haha. That was distracting, but even if I had just looked it up and been less confused, I still wouldn’t have cared much about one particular villain.
That said, this might be my new favorite Riddler. He’s wonderful, and feels to me exactly like a Tim Burton character. It doesn’t feel like how Burton would have written him into a Returns, but I could buy him in ’89, seemingly still working to bridge the gap while the mood gets slightly more frantic by the end to kinda ease into Rocket Penguins in just a short while.
I’m also certain some of this is setting up the ‘89 comics I’ve not read yet. I’ll be getting to those very shortly. I’ve heard mixed things about them, and Miller seems pretty sure that this is a 2-book series; I’m desperately praying to Darkseid that he writes a comic book follow-up (dare I dream of his adaptation of Returns first? I don’t want to ask Santa for too much, but please?), ‘cause there’s just no better choice than Miller. He’s proven he understands this material inside and out, he has a cast-iron-grip on the voices of these characters. I want more. I’m greedy, this is too delicious.
Speaking of voices though, I don’t remember if I commented on him before or not, but this narrator must have no idea this is based on ‘89. He may have seen BTAS and assumed this was that, perhaps, because his voices are close to those. But it took some doing to reassign the voices back to how they should’ve been in my head. They’re spot on… but the narrator stood in the way of that this time haha. I think I’d said before I was getting this in print so I could avoid that problem, and I didn’t for the sake of consistency. But one day I will own both of these on my shelf and reread them. For me to want to reread a book is a mark of high praise, that’s not usually my thing. But these books very much were my thing, and I want more. ‘89 is not my favorite Batman continuity/status quo, but Miller is rapidly making it so — I say in the review I started with “this is some of my least favorite work from him”. He might be my favorite author.
In the negatives side of things, I think the militia plotline could have been set up a bit more. I know it was there, but it seemed to be so in the background for so long I felt blindsided when they became the main story. Minor spoiler I suppose, but I like how Miller is able to adapt/roll up so many versions of Riddler into one this way, because we get a fair amount of The Batman feel here from that side of things, but he’s always in the silhouette of Gorshin, which is always where Riddler should be in my opinion. When you lose the hat, you lose the character, and this character rocks. I just wish I latched onto the surrounding villains more. Little bit of Amazing Spidey 2-ing happening, but thankfully not in a critical overload form like that movie.
I’m rambling. I’ll leave the rest for my reread in thirty years.
That said, this might be my new favorite Riddler. He’s wonderful, and feels to me exactly like a Tim Burton character. It doesn’t feel like how Burton would have written him into a Returns, but I could buy him in ’89, seemingly still working to bridge the gap while the mood gets slightly more frantic by the end to kinda ease into Rocket Penguins in just a short while.
I’m also certain some of this is setting up the ‘89 comics I’ve not read yet. I’ll be getting to those very shortly. I’ve heard mixed things about them, and Miller seems pretty sure that this is a 2-book series; I’m desperately praying to Darkseid that he writes a comic book follow-up (dare I dream of his adaptation of Returns first? I don’t want to ask Santa for too much, but please?), ‘cause there’s just no better choice than Miller. He’s proven he understands this material inside and out, he has a cast-iron-grip on the voices of these characters. I want more. I’m greedy, this is too delicious.
Speaking of voices though, I don’t remember if I commented on him before or not, but this narrator must have no idea this is based on ‘89. He may have seen BTAS and assumed this was that, perhaps, because his voices are close to those. But it took some doing to reassign the voices back to how they should’ve been in my head. They’re spot on… but the narrator stood in the way of that this time haha. I think I’d said before I was getting this in print so I could avoid that problem, and I didn’t for the sake of consistency. But one day I will own both of these on my shelf and reread them. For me to want to reread a book is a mark of high praise, that’s not usually my thing. But these books very much were my thing, and I want more. ‘89 is not my favorite Batman continuity/status quo, but Miller is rapidly making it so — I say in the review I started with “this is some of my least favorite work from him”. He might be my favorite author.
