The Dark Knight Rises The TDKR Batsuit Discussion Thread IX

[Saint]

The GA never would have said "oh it's just a rubber outfit" because Batman gets shot at least twice in B89 and the outfit is clearly "bulletproof." Thus we deduced logically that his chest plate was body armor. I certainly did at age 10.

Yeah, and let's not forget that Bob said "It's some kinda body armour. He's human after all."

There was never any question that Batman was wearing armour.

 

[Travesty]

That wasn't Bob who said it, it was some random thug.

 

[I'm Not a Hero]

how does he get the suit on so fast?

 

[Saint]

That wasn't Bob who said it, it was some random thug.

Right, Bob was just supervising and told him to take off the mask.

 

[JackWhite]

how does he get the suit on so fast?

Batman's a ninja. If he can vanish into thin air without you even realizing it; just imagine how fast he can actually get dressed....or undressed

 

[Don Corleone]

how does he get the suit on so fast?

Movie editing

 

[the dmg]

Movie editing

No. Way.

 

[genraider]

Wow, that pic of the Begins suit made me realize how awful it is when you can see the whole thing. The cowl doesn't seem to fit with the suit, and it looks really bloated.

The Kilmer and Clooney suits are way worse, for obvious reasons.

Batman '89 looked decent, though I don't see a suit like that working outside of the universe Burton created.

I really like the TDK suit a lot more after seeing those pics.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

I really dislike TDK suit alot more after seeing those pics.

 

[The Joker]

I really like the TDK suit a lot more after seeing those pics.

It's always looked good to me. These latest pics just re-affirm it.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

Joker to be honest its very surprising to me how much praise you give to TDK suit considering how "comic faithful" you seem in every sense. This is not in anyway a bad thing its just strange to me.

 

[The Joker]

Joker to be honest its very surprising to me how much praise you give to TDK suit considering how "comic faithful" you seem in every sense. This is not in anyway a bad thing its just strange to me.

Comic faithful in terms of characterization. I'm more flexible on appearances. For example have you seen me detract at all on Bane's look which is totally different from the comics?

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

Nope I havent actually, like I said I dont think its bad just strange.

 

[KRIM]

Whatever doesn't kill you...

 

[Mister Meddle]

...simply makes you stranger.

 

[BatScot]

We don't know if there would be be a noticeable backlash to the idea of a fabric based costume for Batman. Has anyone pitched this idea to the masses and gotten some kind of a response?

Oh yeah... back before anyone knew the Begins suit was gonna be another rubber suit, back before Jett posted the 'costume sketch' and sold out to WB, all of BOF was clamoring for a fabric suit. No one wanted rubber. And had Nolan given us a fabric suit then the same people who profess faith in Nolan's rubber suit would be professing faith in Nolan's fabric suit.

Then there's the Justice League proposal, and while we've scant info to go on—mainly Arnie Hammer's description—there was the suggestion at least of a more traditional approach to the batsuit and while this does not guarantee a fabric suit most assumed something along those lines and while they said a fabric suit wouldn't necessarily work in Nolan's films the response was receptive to a fabric batsuit in general.

 

[DKDetective]

I'm totally for a fabric suit, but it would have to have armor underneath. To me, that is a vital part of the character. He has worn the minimum of a bulletproof vest under the costume since Batman # 1 (1940). Bruce is only human. However, I cannot stand the Dead End costume and I feel that fans who bring it up and other fanfilm costumes are actually doing the fabric argument a disservice because they do not look believeable whatsoever. I also don't like the idea of nanofiber/liquid body armor. Yes, it is based in reality and only a decade or two away, but, in my opinion, it lacks the dramatic potential of a fabric body suit/more traditional underarmor design. I just don't like it. It just doesn't suit my visual sensibilities and understanding of the character's history.

For instance, I love the shots in the comics where Bruce is shot or injured is some way and the body suit is torn or ripped away to show the armor underneath. Or shots where he is undressing in the cave after a hard night and the shirt half is removed to show an injured Bruce painfully removing his damaged armor. (kinda like a football player taking off his pads after the game)

However, I think some are misunderstanding the fabric suit doesn't fit Nolan's world argument. While some are right that if Nolan had gone for fabric from the beginning, most of us would be recanting on that point, that counter doesn't make sense at this point in the story. Nolan has already established a certain aesthetic and certain story reasons behind his choice of suit. Switching to a nanofiber/spidersilk/liquid armor batsuit at this point would be too big of a change. Yes, perhaps, after meeting Bane, Bruce decides he needs to be even faster, but it be too big of a jump. He already gave Fox those reasons for a new suit in the last film. The change in suit design from BB to TDK was if anything a subtle evolution. Going to a nanofiber suit in the third film for similar reasons would be a huge jump.

If Wayne Industries was testing out these technologies already, why didn't Fox propose this suit of suit in the last film? Scientific breakthroughs don't happen overnight very often, especially when it comes to taking a new technology and making a workable product out of it. That takes years of testing and development. Thus, storywise, to me, a nanofiber/liquid armor, etc. batsuit would be too big of a jump.

Time delay since TDK would not explain it because why would Bruce still use the TDK exactly as first designed for much of the film?

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

I think a Fantastic Four or Superman fabric would work well. It's nice and thick and if it had the design of the Begins batsuit and hints of the chainmail at the shoulder and back of the knee it would be great.

 

[DaveMoral]

I'm totally for a fabric suit, but it would have to have armor underneath. To me, that is a vital part of the character. He has worn the minimum of a bulletproof vest under the costume since Batman # 1 (1940). Bruce is only human. However, I cannot stand the Dead End costume and I feel that fans who bring it up and other fanfilm costumes are actually doing the fabric argument a disservice because they do not look believeable whatsoever. I also don't like the idea of nanofiber/liquid body armor. Yes, it is based in reality and only a decade or two away, but, in my opinion, it lacks the dramatic potential of a fabric body suit/more traditional underarmor design. I just don't like it. It just doesn't suit my visual sensibilities and understanding of the character's history.

For instance, I love the shots in the comics where Bruce is shot or injured is some way and the body suit is torn or ripped away to show the armor underneath. Or shots where he is undressing in the cave after a hard night and the shirt half is removed to show an injured Bruce painfully removing his damaged armor. (kinda like a football player taking off his pads after the game)

However, I think some are misunderstanding the fabric suit doesn't fit Nolan's world argument. While some are right that if Nolan had gone for fabric from the beginning, most of us would be recanting on that point, that counter doesn't make sense at this point in the story. Nolan has already established a certain aesthetic and certain story reasons behind his choice of suit. Switching to a nanofiber/spidersilk/liquid armor batsuit at this point would be too big of a change. Yes, perhaps, after meeting Bane, Bruce decides he needs to be even faster, but it be too big of a jump. He already gave Fox those reasons for a new suit in the last film. The change in suit design from BB to TDK was if anything a subtle evolution. Going to a nanofiber suit in the third film for similar reasons would be a huge jump.

If Wayne Industries was testing out these technologies already, why didn't Fox propose this suit of suit in the last film? Scientific breakthroughs don't happen overnight very often, especially when it comes to taking a new technology and making a workable product out of it. That takes years of testing and development. Thus, storywise, to me, a nanofiber/liquid armor, etc. batsuit would be too big of a jump.

Time delay since TDK would not explain it because why would Bruce still use the TDK exactly as first designed for much of the film?

