THE BATMOBILE, THE OFFICIAL CAR

used by Batman in his missions, is always something to talk about. Every time it surprises the audience, whether they like or not, it’s never unnoticed.

In The Batman (2022), the Batmobile came alive. It’s a character itself… scary, imposing. In the scene where Batman is chasing Penguin, you could feel the fear in Penguin’s facial expression when he was stuck and heard the noisy car snoring and looked in the rear-view mirror seeing the spooky view of the Batmobile. The director Matt Reeves and designer James Chinlund created “a giant designed to intimidate”.

The huge front bumper and the wheels larger than the bodywork are striking. The exhaust pipes are protruding on the sides. The powerful rear engine is exposed with a retractable system like fish gills. It’s a muscle car with a V10 engine and the look of Fast and Furious. The engine is installed in a central-rear position. Also, it has the presence of the traditional flame launchers.

You could also compare the new Batmobile to a Pontiac Trans Am that served as the basis for the television series Knight Rider. The metal bumper, hood protection and square headlights are very reminiscent of the visual identity of the Mad Max films of the 70s.

Chinlund says in an interview, “The main chase scene is one of the most visceral cinematic experiences I’ve ever been part of. Tipping tractor trailers and smashing through things, that was all in camera. Everything the car does, it’s really doing. No other Batmobile has performed like that.”

Although the story takes place in a fictional world, director Matt Reeves revealed his intention to make the audience feel like they are in real life, in a serious and less cartoonish environment.

Also, Batman would be slightly younger than his predecessors, in his mid-30s. Therefore, the director tried to emulate a vehicle that Bruce Wayne would have created with his own hands as an adaptation of an existing car.

Some fans also find a parallel in the comics. The main one is Batman: Overdrive (2020), a graphic novel that features a teenage Bruce Wayne building the first Batmobile to restore his father’s favourite car. Another source could be Batman: The New Adventures #408, the Batman magazine during the 1980s. In the HQ, the hero meets the second Robin, Jason Todd, when he catches the boy trying to steal the wheels of the Batmobile. The first Batmobile appeared in comics in 1939, on Detective Comics # 27, but it was just a very regular sedan. Over time, the vehicle received the most diverse technology and visual resources.

The first appearance of the Batmobile on television was in 1966, in the premiere of the Batman series. It was a Lincoln Futura, relatively realistic compared to what came later. It had logos on the doors and wheels, an elegant design, and gadgets everywhere. A vehicle marked by the 60’s and its aesthetics.

Grant Morrison wrote Batman comics for six years and the Batmobile is awesome during that time. Windshield, windows, and red headlights give the car an unearthly air. No wonder he even flew.

One of the most popular Batmobiles among fans is the 1989 one, driven by Michael Keaton, from the movie directed by Tim Burton. The vehicle received a more gothic look inspired by cars from the 1920s.

Batman: The Animated Series (1992) was so iconic with its crazy mix of genres. With discreet curves and an elongated design, Batman’s car had a vintage look compared to the others. Even so, it’s also a futuristic car like no other.

If you like Christopher Nolan’s Batmobile, you should read Frank

Miller’s masterpiece: Batman: The Dark Knight. A real battle tank was made to, well, kill Superman. We see a scenario in which all heroes have been made extinct by law and the only one on duty is Superman who works as a government employee. The growing crime wave in Gotham makes the almost sixty Bruce Wayne don his black cape again which puts the Man of Steel on the trail of the bat. It’s one of the most epic and bloodiest showdowns in comicsand the one that inspired Batman v Superman

Originally a 4-issue miniseries released in early 1986, Batman: The Dark Knight took very little time to be considered one of the two cornerstones of modern comics, alongside Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Written and drawn by Frank Miller, the story, showing an aged and embittered Knight of Darkness returning to action after years of retirement, crossed the boundaries of what was conventionally considered “comic books”, establishing new parameters, both in narrative and in theme and influencing everything that came after.

BY ROB LOCKETT