In the negatives side of things, I think the militia plotline could have been set up a bit more. I know it was there, but it seemed to be so in the background for so long I felt blindsided when they became the main story. Minor spoiler I suppose, but I like how Miller is able to adapt/roll up so many versions of Riddler into one this way, because we get a fair amount of The Batman feel here from that side of things, but he’s always in the silhouette of Gorshin, which is always where Riddler should be in my opinion. When you lose the hat, you lose the character, and this character rocks. I just wish I latched onto the surrounding villains more. Little bit of Amazing Spidey 2-ing happening, but thankfully not in a critical overload form like that movie.
I’m rambling. I’ll leave the rest for my reread in thirty years.
February 1, 2026
I really liked this book. So why only 3 stars? Because this book was an easy sell from the beginning. I love Batman, I love Michael Keaton as Batman, I love expanding universes and extended storytelling and I really liked the previous entry. A lot of the heavy lifting was already done.
And this book does a good job of keeping the momentum from the previous book and they tie in together very nicely. The plot is actually well thought out and the characters are very faithful to the Keaton movies. There is so much going for it but there is just something that is lacking and I can't quite put my finger on it.
The author might have done it to himself by raising this book from standard superhero media status -- which carries its own grading scale for me -- to an actual novel that can stand next to non-superhero media. As a superhero book, it reads too much like a non-superhero book and lacks some of the BOOM POW action I have come to expect. It could have been quite a bit shorter in my opinion. It felt a bit long to tell the story it needed to tell but maybe if it was shorter than we wouldn't see the full 'revolution' of the Riddler told in this story, which is probably the highlight of this book.
I loved seeing the actual creation of the Riddler; not just because of some freak accident, but his evolution from a child being shaped by his mothers values to an adult that tries to do good, to the world beating him down, to finding acceptance in a group of like-minded people who give him confidence, to finding his 'true' self, and full circle back to the man who is still influenced by the values instilled in him at an early age. The whole process was really well done and is rare in most books, let alone superhero books.
I know that gadgets and wonderful toys are a big part of the Batman mythos and that he is always prepared but there were times in this story where he just happened to have exactly what he needed at his fingertips and given the level of realism this book tried to give this story, those instances undercut that realism.
I am not sure why I am being so hard on this book. I have given quite a few of my B-movie genre books better grades than 3 stars but that is because they elevate themselves above the rest of that genre. This book took itself so seriously (I don't have a problem with that) that it removed itself from that forgiving sliding scale of mine into less-forgiving territory, and when that happened it is just good but not great.
Hopefully if you are reading this you will understand what I am trying to say and if you don't then I apologize--that is on me. From what I could tell based on the authors notes at the end, this might be the last book in the series. I hope not. I would very much welcome another book by this author in the Keaton-verse, whether is before or after Batman Returns and whether or not it is as serious as this book was or something a little more comic-book-y.
If you were even a little bit interested in this book when you saw the cover, then I would highly-recommend this book. Ignore my rating and judge for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
And this book does a good job of keeping the momentum from the previous book and they tie in together very nicely. The plot is actually well thought out and the characters are very faithful to the Keaton movies. There is so much going for it but there is just something that is lacking and I can't quite put my finger on it.
The author might have done it to himself by raising this book from standard superhero media status -- which carries its own grading scale for me -- to an actual novel that can stand next to non-superhero media. As a superhero book, it reads too much like a non-superhero book and lacks some of the BOOM POW action I have come to expect. It could have been quite a bit shorter in my opinion. It felt a bit long to tell the story it needed to tell but maybe if it was shorter than we wouldn't see the full 'revolution' of the Riddler told in this story, which is probably the highlight of this book.
