As the world of Batman ’89 returns, one iconic figure indelibly linked to Tim Burton’s classic film joins in on the fun for a quick cameo.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman ’89 #1, on sale now from DC Comics.
As one of the biggest comic book movies of all time, Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman film was the movie that set the record for the fastest to earn $100 million at the box office, and was the highest earning film in North America that year. One of the more celebrated aspects of the film was its orchestral score, composed by Danny Elfman, and its soundtrack album, written and recorded by Prince. As the continuation comic book series Batman ’89 returns to the world of Burton’s classic movie, The Purple One makes a cameo appearance in Gotham City, straight out of the music videos that helped solidify the movie’s pop culture legacy and success.
The opening issue of Batman ’89 — by the 1989 film’s screenwriter Sam Hamm, joined by Joe Quinones, Leonardo Ito and Clayton Cowles — begins with Gotham bracing itself for another Halloween. Given the city’s propensity for costumed miscreants on both sides of the law keeping the streets chaotic, citizens are cautioned by city officials. With the last remnants of the Joker’s gang and copycat vigilantes inspired by Batman prowling the streets, a local news crew comes across a man dressed up in the Joker’s familiar getup bearing a striking resemblance to Prince as he quietly dismisses concerns that his outfit glorifies the city’s most notorious criminal of all time.
To promote the Batman soundtrack album released alongside the 1989 film, Prince dressed up as the Joker in a series of music videos from several singles from the album. The most notable instance of this was the lead single “Batdance,” with Prince portraying Batman and the Joker simultaneously as two sides of a singular personality throughout the music video. Prince would similarly reprise his role as the half-Joker in the music video for the following single “Partyman,” with the video set in the art museum where the Joker and his goons launched a murderous attack on the patrons in order to corner investigative reporter Vicki Vale for an impromptu date before her timely rescue by Batman. This would mark Prince’s last major appearance as the Joker, although three additional singles would be released from the album.
In contrast to these music videos, Quinones’ artwork features the Prince cameo in full clown makeup as opposed to the half-faced depiction. Prince himself is never named and only appears in a single panel in the opening issue but the appearance is a direct nod to the enduring legacy of the 1989 film and its bestselling soundtrack. Prince’s Batman would top the album charts for six weeks and result in four Top 40 singles, with “Batdance” as the first time Prince had topped the singles chart in three years after experiencing a bit of a commercial slump since 1986.
Batman ’89 is a full celebration of the cinematic world introduced in 1989, right down to nods to its musical history. And after appearing tangentially in a set of music videos as a play on the Joker for the accompanying soundtrack album, Prince himself has joined the BurtonVerse, albeit not by name for a brief cameo.
The return of the Purple One has him right back in his clown costume as Gotham descends into a fresh set of madness, with Batmen and Jokers battling it out in the city streets, indicating that the lasting legacy of the Dark Knight and Clown Prince of Crime’s duel continues to reverberate on Halloween.
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