Anyhow, I've heard that Burton was on a short leash on B89, and was then let loose on BR and then it got all weird in the typical Burton-style since nobody was keeping him in check. I'm pretty sure that Nolan was already given basically free reign for BB, and he chose to collaborate with Goyer (and DC) because he wanted a team with comics expertise to help him in his vision. It's a little bit too soon right now to say whether he'll do the same with TDK, but I sure hope so.
You absolutley right.
Ben Melniker and Peter Guber (the prudcers 'of Batman '89) Keep Tim Burton in check and on that "short leash" becasue he wanted to do some really out there stuff for Batman '89. But they put a stop to it.
And Sam Hamm (the sreenwriter) fought NOT to have the Joker kill Bruce Wayne Parents but Burton insisted. He still make it perfectly clear that he had nothing to do with that decision.
However with the megasuccess of Batman, Tim Burton pretty much had to answer to NO ONE for 'Batman Returns', which explains some of it's Weirdness (Penguiins in sewers, cats resurrecting the dead, Max Shreck, etc.)
Unfortunately 'Batman Retruns' suffer because of it, which is why they went with Joel Shumacher for 'Batman Forever'.
Nolan made the wise decisions to have collaborators who knew more about the characters legacy than take a stab at it on his own, I just hope with the success of Batman Begins we don't have another TIm Burton like follow up to a great movie.
I don't think so because Nolan seems to smart and don't seem to let his ego get in the way of his movie making.