I loved seeing the actual creation of the Riddler; not just because of some freak accident, but his evolution from a child being shaped by his mothers values to an adult that tries to do good, to the world beating him down, to finding acceptance in a group of like-minded people who give him confidence, to finding his 'true' self, and full circle back to the man who is still influenced by the values instilled in him at an early age. The whole process was really well done and is rare in most books, let alone superhero books.
I know that gadgets and wonderful toys are a big part of the Batman mythos and that he is always prepared but there were times in this story where he just happened to have exactly what he needed at his fingertips and given the level of realism this book tried to give this story, those instances undercut that realism.
I am not sure why I am being so hard on this book. I have given quite a few of my B-movie genre books better grades than 3 stars but that is because they elevate themselves above the rest of that genre. This book took itself so seriously (I don't have a problem with that) that it removed itself from that forgiving sliding scale of mine into less-forgiving territory, and when that happened it is just good but not great.
Hopefully if you are reading this you will understand what I am trying to say and if you don't then I apologize--that is on me. From what I could tell based on the authors notes at the end, this might be the last book in the series. I hope not. I would very much welcome another book by this author in the Keaton-verse, whether is before or after Batman Returns and whether or not it is as serious as this book was or something a little more comic-book-y.
If you were even a little bit interested in this book when you saw the cover, then I would highly-recommend this book. Ignore my rating and judge for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
November 22, 2025
Enjoyed this one more than it's predecessor.
John Jackson Miller again lends a literary hand to the Burton Batman universe and this time sprinkles this world with well crafted faux American Revolution events and references, homages to classical composers, and a borderline Shakespearean rise/fall/rise of one of the more fleshed out versions of a Batman villain--Norman Pinkus as the Riddler. This Riddler (who would not have been my first choice as villain) has legitimate motivations for his brand of villainy that feel believable and lived-in.
I said in my review of Resurrection that I've always preferred Batman Returns to Batman '89. And since this book is the direct lead up to Burton's sequel, I was excited to see everyone get into their Returns starting places. You get a lot more of Selina Kyle and even learn the reason for Fred Atkins' "extended vacation": , and the origin of the new mayor in that film .
And even though I'd had my fill of Joker and Smylex references, I can appreciate Miller's real-world take on the fact that a disaster of those gargantuan proportions wouldn't just go away over the course of mere months. There have to be tangible consequences (delayed deaths, lawsuits, etc.) and this novel isn't afraid to delve deep where Batman Returns, ostensibly taking place six months or so after Batman '89, hardly acknowledges the events' existence.
Fun action sequences include:
-Batman escaping the burning Wave Rock building
-The "because the subject is over my head" scene, where Batman realizes the Riddler knows where he is hiding and has to dodge a barrage of bullets from below
-Bruce using Batman's drones to try and stop their kidnapping in a fun car chase
And I have to state my favorite reveal of the book: .
I had read a lot of reviews that were disappointed in re-hashed themes and plot points from The Dark Knight Rises. I agreed that the general theme of dissidents and revolution had been done in a Batman medium before, but it wasn't until the ending that I felt the comparison hit me in the head like a Batarang (i.e., ). In a book chock full of villains, the Riddler stands out and those that lean more heavily into The Dark Knight Rises field are hard to take at times (Killer Moth, the Archer, Camille).
Overall, I highly recommend. Not perfect, but a story with high octane action, some deep themes, and well developed characters. A suitable sendoff for a duology that we needed, but did not necessarily deserve.
John Jackson Miller again lends a literary hand to the Burton Batman universe and this time sprinkles this world with well crafted faux American Revolution events and references, homages to classical composers, and a borderline Shakespearean rise/fall/rise of one of the more fleshed out versions of a Batman villain--Norman Pinkus as the Riddler. This Riddler (who would not have been my first choice as villain) has legitimate motivations for his brand of villainy that feel believable and lived-in.
I said in my review of Resurrection that I've always preferred Batman Returns to Batman '89. And since this book is the direct lead up to Burton's sequel, I was excited to see everyone get into their Returns starting places. You get a lot more of Selina Kyle and even learn the reason for Fred Atkins' "extended vacation": , and the origin of the new mayor in that film .
