1995-2000: The years Batman went crimefighting without his underwear
Every time somebody badmouths comics- superhero comics, that is- the critique is often the same: “But they wear their underwear over their pants!”
Now consider Batman: As strange as it might sound Batman did indeed Go Commando for approx. five years, from 1995 to 2000. In between those years, Batman did not sport his traditional black/blue shorts over his pants.
How’s that for statistics? Also a pretty useful common-knowledge bit to pick up girls at parties.
Starting with the Feb.95 edition of Batman (#515), the character changed his uniform to a darker look: The light grays became very dark, and the blues were shifted all the way to black. He lost the shorts as well. (They also added scalloped edges to his boots, like his gloves, but that was abandoned that very month in Robin #14).
Now up to the March 2000 issue of Detective Comics (#742) Batman’s uniform stayed pretty much the same. The outlook was reinforced through DC Comics’ licensing department and went on to become t-shirts, bath towels, toy trains and the works. That was also the uniform Batman used during his adventures with writer Grant Morrison’s JLA monthly book.
1999, however saw one first change to Batman’s suit that would come together in the months to come: During the No Man’s Land storyline, when Gotham City was abandoned by the Federal government after an earthquake, etc, Batman went back to his roots (in retroactive continuity anyway) and adopted a poach-lined leather belt in lieu of the traditional yellow one with the capsules.
Once 2000 hit and NML ended, Batman went all the way to a more classic look: He ditched the Count Dracula suit from ’95-’00 and went back to the pitch-black over light-gray suit, poach-lined belt, no yellow oval on chest emblem and what is more- the shorts were worn once again over his pants!
That version of the suit, at least on a conceptual if not de facto level, is the original one from ’39-’64.
1964 was, of course, the year Julius Schwartz became Batman’s editor and had the now-legendary yellow oval added to the hero’s chest emblem. It was also the year DC upped the ante on the Dark Knight and started giving art credits to the real artists whom up until that point merely ghosted for Bob Kane. The Batman of that period was known as the “New Look” Batman because of those changes.
But that is a story for another bat-post…
Now consider Batman: As strange as it might sound Batman did indeed Go Commando for approx. five years, from 1995 to 2000. In between those years, Batman did not sport his traditional black/blue shorts over his pants.
How’s that for statistics? Also a pretty useful common-knowledge bit to pick up girls at parties.
Starting with the Feb.95 edition of Batman (#515), the character changed his uniform to a darker look: The light grays became very dark, and the blues were shifted all the way to black. He lost the shorts as well. (They also added scalloped edges to his boots, like his gloves, but that was abandoned that very month in Robin #14).
Now up to the March 2000 issue of Detective Comics (#742) Batman’s uniform stayed pretty much the same. The outlook was reinforced through DC Comics’ licensing department and went on to become t-shirts, bath towels, toy trains and the works. That was also the uniform Batman used during his adventures with writer Grant Morrison’s JLA monthly book.
1999, however saw one first change to Batman’s suit that would come together in the months to come: During the No Man’s Land storyline, when Gotham City was abandoned by the Federal government after an earthquake, etc, Batman went back to his roots (in retroactive continuity anyway) and adopted a poach-lined leather belt in lieu of the traditional yellow one with the capsules.
Once 2000 hit and NML ended, Batman went all the way to a more classic look: He ditched the Count Dracula suit from ’95-’00 and went back to the pitch-black over light-gray suit, poach-lined belt, no yellow oval on chest emblem and what is more- the shorts were worn once again over his pants!
That version of the suit, at least on a conceptual if not de facto level, is the original one from ’39-’64.
1964 was, of course, the year Julius Schwartz became Batman’s editor and had the now-legendary yellow oval added to the hero’s chest emblem. It was also the year DC upped the ante on the Dark Knight and started giving art credits to the real artists whom up until that point merely ghosted for Bob Kane. The Batman of that period was known as the “New Look” Batman because of those changes.
But that is a story for another bat-post…
posted by 186282mps at 8:02 AM
<< Home