Harley Quinn & Batgirl Debut In Tim Burton's Batman '89 In Stunning Art Reveal
Contains spoilers for "Batman '89" by Sam Hamm, Joe Quinones, Clayton Cowles, and Leonardo Ito
The "Batman" universe is introducing two fan-favorite characters to the comic book continuation of Tim Burton's iconic films, as Harley Quinn and Batgirl will play major roles in the upcoming "Batman '89: Echoes" #1 miniseries.
"Batman '89" followed the adventures of the Michael Keaton-starring adaptation of the Caped Crusader, continuing the Dark Knight's adventures after the events of "Batman Returns." The first six-issue miniseries introduced several characters who hadn't appeared in Burton's films, including Barbara Gordon as a Gotham City Police Department sergeant and a Daman Wayans-inspired version of Robin, who was at one point considered to appear in the second "Batman" film before being ultimately scrapped. The series also featured Prince's Partyman character cameoing in the story as a member of the Joker Gang. Additionally, the story featured transformations viewers never saw on the big screen, including Billy Dee Williams' Harvey Dent becoming the villain Two-Face. While the story isn't an official sequel to Burton's "Batman" universe, it's an alternate storyline showing what could have happened if the Joel Schumaker "Batman" film never happened, and many of the scrapped ideas from the first two movies and potential sequel came to fruition.
In a new image shared by series artist Joe Quinones, Harley Quinn and Batgirl make their Burtonverse debut. Both have new costumes that should excite readers about the world expanding and bringing even more iconic characters into the mix, with Harley and Batgirl seemingly being based on real-life actors.
Harley Quinn gets a vintage look
Quinones' designs for Harley Quinn appear to draw inspiration from two direct sources. First, the look appears to be based on the late actor Arleen Sorkin's jester costume from the soap opera "Days of Our Lives." Sorkin's appearance on the show inspired the character's co-creator, Paul Dini, to shape Quinn's original appearance. Sorkin would voice the hero in her "Batman: The Animated Series" debut and subsequent appearances. Like many of Quinones' designs, his Harley also recognizes the character's history while forging something new — in this case, it homages Quinn's iconic first costume while creating a direct visual link to Jack Nicholson's Joker.
DC Comics/Joe Quinones
Quinn's face appears to be based on either Madonna or Courtney Love, likely inspired by longstanding rumors that both singers were once in talks to tackle the role in Joel Schumacher's canceled "Batman Unchained." Harley would have served as the movie's primary villain alongside Scarecrow. There was even discussion about Jack Nicholson returning as the Joker. Ultimately, the film never made it past the development stages. Interestingly, Quinones has shared a quote from "Batman" where Nicholson's Joker tells his partner Alicia Hunt (Jerry Hall) that she'll "never believe what happened to me today" as he reveals his villainous appearance to her. In the movie, Joker disfigures Alicia, leading her to wear a mask to cover her face, and it's later hinted that Joker killed her after he reveals she died jumping out a window. However, considering the character's death is never seen, it seems possible Alicia could be "Batman '89: Echoes" version of Harley Quinn.
Batgirl finally comes to life
The second major tease is the reveal of Barbara Gordon becoming Batgirl. In DC's "Batman '89" comic, Barbara was introduced as a GCPD sergeant who worked under her father, Jim Gordon. The series took the comic book hero in a new direction, pairing her with Harvey Dent in a romance that becomes fractured following his transformation into Two-Face. "Batman '89" ended in dramatic fashion for Barbara, with the death of her father at the hands of the villain, while Dent also died in a confrontation with Batman and Catwoman. By the end of the series, Catwoman tells Barbara about Bruce Wayne secretly being Batman, setting the stage for the spiritual sequel's next comic.
"Batman '89: Echoes" #1 will see Batman disappear from Gotham City, with the city's inhabitants rising up against crime. At the same time, Batgirl will make herself known to the public, taking on the remaining threats to her home while Batman is missing. It's possible Batgirl will be the main character of "Echoes" if Batman is sidelined, as Gordon's history with the GCPD makes her one of the best choices to try to solve the case of The Dark Knight's disappearance. It remains to be seen whether Batgirl has Batman's blessing, is taking on his identity without his knowledge, or if the pair is secretly working together to make Gotham believe its greatest hero has fallen in order to give them the upper hand against villains who may have dropped their guard in his absence. Regardless, seeing Batgirl in the "Batman '89" universe is a welcome sight, and her costume looks fantastic.
What else to expect in Batman '89: Echoes
With Batman disappearing, the Scarecrow will rise in Gotham City, with the villain making his debut in the Tim Burton-inspired "Batman '89: Echoes" #1. Quinones recently shared his design for the classic villain, showing off the terrifying versions of both Jonathan Crane and his Scarecrow persona. Batgirl will have a challenging mission ahead of her dealing with Harley Quinn and Scarecrow, the latter of whom may bring out her darkest nightmares with his Fear Toxin. Check out the epic cover for "Batman '89: Echoes" #1 below by Quinones, which features a closer look at Keaton's Batman, Harley Quinn, and the Scarecrow, along with the accompanying text, which teases the chaos coming to Gotham City.
DC Comics/Joe Quinones
THE BATMAN '89 SEQUEL ARRIVES, REUNITING SAM HAMM AND JOE QUINONES! You wanna get nuts? Let's get nuts! After Harvey Dent's crusade against Gotham and Batman, the Caped Crusader has disappeared without a trace. In his place, ordinary citizens have taken to the streets to root out crime. As innocents get hurt, the question on everyone's mind is the same: Where is Batman? Sam Hamm, screenwriter of the 1989 Batman movie, and Joe Quinones reunite for another tale in Gotham!
Readers can see Batgirl, Harley Quinn, and more characters come to the Burton "Batman" universe's expanded adventures in "Batman '89: Echoes" #1 by Sam Hamm and Joe Quinones from DC Comics. The first issue arrives in comic book stores and online retailers on November 28th, 2023.