Batman through the years: Comparing the Batsuit

Since the first live-action Batman graced the TV screen in the mid 1960's, the Batsuit has had a life of it's own, transforming just as often as Batman himself...sometimes for the better, often times for the worse.

With the newest installment of Batman currently in the filming stages, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at the Batsuit as it has changed across the years. Most importantly, I'd like your opinion...which Batsuit did you like best? Worst? Use the comment section and share your opinion!

BATSUIT I



This is the suit worn by Adam West in the original Batman movie which was adapted from the TV show. Really, one of the least practical, and less appealing suits of them all. Remember, Batman has no powers, so he has to rely on his suit to help him fight crime, and this suit really does nothing but carry a utility belt that amounts to a giant fanny pack. Also, not a big fan of the emblem placement...below the chest and right above the belly. Looks wise, this suit looks more like a childs home made Halloween costume than it does a superhero suit.

BATSUIT II

This suit was donned by Michael Keaton in Tim Burtons 1989 Batman. The suit obviously takes a darker approach to the caped crusader, and is actually quite a bit more practical when it comes to crime fighting. The black suit utilizes body armor, a utility belt and a nifty bat symbol. The one setback to this suit is the cowls inability to let the wearer turn his head from side to side. Other than that though, in my opinion, this suit is pretty solid, and one of my favorites.

Batsuit III

Keatons second turn donning the cowl brought us Batman Returns, and a new batsuit. The most obvious change here, is the suit uses a more plated body armor look, as opposed to the muscle shaped armor of the previous suit. Another notable change is the bat symbol. While similar to Keatons first Batman symbol, this one offers a sleeker appearance, and is by far the most widely used, and recognized bat symbol throughout the world. The cowl itself is fairly similar to the first one, but there are some small changes, barely noticeable.

Batsuit IV & V

I've put these two suits together, because they both make appearances in Batman Forever, the next movie installment of the franchise, this one directed by Joel Schumacher. Gone is Michael Keatons Batman, and in his place, Val Kilmer.

The first suit (Suit IV) has a darker black look to it, and goes back to the muscle shaped body armor. Also, one of the most widely panned features were the horrid "bat nipples" the suit incorporated. You'll note that the suit also strays away from a yellow utility belt, and goes to a sleeker, silver/black belt instead that almost looks like it belongs more in a fantasy movie than a Batman movie. The symbol stays largely the same, with the exception of the background using a color that seems more gold than yellow. B

By the end of the movie, Two Face has destroyed all of Batmans costume, and he is forced to go to a prototype costume (costume V). This costume, strays the furthers from the first three, in that pretty much every detail about it is different. You'll note the suit has more of a dark silver tone instead of black. The cowl is also quite a bit more sleek than it's predecessor, and includes a couple of added points on each side of the face. The most notable change, is that the bat symbol has been replaced, and in it's place, a giant bat across the entire chest of the suit. The oval emblem outline and yellow/gold color are gone as well. The body armor has also changed to a more futuristic look, and really gives a more high-tech look to the suit.

Batsuit VI & VII

                                                                                    Once again, I'll put these suits together, because they both appear in the same movie...Batman and Robin. This time, George Clooney takes his turn donning the cape and cowl of the Dark Knight, and the suit takes some turns changing as well.

The first suit to make an appearance in the movie, is a solid black suit, with muscle-like body armor. The bat symbol is smaller, and contained once again in an oval outline, however there is no yellow or gold in the background...just a raised black symbol on a black background. The utility belt looks a little better compared to its predecessor, and the cowl stays with a sleek look. Overall, the suit is not bad, save for the "bat nipples" that unfortunately make another appearance...one myself, and apparently many other fans could have done without.

The second suit Clooney wears, is in my opinion, the worst suit of all. Incorporating a silver/black mix makes for a horrible looking suit. Like in the previous movie, the emblem has been emblazoned across the entire chest, forsaking the outline. The body armor has taken a more plated futuristic look, and the belt...well, is more of a decoration than a belt. (Also, why are we drawing so much attention to the "bat crotch?" The lightning bolts on the legs are also horrendous as are the notches in the side of the cowl. Not sure who was smoking what when this costume was designed, but its horrible.

