Batmobiles down the ages
(Pocket-lint) – Batman’s iconic, of that there’s no doubt at all. One of the most memorable and resonant characters from any medium in the last century or so, let alone if you limit yourself to comics, he’s inspired generations of movies, games and other tie-ins. Through that lengthy list of appearances, there are always a few key variables for fans to look out for, to see how they like a creator or director’s vision of Batman’s crime-riddled world.
That might mean the Batsuit, his tools and Batarangs, or any number of other things, but today we’re looking specifically at Batmobiles, the futuristic car-slash-tanks that he drives between crime scenes, Arkham Asylum and wherever else he might need to go.
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Here’s our list of some of the most iconic Batmobiles of all time.
The Batman serial (1943)
You might be surprised to learn that the original Batmobile wasn’t very special at all. In the 1940s there were live-action movies featuring Batman and Robin. Those movies featured an unassuming 1939 Cadillac Series 75 Convertible Sedan.
A perfectly normal car available to the public with no modifications or fancy gadgets.
Batman (1966)
We’re starting where it all began. Okay, well, not quite – the iconic 1966 TV show starring Adam West wasn’t the first time that Batman made it onto screens, nor was it the first time he drove his own vehicle, but previously he’d just used normal cars. This was the first Batmobile proper, with that gorgeous red detailing and bulbous windows.
Without this to start the trend, who can say whether Batman would even have become so synonymous with his vehicle of choice?
Batman (1989)
The Batmobile’s peak years, in terms of far-out designs, were definitely the 80s and 90s, as evidenced by the iconic 1989 effort. It’s just so elongated and almost caricature-like, but it spawned imitators and inspired children around the world to want cars that make almost no physical sense. That jet-engine like protuberance at the front is suggestive of extreme power, too.
Batman Returns (1992)
Batman Returns serves up a classic Batmobile that’s sleek and subtle compared to those it would be followed by, with wings flanking its jet-engine rear exhaust pipe that don’t feel ridiculously oversized.
We particularly like the detail on those hubcaps, too.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
Again, this animated Batmobile shows how animators can take what’s realistic and stretch it out to be more impressionistic and vague, conveying what’s almost a feeling about Batman’s car as much as it is a real car. The classic Animated Series Batmobile is an iconic bit of design.
Batman Forever (1995)
The gothic comes to the fore for Batman Forever’s car – that engine cover is almost like a ribcage structure, giving the can an almost living look, like the snout of some skeletal dragon. We’re a little off-piste there, but there’s definitely a sinister edge to this Batmobile.
Still, it’s memorable, which scores it highly in our books.
Batman and Robin (1997)
If you’re talking preposterous, of course, the title generally has to go to the risible Batman & Robin, which did almost nothing good. We’re going to say, politely, that the use of colour in its Batmobile is at least flamboyant, but in all honesty we’re far from won over by it. The wings at the rear are a special touch for just how pointless they would be!
Batman Beyond (1999-2001)
You might, briefly, be thinking we’re cheating here – isn’t that a Batwing?
No, it’s just a flying Batmobile, squeaking in a technicality because a flying car is still a car. The fun, dark animated series Batman Beyond is where this version comes from, and we love its stylistic jagged edges. In animated formats it’s less important to look credible, so artists have really pushed the boundaries of what Bruce Wayne can get around in.
Batman Begins (2005)
Batman Begins feels like the start of the modern phenomenon of superhero movies that can actually be… good?
It modernised the formate smartly and its realistic Batmobile is part of that – to the point where no one even calls it that at any point. It’s the Tumbler, and it’s borderline a tank, heavy and cumbersome but powerful. It has major parts to play throughout Christopher Nolan’s superlative trilogy of films, and might not be hugely flamboyant, but still has a place in history locked down.
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015)
Our final entry goes to celebrated videogame Arkham Knight, which put the Batmobile front and centre.
It’s pretty much a tank, except insanely manoeuvrable with tyres that can take you in any direction, and the sections where you drive it around the crime-filled city are superb fun. It’s a great showcase for just how powerful the Batmobile can be.
Batman v Superman (2016)
Jumping back forward to mode modern efforts, the movie might have been an absolute stinker (and that’s the kind version), but the Batmobile given to Ben Affleck’s short-lived Batman was fairy cool – it’s halfway between a tank, like the Tumbler, and a vehicle, and much more military in its stylings, but also had a sort of realism to it that meant it didn’t look preposterous driving around.
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
An animated effort of a slightly different kind, this Lego Batmobile is great fun, not least because you could buy and make it yourself if you’ve got young ones at home (or if you just like building).
Batman Ninja (2018)
Okay, we’ll hold our hands up. This time we literally are cheating – clearly this is a horse, not a car.
That said, though, we’re including it because of what a fun twist it is on Batman’s vehicle, and for the fact that it’s still one seriously intimidating-looking horse. Kudos to Batman Ninja for that one.
The Batman (2021)
The latest Batman outing with Robert Pattinson not only features a very different Batman but also a very different batmobile as well. This is certainly a more realistic vehicle, looking like a souped-up muscle car more than a supercar.
Quite striking compared to the others. Though perhaps a bit boring too. Writing by Max Freeman-Mills.
Editing by Adrian Willings.
