The four main Batman costumes. The subsequent Keaton/Kilmer/Clooney suits were just variations on the original (the ghastly versions notwithstanding). Bale’s was radically redone for TDK. Affleck’s was just slightly modified in JL.

IMO the first still works best.

It’s really elemental. Just plausible enough without losing the glamor, a balance later suits sacrificed either for detailing or realism. You get these great, iconic shots (which, credit to Burton, no one else has come close to). And the cape works both ways, shoulders and chest.

What 89 does so well is not worry about the plausibility of the suit. You get just enough to suspend your disbelief; it’s body armor, he has a cable gun and belt that we sort of understand, the cape seems to slow his falls, ok got it.

What sells the fantasy more are other characters’ reactions. Nolan shoots Batman for us, the viewer, to show us how this could POSSIBLY work, and that’s cool. But Burton shoots Batman for us via the baddies, so we can see them go FUCK ME and that’s what makes you really buy it.

I’ve heard complaints that the limited movement is distracting. I never even thought of it like that. As a kid I LOVED the fights. Batman standing still and in one swift move he knocks a punk out. He was like a ninja.

(But I also love Nolan’s much maligned fight scenes. To me they brought something back to action movies that I hadn’t noticed in a while: PAIN. Martial arts films are so dance-like, nobody slows down. But Bale’s Batman, if he hit you, it looked like it fucking HURT.)

The 89 costume is so cool that they can literally film an empty suit and it’s one of the most iconic Batman shots ever.

I don’t think it’s a matter of fear or embarrassment, as such. If you’re going for plausibility, Batman just wouldn’t wear bright colors. He simply wouldn’t. On the Pattinson costume, not even the belt is yellow. It’s just about creative intent. https://twitter.com/xavierfiles/status/1264596900537421825?s=21 https://twitter.com/xavierfiles/status/1264596900537421825

Speaking of much maligned Nolan stuff: his Batman is the most earnest, non-ironic hero of the lot. Those films are unfairly criticized as dark/cynical. They’re the most admiring of Batman as a character. And each one takes efforts to demonstrate children’s admiration for Batman.

Also Batman Begins is underrated.

Also The Dark Knight Rises is overhated.

Few more mentions on the mobility. This was honestly not something I ever thought about until I grew up and heard other grown-ups talking about it. It never occurred to me Keaton couldn’t turn his head. I do think it was clever how Nolan worked that into the TDK script though.

I’m not a fan at all of the Batman Begins costume. From the jump it always seemed to me like a half measure. But when I learned more about the production I discovered they didn’t have the time to truly reinvent the suit. I love how they turned that problem into story in TDK.

I was one of the first people to see the DK suit because I got to visit the set when I was a CBR editor. It was so weird. Without a person in it, it looked like some kind of motocross or other extreme sports gear. Truly radical departure. Also, lighter and 100% functional.

What I mean by functional is that everything actually worked. The armor tiles slide around as the wearer moves so they’ve always got a full range of motion. Those little blades really do pop out of the wrist guards. You don’t need different suits for different shots etc.

I don’t know a ton about this art form but it seemed to be the TDK suit was a really impressive piece of engineering. Verisimilitude was definitely on display at that set. Everything was as real as possible. Even the ATM displays in the bank were in-universe Gotham bank things.