History ComicBook / Batman89

** Music/{{Madonna}}, heavily considered for the role in the would-be ''Batman Triumphant'', is "Dr. Q"[=/=]Harleen Quinzel, with a Smylex grin later distorting her face as Harley Quinn.
** Scarecrow, also in line with ''Triumphant'' casting rumors, is patterned on Creator/JeffGoldblum.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The first '''89'' series ends with Jim Gordon killed by Two-Face, Catwoman causing Two-Face's death, and Bruce rejecting her, to which she retaliates by delivering evidence to Barbara Gordon revealing Bruce's identity. The need to be Batman is starting to wear on Bruce more than ever, with him wishing to retire and expressing disgust at the vigilante groups that have taken up the symbol of the Bat; he only makes the decision to go out on patrol by flipping Harvey's coin, showing that it's no longer a thing he feels control over, and ''Echoes'' confirms he will later retire. On the other hand, Bruce and Drake strike up a partnership, and Bruce helps the orphaned Nyesha Burroughs by setting up a trust in her name and arranging for Drake's older sister to adopt her.]]

** Chuck Lantz, ACN's station manager, is very clearly Creator/HarveyFierstein, down to wearing an identical shirt to his appearance in ''Film/IndependenceDay'' when he's first introduced.

** Music/{{Madonna}}, heavily considered for the role in the would-be ''Batman Triumphant'', is "Dr. Q", with [[LawyerFriendlyCameo a Smylex grin distorting her face]] as Harley Quinn.
** Scarecrow, also in line with ''Triumphant'' casting rumors, is Creator/JeffGoldblum.

** Scarecrow, also in line with the plans for ''Triumphant'', is Creator/JeffGoldblum.

* AdaptationalJerkass: In the main DC universe, Harvey Dent actually started out on neutral and then good terms with Batman, allowing Batman to help take down the mobsters that controlled Gotham. Here, Dent believes Batman is part of the problem and wants to take him down.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Jim Gordon is killed by Two-Face while Catwoman causes Two-Face's death, leading to Bruce rejecting her. In retaliation, Selina delivers evidence to Barbara Gordon revealing Bruce's identity. On the other hand, Bruce and Drake strike up a partnership with the latter convincing the former to try and help send the young girl from the beginning of the series to be adopted by his older sister.]]

* ComicBookFantasyCasting:

** For the new characters (not in ''Batman'' and ''Batman Returns''), Barbara Gordon is apparently modeled after Creator/WinonaRyder at the time, "Dr. Q" resembles Music/{{Madonna}}, and true to the original plans for the character, Drake Winston/Robin is modeled after Creator/MarlonWayans.

* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Everyone from the movies is drawn to look like the actors, from Creator/MichaelKeaton as Bruce Wayne, Creator/BillyDeeWilliams as Harvey Dent, Creator/PatHingle as Commissioner Gordon, Creator/MichaelGough as Alfred Pennyworth, and [[spoiler:Creator/MichellePfeiffer as Catwoman.]] For the new characters (not in ''Batman'' and ''Batman Returns''), Barbara Gordon is apparently modeled after Creator/WinonaRyder at the time, "Dr. Q" resembles Music/{{Madonna}}, and true to the original plans for the character, Drake Winston/Robin is modeled after Creator/MarlonWayans.

* ChekhovsGun:
** The giant metal (decorative) coin from the Lincoln Savings & Loan building saves Bruce's life during the opening shootout in issue #1, and he eventually has it delivered to Wayne Manor in the following issue, where it is (begrudgingly) mounted by Alfred as a display piece. In the final issue, [[spoiler:Selina drops the coin onto Harvey (who has Bruce at gunpoint) as a distraction to eventually force him off the edge of the Batcave platform to his death]].
** Bruce and Alfred are still taking care of "Miss Kitty", the cat seemingly left behind by Selina as a gift at the end of ''Film/BatmanReturns''. [[spoiler:The final issue reveals that Selina has been eavesdropping on the duo the entire time the cat was with them, via a collar with a microphone in it. This allows her to execute her plan of delivering damning information on Bruce to Barbara at the end of the series]].
* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Everyone from the movies is drawn to look like the actors, from Creator/MichaelKeaton as Bruce Wayne, Creator/BillyDeeWilliams as Harvey Dent, Creator/PatHingle as Commissioner Gordon, Creator/MichaelGough as Alfred Pennyworth, and [[spoiler:Creator/MichellePfeiffer as Catwoman.]] For the new characters (not in ''Batman'' and ''Batman Returns''), Barbara Gordon is apparently modeled after Creator/WinonaRyder at the time, "Dr.Q" resembles Music/{{Madonna}}, and true to the original plans for the character, Drake Winston/Robin is modeled after Creator/MarlonWayans.
* ContinuityNod: The batarang Penguin planted to frame Batman in ''Film/BatmanReturns'' shows up in the police evidence file. [[spoiler: It gets taken by Two-Face and used as a ChekhovsGun in Issue #5 when Harvey throws it at Batman causing him to accidentally shoot a TranquilizerDart at Commissioner Gordon allowing Two-Face to leave taking him hostage.]]

** Harvey Dent [[spoiler:becomes Two-Face after half his face is corroded by car battery acid while he's passed out on the floor of a burning building, which is incredibly similar to how he became Two-Face in ''Film/TheDarkKnight''. The scarred half of his face is even portrayed in a similarly realistic manner as in that film (though his hair still retains the white of his classic portrayals). His damaged side eventually turns blue, just like in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries''.]]