Warning! Spoilers for Superman 78 #3
It seems like Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne is becoming Batman during the Christopher Reeve Superman comic book continuation, Superman 78. Previously, it was confirmed that the two heroes coexist in Superman 78 #3, written by Robert Venditti with art by Wilfredo Torres, which brings up interesting implications regarding the timeline of their superhero careers.
When Hawkman was confirmed to exist in Superman 78, it seemed like he might be the biggest hero referenced aside from the Man of Steel himself. However, Superman 78 #3 revealed that Batman is an active crimefighter at the time of Superman’s fight against Brainiac. Bruce Wayne was depicted on a Gotham Gazette magazine cover, with Batman referenced in a headline in a Daily Planet newspaper. As the image of Bruce resembled a younger Michael Keaton, and the timeline of the series comes before Batman 89, it seems that the Dark Knight’s origin story is being hinted. Tim Burton’s first Batman installment followed a version of the hero that had already had some experience in his war on crime. Superman 78 could be filling in some gaps in the background for fans who are paying attention to the details.
It doesn’t appear to be a coincidence that the references to both Bruce Wayne and Batman come in back-to-back panels. As the Gotham Gazette headline announces Bruce’s return to the city, the headline in the Daily Planet references “Bat-Man” as if it’s introducing him to readers. By the time of Burton’s Batman, citizens of Gotham seem to be aware of the city’s masked vigilante, even though he remains a mystery. In Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One, as well as Batman Begins, media outlets take notice of Bruce’s return to Gotham after an extensive vacation, which he spent training to eventually fight crime. Batman’s first appearance comes quickly after Bruce comes home, which appears to be the same sequence of events occurring in the background of Superman 78 #3.
As Reeve’s Superman was set in the 70s’ and 80s’, Keaton’s Batman was depicted in 89’ and the early 90s’. For Bruce to take on the mantle at this point implies that he had been fighting crime for a decade before meeting the Joker. The timeline might seem odd, but it does make a way for Keaton’s Batman to eventually cross paths with Reeve’s Superman, as they would likely both be active following their film franchises.
Since this reveal comes at the same time that Batman 89 is releasing, it appears the stage is being set for the two iterations to come together. For the expansion of Keaton’s Batman, an elaborated origin story would also fulfill some fans’ wishes. The origin of Keaton’s Batman might resemble the most prevalent backstory published at the time, in Miller’s critically acclaimed Batman: Year One.