Batsuit VIII

This is the first batsuit of the new Batman franchise, directed by Chris Nolan. The first suit we see, donned by Christian Bale in Batman Begins is not a bad looking suit...actually, in my opinion, one of the better ones. The suit is mostly solid black, withe a dark gold utility belt. The cowl has taken a shape that conforms more to the wearers head and looks a bit more menacing. One of the biggest changes here, is the first major change in the bat symbol in quite a while. Gone is the oval border, and yellow background, and in it's place is a different shaped bat emblazoned across the chest of the suit. The body armor takes on a more natural look in blending in with the suit, which fits well with the story line of the costume coming from that of a military developer. 

Batsuit IX

The most recent batsuit worn by Christian Bale in The Dark Knight looks less like a superhero suit and more like a piece of modern body armor, which is actually...what it is. The bat symbol has been shrunk a bit, and doesn't quite take up the entire chest as it did in the previous movie, but its still larger than it was in the previous franchise. The utility belt and largely unchanged, and the biggest difference other than the look of the suit, is the wearers ability to move much more freely than in previous suits. This is the first suit to actually allow the wearer to turn his head in the suit, so that is a major plus. The suit does have it's drawbacks however, and that is the that the spots between the pieces of body armor, which are more visible in this suit, allow for easier injuries to Batman. The cowl, is another big change...not only can the user move the head freely since the head piece is completely separate, but it is also the most form-fitting cowl yet..which in my opinion makes it look a bit silly. All in all though, the increased mobility, outweighs the increased risk the suit offers.

There you have it! My assessment of the evolution of the Batsuit. I'll even go a step further and rank them below...which I think are the best, and the worst. Use the comment section to tell us which you think is the best, and which you think is the worst. In the meantime, here is my rank...#1 being the best, and #9 being the worst:

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

Boris Said What??

Apparently there is a NASCAR driver named Boris Said. I personally am not a fan of NASCAR, opting instead for the open wheel feats of F-1 and Indycar, so I'm not intricately familiar with him, however I loath him simply because his name screws with my head.
It must have taken me 3-4 random articles mentioning the guy to figure out that his last name was actually "Said."
I spent way too much time trying to figure out sentences like this:

"Boris Said in altercation with Greg Biffle." Boris said what? What did he say in this altercation? I want to know???
"The only person available for comment was Boris Said." What? Said who? Who said Boris was the only one available?

You can see where this can become mind boggling. At first you think it's just some typo where some writer didn't proofread, but the more you see it, it really throws you for a loop...or at least it throws me for a loop, being someone who isn't really familiar with NASCAR outside of the normal household names.

Either way, Boris said something...

Fun on Friday!

I thought I'd take today and throw together some interesting tidbits, I've either seen out and about, or run across on the Internet...maybe I'll turn it into an every Friday tradition...who knows, but here goes...Fun on Friday...edition one!
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*I was checking out Fox News today, and ran across a headline that I had to read 4 or 5 times before I actually gave in to the fact that I had read it correctly the first time. I thought it would be better for you to actually see it for yourself, rather than me type it up, so here it is...

I don't know about you, but somebody is having fun writing some headlines today...you can't make that stuff up. The story itself while sad, is one of those freak stories that like the headline, are hard to make up. If curiosity is getting the best of you, follow THIS link to the actual story from Fox News and AOL.com.

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*I had breakfast for lunch yesterday at work. Pancakes and sausage. No, I didn't cook them here, I decided to try out Aunt Jemima's frozen breakfast, consisting of 3 pancakes and 2 sausage links. It looked good, so I thought I'd give it a try, thinking "how hard is it to get breakfast wrong?" Well, long story short, Auntie J delivered on the pancakes, however I feel I got the short end of the stick with the sausage links. Here is a picture...note the sausage in the picture on the cover, and compare it with the sausage in the box.


Is it me, or do you get the same feeling I do regarding getting jipped on the sausage links. (For the record, the pancakes were wonderful)
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*A couple of days ago, I was on my way home from work, and ended up behind a van with an advertisement on the side for a carpet cleaner. The picture on the side of the van, depicted a man, and a woman, laying together on the carpet, looking longingly into each others eyes, and the caption read "Fall in Love With Your Carpet...Again."
Thanks, but I don't think I fell in love with my carpet to begin with. Did those two in the picture I wondered? If so, why? Where? And just what did this carpet have to offer?
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*I think it's just hit me this week, what it means to be a parent, and how much different it is than it once was. It came to me when I was talking to my wife on the phone, and realized that instead of asking about how her day was and what all she was doing, I was asking things like "So...how his poop look today? Normal?" It almost made me want to write a book titled "You know your a parent when..."
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*I'm sure by now, you've all seen the ads for the High Definition sunglasses they are hawking on TV infomercials now. They are called "HD Aviators" and apparently for one reason or another, they are all the rage. Something caught me as funny though while watching the commercial. They guy in the ad, wearing the sunglasses, looks at the camera and says, "WOW...it's like I'm seeing in High Definition now!
Hey sherlock...we all see in high def, unless we are blind. Walk outside...BANG...high definition. After all, isn't that the point of HD?? So the TV can look more life-like? It reminds me of the people who are obsessed with 3-D glasses and movies...same concept...walk outside. It's all the 3D and HD one person can handle and more.
Geez...these people need to get out more.
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10 Things

I don't know if I want to call this a "bucket list" however it is a few lists of 10 things, places, etc...that I'd like to experience. Hope you enjoy...do you have a list (or two?)
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10 Places I've never visited, but sure would love to! (American Version)

1. The Grand Canyon (Arizona)


2. Badlands National Park (S. Dakota)


3. Mount Rushmore (S. Dakota)


4. New York City (New York)


5. Denali (Alaska)


6. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)


7. U.S. Virgin Islands


8. Pearl Harbor (Hawaii)


9. Yosemite National Park (California)


10. Niagra Falls (New York)


10 Places I've never visited, but sure would love to! (International Version)

1. Scotland


2. Rome (Italy)


3. London (England)


4. Jerusalem (Isreal)


5. Everest (Himalaya Mountain Range; Nepal/Tibet)


6. Angel Falls (Venezuela, S. America)


7. Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)


8. Victoria Falls (S. Africa)


9. Petra (Jordan)


10. Ireland

Star Cars: A Collection of My Favorite Movie/TV Cars

Every one of us has grown up watching a movie, or a TV show that showcased a vehicle as one of, if not the main star of the show...and every one of us, has at one point or another pined after one of those cars, wishing it was our own to burn up the streets in whatever town we call home.

The following is a collection of my personal favorites from film and television in random order. I hope my kids get to grow up with cars as cool as these...
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1981-82 DeLorian DMC-12 (BACK TO THE FUTURE)
Aside from making time travel cool, the DeLorian looked the part of "home made time machine". You could actually look at the car, and believe that Doc Brown had actually tinkered around with a car to turn it into a time travel machine. Even though time travel isn't real, the DeLorian is, and it's awfully hard to fight the urge to buy one.


1982 Pontiac Trans Am (Knight Rider) "KITT"
Back when David Hasselhoff was somewhat cool, you'll remember him burning up the streets in his '82 Trans Am. I'm not sure what it was that made this car cool...of all the "cool" cars, this one is the least impressive looks wise, so it must have been the extensive on-board computer that could analyze anything from footprints to whether or not Michael Knights coffee was regular or decaff. Of course, I'd still kill to have that red light on the front. This car was the original, which later gave way to...


2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KRs (Knight Rider) "KITT"
In 2008, another Knight Rider debuted on TV, and while I'm not a fan of the Ford Mustang, this car was made up to look pretty cool. It also had an "attack mode" that it would use when going into any form of combat, and to add a cheese factor, would from time to time transform into a Ford F-150...a feature I could have done without. Either way, if for nothing else, just because it was another version of KITT made it cool enough for me. (Attack mode seen below...the 4X4 version is hard to find...for obvious reasons)

2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KRs (Knight Rider) "Attack Mode"





1969 Dodge Charge (The Dukes of Hazzard) "General Lee"
If you grew up in the south, no doubt this was every kids dream car. Who am I kidding...I'm 31 and it's still one of my "dream cars." Having personally seen this car up close and personal just makes it that much more desirable. One of my all time favorite shows was "Dukes" and The General Lee is probably in my top 3 when it comes to my favorite cinema cars.


McLaren M6GT Prototype (Hardcastle & McCormick) "Coyote X"
Probably one of the lesser known cars on my list, although one of the coolest. This show was on back in the mid 1980's, and followed a retired judge (Hardcastle) and an ex-con race car driver (McCormick) on their adventures fighting crime. To this day, I'd still love to have this car. It sits really low to the ground, and one of my favorite memories of the car was of it sliding underneath a tractor trailer rig while speeding down the interstate. Way cool.


