I actually think Adam West's suit is almost perfect.

[Rocketman]

Not only that, but it's the most accurate to the comics that's ever been on film. The only two things that make it less-than-perfect for me are as follows:

1. I wish the yellow oval was a tad bigger, and moved up to the blue neckline of his mask.

2. I wish his ears were taller and thicker.

Can someone manip that?

Other than that, I think it's overall the best costume. Ignore reality for a second and just look at the comics. West's suit has the perfect colors and materials. If you read The Killing Joke or The Dark Knight Returns (considered two of the greatest graphic novels ever), there is no need for black rubber or military armor. Batman is just Batman - there's nothing resembling a super-all-black-soldier from the future.

In summary, Adam West's Bat-suit owns.

 

[DaveMoral]

TDKR has Batman with Kevlar under the tights. We see that when he gets shot... in the Yellow ellipse. Not sure about The Killing Joke, but at that point it was pretty standard that Batman wore body armor under the shirt.

And if anyone manips that image to improve the ears and the placement of the ellipse... how about bulking that softie up a bit?

 

[GothamAlleys]

TDKR has Batman with Kevlar under the tights. We see that when he gets shot... in the Yellow ellipse. Not sure about The Killing Joke, but at that point it was pretty standard that Batman wore body armor under the shirt.

As I just said in a different thread, TDKR should not be taken as gospel or bibles. I know it was one of only 7 comic books Goyer read and based his Batman world on, but 5 of those 7 cited influences werent even a part of the regular series and its such a handful of coics books, its like a corsssection of America to an entire country. You cant judge an entire comic canon and age based on few out of ordinary releases. Ever since 1939 Batman was hit with guns and it ws made clear through decades and in all 3 ages (Golden, Silver and Modern) that he wears spandex and nothing under it.

Just a drop of examples

As for the West suit, I aslo always though it looks good and was indeed a mirror reflection of the Batman's look in the comic books at the time. I just think the part where the cowl and the cape connect look cheap but other than that I think he looks good

 

[JoeyConQueso]

It certainly wasn't a very flattering costume but then again, West wasn't really helping matters.

 

[Rocketman]

In the future, I would love a blue and gray suit in a movie.

To me, the perfect Batman movie would be this:

- Schumacher's Gotham from Batman Forever.
- The serious tone and acting from Nolan's films.
- Batman's suit is strictly from the comics.
- It's still a kid's movie, but it's serious enough for adults.
- Nothing TOO adult-oriented like Batman Returns.
- Suspension of disbelief, but NOTHING campy or silly or ridiculous.
- The soundtrack from the Animated Series.
- Don't be afraid of COLOR. Where Nolan stuck to blue and brown tones, and Burton stuck to black and white tones, I want to see some creative purples and oranges and greens in Gotham. In other words, Schumacher's Gotham didn't bother me at all - it was the bat-suits and nipples, and the terrible acting. If you press the Mute button on your remote and ignore the nipples, the movie looks gorgeous. Nolan's films are kind of cold and lifeless when muted.

Basically:
- Nothing from Batman & Robin.
- Nothing from Burton's movies.
- NONE of the suits from Burton, Schumacher, or Nolan.
- Keep it PG-13.
- Keep Nolan's tone and great acting.
- Keep Schumacher's Gotham from Forever.

I don't think there's ever been a perfect Batman film, but I think there's been a perfect Batman when you combine elements from all the films and mix it into one thing. One movie has great color, another movie has great acting, another movie has a serious tone, another movie is campy and stupid, another movie has terrible acting, another movie looks cold and dark. They all have something perfect while also having something that completely misses the mark.

 

[WildcatNC]

In the future, I would love a blue and gray suit in a movie.

I agree. Done well it would rock.

 

[Bruce Malone]

As I just said in a different thread, TDKR should not be taken as gospel or bibles. I know it was one of only 7 comic books Goyer read and based his Batman world on, but 5 of those 7 cited influences werent even a part of the regular series and its such a handful of coics books, its like a corsssection of America to an entire country. You cant judge an entire comic canon and age based on few out of ordinary releases. Ever since 1939 Batman was hit with guns and it ws made clear through decades and in all 3 ages (Golden, Silver and Modern) that he wears spandex and nothing under it.

