Book #162: Batman Forever by Peter David

 

Batman Forever

[Peter David]

 Released: January 1st, 1995

My 28th book for 2026 was Peter David’s Batman Forever.  

As a kid, I loved Batman.  I watched the original (now known as Batman (1989)) dozens of times as a kid.  In the mid 90's, my parents brought home Batman Forever.  I still remember watching it for the first time on VHS in the basement at Garner Avenue.  *Sigh*...amazing childhood memories.

It quickly became my 2nd favorite Batman film.  Nothing against Batman Returns but something just doesn't work quite the way it should.  The visual are great, the dark brooding atmosphere works, and Tim Burton's hands are all over it.  But something feels stale and dry.  Where Batman Forever overcompensates for it with more slap-stick comedy, Batman and Robin took it a whole lever further which alienated the fanbase for nearly 10 years.

In this story, Two-Face Harvey Dent has escaped Arkham Asylum.  His transformation from Gotham's District Attorney, to Criminal Mastermind is not specifically shown, but is conveyed quite well.  Meanwhile as Batman tends to that, an employee at Wayne Enterprises, named Edward Nygma, decides to go rogue and builds a program with a dream of making billions.  After his boss cans the idea, Edward murders his boss, joins up with Two-Face, and becomes known as The Riddler.  Add in a romantic subplot with Dr. Chase Meridian, who has a thing for men who dress as bats (as well as Bruce Wayne himself).  Next we also see the introduction of Robin, and his backstory to joining Bruce at Wayne Manor.  The tragic deaths of his family show an eerily similar path to Bruce in life.  We see an infiltration and destruction of the Upper Batcave.  The Batwing and Batsub return once again from the first two movies.  This leads to an all-out battle on Claw Island, before the Riddler can assume the minds of the entire world.

If only the movie were slightly better...but thank God above it's not Batman and Robin.  I can't wait to see how that book plays out.

Pretty solid story, and memorable characters.  Probably a bit too light-hearted, but has gotten better reviews as time has gone on.  I'd be really interested in seeing how this one would have played out if Tim Burton and Michael Keaton had chosen to stay on.  But it's like the classic Riddle goes: 

"Riddle Me This: Michael Keaton turned down $10 Million to star in this film.  What did he know that we don't?"

I wish the Two-Face backstory would have played out better.  Billy Dee Williams should be here, not Tommy Lee Jones.  Suddenly Harvey Dent is white (and that's not a woke statement).  Billy Dee Williams is a black man.  We've had two films so far.  Have some consistency.  Jeffrey Wright was Felix Leiter for 15 years.  Granted this was a decade later but still.

Anyways, I'm getting carried away talking about the film over the book.

Here is what I learned:

—————

• Thomas Wayne was never one for jokes.

• What has four wheels and flies?  A garbage truck.

• Raymond bullied Edward Nygma in 8th Grade.

• Mr. Pike is a teacher at the school.

• Edward was born to a lower middle class family.

• Edward was in 8th Grade when Bruce Wayne was orphaned.

• Harvey Dent was the District Attorney to Gotham City.

• The Wayne Foundation funds housing projects in Gotham.

• The Red Triangle Circus Gang disappeared after the Penguin’s downfall.

• The gang is holed up at a warehouse at 73rd and Grand.

• Batman believes in Harvey Dent.

• Dr. Chase Meredian came to Gotham to study Batman.

• Chase has a Gucci bag.

• Richard Grayson saves Chase from being mugged.

• John Grayson is Richard’s father.

• Richard once risked his life to save his brother Chris.

• Arkham has a long and impressive history.

• Richter is an orderly at Arkham.

• Richter bets on horse races.

• Harvey Dent is in Room 22 of Arkham.

• Dent bribes Richter to get out of jail.

• Richter dreams of retiring with his wife to the Bahamas.

• Dr. Burton is a Tim Burton reference.

• Dr. Burton is Arkham Asylum’s chief psychiatrist.

• “THE BAT MUST DIE.”

• Two-Face kills Richter.

• Bryce Wayne is hard to see during the day.

• At Wayne Foundation, it’s acceptable to arrive late and stay late for work.

• Boss Maroni scarred Harvey Dent into his double-face.