1966 George Barris Batmobile (Batman)
The original and one of the most well known and loved crime fighting cars in the world. During the run of the TV series, Burt Ward and Adam West had the pleasure of driving this dream car around while fighting crime in Gotham City. I've personally sat in this car, and it is by far one of the coolest things ever. It's based on a 1955 Lincoln Futura and in 1966 Barris transformed it into one of the most beloved crime fighting icons ever.

Staying with the theme...


1989 Tim Burton Batmobile (Batman)
Of the many Batmobiles that have been graced the silver screen, the Tim Burton Batmobile is by far the best. Seen in 1989's Batman with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, and again in Batman returns, this Batmobile rocketed (literally...with a jet engine) itself into cinematic history as one of the sleekest, sweetest cars ever. I've recently found out that you can actually purchase a kit to create you own version of this car...if I only had the cash...This Batmobile deserves another view...below!


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1963 L87 Model 117 Volkswagen (The Love Bug, Herbie, etc...) "Herbie"
Growing up, Disney had a real hit with the Herbie movies. While they were made before my time, my parents were great enough to let me watch them and I fell in love with the feisty little VW bug. To this day, those movies are some of my all time favorites. They just don't make movies like this anymore, and it's a travesty.


1983 GMC JIMMY (The A-TEAM)
Of all of favorite movie/tv vehicles, this one to me is the most attainable. Other than a few little things here and there, this is not really that much of a tricked out ride. There is actually a guy who lives about 5 miles from my house who has had one of these vans sitting out in his back yard for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure what his plans are for it, as it hasn't moved in literally decades, but I think I may go by one day, and ask him how much he wants for it. Some wheels and a new paint job, and walla...I'd have my van! Either way, B.A. Baracus' van was one of the baddest vehicles on the TV set, and always will be.


1977 Pontiac Trans Am Firebird (Smokey & The Bandit) "Bandit"
Watching Bert Reynolds and Jerry Reed bootleg beer from Texarcana to Atlanta couldn't be any more fun than it is in this movie. Reed who plays the part of the truck driver hauls the beer, while Reynolds and his car run interference with the law...hence the name Smokey...If I ever own a Trans Am, it'll be a '77, and I promise...it'll be gold and black.


1967 Pontiac GTO (XXX)
One of the baddest cars in all of cinema. Vin Diesel drove this car in the XXX movie, and boy how I fell in love. Not only did it look good, but it looked good in purple. Which is funny, because purple (in my humble opinion) only looks good on muscle cars. If I were to paint my pickup purple, I'd laugh myself right out the door. This one is on my short list of cars I'd love to have.


1984 Ford Econoline (Dumb and Dumber) "Shaggin Wagon"
Not that it was cool, just darn funny. And in one of the funniest movies ever made to top it off. With the wagging tail, floppy ears and tongue and the leg that lifted in the back to reveal the gas tank, Lloyd and Harry's Mutt Cutts Van was one of the many highlights of such a classic comedy. It may not look as cool, but it shares the same name recognition with many of the other cars on this list. Don't believe me? Just go out and ask someone if they are familiar with the Shaggin Wagon...guarantee they will know Dumb and Dumber.


1960 Peterbuilt 281 Tanker (Duel)
Many of you may not even be aware of this truck, but one of the greatest movies in my mind is a movie called "Duel"...it was Steven Speilburgs very first feature film, an is often overlooked in the "greatest movies of all time" lists...at least in my opinion. The film depicts the truck as a "monster" of sorts, as you never see the driver, and with little dialogue, the truck chases a businessman in a Plymouth Valiant in an effort to kill him. In the end, the truck drives off a cliff, but not before you are somewhat freaked out enough to be unconfortable driving on the road with a rig behind you.


1973 Chevrolet Corvette (Corvette Summer)
Another lesser talked about movie, but a movie none the less built around an amazing car. Mark Hamill stars as a high school auto mechanic student who helps customize a corvette, only to have it stolen and taken to Vegas. The movie follows Hamill as he tries to recover the car that means so much to him. I've sat in this car as it is on display at the National Corvette Museum in Boling Green Kentucky, and I'll say that it was one of those "AWESOME" moments. This car is hard to beat.

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There you have it. Some of my favorite movie/TV vehicle stars. If I can think of more, I'll add them, but till then, enjoy this list and I'd love to hear your comments if you feel I forgot a good one!