Check Out Leth And Quinones' Unpublished Pitch For 'Batman '89'

One of DC's biggest strengths as a company has always been that it has a ton of alternate versions of its characters that fans have a whole lot of affection for. Whether it's something as specific as being really into a single Elseworlds story, or as broad as preferring, say, the '90s Flash over his Silver and Golden Age counterparts, there's an adaptability to those characters that really comes through once you start looking at all the different ways they've been presented over the years --- and when you add in their appearances in film and television, it only means you have more to work with.

And that, it seems, is the premise behind Batman '89, a 2015 pitch from writer (and occasional ComicsAlliance contributor) Kate Leth and artist Joe Quinones that was designed to revisit the world of Tim Burton's Batman movies. Sadly, the pitch was never picked up, but this week saw Quinones posting his designs at his blog, finally giving us the Billy Dee Williams Two-Face that we have always deserved. Check 'em out below!

Built for the same format as the late, lamented Batman '66, and Wonder Woman '77, Batman '89 would draw its inspiration from Batman and Batman Returns, creating an alternate world where Tim Burton was never replaced by Joel Schumacher, and where Gotham City remained an industrial nightmare of gothic architecture and exposed pipes instead of being recast as a fantasy land of giant statues and neon. As a result, Billy Dee Williams ---- who appeared in the movie as Harvey Dent --- would stay as the visual inspiration forTwo-Face, and we'd see the return of Michelle Pfeifer's Catwoman as well.

Of course, much like Batman '66 did with its versions of Killer Croc, Clayface and Bane, we'd eventually get to see some new characters showing up as well. Judging by the image above, that includes a Marlon Wayans-inspired Robin (originally cast by Burton for a part in Batman Returns that was later cut) along with Batgirl, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn: