The Dark Knight Rises The TDKR Batsuit Discussion Thread

[Stelze]

yay, Bat-Nipples.

 

[the dmg]

I hate that theyre angled inwards in stead of straight up, ridiculous I know, but if they were straight the cowl would look so much better.

That and they are on the back of the parietal bone, as opposed to being in more of a middle ground, like our own ears for example.

 

[Mr. Earle]

The batsuit was an afterthought for Nolan. He spent most of the BB budget on the Tumbler, and while they had ideas for what it wanted to be, they ran out of money to do what he really wanted. Plus, the TDK suit is far from being perfect, but is a step in the right direction, IMO. I would hope that they would want to improve it even more.

Dont worry, i'm sure they ll have the right budget to add repulsors in TDKR. Then the costume will be complete!

Audiences don't go into movies, especially superhero movies, expecting it to correlate with how things are in this world. You have to set up a world where everything the superhero does makes sense.

Agreed. It doesnt have to be the real world with a superhero and a supervillain duking it out. Why is there a world full of wizards in Harry Potter, a world full of aliens in Star Wars, etc?

And this is where a DC movieverse would really work. Not in a "lets put everything together and make cameos and team ups". No, just a shared world full of superheroes, where half of the planet's population wears a mask and fights for good or evil. So without necessarily doing team ups, this world would allow for characters such as Robin, Harley, Croc, etc to be adapted because it would have no laws, no limits and no restrictions of pseudo realism, seriousness and what not. It would just be the DC movieverse where everything goes and you can do any kind of story, from "loner Batman broods in the alleys", to "Batman, Robin and Nightwing fight Manbat".

And hey, you could always have a hero + guest star movie. Like a Batman + Zatanna story. Especially now that Dini has made them childhood friends Z could work well in a Batman story, even giving the director a chance for flashbacks to Bruce's past. See the BTAS episode "Zatanna" for instance. And then there are actual team ups like Superman/Batman, the Justice League, etc.

I like the realistic approach where a director examines what would happen if superhero X and X alone came to be in our world, but i think its time we open the floodgates.

 

[Savage]

I still don't get why he needs the external panties of differentiated color for a live action suit to be "good" by some fans' standards.

My god. You keep calling them panties. Do you even like comic books or are you just here for the movies? You refer to simple underwear with such disdain. Jeez, just cause a guy wears briefs that aren't boxerbriefs.

And to answer your question, they're not required to be good. They just look nice. That may be a matter of opinion but it's really weird imagining Superman and Batman without trunks on the outside of their tights. It just becomes leotards with belts that hold nothing up.

 

[Boom]

Really hoping for a new suit in TDKR .

 

[GothamAlleys]

And to answer your question, they're not required to be good. They just look nice. That may be a matter of opinion but it's really weird imagining Superman and Batman without trunks on the outside of their tights. It just becomes leotards with belts that hold nothing up.

Thats right, theyre there for the aesthetic purposes. They fit overall with the design, keeping the right color balance and designing balance. You have the boots, the pants and the cowl, each in 3 different body segments. Great design

 

[serendipity]

I dug the riot gear in TDK. It was sexy, plain and simple. I assume there'll be a new suit tho. I don't presume Bane-fighting armor ala Hulkbuster?

 

[DorkyFresh]

:::shameless self promotion:::

hey guys...just showing some concepts i made through the years. they don't exactly fall in line with what Nolan's been doing, but i figure there might be 1 or 2 elements from these designs that you might like. if anything it could give y'all something to talk about...

[YT]8V6ZNLH8YZI[/YT]

 

[Timstuff]

 

[Timstuff]

I simply fail to see how in any way Batman's costume is circus -like or bad. I have never heard anyone excpt for Ringwood saying they dont like Batman's look, and I sure didnt expect to see it on a Batman forum. Ross showed almost photorealitsic paintings of the suit and it looks very good, after all, Superman's and Spiderman's suits are spandex and look good. Spandex doesnt mean it has to look like a cheap haloween costume.

http://www.**************.com/images/users/uploads/14229/spiderman.jpg

Im not saying I want a spandex suit in TDKR of course, as I already mentioned at least twice in this thread that I want the TDK suit to stay in plus spandex was already done so why repeat it, but in no way I would say that Batman's comic book suit is bad by any possible means.

The thing about Spider-Man is that his suit works for him, even in a real-world scenario. He was designed at a later period in time, and thus it does not have archaic design elements like the underwear outside the pants. On top of that, his tights are frequently lampshaded in the story with people constantly calling him a circus freak. His costume is meant to look extremely formfitting and flexible, because it's really just there for show and nothing else, since it's not supposed to provide any sort of protection or other functions. And given that his suit was originally designed to be a wrestling costume, it's well within Spider-Man's character to wear a costume like that.

What reason does Batman have to wear a costume inspired by circus tights, other than to please the fanboys? I can't think of any. He'd want something that is tough, flexible, and says to his enemies that he's there to crack some skulls. Would I like something more sleek looking than what was in The Dark Knight? Sure. Do I think that the ideal suit for Batman in live action is one that looks just like the comics? No, and if you disagree with me that's fine, but I don't think that the audience is going to buy it if they see Batman wearing black undies over his pants, regardless of what material you make it out of or how much money they throw at it. The only real reason I accept that he dresses that way in the comics is because all the other superheros in that world dress that way, but in a movie it just wouldn't make sense.

 

[JAK®]

Hey look, an example of a poorly made Spider-Man costume. I guess Spidey's comic costume will never look good in a live action movie!

Oh wait, it actually looks ****ing amazing. I guess that makes me an idiot!

 

[JAK®]

The thing about Spider-Man is that his suit works for him, even in a real-world scenario. He was designed at a later period in time, and thus it does not have archaic design elements like the underwear outside the pants. On top of that, his tights are frequently lampshaded in the story with people constantly calling him a circus freak. His costume is meant to look extremely formfitting and flexible, because it's really just there for show and nothing else, since it's not supposed to provide any sort of protection or other functions. And given that his suit was originally designed to be a wrestling costume, it's well within Spider-Man's character to wear a costume like that.

What reason does Batman have to wear a costume inspired by circus tights, other than to please the fanboys? I can't think of any. He'd want something that is tough, flexible, and says to his enemies that he's there to crack some skulls. Would I like something more sleek looking than what was in The Dark Knight? Sure. Do I think that the ideal suit for Batman in live action is one that looks just like the comics? No, and if you disagree with me that's fine, but I don't think that the audience is going to buy it if they see Batman wearing black undies over his pants, regardless of what material you make it out of or how much money they throw at it. The only real reason I accept that he dresses that way in the comics is because all the other superheros in that world dress that way, but in a movie it just wouldn't make sense.

Irrelevant.

The point of the Spider-Man comparison is to show that simply posting a poorly made halloween costume isn't proof that a design could never look cool.

Obviously Batman would require different materials. I don't see how that would make it not comic accurate, but there you go.

 

[Savage]

:::shameless self promotion:::

hey guys...just showing some concepts i made through the years. they don't exactly fall in line with what Nolan's been doing, but i figure there might be 1 or 2 elements from these designs that you might like. if anything it could give y'all something to talk about...

[YT]8V6ZNLH8YZI[/YT]

I really like Batman #2. Reminds me a lot of his original costume, the way his ears stick out.

 

[Timstuff]

Irrelevant.

The point of the Spider-Man comparison is to show that simply posting a poorly made halloween costume isn't proof that a design could never look cool.

Obviously Batman would require different materials. I don't see how that would make it not comic accurate, but there you go.

What is the incentive to make it look more "comic accurate" though? Would gray undies over gray fabric actually look better on film, or is that just what some fans desperately want more since that's how he looks in the comics? There's a certain pragmatism about the directors who have made batman movies that led them all to conclude that a solid black suit is better for film than the exact costume from the comics, and it's that lack of pragmatism why some fans will always be disappointed every time they make a Batman movie and he still isn't wearing the black undies over gray fabric.

Anyway, arguing all this is pretty irrelevant since after 2 movies of a solid black batsuit, there's pretty much a 0% chance that Nolan is suddenly going to say "We need gray with black undies!" I really hope that we'll get a better batsuit than the one from TDK (which I didn't much care for), but it should be pretty obvious by now that that's not going to translate to "gray with black undies," since no reason exists in the movie-verse for Batman to dress in a costume inspired by 1930s circus performers' tights. Something that is sleeker, more flexible, and made out of a less heavy looking material than the titanium plates would be more than welcome, however I can guarantee you it's still going to be a black suit with some kind of armor.

 

[JAK®]

What is the incentive to make it look more "comic accurate" though? Would gray undies over gray fabric actually look better on film, or is that just what some fans desperately want more since that's how he looks in the comics? There's a certain pragmatism about the directors who have made batman movies that led them all to conclude that a solid black suit is better for film than the exact costume from the comics, and it's that lack of pragmatism why some fans will always be disappointed every time they make a Batman movie and he still isn't wearing the black undies over gray fabric.

Anyway, arguing all this is pretty irrelevant since after 2 movies of a solid black batsuit, there's pretty much a 0% chance that Nolan is suddenly going to say "We need gray with black undies!" I really hope that we'll get a better batsuit than the one from TDK (which I didn't much care for), but it should be pretty obvious by now that that's not going to translate to "gray with black undies," since no reason exists in the movie-verse for Batman to dress in a costume inspired by 1930s circus performers' tights. Something that is sleeker, more flexible, and made out of a less heavy looking material than the titanium plates would be more than welcome, however I can guarantee you it's still going to be a black suit with some kind of armor.

We aren't arguing for the vague hope that Nolan will listen to our ideas, we're arguing against those who say it can't be done.

I have no delusions that the third Batman movie will feature Christian Bale wearing such a costume.

I'm mainly arguing because of people who deny something simply because it hasn't been done before.

 

[Timstuff]

My biggest beef with the classic costume is that Batman is wearing his underpants outside of his clothes. Can someone please explain to me why that look is superior to an all black suit and how it better reflects Batman's character?

 

[JAK®]

My biggest beef with the classic costume is that Batman is wearing his underpants outside of his clothes. Can someone please explain to me why that look is superior to an all black suit and how it better reflects Batman's character?

The 'underpants' are in the same category as Batman's wrestler sized muscles and anatomy chart definition. Visual tricks utilised in the comics that do not require being perfectly adapted to live action.

 

[Savage]

*shrugs* Why do I prefer red to the color blue? You can't really explain a preference. People like what they like. Batman to me is that character in the comics. He's the character in the cartoons. Everything else is just a nice or "quaint" interpretation. Plain black is boring and makes the entire point of an emblem on his chest pointless. At the end of the day, for me anyway, it's about variety in his appearance.

It really is "either you like it or you don't". Comic book Batman will always look better than movie Batman in my book unless they pull what Spider-man, Hellboy, and Superman have been able to and actually have the character leap off of the pages.

 

[GothamAlleys]

The thing about Spider-Man is that his suit works for him, even in a real-world scenario. He was designed at a later period in time, and thus it does not have archaic design elements like the underwear outside the pants.

Thats not the reason. The reason is that hes from Marvel, and the underwear thing was Superman's. Kane created the Batman suit by tracing Superman's, but they were both from DC, it was no biggie. Copying or a major designing resemblence from a different company would make waves

On top of that, his tights are frequently lampshaded in the story with people constantly calling him a circus freak. His costume is meant to look extremely formfitting and flexible, because it's really just there for show and nothing else, since it's not supposed to provide any sort of protection or other functions. And given that his suit was originally designed to be a wrestling costume, it's well within Spider-Man's character to wear a costume like that

.

And same goes for Batman's costume. Spiderman can be killed like any other human being with shots and string blows, same goes fro Batman. The comic book Batman had a durability and flexibility almost matching SpiderMan's, and he relied on his quikc reflexes and almost inhuman aerobics

What reason does Batman have to wear a costume inspired by circus tights, other than to please the fanboys?

As explained above and before, flexibility and lack of ANY restriction of movement whatsoever. Spandex provides that. And again, I dont see and never thought of Batman as wearing circus thighs. I guess its a matter of perception, but if he really does, then that only speaks for the functionality of that costume - just like the circus performers, his moves are completely uncompromised. Batman in comics moves very much like Spiderman, and just like him, he can be hurt but doesnt wear any protection because he relies on his physical movement and durability so it cant be compromised in any way

I can't think of any. He'd want something that is tough, flexible, and says to his enemies that he's there to crack some skulls. Would I like something more sleek looking than what was in The Dark Knight? Sure.

Of course not. As I said already, its actually the movie suit that doesnt make sense when it comes to functionality. It weights a lot and slows down movement, not to mention that it greatly reduces the ability to move. And also, with a thick head mask, it dimms down the perception and hearing as well. The fact that the mask sticks out from the face also restraints eyesight. But so what? Kubrick said "real is good, interesting is better" and I very much agree, It looks great, and thats why its there. Not because, like you say, Batman's outfit is ridiculous or not functional. Again, the story of how the black body suit came to be goes back to Bob Ringwood (costume designer) dislike for Batman resulting in his complete redesign and change into something very different - from spandex to think body suit, and that idea carried over and stayed in the movie because it just looks good. But the iconic Batman costume looks just as good, and I will never agree on that bashing towards it

Do I think that the ideal suit for Batman in live action is one that looks just like the comics? No, and if you disagree with me that's fine,

I dont disagree at all. As I said, I culdnt give two hoots about whats in the comics or not despite being a reader since 88. I care what looks good, not what looks like comics. And since the spandex suit was already done in the serials and TV show, and since a comic book look alike black armor suit was also already done in the previous movies, its interesting to see an almost total redesign that we got in TDK which I very much enjoy

but I don't think that the audience is going to buy it if they see Batman wearing black undies over his pants, regardless of what material you make it out of or how much money they throw at it.

Here I disagree because no one except for you thinks spandex is silly and Superman still looks good , and secondary, the "Dead End" movie was very praised by the fans and the comic book fans and it was dark and acclaimed everywhere, yet it had a spandex comic book suit

The only real reason I accept that he dresses that way in the comics is because all the other superheros in that world dress that way, but in a movie it just wouldn't make sense.

And as I said, it makes perfect sense for him and for his movements to have a spandex suitlike people who perform physical acrobatics, as oppose to think, slowing down and defeaning heavy suit.

And of course AGAIN, Im not pitching for the comic book suit in TDKR, Im pitching for the TDK suit to stay in, Im simply defending Batman from bashing, but seeing how popular the character always was and how the design is still so praised and acclaimed after so many decades, I dont think it really needs any defending

 

[JAK®]

I hate the Dead End costume. It's a perfect example of how NOT to adapt Batman's costume. It's spandex, for a start, and that grey is practically white. It's only a few steps above halloween costume.

 

[Timstuff]

Dead End gets praised because it's a very well done fan film, but only some fans praise it for the costume, and a lot of fans hate the costume and even cite it as a reason why the tights should not be in a movie. I would hardly say the costume was as good as the one in Batman Begins, though, and even if, as some fans believe, they were able to spend the same amount of money on it as the one in Begins, it wouldn't look much different or better than what we saw in Dead End, because at the end of the day it's still gray fabric with the black undies. Some people like the undies, but I'm not one of them, and personally I would like for the movies to avoid using them. Simply put, Batman's costume was not why I thought Dead End was good, and I'd prefer that the movies not go down that road as far as costume design is concerned.

 

[GothamAlleys]

My biggest beef with the classic costume is that Batman is wearing his underpants outside of his clothes. Can someone please explain to me why that look is superior to an all black suit and how it better reflects Batman's character?

We just did - designing and color balance. Siegel and Shuster had a great eye. The costume is basically divided by 3 and the sections are matched by the same color resulting in a perfect balance in both the design and color

 

[GothamAlleys]

I would hardly say the costume was as good as the one in Batman Begins

And even thought the Begins is my least favorite Batman movie costume, for me it sure is much better than the Dead End costume but then again, Im someone who likes movies a tad bit more than the comics, even thought I got into the comics before the movies. But I also have nothing but praise for Batman's iconic comic book costume, its what drew me first and what I find phenomenal as a Batman fan and not in any way ridiculous

 

[Saint]

Would gray undies over gray fabric actually look better on film, or is that just what some fans desperately want more since that's how he looks in the comics?

The great thing about looks is that people like different ones. If somebody wants a grey costume, it's probably because they think it looks better. I think it's sort of preposterous that you haven't figured that out yet.

Actually, I think the truth is I think you're just willfully obtuse. It's the only explanation for your constant mischaracterization of the debate, half-baked reasoning and tendency to outright ignore counterpoints.

 

[Saint]

I hate the Dead End costume. It's a perfect example of how NOT to adapt Batman's costume. It's spandex, for a start, and that grey is practically white. It's only a few steps above halloween costume.

Yeah, it's not a good costume. I don't hold it against the people who made it--their plan was to do an Alex Ross thing, and that's exactly what they did--but no, I would never want to see that.

The movie itself was pretty poor, too. Hokey dialogue.