The following article contains spoilers for Batman #125, on sale now from DC Comics.
Batman #125 features not only a famous location from Tim Burton's 1989 cinematic take on the Dark Knight, but also an attack by the Penguin that appears to copy the Joker's MO from the film.
The Flugelheim Museum appears in the story "Failsafe: Part One" by Batman's new creative team of writer Chip Zdarsky and illustrator Jorge Jiménez. Originally a gothic art gallery in Tim Burton's Batman movie, the location is the site of a lavish gala in the story. Batman attends the gala in his guise as Bruce Wayne, hoping to mingle with socialites and learn the identity of a villain who has been picking off Gotham's elite.
The Penguin appears to be the villain in question, and crashes the party by attempting to gas everyone within the vicinity -- a move that Batman calls "absurdly predictable." Thanks to Tim Drake, the gas is neutralized before it can infect everyone in the ballroom. As Oswald Cobblepot muses over his flawed plan, Bruce launches into action, dons his Batman cowl and belt atop his party tuxedo, and attacks the villain, who is then revealed as Clayface in disguise. Later in the issue, Batman discovers that the true Penguin is hospitalized and dying of mercury poisoning, though still lucid enough to frame Batman for his death in his final moments.
Penguin's plot to gas the Flugelheim mirrors an iconic scene halfway through 1989's Batman. In the scene, Joker, played by Jack Nicholson, unleashes gas through the museum's vents, killing all of its inhabitants. Vicki Vale, protected by a gas mask sent by the Joker, is the only survivor. After the museum lies in shambles, Joker and his goons emerge and proceed to march through the gallery, defacing all of its art while blasting the Prince song Partyman -- specially created for the film's soundtrack -- from boombox speakers.
The Flugelheim Museum was inspired by New York City's Guggenheim Museum and previously made a cameo in the Batman Universe series. Its appearance in Batman #125 marks the first instance it has appeared in the main book that bears the Dark Knight's name. Designed by Anton Furst, the production designer behind Batman, the museum was a prominent example of the industrial, gothic architecture that made Tim Burton's franchise entries so unique.
Batman #125 is on sale now.
Source: DC Comics