The Dark Knight Batsuit Discussion Thread

[Crook]

That's a stupid post. Batman has 70 years worth of comic book material, LOTR is condensed into 3 novels.

If you had read more thoroughly, he was talking about directly adapting specific story arcs (i.e. TLH and DV), not an entire mythology. My statement applies because that's exactly what LOTR was doing.

 

[Thythoutrust]

I think they made an incredible improvement with TDK suit. I remember people saying that in BB it was the first batman costume that could turn it's head. We all saw that movie and it wasn't true. TDK's Cowl though looks way more flexible.

 

[Dr.BruceBanner]

TDK's Cowl though looks way more flexible.

I liked that panther neck, though, .

 

[The Sage]

exactly...i think a lot of people don't realize that the main elements of the classic Batman suit were established back in the 40's and 50's, when superhero and fantasy costume design was still in it's infancy. i guarantee that if Batman were never thought of until recently, his initial appearance would be DRASTICALLY different than what it was back in 1939. the times are ALWAYS changing and if you can't change with it you're going to be left behind...

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying...

If Superman was never thought of until recently, I'm sure his appearance would be drastically different than what it was back in 1938.

But all of that aside, what does it have to do with wanting a costume that appears closer to the comics?

 

[Saint]

exactly...i think a lot of people don't realize that the main elements of the classic Batman suit were established back in the 40's and 50's, when superhero and fantasy costume design was still in it's infancy. i guarantee that if Batman were never thought of until recently, his initial appearance would be DRASTICALLY different than what it was back in 1939.

I'm not sure the difference would be that severe. Naturally, it would be different, but the conventions of superhero design are largely the same today as they were in the 30's and 40's. Like any art, the modern approach is built on classic approach, and although it has certainly has evolved and refined itself, it is much the same as it ever was.

Instead of basing the designs on wrestlers and strongmen, as was done originally, we see designs that are more militaristic, or soldier-based. This seems like a big change, but it hasn't been, because the conventions of traditional superhero design have remained. If you compare the classic Captain America with the Ultimate version, he's mostly the same save for that shift from strongman to soldier. All it took was a few detail changes to effect this shift, and suddenly you've got a modern Captain America. He didn't need a million armour plates to do it.

Batman can be updated in much the same way. Material change is a given, but a modern design does not necessitate piles of armour plates, nor does it necessitate black. Some things are going to need to change, obviously--the shift from wrestler-based to soldier-based means you might swap the briefs for harness straps, or just ditch them entirely, as an example--but the alterations required are not that severe, and certainly not as severe as you see in the TDK costume.

The TDK suit is good enough, in my opinion, but the shift is too much for my tastes. I understand people liking it, but I disagree with the idea that such this degree of change was necessary. The modern update to Batman that I imagine is not about smothering him in armour plates, but taking him in the same direction as Ultimate Captain America. This is the sort of look you see in Bunk's stuff.

 

[Mandalore464]

"But all of that aside, what does it have to do with wanting a costume that appears closer to the comics?"

Nothing, but Chris Nolan made it quite clear he wants his Batman to be firmly believable and grounded into reality. If some guy wanted to dress like a bat and become the dark knight back in the 30s maybe he would have put on those tights and all, but a guy doing it nowadays would definitely wear armor...

And he's the dark KNIGHT dammit, not the dark vigilante in pajamas...

 

[lujho]

but . . . it . . . could . . . . actually , um jump. Like 30 feet . . .

You serious? You do know there wasn't an actual single tumbler that could do everything it did in the movie right? Just because they did stuff without CGI doesn't mean the tumbler is "real".

The made it jump by shooting giant lifesize hollow plastic tumblers out of an air cannon, by using miniatures, and traditional ramp jumps.

 

[count_nickula]

^hell yes. dark KNIGHT!!!

 

[The Sage]

"But all of that aside, what does it have to do with wanting a costume that appears closer to the comics?"

Nothing, but Chris Nolan made it quite clear he wants his Batman to be firmly believable and grounded into reality. If some guy wanted to dress like a bat and become the dark knight back in the 30s maybe he would have put on those tights and all, but a guy doing it nowadays would definitely wear armor...

And he's the dark KNIGHT dammit, not the dark vigilante in pajamas...