Like I said a couple pages back, the way to do a fabric suit is to eschew the need for comic booky muscle definition that has here to fore necessitated the rubber body suit thing. You're not going to get that, and Batman probably shouldn't even have that in comics consider what his costume is supposed to look like. Sure, we see a kevlar vest under a ripped costume but it makes no sense visually when you consider that Bruce isn't any smaller out of costume... his Bat shirt is spandex thin and yet somehow manages to conceal a kevlar vest and give him skintight muscle definition. And the kevlar is never shown to be sculpted like a human torso. The only way to realize the fabric costume on film is to make it a sturdy, almost canvas, fabric with a kevlar vest underneath. Which will give him more of a profile akin to the 30s-50s look. The B:TAS look. And the tone of the world is going to have to change somewhat. I don't think that would work in Nolan's world unless he shifted tone to a drastic degree and he's not doing that. I don't know that it has to have a retro, art deco, period piece kind of thing going on... but it definitely has to be even more Noir than Nolan has done. But it can work.

 

[Mister Meddle]

Thoughts on the Captain America suit? Could Batman get the similar treatment.... a realistic military look rather than some fictional rubber costume?

 

[DaveMoral]

Thoughts on the Captain America suit? Could Batman get the similar treatment.... a realistic looking look rather than some fictional rubber costume?

I really like that costume, but I don't think it would work for Batman. Especially as far as the straps and all that goes. The more padded out aspect of it could work as I proposed above... but not so baggy as Cap is here. More fitted.

 

[Mister Meddle]

I really like the Captain America suit. It gives the character a realistic super hero look while staying true to the comics. And most importantly of all it's not a rubber suit. That and the new Superman suit are my two favorite live action super hero costumes.

I like the idea of Batman wearing a dark gray uniform that's a little loose, similar to the Captain America suit, minus da puffy on his jacket.

 

[DKDetective]

Like I said a couple pages back, the way to do a fabric suit is to eschew the need for comic booky muscle definition that has here to fore necessitated the rubber body suit thing. You're not going to get that, and Batman probably shouldn't even have that in comics consider what his costume is supposed to look like. Sure, we see a kevlar vest under a ripped costume but it makes no sense visually when you consider that Bruce isn't any smaller out of costume... his Bat shirt is spandex thin and yet somehow manages to conceal a kevlar vest and give him skintight muscle definition. And the kevlar is never shown to be sculpted like a human torso. The only way to realize the fabric costume on film is to make it a sturdy, almost canvas, fabric with a kevlar vest underneath. Which will give him more of a profile akin to the 30s-50s look. The B:TAS look. And the tone of the world is going to have to change somewhat. I don't think that would work in Nolan's world unless he shifted tone to a drastic degree and he's not doing that. I don't know that it has to have a retro, art deco, period piece kind of thing going on... but it definitely has to be even more Noir than Nolan has done. But it can work.

I never said that the comic book depiction was perfect and without logical inconsistencies and I never stated a preference for the ridiculously muscled look. The comics I was thinking of where the suit was damaged to show armor was stuff like TDKR and Year One, which go for a more realistic 30s-50s batsuit appearance.

However, Batman has actually been portrayed as wearing a kevlar vest with a sculpted muscle appearance in the past. I can't find pictures right now, but I distinctly remember them being posted on the TDK board back in the day.

I have to disagree though that a fabric suit can only be done with a vaguely muscular look. I think that real life Arkham Asylum suit and especially the new Man of Steel suit are evidence that you can have a fabric/fabric-esque suit with decent definition. But you are right that it will not have the appearance of a second skin a la Jim Lee's Batman.

I completely agree about a fabric suit being too big of a change in Nolan's world as I believe I made clear in my last post.

 

[DaveMoral]

I think the material for the Superman suit is way too fiem fitting and defined for Batman personally. You can tell it's not a real heavy material. I am really unconvinced that Batman could be pulled off and said to be wearing body armoe while simultaneously wearing that material. That'd be as logically inconsistent as the comics often are. Superman can get away with it, say it's a Kryptonian material and explain away the strength of it's fibers the same as Superman's invulnerability. I'm not saying Batman has to look puffy, but he'd not look like a Centurion.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

The new MOS and CA suits blow TDK suit out of the water.