1989’sBatmanchanged the collective perception of Batman, his costume, his gadgets, and even the Batcave in ways that I and many other viewers appreciate. 1989’sBatmanis still considered a classic to this day, even in the arguably saturated superhero film landscape, but it is difficult to overstate how influential the movie is. It may be easy to see 1989’sBatmanas a quaint film by today’s standards, but the movie’s reimagining of the Batman mythos, gargantuan marketing campaign, and overwhelming success paved the way for the modern superhero blockbuster and changed the way tentpole movies are promoted.
For better or worse, 1989’sBatmansought to change the image of the Batman mythos. When discussing Batman, general audiences typically thought of thecampy 1960sBatmanTV seriesinstead of the violent crime dramas of the Golden and Bronze Age comics. I always enjoyed the Adam West series and appreciate it as an accurate representation of the more lighthearted Silver Age comics, but I understand why many hoped for a more seriouslive-action Batman movie. 1989’sBatmanwas a departure from the source material in many ways, yet many of its changes became inseparable parts of the Batman mythos.
How Batman 1989 Changed Batman’s Gear
1989’sBatmanoverhauled Batman’s iconic costume.Batman’s famous gray bodysuit and blue cape and cowl were replaced by a bulky armored suitwhose color scheme was – aside from its yellow utility belt and chest emblem – completely black. While Batman was known to sometimes wear bulletproof plating under his suit, Batman’s new suit was strong enough to withstand point-blank gunshots. Most iterations of Batman’s utility belt use pouches, but the film replaced them with vertical tubes for the smaller gadgets and powerful magnets for the larger devices, with the latter able to rotate to the front of the belt.
The features and intricacies of the 1989-style utility belt were explored in even greater detail in the 1995 sourcebookBatman: The Ultimate Guide to the DC Comics Super Hero.
Batman also typically used Batarangs with high-tensile cables attached to them to climb buildings and ensnare criminals, butthe 1989 movie gave him a completely new gadget: a handheld grapple launcher. This pistol-like device allowed Batman to more believably scale buildings and attack armed enemies, though Batman did use the classic rope Batarang in the movie’s opening scene. 1989’sBatmaneven changed the Batcave itself. Batman’s iconic headquarters was originally a well-lit base filled with advanced equipment and souvenirs of past conflicts with his rogue’s gallery, but the 1989 film made it far darker and minimally-equipped.
Batman Comics Began To Mimic Burton’s Movies
1989’sBatmannot only made Batman one of DC’s most lucrative and beloved properties overnight, it also had a massive influence on the comics themselves. This influence was seen most notably inBatman: Troika, one of the story arcs that followed the famousBatman: Knightfallstoryline, which saw the introduction of the iconic supervillain Bane. After recovering from his grievous injuries and returning to crime-fighting,Batman notably dons a new, armored, Batsuit that closely resembles his costume in the 1989 film, complete with a nearly identical utility belt. The Batcave would also be depicted similarly to the 1989 movie.
Not all of these changes were permanent, however. The 1989-style Batsuit and utility belt would eventually be replaced with the more familiar gray costume and pouch-laden belt, yet Batman’s standard costumes would continue to be varying levels of bulletproof. The Batcave would continue to use the darker visual style of the 1989 film, but elements of the classic Batcave, such as villain paraphernalia, would find their way back into the comics.Batman’s grapple launcher would become a permanent part of his arsenal, however, with the device rivaling the Batarang as his signature gadget.
Batman 1989 Helped Start A Superhero Movie Trend That Still Exists Today
Superhero movies influencing the comic source material is nothing new nowadays, but it was a rare occurrence in the 1990s. Before 1989’sBatman, the 1978Supermanfilm set Smallville in Kansas, where it has remained in nearly every Superman comic and screen iteration since. Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman costume was quickly adopted by the comic iteration of Diana Prince in more recent years. While these were all welcome changes, altering the source material to match an adaptation should usually be avoided, in my opinion.
Interestingly,the DC Extended Universe’s version of Batman used a mix of the pre-1989Batmanmythos and some of Burton’s additions. Ben Affleck’s comic-accurate Batman wears a gray suit with a pouch-laden utility belt, yet the suit is armored. The main version of Batman found inthe DCEU timelineuses a grapple launcher like he does in the 1989 film and the Modern Age comics, but the Batcave is much closer to the pre-1989Batmanversions, with the base being well-lit and colorful compared to more recent iterations.
Batman
Cast
Batman is a 1989 superhero movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. The film features Jack Nicholson’s chilling portrayal as Jack Napier, who turns into the Joker and reigns terror on Gotham. Kim Basinger also stars in the film as Vicki Vale, along with Michael Gough as Bruce’s trusty butler named Alfred.
