The Batman’s new trailer was released a few days ago in the DC FanDome event. The trailer proved how wrong fans were about Robert Pattinson’s Batman. Matt Reeves is giving the entire Mantle of the Bat a total face lift. The entire saga is about to change. Gone are the days where Batman was a muscle bound freak with a penchant for brute force tactics. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is a raw and naked version of the Dark Knight. He is devoid of all gadgetry. He seldom relies on boy toys. His mind and his fists are all he needs to get the job done. This is the new Batman – a lean, mean fighting machine. A new Batman needs a new ride. That is where the Batman’s Batmobile comes in.
Lacking the subtleties of its predecessor versions, the Batmobile looks like a piece taken straight out of American History. It is a muscle car that is an avatar of torque and acceleration. It does not have a fancy computer system or an ejection module. It does not have the look and feel of a futuristic ride boasting 22nd Century Technology. It has but one and only one purpose – Get Batman where he wants and makes him look cool while doing it. Lacking the functionalities of the previous Batmobiles like say for example The Dark Knight’s Tumbler, does give it a unique position within the larger Batman lore.
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But how different it might be compared to the rest? The most well-known version of the Batmobile was seen in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. It was basically a four-wheeled tank that had armor plating as well as prototype offensive weapons not even the greatest armadas and nations of the world could boast of. Compared to the Tumbler, the Batmobile in The Batman falls….well short. Or does it?
Let’s dive in and find out.
The Tumbler: The Dark Knight Trilogy
The Tumbler was one of the trademark weapons of Christian Bale’s Batman. It came equipped with multiple arrays of weapons and gadgets. Between the front wheels of the car lay a pair of mounted machine guns that could fire two thousand rounds per minute. The driver of the tumbler had to lie face down on the driver’s seat, with his or her head in the front section between the front wheels. This gave a joystick first person view to the driver. In case of a fire fight, the Tumbler’s driver position gave it maximum protection since he was covered by armor plating from all sides.
The other advantage of such a unique driver position was that it allowed Batman to conduct dangerous precision maneuvers with deadly accuracy. Lying down also reduced chances of being hit by debris and reduced chances of blunt force trauma in case of an accident. Of course this is all part of the Tumbler’s “Attack Mode”. Under normal circumstances, it could still give the driver the same spot and field of vision as that of a normal car.
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Other unique features included the Stealth Mode, which turned off the internal combustion engine of the Tumbler, switched off all lights and turned on an electric motor. The motor was silent and produced little to no thermal trail. This mode comes very handy while Batman is being chased by pursuers in the dead of night. The Tumbler also came equipped with grappling hooks to latch on to objects and make sharper turns, an integrated fire control system, vector controlled jet engines for the added thrusts for acceleration and ramp-less jumps, explosive mine deployment system to take out pursuing vehicles, as well as the Batpod – where a section of the Tumbler would eject itself along with the Batman, turning the ejected portion into a motorcycle.
Nolan put a lot of thought while finalizing the design of the Tumbler. But it had its flaws. We will help you point some of them out with Batman’s new Batmobile.
The Batman’s Batmobile
Pictures of the Batmobile had already been leaked to the press. The internet was rife with pictures of the Batmobile way before the teaser hit the internet a couple of weeks ago. One website under Jeff Frost’s control, one of the chief designers and concept model makers for the movie, was said to be the source of the leak. The website was taken down later but the high definition images have still permeated all over social media.
And we got to say, we love the muscle car theme. It gives the Batmobile a Mad Max theme. It is certainly a new direction for the Batmobile. It does not look fancy. It appears to be a cross between the roof of an early generation Ford Mustang, the hood of a Dodge Charger, and the arching belt line of a Mid-Era Chervolet Camaro. The beats of a vehicle is powered by an engine that when running, could drown the sounds of a heavy metal concert. The powerful V8 Engine at the back is powered by an as of yet unknown blue energy source.
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The reason we believe this version of the Batmobile is better than the Tumbler is because it has a sleek, minimalist design. Back during the days of Batman Begins when Christian Bale’s Batman needed to become a symbol of justice to the citizens of Gotham, the absolutely terrifying look of the Tumbler served its purpose. It had major design flaws but it did a respectable job. Robert Pattinson’s Batman has no intentions of inspiring justice and honor. He is here to dish out punches and kicks. If you are a criminal, you will pay. End of Story!!
The Batmobile is not fancy because Batman does not want it to be. It needs to do its job and does not draw attention. Compared to the Tumbler, whose very design made it look like a huge bullseye, the new Batmobile is sleeker, minimalist, and can blend in better. Moreover it is common news that the Batman is set during the Year Two story arc. At that point, Batman is still learning the ways of the Dark Knight. The last of his concerns is getting a fancy ride to move around. The Batmobile is also said to be comic book accurate with respect to The Batman’s time frame, something most of the Batmobile’s of the past, including the Tumbler, cannot boast of.
The Batmobile is a gritty, lean, and mean machine. It is perfectly suited for Robert Pattinson’s Batman. And that is why it will always be better than the Dark Knight’s Tumbler.
