Friday, August 24, 2012

The Batmobile is a famous vehicle that has been portrayed several times in film and tv, but Batman isn't the only masked marvel in Gotham with a set of wheels...Catwoman has also driven a Catmobile (in fact she has driven several)

The 60's showed Batman fans a bright green fuzzy Catmobile for Catwoman in the Adam West tv series. Then, a sleek black-and-red Catmobile was given to Selina Kyle in the 70's in the comics and later in the Batmobiles toyline. The Batman Returns film released a purple Catmobile for the movie tie-in toys. The DC Universe Hot Wheels toys showed that Catwoman had a very sleek sporty Catmobile. And finally, a Lamborghini with flaming tail-pipes and black armor that resembled the Nolan era Batmobile was considered for a possible vehicle for Anne Hathaway's Catwoman character in Dark Knight Rises but she ended up driving the Bat-Pod.

Monday, August 20, 2012

The evolution of animated Catwoman. The Filmation Batman cartoon series featured a shrill evil Catwoman clad in green and white. This version didn't have any sort of romantic interest in Batman, and primarily engaged in evil plots to rule the world. The second series, loosely based on the Adam West Batman altered her costume to orange with a cat head on her chest, black cat mask, and white gloves and boots. Like her green predecessor, she had a shrill, grating voice and was completely evil and had no feeling towards Batman besides hatred. The Fox Batman series introduced a much more comic accurate Catwoman, a gray cat-suited jewel thief with a husky sultry voice who was romantically involved with Batman. Unlike the previous versions, Catwoman was somewhat heroic (protecting big cats from extinction), and an adept fighter and thief. She wore her gray costume for three seasons, until season 4 where she was changed to resemble the Michelle Pfieffer Catwoman, pale white skin and a tight solid black catsuit. The CW series The Batman made Catwoman a ninja-like thief with night-vision goggles (as Catwoman was then wearing in the comics), and despite her attraction to Batman wouldn't hesitate to double-cross him if it served her best interests. She often wore her whip around her waist, which looked like a cat's tail, and had red accents to her costume that contrasted nicely with her shiny black costume. And finally the Brave and the Bold introduced Catwoman as a villain who attempted to feed Batman to her tiger, lion, and black jaguar. However the two quickly developed a mutual attraction that occasionally led the thief to help Batman. Her costume was based off her early look in DC comics in the 50's, a purple and green dress with a cape and a cat-cowl. Unlike the Catwoman portrayals in the Batman series on Fox and CW, Catwoman in Brave and the Bold didn't use gloves with built-in retractable claws, but instead had perfectly manicured nails that transformed into sharp red-polished talons at her whim.
On my last post I focused on how the characters of the Batman film franchise have evolved and changed over the years. This time I will focus on the portrayal and evolution of the Batman film vehicles

During the Adam West film era, the vehicles of Batman were as bright and campy as the film itself, with red being the predominant color in all the vehicles. The Batmobile, Batcycle, Batcopter, and Batboat were the epitome of 60's style

The late 80's/early 90's Batman films abandoned the bright red vehicles and went with sleeker, black vehicles for Batman to drive. The Batmobile, Batcycle, Batwing, and Batboat were not only high-speed transports for the Dark Knight, but were weapons as well.

The mid-90's Batman films added a skeletal, ribbed effect to the vehicles of the Caped Crusader, as well as the making the vehicles themselves seem more stylized. The Batmobile, Batcycle, Batwing, and Batboat all seemed more menacing the the previous incarnations
The late 90's saw the Batman films bring back the 60's feel to the Bat-Vehicles, adding shining red and retro-designs to the previously dark and futuristic transports. The Batmobile, Batcyle, Bathammer, and Batsled all seemed unusually shiny and bright for the Batman.
The 2000's introduced vehicles for the Batman that were angular, black, and militaristic. The Batmobile, Bat-Pod, Batwing, and Batboat seemed more fitting for a soldier than a superhero like Batman

Robin also had a few vehicles over the film franchise, the 60's saw the Boy Wonder driving his tiny R-Cart, and the late 90's saw Robin riding the Robin-Cycle, and dark and sleek Redbird cycle soon after. Then the Attack Skiff Redbird was given to the Boy Wonder, and then the Nolan era introduced the Bustertank in Robin's colors.

Batgirl patrolled the streets of Gotham on her dark purple Batgirl-Cycle in the 60's, however before it was officially revealed on the screen it was given a lace ruffled makeover. Batgirl then raced down the dark city streets on the decidedly more heroic and practical Batblade in the late 90's, and also had the Icestrike Cycle, and then Nolan era released the Jetcruiser in Batgirl's colors




Sunday, August 19, 2012

Over the years, Batman Robin and Batgirl...and Catwoman on occasion...have prowled the nights of Gotham City on the Silver Screen. Here are the different versions of the four heroes as they have appeared on film

The Adam West Era of the Batman franchise was very popular in the 60's, although criticized for its campy nature and bright colorful costumes. Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, Yvonne Craig as Batgirl, and Julie Newmar as Catwoman.

The late 80s/early 90's introduced fans to a darker Batman with black rubber and vinyl bodysuits instead of brightly colored tights and spandex, and grim humor in place of campy quirks. Michael Keaton as Batman, Chris O'Donnell as Robin, Dina Meyer as Batgirl, and Michelle Pfieffer as Catwoman


The late 90's/early 2000's brought what many considered to be the end of the Batman franchise...from the neon lit backdrops, to the molded nipples and buttocks on the Batman and Robin costumes, to the lack of accuracy in the costume designs. The Batman and Robin film, along with Catwoman film are considered to be the worst movies of the Batman mythos. George Clooney as Batman, Chris O'Donnell as Robin, Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, and Halle Berry as Catwoman

Christopher Nolan pulled the Batman movie franchise back into the spotlight with a dark, ultra-realistic tone and dark hi-tech armor. And though Robin and Batgirl didn't appear in the film, costume designs were made by talented fans. Christian Bale as Batman, unknown model as Robin, unknown model as Batgirl, and Anne Hathaway as Catwoman

With the success of the film franchise, the heroes of the Bat-Family made their way to the stage. The Batman Live World Arena characters wore suits that combined elements of the Batman movies with the DC comics costumes. Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and Catwoman were portrayed by various theatre actors