Just a drop of examples

As for the West suit, I aslo always though it looks good and was indeed a mirror reflection of the Batman's look in the comic books at the time. I just think the part where the cowl and the cape connect look cheap but other than that I think he looks good

It's not just TDKR where batman has the armor under his suit. A lot of other comics i've read have him depicted with the armor as him getting shot and seeing it. A couple i can think off the top of my head is in Hush and RIP.

Someone even posted a pic here before from batman in the 40's where he refers to his bullet proof armor.

 

[GothamAlleys]

I know its not just TDKR. But the comics which depict Batman wearing something underneath are in most cases out of the regular continuity and/or are so few in relation to the entire history or at least the Age theyre in that theyre like a drop of water in a pool

Yes, theres ONE mention of bulletproof vest underneath in the 40's, (and yes, it yet again goes back to the 7 comics Goyer read, because Batman #1 is one of them - yet another example of taking a handful of comics which in no way represent an entire run, age or even a normal established continuity and yet another example of how they dont step put outside of that 7), the Age which before and after shows something opposite, which is Batman getting shot in the arm or torso hurting him with spandex peeling. Take a look at Detective Comics #29 for example

And after all, the Batsuit could be folded and hidden in a tuxedo (DC #591 1988)

 

[El Payaso]

Let's say it's accurate. Perfect? Mh, maybe for the TV series tone.

 

[Fudgie]

It's accuarte and perfect for a campy 60's TV show. Put that in a Batman movie now and it would be laughed off the screen.

 

[Rocketman]

I don't agree. Look at Spider-Man and Superman. They both stuck exactly to the costumes, even with today's audiences. The new Green Lantern film is also sticking almost exactly to the original comics. Add Iron Man and The Hulk in there too. Batman is one of the only ones whose appearance has been changed drastically (X-men being the other example). Burton's 89 film is to blame. Every film since has echoed the Burton suit. WB is simply too afraid to change what is considered "normal" now, and I hate that. Mix it up. Give me blue and gray. Give me the yellow oval again.

 

[GothamAlleys]

Agreed with Rocketman, no ones laughing at SpiderMan, Superman or Fantastic Four for having a spandex suit and despite spandex it doesnt look cheap and sure no one laughed in Dead End

Jesus, for Fudgie everything has to be thrash thats not Nolan's. Hes one of those who think you must worship one version and absolutely hate and despise all the other. No gray

 

[El Payaso]

I don't agree. Look at Spider-Man and Superman. They both stuck exactly to the costumes, even with today's audiences. The new Green Lantern film is also sticking almost exactly to the original comics. Add Iron Man and The Hulk in there too. Batman is one of the only ones whose appearance has been changed drastically (X-men being the other example). Burton's 89 film is to blame. Every film since has echoed the Burton suit. WB is simply too afraid to change what is considered "normal" now, and I hate that. Mix it up. Give me blue and gray. Give me the yellow oval again.

Burton is to be thanked for. He gave us a scary Batman and, as you say, I don't see Nolan trying to escape the all black armoured suit concept that Burton created.

But blue and gray spandex wouldn't cut it for a dark serious version of the character. I appreciate Dead End but I hardly believe a human being in spandex that's not shot to death sooner than later.

 

[Rocketman]

Burton is to be thanked for. He gave us a scary Batman and, as you say, I don't see Nolan trying to escape the all black armoured suit concept that Burton created.

But blue and gray spandex wouldn't cut it for a dark serious version of the character. I appreciate Dead End but I hardly believe a human being in spandex that's not shot to death sooner than later.

Do you like the Spider-Man movies?

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

Not only that, but it's the most accurate to the comics that's ever been on film. The only two things that make it less-than-perfect for me are as follows:

1. I wish the yellow oval was a tad bigger, and moved up to the blue neckline of his mask.

Ya wanna know sumthin spooky?

In the episode 'The joker is wild', in some scenes the yellow oval is not in the middle of his chest as it always is in the other episodes, but is up at his chest height like the comics. And that particular episode was partially an adaptation(some scenes pretty accurate too), of an old Dick Sprang comic called 'The Joker's utility belt'. The only time to my knowledge, that the show adapted a Batman comic so faithfully, or at all. and the only time the costume mysteriously had the yellow oval up at the same height as the comic book version.

as for the opinion on the suit....to ptu it simply...I think the armour looks better onscreen than any of those cloth costumes, and more pertinantly, Batman does not have a spider-sense or super agility to help him dodge gun and knife fire. He has to get up close and knock people out, several at a time sometimes, it helps the suspension of disbelief a great deal to give him body armour.
But, if they could come up with a cool looking material that looks as good as the armour onscreen, then i would like them to use that, and just tell us that it has armour underneath, so the actor has more mobility for fight scenes.

 

[El Payaso]

Do you like the Spider-Man movies?

Only the second one.

Now Spiderman is a superpowered being whereas Batman is not.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I love the Adam West suit for what it is, though I like the original screentest pilot cowl better the bat ears were longer.

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

As I just said in a different thread, TDKR should not be taken as gospel or bibles. I know it was one of only 7 comic books Goyer read and based his Batman world on, but 5 of those 7 cited influences werent even a part of the regular series and its such a handful of coics books, its like a corsssection of America to an entire country. You cant judge an entire comic canon and age based on few out of ordinary releases. Ever since 1939 Batman was hit with guns and it ws made clear through decades and in all 3 ages (Golden, Silver and Modern) that he wears spandex and nothing under it.

Where is this from?

 

[GothamAlleys]

The 7 comics? Well, lets start. First, let me list those 7 comics : The Dark Knight Returns, Year One, Long Halloween, The Killing Joke, The Man Who Falls (although they never ever mentioned it but its been said that DC gave them the comic for reference) and the first 2 Joker appearances. I just dropped this number quickly without really counting, so if I forgot one or 2, please correct me
1) Nolan said (like Burton) he knew nothing about comics books although he knew the character but hired someone who (claimed to) be a spec in the Bat comics - thats from Batman Begins DVD
2)Over last year and a half all I was doing was researching for the blog I started last year and Im pretty confident that Ive read 99% of every Goyer and Nolan interview done on radio, TV paper and online that concerned the 2 Batman movies. The common trace is how they keep mentioning what Batman did in the comics, or what they took from comics, and throughout the years and in many interviews there are titles that are repeated, and they never mentioned any others aside from those few
3) Goyer states certain things which are simply not true about Batman, Joker and comc continuity, although some things, as most other in comic books, happened occasionaly once in a million in some out-of-ordinary-run stories, and not surprisingly, hes refferring to the stuff that happens only in the comics they mentioned. Ive read every single comic book from the Golden Age era, Ive read every single Batman comic released between 1987-1995, and read tons of comics from other years (least from Silver Age and recent years) so I see the whole picture, not only the peace of the puzzle. Goyer's contradiction point out that he read the comics they mentioned but nothing else. Theres way too many examples for me to list and it really would take too much time and effort to least them all (thats why I didnt even want to do that in the blog cause it wouldve been too long and too time consuming), but to illustrate the point Ill give you just one example for a demo. Chill in Begins is a man pushed to crime by poverty/depression. In Year One Batman thinks to himself that Chill was probably a man forced to the crime by poverty and forgives him in his own mind. Thats the only time in an entire history of Batman where Chill isnt portrayed as a cruel murder for hire. Chill was always a gunman for hire guy, and Year Two even illustrated that. The Kane/Finger version illustrated that. *0s' John Byrne's portrayal illustrated that, and on and on. But the one time the hint or idea of Chill being what he is in Begins was hinted in Year One (not to mention they took scenes from YO and put them into movie, like the boot device calling bats which come to help Batman get out of a police surrounded building, and much more). Ok just one more example from Nolans this time - they say Joker remembers his origins in different ways, the multiple choice thing. Well, yes, thats what Joker says in ONE comic book in ONE panel out of entire history of Batman, and what is then in the next issue featuring Joker revealed as a lie, and then NUMEROUS times in many issues confirmed that the young comic's story presented in Killing Joke in fact happened and that Joker very well remembers all that. Details and scans here - http://gothamalleys.blogspot.com/2010/09/complete-history-of-joker.html .Ok well just one more - they said Joker was actually a physical match for Batman in the first appearances...well, if they would read further they would know that EVERYONE was. Catwoman and every other villain was a physical match for Batman kicking his a**. Ill just stop here but I could go on for hours

