Every Batmobile Ever
January 8, 2011 1:30 PM Subscribe
The art deco Batmobile from the 90's animated series is still my favourite.
I had the toy of the first Burton one, which was pretty sweet until I broke one of the fins off and lost both missiles. (Yes, it launched missiles. At my sister, mainly.)
posted by Zozo at 1:52 PM on January 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
I had the toy of the first Burton one, which was pretty sweet until I broke one of the fins off and lost both missiles. (Yes, it launched missiles. At my sister, mainly.)
posted by Zozo at 1:52 PM on January 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
Things go straight to shit for a good long while around late 1968, don't they?
posted by fleetmouse at 1:54 PM on January 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by fleetmouse at 1:54 PM on January 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
He should've kept the Mustang Mach1 Fastback version.
And what's with the econo-coupe in 2000?
posted by sourwookie at 2:17 PM on January 8, 2011
And what's with the econo-coupe in 2000?
posted by sourwookie at 2:17 PM on January 8, 2011
See all of these together, especially the two images of Batman standing next to a parked Batmobile, just made me realize how strange it is that a superhero in an urban setting would get around mainly by car.
Also: 1992, Legends of the Dark Knight--good lord! Please tell me that was a joke.
posted by hydrophonic at 2:35 PM on January 8, 2011
Also: 1992, Legends of the Dark Knight--good lord! Please tell me that was a joke.
posted by hydrophonic at 2:35 PM on January 8, 2011
It's also missing the Batmobile from the 1949 Batman & Robin movie serial, which was pretty much just a normal car.
posted by Strange Interlude at 2:40 PM on January 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Strange Interlude at 2:40 PM on January 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also: 1992, Legends of the Dark Knight--good lord! Please tell me that was a joke.
Looks like Batman must've bought that one from Ace & Gary.
posted by Strange Interlude at 2:45 PM on January 8, 2011
Looks like Batman must've bought that one from Ace & Gary.
posted by Strange Interlude at 2:45 PM on January 8, 2011
That's a Kevin O'Neil design, you cur!
(it probably works better in situ amongst his other crazy-ass designs. )
posted by Artw at 2:56 PM on January 8, 2011
(it probably works better in situ amongst his other crazy-ass designs. )
posted by Artw at 2:56 PM on January 8, 2011
just made me realize how strange it is that a superhero in an urban setting would get around mainly by car.
Real Superheroes Use the Subway.
This message brought to you by the New York Department of Public Transportation
posted by dgaicun at 3:06 PM on January 8, 2011
Real Superheroes Use the Subway.
This message brought to you by the New York Department of Public Transportation
posted by dgaicun at 3:06 PM on January 8, 2011
Lamest: The campy TV Batmobile and every design inspired by it; the Batman Forever sea creature design and all inspired designs; regular cars (lol 1972 Mustang); any car with Batman's face on the front; pretty much everything with fins.
Best: Tim Burton's Batmobile and a few designs inspired by it; which includes the elongated deco animated series car (probably the best design IMO); Nolan's militarized hummer thing.
I'm amazed at how ugly and unoriginal most of these designs are, when it seems like it should be hard not to dream up cool-looking vehicles. Nolan is surprisingly outside the box compared to almost 100 years of artists.
posted by dgaicun at 3:31 PM on January 8, 2011
Best: Tim Burton's Batmobile and a few designs inspired by it; which includes the elongated deco animated series car (probably the best design IMO); Nolan's militarized hummer thing.
I'm amazed at how ugly and unoriginal most of these designs are, when it seems like it should be hard not to dream up cool-looking vehicles. Nolan is surprisingly outside the box compared to almost 100 years of artists.
posted by dgaicun at 3:31 PM on January 8, 2011
Was the 1972 Mustang the one with Batman's head on the hood? I remember, as a kid, checking out some Batman anthology from the library and reading s 70's-era Batman story with a Batmobile that looked like your average 1970's muscle car with the head and shoulders of Batman himself (NOT the bat symbol) airbrushed on the hood.