The Dark Knight is a nickname, not a literal meaning. And for the last time, people who want to see Batman in a fabric suit don't want to see him in pajamas or a Dead End costume.

In my mind, if a man were to dress up as a giant bat, he'd want to look less like a man in armor to keep the illusion that he's inhuman. I'm not saying he wouldn't wear armor, but it wouldn't appear as obvious as it does on the TDK suit. I still look at Sandman 138's description of how Batman's suit would look:

Batman looks his best when he's a silhouette. So why not play to that strength and just make the suit give the impression of a silhouette? And why does it have to look so sleek and cool? I thought he was trying to become a wraith. Play up the phantasmagoria a bit. Tatter the cape, dirty the suit, make the cowl a grim visage. I personally think it would be cool if the suit's texture gave off the impression of cracked stone, so that he would look like a moving gargoyle.

 

[Mandalore464]

It doesn't "have to", but martial arts mastery or not I wouldn't like to venture into the Narrows to kick 15+ butts a night without my nice body armor, that's all the "armor side" is saying...

I wouldn't mind a Batman with a 100% fabric suit (as long as it does not look silly), I'm just saying the armor is by far the most believable choice a guy would make if he was to be Batman in our world.

Reading what you wrote in bold in your last post I imagine a Batman movie with a 300 touch to it, and I was thinking just yesterday that it would be a neat idea to try and do a Batman movie with the TAS look and "photography", using the same technology they used for 300. Still, although I like the idea, it's still very far from what Nolan said he was trying to accomplish (believable settings, reality blahblahblah)

 

[Mr. Socko]

"But all of that aside, what does it have to do with wanting a costume that appears closer to the comics?"

Nothing, but Chris Nolan made it quite clear he wants his Batman to be firmly believable and grounded into reality. If some guy wanted to dress like a bat and become the dark knight back in the 30s maybe he would have put on those tights and all, but a guy doing it nowadays would definitely wear armor...

And he's the dark KNIGHT dammit, not the dark vigilante in pajamas...

Stop using this poor excuse people.

Knights don't wear rubber. They wear silver metal suits and ride horses. Should we replace the tumbler and bat-pod with a horse?

 

[The Sage]

It doesn't "have to", but martial arts mastery or not I wouldn't like to venture into the Narrows to kick 15+ butts a night without my nice body armor, that's all the "armor side" is saying...

I wouldn't mind a Batman with a 100% fabric suit (as long as it does not look silly), I'm just saying the armor is by far the most believable choice a guy would make if he was to be Batman in our world.

I never said Batman shouldn't wear armor: I said the armor should on the inside of the suit than the outside.

 

[thegameq]

The Dark Knight is a nickname, not a literal meaning. And for the last time, people who want to see Batman in a fabric suit don't want to see him in pajamas or a Dead End costume.

In my mind, if a man were to dress up as a giant bat, he'd want to look less like a man in armor to keep the illusion that he's inhuman. I'm not saying he wouldn't wear armor, but it wouldn't appear as obvious as it does on the TDK suit. I still look at Sandman 138's description of how Batman's suit would look:

Batman looks his best when he's a silhouette. So why not play to that strength and just make the suit give the impression of a silhouette? And why does it have to look so sleek and cool? I thought he was trying to become a wraith. Play up the phantasmagoria a bit. Tatter the cape, dirty the suit, make the cowl a grim visage. I personally think it would be cool if the suit's texture gave off the impression of cracked stone, so that he would look like a moving gargoyle.

To stylized for Nolan and these boards. It sounds like a bit of a gothic angle.

The essential Batman is a wraith like character, more Zorro and The Shadow than...James Bond, hi-tech military, urban warrior, armor guy.....essentially a fantasy film.

 

[Mandalore464]

Why not but I honestly don't think it would be really cool-looking. Unless the armor is just "supposed to be" there.

And Mr. Socko, I don't see any "poor excuse" in that. Batman is the dark knight, knights wear armor. The fact that medieval knights wore metal armors and were riding horses does not mean the 20th century knight (who has to fight in a completely different environment) should not wear kevlar and drive a tumbler.

I'm talking general concepts (knights = armors), you're talking childish details (rubber was not fashionable in 1000AD) to make it look stupid.

 

[Octoberist]

honestly, I'm fighting the new suit.