And even though I'd had my fill of Joker and Smylex references, I can appreciate Miller's real-world take on the fact that a disaster of those gargantuan proportions wouldn't just go away over the course of mere months. There have to be tangible consequences (delayed deaths, lawsuits, etc.) and this novel isn't afraid to delve deep where Batman Returns, ostensibly taking place six months or so after Batman '89, hardly acknowledges the events' existence.
Fun action sequences include:
-Batman escaping the burning Wave Rock building
-The "because the subject is over my head" scene, where Batman realizes the Riddler knows where he is hiding and has to dodge a barrage of bullets from below
-Bruce using Batman's drones to try and stop their kidnapping in a fun car chase
And I have to state my favorite reveal of the book: .
I had read a lot of reviews that were disappointed in re-hashed themes and plot points from The Dark Knight Rises. I agreed that the general theme of dissidents and revolution had been done in a Batman medium before, but it wasn't until the ending that I felt the comparison hit me in the head like a Batarang (i.e., ). In a book chock full of villains, the Riddler stands out and those that lean more heavily into The Dark Knight Rises field are hard to take at times (Killer Moth, the Archer, Camille).
Overall, I highly recommend. Not perfect, but a story with high octane action, some deep themes, and well developed characters. A suitable sendoff for a duology that we needed, but did not necessarily deserve.
December 9, 2025
John Jackson Miller has done it again. Batman: Revolution drops readers right back into the shadow-soaked, gothic grit of Tim Burton's Gotham — set between Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) — and immediately feels like home for anyone who loves that era of the Dark Knight. This is a direct continuation of Miller's earlier tie-in novel,
Batman: Resurrection
[read my review here], and once again, he absolutely nails the tone, atmosphere, and character voices of Burton's world.
The standout storyline for me was unquestionably The Riddler's. Here, Norman Pinkus — aka The Bookworm — evolves into a compelling, surprisingly sympathetic version of the future Riddler. His arc is layered, emotional, and painfully relatable at times. Even when he reaches his villainous heights (or lows, depending on your viewpoint), I still found myself on his side more often than not. It's the kind of nuanced villain origin story we rarely get in Batman media, and it genuinely made me wish this version existed on screen.
The supporting character threads are equally thoughtful. Selina Kyle appears in what feels like a perfect prelude to the character we meet in Batman Returns. She's not a major player here — more of a tertiary presence — but her scenes enrich both this novel and the eventual film portrayal. Max Shreck is similarly well-rendered, feeling faithful to Christopher Walken's interpretation while slotting neatly into the story's timeline. Camille and her militia group bring a fresh dynamic to Gotham: a storyline exploring class warfare and social unrest, which is something Batman narratives don't always give enough attention to. In a city overflowing with the ultra-rich, Miller digs into the resentment simmering below the surface.
Action sequences are thrilling and perfectly tuned to the Burton aesthetic. The Bat-tech is inventive and cinematic — exactly the kind of thing I wish had made it into the films. For a fairly long novel, the pacing is remarkably tight; there were no fluff sections or unnecessary detours. Every scene pushes the narrative forward with purpose.
What puts this firmly at 5 stars for me is the nostalgia factor paired with Miller's talent for tie-in fiction. He's already proven himself across Star Wars and Star Trek, but capturing Burton's Gotham is another challenge entirely. Yet he pulls it off effortlessly. The atmosphere, the tone, the dry humor, the operatic drama — it's all here. And the Riddler storyline alone elevates this from a good tie-in to a genuinely compelling Batman novel.
This is a must-read for fans of the Burton films and for anyone who loves a Batman story with a strong sense of place, character, and emotional complexity.
And honestly... does anyone else sometimes find themselves rooting for the villains in Batman stories? Because reading this — and, frankly, watching The Dark Knight Rises — makes me wonder if Gotham doesn't occasionally need a hard reset...