Although Goyer knowing Zsasz may point out to some other, but either he blatantly lies counting on the fact that the vast majority of people havent read most of Batman comics or he just read those few and is clinging on to them and treating them like some kind of a bible that speaks for an entire Age or even history of Batman

Unfortunately those claims of being faithful or recreating comics piss off a lot of old school fans. I know one old Batman fan community which has members that started out in early 80s ( I myself joined in in 88)and while they enjoy Nolan's movies they do get pissed off when those few comics which arent even a part of the regular series and are somehow out of ordinary release are taken as the only truthful and relevant Batman comics that for some reason are treated as representants of the Modern Age

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

You don't really believe that Goyer (and Nolan, and Jonah Nolan) has only read seven Batman comics ever?

What about Ra's al Ghul? They read O'Neill's work on Ra's. Or Ducard, who comes specifically from Blind Justice?

What about the upcoming film? They pulled Bane out of somewhere. They had to have read some Bane comics.

There's a difference between "we used these specific books as specific inspiration" and "these are the only books we read."

Bale has mentioned reading both Dark Victory and Arkham Asylum, so there's two more.

There's also the period in which Bruce moved into the penthouse and used the bat bunker. They didn't just come up with that idea; they got it from the comics.

Of course they only throw out big name titles - Year One, Killing Joke - Goyer's not going to say to some MTV interviewer "Well, we got this idea from Detective # 598-600," if he could even remember issue numbers. I know I couldn't.

Nolan's namedropped Denny O'Neill's work from the 70s. It was a huge inspiration on Begins. Not just Ra's as a character, but the entire concept of Batman as a globetrotting character not restricted to Gotham City. That inspiration is slathered all over Begins; it's palpable.

EDIT: I just checked out your blog. Nice work. But I have to admit, it's only confused me further as to your argument. Your blog is filled with even more examples than I could think of of things Nolan clearly took from the comics. So...I'm confused.

 

[GothamAlleys]

Im not saying theyve read only 7 comic books ever (although Chris might), but that they based , focused and took only 7 as blueprint and representatives of an entire era even tho those were kind of special releases outside of regular series

 

[Bruce Malone]

I know its not just TDKR. But the comics which depict Batman wearing something underneath are in most cases out of the regular continuity and/or are so few in relation to the entire history or at least the Age theyre in that theyre like a drop of water in a pool

Yes, theres ONE mention of bulletproof vest underneath in the 40's, (and yes, it yet again goes back to the 7 comics Goyer read, because Batman #1 is one of them - yet another example of taking a handful of comics which in no way represent an entire run, age or even a normal established continuity and yet another example of how they dont step put outside of that 7), the Age which before and after shows something opposite, which is Batman getting shot in the arm or torso hurting him with spandex peeling. Take a look at Detective Comics #29 for example

And after all, the Batsuit could be folded and hidden in a tuxedo (DC #591 1988)

I disagree with that statement. Most of the one's i've encountered i.e. the ones i mentioned in hush and RIP are well within continuity and i would venture to say the present day incarnation of batman is regularly depicted with some sort of armor underneath. Also i don't see the problem with batman having armor in the movies.

It's not making anything up, batman has been depicted with armor and it makes sense in the movie realm. It'd be hard pressed to be believe a billionaire would go out fighting crime with no protection what so ever.

 

[GothamAlleys]

Again, I know he has been occasionaly depicted with bulletproof vest under the spandex, but in the grand scheme of things its a drop in a pool, it was an anomaly

 

[Indy Flash]

I Just Didn't Like The Lines On Adam's Mask.
Batman Dead End Is A Awesome Fan Film.

 

[GothamAlleys]

Well, thats how Batman looked like in comics at the time