Tim Burton's Batman Universe Is Introducing A Beloved DC Villain More Than 35 Years Later

More than 35 years later, DC is returning to the world of Tim Burton's "Batman" for a brand new adventure. While we're not going to see Michael Keaton suit up as the Caped Crusader on screen again, Penguin Random House is publishing a brand new novel titled "Batman: Revolution" that takes place in the continuity of Burton's films. Notably, this new book will introduce a new version of a classic villain — The Riddler.

Written by John Jackson Miller, this new novel serves as a follow-up to last year's "Batman: Resurrection," which filled in the gaps between "Batman" and "Batman Returns." As was first revealed by Comicbook.com, "Revolution" is due to hit shelves on October 28, 2025 and will similarly look to fill in some gaps in the Burton universe. The synopsis for the novel helps set the table for what's going on at this point in Gotham City:

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.

Jim Carrey famously played Riddler in 1995's "Batman Forever," which was helmed by Joel Schumacher as opposed to Burton. Warner Bros. decided to chase a lighter tone after "Batman Returns" took things in a darker direction, so while we never got to see what Burton might have done with Riddler, Miller is serving us up a vision of what that might have looked like.

1989's "Batman" was a seminal box office smash hit, but Burton's vision eventually clashed with Warner Bros.' desire to chase that success further. So both parties moved on and the "Batman" franchise went in a radically different direction, with Schumacher also directing 1997's much-maligned, totally wacky "Batman & Robin."

However, time has been kind to Burton's films and many fans still hold them in high regard. As a result, that universe has been revisited several times in recent years. Keaton's Batman even returned in 2023's "The Flash." That makes these novels interesting time capsules, allowing us to imagine "what if?" scenarios for Keaton's Bruce Wayne. The lengthy synopsis for "Revolution" further explains what leads Norman Pinkus to become The Riddler.

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 scheme: 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.

This sounds like a pretty unique take on the character, and one that's different from what we've seen on the big screen. The version of Riddler Paul Dano played in 2022's "The Batman" was dark and deadly, to put it mildly, and this feels like a take that, tonally, could sit comfortably in the Burton-verse. We'll see how it all comes together when the book hits shelves later this year.

You can pre-order "Batman: Revolution" right now on Amazon.