Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Religious Music & Entertainment
The Batmobile Should Not Have Gun Turrets

The Batmobile Should Not Have Gun Turrets

Last updated on: September 17, 2014 at 6:00 am by Paul Asay

The Batmobile Should Not Have Gun Turrets 2014-09-15T20:51:00-06:00 Paul Asay

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I do like me some Batman. Or, more fairly, I like me some Batmans. I like the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale dark, growly version of the guy. I like the subtle, Gothic, Michael Keaton Batman. I like the campy, clever, Adam West Batman from the 1960s—especially when he’s fending off sharks with his special bat shark repellent.

But in all these incarnations, Batman’s still supposed Batman is supposed to adhere to a certain set of rules. Rule No. 1: No killing.

So after being pretty excited about the upcoming Batman Versus Superman: Dawn of Justice movie (coming out in 2016), I’m a little nervous about the gun turret on the new Batmobile. After all, cars are a reflection of the man—especially in Batman’s case. Hardcore firepower seems superfluous for a guy who swore off firearms when his parents were killed.

Still, the thing looks cool. And, just for fun, let’s look at some of the more notable Batmobiles of the past, rating them as both a motorized extension of the Dark Knight and for just sheer awesomeness. (And we’ll hold off judging the new vehicle until we see it in action.)

1941 (Detective Comics #48)

The first Batmobile was a sleek, red monster with, if you look really closely, maybe a little bat hood ornament. It wasn’t exactly a car that’d help you keep a low profile, I suppose … but compared to some later Batmobiles, this thing is practically a Honda Accord. Plus, I’d imagine that this would be just the thing to impress Vicki Vale.

Bat-rating: 4.

1949 (Batman and Robin serial)

Sure, the first Batmobile was a little short on fins and rockets, but it still looked way cooler than the 1949 Mercury convertible used in this very low-budget serial. It’s clear looking at this picture that, really, Batman and his chosen mobile operate with a certain symbiosis. If Batman is forced to drive just an ordinary car, the overall impression is not one that would cause criminals to run away in fear as much as to laugh.

Bat-rating: 1.

1950 (Detective Comics #156)

Now, here’s a Batmobile I would’ve driven. The huge bubble cockpit, perfect for viewing the city of Gotham. The massive single fin that, while it cuts down on trunk space, surely improves aerodynamics. And that huge bat head on the front—like a battering ram to punch out evil. This car is so fierce and intimidating that Batman apparently broke his leg just building the thing. Perhaps he was wrestling with the car’s utter awesomeness.

Bat-rating: 7

1966 (Batman television show)

This is the first Batmobile that I ever saw—not on the original television show (which I didn’t first watch until I was 16 on after-school reruns) but as a miniature car. And it still looks awesome. Why, oh why, did car manufacturers never pursue bubble windshields like this? And my Honda Fit (also black) would sure look great with a set of fins.

And look at the interior! Red-trimmed black leather seats. A fire extinguisher between the buckets. Defensive weaponry—“nails,” “ejector seat,” “rockets” clearly labeled. What commuter couldn’t use this on his way to work? ‘Course, since the car was commissioned by a billionaire, you’d expect it to be pretty pricey, and it is. The original was sold in real life for $4.2 million last year. But you can get a replica made for a mere $150,000, if you’d like. No word whether the ejector seat works.

Bat-rating: 10

1973 (Superfriends)

In the 1970s, the television Batmobile got an animated update, eliminating the black-and-red motif in favor of basic blue. This was the first Batmobile that I actually saw in action, and it looks perfectly servicable … but I actually don’t remember it much. Wonder Woman’s invisible plane is, truth be told, much cooler—even if the plane’s invisibility is somewhat negated by the seemingly floating superhero inside.

Bat-rating: 5

1989 (Batman)

I have a soft spot for the classic 1966 version, but in terms of pure aesthetics, this might be the prettiest Batmobile ever. Low, sleek and with a killer security system, this Batmobile was a perfect car for the dark, gothic vibe of Tim Burton’s Batman movie. And the fins were huge! Still, all those curves and circles and blackness remind me just a little of a Norelco razor.

Bat-rating: 8

1997 (Batman & Robin)

After that strong cinematic start in 1989, the Batman movie series went swiftly downhill, bottoming out with Batman & Robin. The nipples on George Clooney’s batsuit earned the most notoriety, but the Batmobile wasn’t much better. It looks like it sorta glowed on the inside (which you’d think would be a problem for the driver) and that, combined with the jagged exterior makes it look like Satan’s nightlight. On the upside, the fins on the Batmobile model would make for a great backscratcher.

Bat-rating: 4

2005 (Batman Begins)

For a lot of Bat-fans, I’d imagine that Christopher Nolan’s Batmobile, the Tumbler, is No. 1. And yeah, the thing is pretty cool. Granted, all those oddly tilted metal panels must really cut down on the Batmobile’s gas mileage, but that’s probably not a huge consideration for the billionaire driving it. And the thing does look hard to drive. But the fact that it has a motorcycle hidden in its black metallic folds? Killer.

Bat-rating: 9

Previous Post

September 15, 2014

No Good Deed and Dolphin Tale 2: Who You Gonna Trust?

Next Post

September 19, 2014 Braveheart: A Different Sort of Freedom

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category books celebrities Editor's Choice games movies music news sports superheroes television Uncategorized

Select a Month May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 December 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 September 2023 March 2023 February 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 December 2021 October 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the correct sequence of the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control Love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, forbearance, faithfulness, self-control, gentleness Love, peace, joy, kindness, forbearance, faithfulness, goodness, self-control, gentleness Joy, love, peace, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, forbearance, gentleness, self-control

Books by This Author Books by Paul Asay

See All Titles »