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It’s probably safe to say that there’s hardly a character who has been on film more than Batman. Be it film serials, television series, movies, or cartoons, there have been countless hours of Batman media filmed, animated, broadcast, and what have you over the past nine decades. With all of those different representations come a variety of different Batsuits, easily one of the most recognizable designs in the history of popular culture. Since we like Batman, and we like talking about Batman, how about going through the cinematic history of the Dark Knight and breaking down his on-screen costumes? There are plenty to choose from to kickstart this conversation, with a pretty significant range in quality. First off, this is not a ranking of these costumes in order, but a chronological look at each suit. I’ll weigh the pros and cons of each, making note of elements that work and those that don’t. Film quality won’t play a huge part, as there are Batman films I love with Batsuits that I don’t, and vice versa. Still, some of these costumes are so tied to their respective media that it’s hard to think of them without taking context into consideration, but again, not a ranking. Also, I’m limiting myself to live-action theatrical films, which is why Adam West’s Batman is here but the suits from Gotham, Titans, and those On-Star commercials aren’t. For that same reason, the perfection of Mask of the Phantasm‘s Batsuit isn’t included, nor is the slightly-less-but-still-pretty-perfect The LEGO Batman suit. I’m also only including suits that were actually worn in films that have been released, so none of those otherwise sweet Batsuits from that one scene in The Flash, no screen test suit from Justice League Mortal, and no Keaton Batman from Batgirl. That one still stings… The very first on-screen Batsuit, debuting a mere four years after Batman was introduced in the comics. Lewis Wilson donned the costume in the 15-part serial, simply titled Batman, where he was joined by Douglas Croft as Robin. Pros: Has the benefit of being the very first Definitely looks like Batman The ribbed wings on the Batsymbol look great Body suit fits fairly well Decent attempt at a scalloped cape Cons: Looks very cheap and hastily made Floppy ears and gauntlet spikes Cape is way too short Cowl is really baggy with tiny eye holes The serial has… has not held up well The second cinematic Batman, this time played by Robert Lowery. Johnny Duncan rounds out the latter half of the Dynamic Duo, and the 15-part serial finds Batman and Robin facing off against the mysterious and deadly villain the Wizard Pros: Most of the cool elements from the first suit are in evidence here, including the Batsymbol Kind of digging that huge circular belt buckle Better cape, with deeper scallops with more defined points Cons: Bat ears somehow look worse Still looks cheap Doesn’t fit the actor as well For Batman’s first feature-length film, we have the man who has put in more hours in the suit than any other actor, as Adam West portrays the Caped Crusader for the big screen in a film released between seasons one and two of the classic 1966 Batman television series. Joined by the ever-reliable Burt Ward as his youthful sidekick Robin, Batman takes on the fearsome foursome of the Riddler, the Penguin, the Joker, and Catwoman, all the while clad in a very comic-accurate suit. Pros: Pure. West. This is Batman Proof that blue, gray, and the yellow oval will work in live-action Very much of its time, in the best way Cons: Modern color grading has done some weird things to those blues The stenciled on eyebrows and nose are silly Ears could be longer The velvet gloves result in floppy spikes Batsymbol could be hire on the chest For the Dark Knight’s second feature film, Tim Burton unexpectedly cast Michael Keaton as Batman, which was a surprise due to his relatively average height and propensity for more comedic roles. Over the years, though, Keaton’s Batman has been seen as the definitive portrayal for many fans, thanks in no small part to his costume. With an all black body suit that resembles a grotesque monster more than a man, this Batsuit helped sell the more serious approach to the character taken by Burton and company. Pros: Really puts the “dark” in “the Dark Knight” Photographs incredibly well Great cape and overall silhouette Perfect chest symbol placement Good ear length Awesome utility belt design Sweet Nike Air Trainer boots Cons: Can’t really unsee the Nikes when you know about them Symbol rocks, but has weird barbs for no real reason Has some bulk that makes it look incredibly uncomfortable and difficult to move in Some crafting issues on closer inspection, like rough edges around the eyes For Michael Keaton’s second outing as the Caped Crusader, he gets a slightly updated suit that still looks largely the same as in the first