The standout storyline for me was unquestionably The Riddler's. Here, Norman Pinkus — aka The Bookworm — evolves into a compelling, surprisingly sympathetic version of the future Riddler. His arc is layered, emotional, and painfully relatable at times. Even when he reaches his villainous heights (or lows, depending on your viewpoint), I still found myself on his side more often than not. It's the kind of nuanced villain origin story we rarely get in Batman media, and it genuinely made me wish this version existed on screen.
The supporting character threads are equally thoughtful. Selina Kyle appears in what feels like a perfect prelude to the character we meet in Batman Returns. She's not a major player here — more of a tertiary presence — but her scenes enrich both this novel and the eventual film portrayal. Max Shreck is similarly well-rendered, feeling faithful to Christopher Walken's interpretation while slotting neatly into the story's timeline. Camille and her militia group bring a fresh dynamic to Gotham: a storyline exploring class warfare and social unrest, which is something Batman narratives don't always give enough attention to. In a city overflowing with the ultra-rich, Miller digs into the resentment simmering below the surface.
Action sequences are thrilling and perfectly tuned to the Burton aesthetic. The Bat-tech is inventive and cinematic — exactly the kind of thing I wish had made it into the films. For a fairly long novel, the pacing is remarkably tight; there were no fluff sections or unnecessary detours. Every scene pushes the narrative forward with purpose.
What puts this firmly at 5 stars for me is the nostalgia factor paired with Miller's talent for tie-in fiction. He's already proven himself across Star Wars and Star Trek, but capturing Burton's Gotham is another challenge entirely. Yet he pulls it off effortlessly. The atmosphere, the tone, the dry humor, the operatic drama — it's all here. And the Riddler storyline alone elevates this from a good tie-in to a genuinely compelling Batman novel.
This is a must-read for fans of the Burton films and for anyone who loves a Batman story with a strong sense of place, character, and emotional complexity.
And honestly... does anyone else sometimes find themselves rooting for the villains in Batman stories? Because reading this — and, frankly, watching The Dark Knight Rises — makes me wonder if Gotham doesn't occasionally need a hard reset...
November 19, 2025
Batman: Resurrection – 4.5/5
John Jackson Miller’s Batman: Resurrection is the closest thing we’ll ever get to a lost Tim Burton sequel, and for about 85% of its 400+ pages, it feels like an absolute triumph. Miller captures the 1989 film’s fever-dream Gotham so perfectly you can taste the smog and hear Prince’s “Partyman” echoing off gargoyles. The rain-slicked atmosphere, the purple-orange streetlights, the Elfman-esque dread: all here, distilled into prose that somehow feels more gothic than the movie itself. Bruce Wayne’s insomnia and guilt are rendered with a rawness the screen version only hinted at, and the new Clayface (Karlo Babić) is one of the most tragic, genuinely frightening Batman villains in years. When Batman’s fighting a melting, shape-shifting horror on a cathedral roof in a thunderstorm, it’s pure Keaton-era nightmare fuel.
The plot is smartly constructed: a slow-burn detective story about lingering Joker trauma that keeps escalating into bigger conspiracies, corporate villainy (Max Shreck is deliciously slimy), and spectacular set pieces (the burning chemical plant Batmobile chase is worth the cover price alone). Alfred, Gordon, and Vicki Vale all feel like real extensions of their film counterparts rather than cameos.
Where it loses half a star for me is pacing in the final quarter. A couple of subplots (particularly one involving city council red tape) drag a bit, and the resolution, while satisfying, leans a touch too tidy compared to the glorious messiness of Burton’s actual movies. I also wanted the Joker’s shadow to feel even more ambiguous and sinister; Miller ultimately gives us a definitive answer when a little more “is he really dead?” dread might have cut deeper.
