No knight worth their salt goes on a quest without the aid of a trusty steed by their side. Similarly, the Dark Knight wouldn’t be nearly as capable when fighting crime if it weren’t for his own steed, the Batmobile. Sure, it may not have four hooves and a flowing mane, but it does have horsepower, and it is certainly Batman’s best option for quickly moving through the crime-ridden streets of Gotham City (not counting the Batplane, of course). On top of that, the sleek car is as iconic as the hero driving it, with the original Batmobile making its first comic book appearance over 80 years ago.
With the release of “The Batman” right around the corner, fans are no doubt curious to see how the newest Batmobile performs. We’ve already gotten a glimpse of the epic machine in trailers for the feature film, with Robert Pattinson’s Batman maneuvering through dodgy alleys as he chases The Penguin (Colin Farrell). Taking inspiration from classic muscle cars, the Batmobile of “The Batman” simply screams speed and power, albeit at the cost of appearing as tactical and battle-ready as the Batmobiles from Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy and the Zack Snyder films.
Even so, this new Batmobile looks awesome and fits in well with the look of the Batmobiles that have appeared in past live-action flicks featuring the Caped Crusader. More importantly, the brand new Batmobile gives fans an opportunity to look back at all versions of the Bat-vehicle and consider which designs worked and which did not. Surprisingly, diehard Batman fans on Reddit agree the best version of the Batmobile isn’t one that you’re going to find in a live-action film.
Fans think the animated Batmobile reigns supreme
Warner Bros. Television/Fox Network
While there is certainly always room for debate when it comes to the very best Batmobile, the option that got the most support from fans is for the Batmobile from “Batman: The Animated Series.” In fact, it was the top pick in a June 2018 Reddit post from u/JakeM917 on the r/batman subreddit. Fan support flooded in under a photo of the animated Batmobile shared by the Redditor. U/SluggishJuggernaut noted that, although the car probably could turn very well, they “love the design.” Redditor u/WrestleFan89 commented, “Without a doubt. Easily the best one,” and u/Rampaging_Ducks chimed in with, “Best looking for sure,” but said that, in terms of functionality, the winning Batmobile might be the one from the Nolan-verse.
Designed more like a sports car, the animated Batmobile reigns supreme thanks to its nostalgia factor and its extra-long, physics-defying body. Multiple Reddit threads have been made over the years espousing the car’s virtues, with one thread reaching over 7,400 upvotes and another adding on an extra 700.
Airing from 1992 to 1995, “Batman: The Animated Series” was, for many, their first and primary fix when it comes to the escapades of the Caped Crusader. As such, this Batmobile, despite its apparent inability to turn without skidding, ranks highly among fans. Its design is unique, and it fits into the grim world of Gotham city. There’s not much else one could ask for.
A brief history of the Batmobile
Warner Bros./DC Comics/DC Entertainment
Modern movie Batmobiles may resemble tanks more than cars, but that wasn’t always the case when it came to Batman’s favorite set of wheels. While we currently associate Batmobile designs with dark colors and an emphasis on stealth or combat capabilities, the original “Batmobile” was actually a dinky, bright red convertible with a bat-shaped hood ornament on it (via Super World Comics). The car first appeared in 1939’s in “Detective Comics #27” before being replaced by a more familiar design (at least from our point of view) in “Batman #5.”
The color of the car may have changed, but the red Batmobile convertible did establish some modifications that survive in the versions we’ve come to love in recent decades. The most important of which had to be the Batmobile’s various gadgets. Starting out with just a mobile laboratory, this feature would eventually be removed and replaced with various other gizmos like radar or grappling hooks.
As the years went by, each new version of Batman brought a new spin on the Batmobile with it. Notable examples include the “bubble dome” design (which replaced the red convertible), the 1955 Lincoln Futura present in the iconic 1966 television series starring Adam West, and the “Batman Begins” Tumbler design — the very same car that popularized military-style Batmobiles. With the advent of the muscle car Batmobile in “The Batman,” however, the iconic automobile has gone back to resembling actual cars like the Futura. Out of all of these Batmobiles, however, none can compare to the one design fans love most of all.