film. Sleeker, yet with a more armored look, the Batsuit for Batman Returns is another iconic look from costume designer Bob Ringwood, who is joined this time around by Mary E. Vogt. Pros: Personally, my favorite cinematic Batsuit Armored plating on the torso looks better than molded abs Perfect Batsymbol Sleeker cowl with perfect ear length Refines the earlier suit without completely reinventing it Looks like it has better mobility Cons: Missing some of the menace of the ’89 suit The tearaway cowl scene makes it feel retroactively flimsy Despite strong box office returns for the previous film, Warner Bros. wanted to shift gears with the third Batman film to appeal to a wider audience. With a largely new production crew and a new actor in the suit, Batman gets not one but two costumes in 1995’s Batman Forever: his main outfit, which fans have dubbed the “Panther” suit, and a prototype sonar suit used in the film’s climax. “Panther” suit Pros: Looks like a Jim Aparo drawing, with Kilmer’s tall, lean build Great cowl and perfect ears Always going to love that yellow oval Cool cape Cons: Yes, the nipples, but the sculpted abs are too much too A yellow belt would have broken up the glossy black Sonar suit Pros: No nipples Has an in-story reason for being worn Ab sculpting looks less anatomical than the “Panther” suit Kind of digging that belt buckle Huge Batsymbol on chest is pretty cool Cons: Clearly made to sell toys Weird veiny piping on the legs Needs more color, and definitely missing the yellow oval despite the cool symbol Too shiny, as it’s a silvery-black instead of matte black Glove spikes replaced by a single long blade For the third Batman actor in as many films, Batman & Robin had two separate suits for George Clooney to wear: one entirely new, the other… not as much. Despite the less than stellar reputation of the film– with the suit’s chiseled look heavily inspired by Greek statues being a contributing factor– a Batsuit is a Batsuit, and there’s still some good to be seen here. Batsuit Pros: Fantastic cowl and perfect ears Looks like it fits the actor better than any suit so far Lots of great mobility in the film Return of a Batymbol in an oval Ab sculpting more subtle than Forever‘s suit Cons: …but still a bit much, along with the much-maligned nipples Dark blue could work, if there was more color to the suit Batsymbol missing the yellow in the oval, and has an over-designed bat Looks cheap in several shots in the film Ice suit Pros: Has more color than the regular suit Only used for like ten minutes of screen time Two-toned cowl actually kind of almost looks okay The launchable knuckle spikes were pretty sweet Cons: Clearly made to sell toys Just the sonar suit with a few newly painted areas Looks really, really dumb Really dumb With Batman & Robin‘s less than stellar box office and reception leading to Warner Bros. reassessing the entire franchise, it would be eight years before we saw Batman on the big screen again. Thankfully, we got the excellent Batman Begins in 2005, which went to great lengths to capture a sense of verisimilitude with the Batsuit worn by actor Christian Bale. Almost every aspect of the costume had a practical function, allowing Batman to perform his crime-fighting duties more effectively. Pros: Emphasizes the practicality of the suit Great attention to detail, from the armored plating to the utility belt and gadgets Perfectly captures the gritty and realistic tone of the film Cons: Some fans found the suit to be too bulky and lacking in flexibility The growling voice effect applied to Bale’s dialogue received mixed reviews The sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, saw the return of Christian Bale as Batman, but this time with a slightly modified Batsuit. Designed by Lindy Hemming, the suit featured a more streamlined and tactical look to reflect Batman’s evolving methods in the film. Pros: Streamlined design enhances agility and mobility Sleek cowl with improved visibility and breathing apparatus Symbol on the chest is larger and more prominent Cons: The all-black color scheme makes the suit appear somewhat monotonous Some fans felt that the suit lacked the iconic Batman silhouette seen in previous iterations The final installment in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, introduced yet another variation of the Batsuit. With a design reminiscent of Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns,” the suit featured a more armored and bulkier appearance to convey Batman’s older and battle-hardened persona. Pros: Impressive armored plating provides enhanced protection New cowl design with improved visibility and articulation Batsymbol on the chest is larger and more detailed Cons: The bulkier design may limit agility and movement Some fans felt that the suit strayed too far from the traditional Batman aesthetic
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