Still, this is easily one of the best Batman novels ever written and the single best thing ever done with the Burton continuity. 4.5/5 feels exactly right: damn near perfect, with just enough room left for the impossible dream of an even darker, bloodier, R-rated film adaptation.
And honestly? Give Tim Burton (or someone with his exact sensibilities) a $150 million budget and an R rating, and turn both Resurrection and the upcoming Revolution into the unhinged, gothic horror-superhero duology we deserved after 1992. Keaton’s Batman was always one bad night away from completely breaking. Let’s finally watch him fall.
John Jackson Miller’s Batman: Resurrection is the closest thing we’ll ever get to a lost Tim Burton sequel, and for about 85% of its 400+ pages, it feels like an absolute triumph. Miller captures the 1989 film’s fever-dream Gotham so perfectly you can taste the smog and hear Prince’s “Partyman” echoing off gargoyles. The rain-slicked atmosphere, the purple-orange streetlights, the Elfman-esque dread: all here, distilled into prose that somehow feels more gothic than the movie itself. Bruce Wayne’s insomnia and guilt are rendered with a rawness the screen version only hinted at, and the new Clayface (Karlo Babić) is one of the most tragic, genuinely frightening Batman villains in years. When Batman’s fighting a melting, shape-shifting horror on a cathedral roof in a thunderstorm, it’s pure Keaton-era nightmare fuel.
The plot is smartly constructed: a slow-burn detective story about lingering Joker trauma that keeps escalating into bigger conspiracies, corporate villainy (Max Shreck is deliciously slimy), and spectacular set pieces (the burning chemical plant Batmobile chase is worth the cover price alone). Alfred, Gordon, and Vicki Vale all feel like real extensions of their film counterparts rather than cameos.
Where it loses half a star for me is pacing in the final quarter. A couple of subplots (particularly one involving city council red tape) drag a bit, and the resolution, while satisfying, leans a touch too tidy compared to the glorious messiness of Burton’s actual movies. I also wanted the Joker’s shadow to feel even more ambiguous and sinister; Miller ultimately gives us a definitive answer when a little more “is he really dead?” dread might have cut deeper.
Still, this is easily one of the best Batman novels ever written and the single best thing ever done with the Burton continuity. 4.5/5 feels exactly right: damn near perfect, with just enough room left for the impossible dream of an even darker, bloodier, R-rated film adaptation.
And honestly? Give Tim Burton (or someone with his exact sensibilities) a $150 million budget and an R rating, and turn both Resurrection and the upcoming Revolution into the unhinged, gothic horror-superhero duology we deserved after 1992. Keaton’s Batman was always one bad night away from completely breaking. Let’s finally watch him fall.
January 20, 2026
Batman: Revolution is a superhero novel written by John Jackson Miller. It was released in 2025.
Set a short months after the previous novel Batman: Resurrection, Gotham is in a period of rebirth and healing after The Joker poisoned the city and fake resurrection. With city leader backing, Max Shreck is throwing a new and bigger bicentennial 4th of July party that The Joker had previously hijacked.
Norman Pinkus is a meek and quiet newsboy who nobody ever seems to notice at the Gotham Globe newspaper. Norman is a gifted puzzle solver with a deep knowledge of history and culture. He finally convinces his editor to publish a riddle-based puzzle he had designed and is suddenly surprised to learn that newspaper subscriptions are up when his puzzle becomes a surprise sensation in Gotham. Right when Norman believes his life is about to completely turn around for the positive and he will be recognized for all of his accomplishments, everything suddenly spirals out of control.
Norman has plans to get back at the city that he feels has betrayed him and finds himself attached to a group of underground, globe-trotting anarchists. Using their support and resources, Norman becomes known as The Riddler, a revolutionary leader who informs the citizens of Gotham of the crimes being committed by city leaders. Gotham City is at war against itself yet again as the general public gets increasingly frustrated by the obvious corruption between business leaders and the city government officials leading Batman down a twisted path of puzzles that result in questions about his own past.