I just need to see more of it. I only saw maybe two good pictures of it..that's it

 

[DV8]

You serious? You do know there wasn't an actual single tumbler that could do everything it did in the movie right? Just because they did stuff without CGI doesn't mean the tumbler is "real".

The made it jump by shooting giant lifesize hollow plastic tumblers out of an air cannon, by using miniatures, and traditional ramp jumps.

there were several tumblers to perform different things in the movie, yes I understand that, but they did build a model that could jump 30 feet . . . I didn't mean that it actually did or could do everything in the movie, that's ludicrous . . .

 

[bunk]

exactly...i think a lot of people don't realize that the main elements of the classic Batman suit were established back in the 40's and 50's, when superhero and fantasy costume design was still in it's infancy. i guarantee that if Batman were never thought of until recently, his initial appearance would be DRASTICALLY different than what it was back in 1939. the times are ALWAYS changing and if you can't change with it you're going to be left behind...

I wish they would change the Batsuit in the comics right now. I really don't think fans would be as outraged as some might think. Not to mention, artists these days are fully capable and wish to add more detail and realism to these characters who still retain golden age costumes. Maybe one day DC will have the bollocks to do it.

 

[Dr.BruceBanner]

I never said Batman shouldn't wear armor: I said the armor should on the inside of the suit than the outside.

I agree with this. Armour on the outside makes him look too obviously human. But if the armour were on the inside, then it would make guys shooting at him think he was some alien creature or something, like Superman but from a horror movie.

 

[DorkyFresh]

if a criminal is close enough to Batman notice his armor, they'll notice it regardless of it being on the outside or the inside.

all "armored on the outside/inside" arguments are of sheer visual preference. practicality, stealth, mobility, and aesthetics have little or nothing to do w/whether his armor is on the outside or inside.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

This suit is not pulling me in at all... after months of trying to like it and trying to show people the positives of it... i dunno, theres just something off.

I really want to appreciate and like this suit but something is keeping me from doing that.

 

[bunk]

if a criminal is close enough to Batman notice his armor, they'll notice it regardless of it being on the outside or the inside.

all "armored on the outside/inside" arguments are of sheer visual preference. practicality, stealth, mobility, and aesthetics have little or nothing to do w/whether his armor is on the outside or inside.

Thing is, nothing painted will be as efficient for stealth as something closer to cloth which reflects less light. The TDK suit is a perfect example of that. The first shot released, the armor plates clearly reflect more light, being a painted surface. Same with the new trailer, take a look at the shot of him in the chair. If the whole suit were covered in that "chain mail", he'd blend into the shadows that much more.

 

[Hole Shot]

This suit is not pulling me in at all... after months of trying to like it and trying to show people the positives of it... i dunno, theres just something off.

I really want to appreciate and like this suit but something is keeping me from doing that.

I didn't like the Begins suit until I actually saw the movie, so I'm keeping the same open mind. It's not my favorite at the moment but looks good in IMO on the cover of that magazine. And it's more fun to support the new suit and fight the pajama posse than vice versa.

 

[slevinkelevra]

I didn't like the Begins suit until I actually saw the movie, so I'm keeping the same open mind. It's not my favorite at the moment but looks in IMO on the cover of that magazine and it's more fun to support the new suit and fight the pajama posse than vice versa.

true. everyone's opinions on here will change once theyve seen the movie. "i hate the batsuit" will change to "i loved it" just like the tumbler in BB. i knew a lot of people who saw the photos and were like, that is so not the batmobile, but when they saw in plowing through barriers and cop cars they were like "oh man its so sick."

 

[Dr.BruceBanner]

something is keeping me from doing that.

Could it be the bulbous head? The slim neck? The OTT design? The bulky leggings?

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

Overall, i do like the suit - i have no complaints about it being too 'busy' whatsoever because that perfectly fits with Nolans vision. Its the little things that bother me...

1. I wish the neck/cowl looked more streamlined. As if it were one thing.
2. The Bat-symbol - Its important. Remember Bruces dialogue from BB, 'Theres a symbol'. He goes out of his way to make batarangs, 'creates' the image of a bat on the sky and puts it on his chest. I think people should at least see it!!!
3. I really, really want the cape to cover batman - it is so cool and fitting for his character but from the looks of things we ain't getting that. I mean i really want this cape look...