My fondness for Batman '89 lies in the gothic atmosphere and Nicholson’s performance. That’s enough for me to prefer it over Returns, which I would’ve liked more if it weren’t for the absolute worst incarnation of the Penguin I’ve ever seen.
Pretty much this. I’m also not a fan of Catwoman in general and I really wish Billy Dee had come back so we could have gotten Harvey Dent instead of Christopher Walken’s random new character.
But Batman 89 gets Gotham right and Keaton’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne (not Batman) in it is pretty much the definitive Wayne in my mind.