10 Of the Coolest Batman Uniforms in Comic Books
10 of The Coolest Batman Outfits in Comic Books
The story is the same. “The Mask of Zorro” is playing at a theatre. A rich doctor, his wife, and his only son walk down a dark alley. Pleas are heard, a pearl necklace snaps and two gunshots pierce the silence of the night. This event irrevocably alters the life of the young boy known as Bruce Wayne.
Batman is an institution, one of the most recognizable characters on the planet. In this list, we look at the 10 coolest Batman outfits in the pages of the comics through their 80+ years of history
New 52
Following the events of the continuity-wide “Flashpoint Paradox” event, Batman’s uniform design was one of many to be altered. The suit was sleeker but was bursting to the brim with detail. It resembled an armor more than a costume. The suit was built for combat with accented knuckles, a more detailed gauntlet, and an all grey batsuit with a simple black bat-logo. The interesting part- no trunks on the outside.
Flashpoint Batman
During the events of the Flashpoint, Barry Allen, the Flash landed in a world that was very different from his own. Superman did not exist as a beacon of justice; Cyborg was a government agent and Batman? Bruce Wayne died in the alley that night. Martha Wayne became the Joker and Thomas Wayne became the Batman, a ruthless gun-toting vigilante, happily killing off criminals when he can.
Gotham By Gaslight
Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola kicked off the DC Elseworlds imprint with their title “Gotham by Gaslight”. The series is set in 1889, in Victorian times. Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City after studying under Dr. Sigmund Freud. He dons the mantle of the Batman and begins to hunt for Jack the Ripper in Gotham city. The suit is inspired by classic Victorian steampunk designs. The suit has an old school cloak and throwing knives with flare goggles.
Red Son Batman
In perhaps one of the wildest superhero stories ever written, Red Son Superman follows Superman’s exploits as his craft landed in Russia instead of the United States. Superman becomes the supreme leader of the Soviet Union. Superman’s efforts are undermined by the vigilante anarchist, Batman. This Batman costume is more functional with classic Soviet Soldier outfit elements and even a fur cap. While the design might look dated or even funny, let’s never forget that this Batman with his limitations incapacitated Wonder Woman and nearly ended up killing Superman.
The All Black Suit
Knightfall was a major moment in the mythos of Batman. It was a slow, painful uphill climb for the character after being physically decimated by Bane. Batman got rid of his old uniform and went in for this new, all-black suit. This suit would go on to dominate the rest of the 90s, making him look sleek, like a predator of the night. The same uniform was even used in Morrison and Porter’s JLA run.
Batman Incorporated
Batman in 2011 went through a host of radical changes concerning his character and his status quo. Bruce Wayne announced that he was starting a global crime-fighting team called Batman incorporated. Batman’s costume returned to its classic roots, embracing the grey and black aesthetic with the traditional bat-logo oval on the chest that tended to light up in the dark. Some seams show where the suit was stitched.
The Dark Knight Returns
From one of the comic books that defined Batman as well as the landscape of comic books comes two iconic suits. The first was a classic suit that emphasized a bulkier, more heavy-set batman with a logo that was much larger and contrasted with current trends. The second is the armored batsuit that Bruce used to take on the Man of Steel himself and nearly destroy him with Green Arrow’s help.
The Golden Age
After the debut of Batman in Detective Comics #27, there were major changes to the uniform. By the time Robin debuted in Detective Comics #38 in 1940, the ears on the cowl were longer and pointed and there were familiar blue gloves that had the fins and did not wield guns anymore as compared to previous iterations of the character.
The Neal Adams Era
Neal Adams and another entry on our list have, arguably the most recognizable iterations of Batman through the course of his history. Batman was much sleeker and while the blue may have looked dated and unrealistic even by 80s standards, Neal Adams made it look good. He added touches that made the outfit seem functional and streamlined. This look would continue to dominate the 80s and the early part of the 90s.
Hush
Possibly the most recognizable suit in the modern era and possibly of all time. Jim Lee’s design for the Hush storyline features Batman with one leg on a gargoyle, on a rooftop, looking out at Gotham City. Classic elements meet modern aesthetic as the black bat logo replaces the traditional one. The suit is now much more elegant with a large utility best as a throwback to the classic look. Lee also incorporated elements of blue in the cowl as a throwback to classic outfits.