I loved Miller’s previous Resurrection novel so I have been looking forward to this. I loved the Norman Pinkus character that was developed here and how quickly I could relate to aspects of his character. Norman’s origin story into becoming The Riddler was fascinating. I was also enjoyed Batman learning that there was a missing piece of information about the night his parents were murdered. I didn’t care for the National Treasure-esque twist in the story with secret societies. It was all well crafted but to me it felt like huge tonal shift in story telling that didn’t feel natural. This is still a really fun book and it’s great revisiting the Burton Batmanverse.
Set a short months after the previous novel Batman: Resurrection, Gotham is in a period of rebirth and healing after The Joker poisoned the city and fake resurrection. With city leader backing, Max Shreck is throwing a new and bigger bicentennial 4th of July party that The Joker had previously hijacked.
Norman Pinkus is a meek and quiet newsboy who nobody ever seems to notice at the Gotham Globe newspaper. Norman is a gifted puzzle solver with a deep knowledge of history and culture. He finally convinces his editor to publish a riddle-based puzzle he had designed and is suddenly surprised to learn that newspaper subscriptions are up when his puzzle becomes a surprise sensation in Gotham. Right when Norman believes his life is about to completely turn around for the positive and he will be recognized for all of his accomplishments, everything suddenly spirals out of control.
Norman has plans to get back at the city that he feels has betrayed him and finds himself attached to a group of underground, globe-trotting anarchists. Using their support and resources, Norman becomes known as The Riddler, a revolutionary leader who informs the citizens of Gotham of the crimes being committed by city leaders. Gotham City is at war against itself yet again as the general public gets increasingly frustrated by the obvious corruption between business leaders and the city government officials leading Batman down a twisted path of puzzles that result in questions about his own past.
I loved Miller’s previous Resurrection novel so I have been looking forward to this. I loved the Norman Pinkus character that was developed here and how quickly I could relate to aspects of his character. Norman’s origin story into becoming The Riddler was fascinating. I was also enjoyed Batman learning that there was a missing piece of information about the night his parents were murdered. I didn’t care for the National Treasure-esque twist in the story with secret societies. It was all well crafted but to me it felt like huge tonal shift in story telling that didn’t feel natural. This is still a really fun book and it’s great revisiting the Burton Batmanverse.
January 10, 2026
As I read Batman: Revolution, my 12-year-old daughter was reading Batman: Resurrection, which I had finished just before starting this book. This conclusion to John Jackson Miller’s duology, which is a continuation of Tim Burton’s ‘89 Batman movie and a bridge into his sequel, Batman Return, is exactly what I hoped it would be. Miller does an outstanding job developing the city of Gotham and exploring a rich fictional history. I love how he ties up so many loose ends from the original film and how he fills him some missing information from the sequel. I’m still not a huge fan of the dialogue as I feel that sometimes Miller just doesn’t quite capture the voices of the characters as they were originally portrayed, but once again this book feels like a mix between Burton’s movies and the Batman animated series from the 90s. There was some deuce ex machina, there were some plot revelations that were telegraphed a bit far too early, a key character arc that felt very similar to a key character arc in the first book, and Bruce Wayne and Batman, as with the first book, feel like he/they take a bit of a backseat to a villain, but even if I am looking at this through nostalgia tinted lenses, I don’t care: I really enjoyed reading both of these books and the conversations that I am having with my daughter about them. One last note: having read the Batman 89 graphic novels, which continue the story after Batman Returns, I really appreciated that Miller not only tried to stay true to the original films, but also the graphic novel sequels. This may not be a perfect book, but I really enjoyed this interpretation of the Riddler, including actual actually effective puzzles, Miller’s inclusion of some unique villains, and I just really enjoyed the entire reading experience of these books. I truly hope Miller gets to write more in this universe, preferably set after the Batman 89 graphic novel series.
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