Alright, finishing up the 1:50’s last time didn’t quite happen, but I’m pretty sure we’re crossing that line today, right now. Three pics left, I think…
The Nolan Era a.k.a. The Dark Knight Trilogy (1:50)
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Nolan’s perspective on Batman was the fresh overhaul that the series needed and his time with the Caped Crusader would ultimately become a watershed event for the superhero genre in film. Taking inspiration from vaunted comics like The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke among others, the camp wasn’t just toned down, it was completely cut out, and Nolan put us in a world that was actually believable. Fantastical concepts – such as the Batmobile – finally became plausible. In combination with career-defining performances from the likes of Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, these movies weren’t just good superhero movies, they were worthwhile achievements in the larger world of cinema as a whole. With that in mind, the Bat-vehicles received complete redesigns with the practical aspects taken into consideration above all else.
In lieu of the traditionally sleek Batmobile, Nolan and his production design team gave us the Tumbler, initially conceived (in-universe) as a military vehicle used to traverse gaps while laying a bridge that further troops and equipment could travel over. We first see it in desert camo, but like all things Batman, it was promptly rendered in black. I’m not sure why Hot Wheels produced 2 different versions; one has noticeably bronze accents while the others are more gold-colored along with other small differences in detail. The Batwing was traded in for The Bat, a helicopter-like machine more realistically suited for weaving through the skyscrapers of Gotham and hovering as the situation demanded. And finally the Batcycle became the Bat Pod, a sort of emergency break-away vehicle from the Tumbler, hence the wiry, minimalist design.
They may not be as flashy as other vehicles in the Bat-world, but the suspension of disbelief is a little easier when dealing with tanks and helicopters as opposed to jet-propelled automobiles making hairpin turns and jet-propelled, well, jets stopping midair on a dime.
The Modern Years: The DCEU and Beyond (1:50)
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I could’ve broken these into 2 or even 3 different pictures, but we’re only looking at 4 vehicles so it’s cool – plus the DCEU and this whole “DCEU-adjacent” set of continuities is sort of blurry. Yes, the DCEU will continue, but wait, yes, standalone Batman films will also be produced. And there’s the standalone Joker. Whatever. Anyway, in today’s superhero cinematic climate you’ve got 2 types of films: the ones that came before The Avengers and the ones that came after The Avengers. It’s a whole new ballgame in this post-Avengers world; the superhero flick has broken into the realm of art and as with all good art there are imitators, parodies, and pastiches, with a mixed bag of results. These post-Avengers stabs at Batman can certainly be thought of as such.
The 2 Batmobiles on the left are from Batman v. Superman and Justice League. While loaded down with some impressive firepower, we see very little of either of these in action. Earlier this year came The Batman, an aim to lean into another of the Dark Knight’s epithets, World’s Greatest Detective. Being much less focused on action and spectacle, the Bat-vehicles were grounded nearly to the point of banality. The latest Batmobile looks more like something from a Fast and Furious sequel complete with the NOS-fueled blue flames, and the Batcycle looks like, well, a damn motorcycle.
Odds and Ends (1:50)
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These 4 guys didn’t fit in anywhere else, though I did feature them in the giant spread of like 13 Batmobiles that I kicked off the 1:50’s with. I figured we’d get one more good look at ’em since all the others were otherwise featured. The top left features the 1980’s Batmobile, a true testament to the “friendly” blue-and-gray version of Batman that abided by the Comics Code and was generally appropriate for younger fans. Below it is simply the Comic Book Batmobile, though this is an infinitely nebulous term as literal scores of different Batmobiles have been featured in the comics. I kinda wish Hot Wheels had provided some point of reference for this one.
The upper right showcases the Super Friends Batmobile from the 70s and early 80s. Super Friends was an oddly watered down take on the Justice League, with bizarre inclusions based on diversity such as El Dorado, Samurai, Apache Chief, and Black Vulcan.
And finally, in the front right corner, is one of my personal favorites, the 1940s Batmobile. And this is truly some 1940s shit. Batman didn’t really even begin to develop into some semblance of what we know him as until the 60s, so going back to this era, when Batman was only between 1 and 10 years old is like getting to know a whole different character in a whole different world. The Batman who drove this relic was more concerned with thwarting Nazis that chasing down someone like Two-Face or Scarecrow. This was also a pre-“no kill” Batman, who was known to fly around with a corpse dangling from a rope from time to time.
And holy moly Danielle Bregoli, I think we have at long last finished with the !:50 scale Batmobiles (and related)! I know I kinda harped on a little bit here but I felt like it so it’s whatever. Coming up next is…well…I’m not 100% sure, but there will be a Part 9 because there must be a Part 9 and several more after that. The count will go on, so check back real soon….
Total For Part 8 (new only): 3
Grand Total Thus Far: 217
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