Utility Belt:  Why the gadgetry must be kept down to the fundamentals.

by Peter Tran

 

 In the many Batman movies and comics we saw many gadgets and devices which the Batman used to defeat his enemies.  I feel that many writers tend to give Batman high tech gadgets to combat his foes. In the novel Batman: The Ultimate Evil, he uses a device to leap over a high gate to get to the other side.  In the Batman movies the Bat-mobile was used extensively, however the golden age Batman in the comics used the motor, which I think it is highly unpractical.  The fact that he needs to use a auto mobile to get across town conflicts with the fact that he's a man of stealth and guile.  

Also in the films, how can he be so stealthy in such a large rubber suit?  Personally I believe that Batman should be dressed in the usual tights and cowl, wearing a bullet proof jacket; which proves to be more practical than the rubber suit portrayed in the movies in addition to usual things such as binoculars and gas pellets more often used in the later comics.  The Rope gun should be used to help him swing hastily through streets and blocks.  The Bat-mobile should be kept to a bare minimum, but not fully to a level that the work of the creators are debunked.  However, I do accept the idea that batman should use some items of 'state of the art' features. 

Overall, I think that when writers deal with the gadgets used by Batman, we must remember he is a man of well built physique and intellect and must use items of fundamental basics so that a reader can associate with the situation at hand. 

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Questions and comments about this article can be sent to Peter at

petertran@blueyonder.co.uk