Even as superhero-comic-reading kid, I thought it was pretty weird that Batman would put a picture of himself on his own car. But that was the 70's, I guess.
posted by mcmile at 3:44 PM on January 8, 2011
Even as superhero-comic-reading kid, I thought it was pretty weird that Batman would put a picture of himself on his own car. But that was the 70's, I guess.
posted by mcmile at 3:44 PM on January 8, 2011
The 2000 one looks like someone's giving Batman a ride in their Pinto.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:57 PM on January 8, 2011
posted by kirkaracha at 3:57 PM on January 8, 2011
It's amazing quite how many of these are really lazy. Looks like the artist just thought "eh, it's a car...just draw the car I saw the other day and really liked, then add a couple of fins". When what they should have been doing was drawing the car that they always wanted to drive as a child. Which is, incidentally, why the '60s TV series Batmobile will always hold a special place in my heart.
posted by ZsigE at 3:57 PM on January 8, 2011
posted by ZsigE at 3:57 PM on January 8, 2011
Also: 1992, Legends of the Dark Knight--good lord! Please tell me that was a joke.
That's Legends of the Dark Mite. So, yeah, it most likely was.
posted by griphus at 4:04 PM on January 8, 2011
That's Legends of the Dark Mite. So, yeah, it most likely was.
posted by griphus at 4:04 PM on January 8, 2011
Ha, that Batmobilehistory.com site is great. Linked from the homepage: The Batmobile: What a Pain in the Ass
I hate to say this, but what would make the most sense for Batman is to have a series of black Ford mini-vans stashed in monthly parking lots all around Gotham.
posted by mediareport at 4:48 PM on January 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
I hate to say this, but what would make the most sense for Batman is to have a series of black Ford mini-vans stashed in monthly parking lots all around Gotham.
posted by mediareport at 4:48 PM on January 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
Yeah, Frank Millers missing is weird.
They are also missing 1988's Batman: The Cult batmobile, which is a pretty awesome piece of machinery.
posted by zephyr_words at 6:51 PM on January 8, 2011
They are also missing 1988's Batman: The Cult batmobile, which is a pretty awesome piece of machinery.
posted by zephyr_words at 6:51 PM on January 8, 2011
Same as above, very strange omission of the batmobile from one of the most iconic Batman incarnations ever. I thought the Tumbler was base on the same idea that the batmobile would be more of a multi-purpose military vehicle than a regular car.
posted by justkevin at 7:11 PM on January 8, 2011
posted by justkevin at 7:11 PM on January 8, 2011
Related: Changes of the Bat Symbol.
I'm not sure if this is a design exercise, or a history of logo variation.
posted by zamboni at 9:34 PM on January 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure if this is a design exercise, or a history of logo variation.
posted by zamboni at 9:34 PM on January 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
I also noticed that the Batmobiles from The Dark Knight Returns and The Cult were conspicuously absent. I guess you could make an argument that they're tanks rather than cars. Chris Nolan's Tumbler is a borderline case.
posted by Loudmax at 10:05 PM on January 8, 2011
posted by Loudmax at 10:05 PM on January 8, 2011
The Dark Knight Returns is out of continuity, so that might be why it's not shown, as far as I know The Cult isn't.
Also I've always thought of it more as a monster truck than a tank.
posted by Artw at 7:04 AM on January 9, 2011
Also I've always thought of it more as a monster truck than a tank.
posted by Artw at 7:04 AM on January 9, 2011
I think we reached peak Batmobile in 1989 with the first Tim Burton movie's design.
posted by randomkeystrike at 1:30 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by randomkeystrike at 1:30 PM on January 9, 2011
« Older Raisins: More Than Nature's Candy | "I was disconnected from reality, enslaved by... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by sammyo at 1:41 PM on January 8, 2011