• Batman has already face Poison Ivy between Batman Returns and Batman Forever.

• Edward admires Bruce.

• Fred Stickley is Edward’s boss.

• Lucius Fox makes an appearance.

• Lucius is the CEO of Wayne Enterprises.

• Bruce Wayne left his tennis racket at the White House.

• Bruce has a date with Ms. Gotham January.

• "Tampering with people's brain waves is mind manipulation. It raises too many question marks."

• The drive-thru scene takes place after the Electronics Department walk.

• Batman gets drive-thru in the Batmobile.

• Officer Tully has walked the streets of Gotham for 27 years.

• Tully wears a hearing aid.

• “One man is born a hero, his brother a coward. Babies starve, politicians grow fat. Holy men perish, junkies become legion. And why is this? Why? Heredity? Environment? Fate? Karma? No, my friend. Luck. Blind, simple, idiot, doo-dah luck. The random toss of the great celestial coin is the only true justice.  Triumph or tragedy, joy or sorrow, life or, dare I say…death."

• Commissioner Gordon gave up smoking due to his bad heart.

• Batman has read Dr. Meridian’s work.

• Acid is flammable.

• Lady Gotham is Gotham City’s version of the Statue of Liberty.

• Edward has spent 3.5762% of his estimated lifespan, or 2 years, on his project.

• "Sir... you are a good man. A brave man. But perhaps you are not the most sane man."

• Bruce added Stickley to the Corporate life insurance policy to take care of his family following his death.

• “If you look at the numbers upon my face, you won’t find 13 anyplace.”

• Gotham is known as the “Naked City”.

• Bruce Wayne owns a red Jaguar.

• "Tear one off and scratch my head What once was red is black instead?”

• “Obsessions are borne of fear.”

• The Gotham Charity Circus is going on at the Gotham Hippodrome.

• The Flying Grayson are the acrobatic part of the Gotham Charity Circus.

• Two Face murders Dick Grayson’s family.

• Bruce adopts Dick Grayson.

• The circus is halfway to Metropolis, Superman’s city.

• Dick rides motorcycles.

• Wayne Manor’s garages carry a fuel pump as there are no gas stations for miles.

• Bruce bribes Dick into staying with the promise of a rare motorcycle from his collection.

• Dick Grayson has an obsession with Robins after saving his brother’s life once.

• "My brother's wire broke during a show. I swung out, caught him.  Afterwards my father called me his hero, said I flew like a robin."

• The Bat-Signal is not a beeper.

• Chase makes a Catwoman reference when she mentions “skin-tight vinyl and a whip”.

• The Batmobile has suction cups for maneuvering up and down buildings.

• Two-Face’s hideout is in the stone bowels of an ancient support arch near the Gotham Bridge.

• Two-Face’s women are Sugar and Spice for his split personality.

• Gotham has a casino.

• The garage and gym are combined in Wayne Manor’s West Wing.

• Dick reads the Gotham Times.

• Stu “The Exterminator” Schoenfeld is one of Wayne Enterprises’ top lawyers.

• Edward’s new company is called “Nygmatech”, headquartered on Claw Island.

• Claw Island is 10 miles southeast of Gotham.

• Chase lives at 249 Robinson Road, Apt 2C.

• Edward has rented out the Ritz Gotham Hotel to show off the latest model of his box.

• "I was ... I was wondering how they'd do it," Bruce managed to gasp out. Slowly he regained control of himself.

• "That's what our society is all about, Alfred. We build up heroes. We create them. They spring from the media, or movies, or television, or full-blown from our brows. And once we've got our heroes in place, we look at them and see how little we are in comparison. How meaningless our own lives are. And we start to tear them down, bit by bit, drag them 'down' to our level rather than raise ourselves up to the level we've established for them. We always destroy the heroes we create, Alfred. Always."

• Bruce’s parents died on Halloween night.

• “Holy rusted metal, Batman!”

—————

Overall, not a terrible read.  More enjoyable than Batman Returns.  I wouldn't say go out of your way to read it, unless you're a fan of the movie or Batman in general, but if you do see it, it's an enjoyable ride.

Recommended

On to Book #163: Batman & Robin by Michael Jan Friedman.

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Need to catch up?  See previous blog post: Batman Returns by Craig Shaw Gardner.