Earlier this week, DC Comics announced a continuation comic series of the classic Batman '89 from Tim Burton with new art showcasing a Prince-styled member of Joker's gang. It's the perfect inclusion to the adaptation, as the rock legend played an instrumental part in the classic film. Now, a character who looks quite similar to Prince is getting the chance to be a part of the Joker's crew.
Prince, who passed away in 2016, composed the soundtrack for the Michael Keaton-starring Batman film in 1989. Most famously, he composed the song Partyman for the movie, which appeared in the infamous scene where Jack Nicholson's Joker (and his gang) desecrate a museum and a number of precious items while dancing along to the song. In his own music video for the song, Prince debuted his own Joker-ensemble, which featured him in half of a Joker costume, with half of his face painted like the iconic villain. Now, that character is becoming canon in the upcoming Batman '89 comic adaptation.
The upcoming Batman '89 comic will continue Burton and Keaton's Batman, expanding on the world that captivated audiences more than 30 years ago. The series will be written by Sam Hamm (who was the screenwriter on both Burton Batman films) with art by Joe Quiniones, who had been working on ideas for the book for years. Quinones revealed a handful of designs on his Twitter account, which included the Kenner action figure costume for Bruce Wayne, as well as the Joker gang. If you look closely, you'll notice Prince and his Partyman look clearly inspired one of the members.
It's very cool to see the series expand on ideas that were either lightly developed on in Batman '89 or never happened. Batman '89 only had one official sequel, so for Hamm and Quinones to get to play in the Batman world that Tim Burton adapted into his own, unique style is pretty awesome. Prince seems like he'd be a great choice to play the Clown Prince of Crime, as he had the energy and flamboyance needed for the role. Prince as the Joker is one of the greatest "what ifs," and while the comic version has him as one of Joker's crew, it's as close as fans will ever get to see the iconic music be featured in Batman.
For those clamoring to see the Prince-styled character in action, Batman '89 will come out on July 27 as a digital-first series. The first six chapters of the series will be available on launch day, while the following issues will come out in a weekly schedule. Considering how much care and attention those working on the project have seemingly put into it, it's going to be a must-read for all Batman '89 fans.