The most realistic costume that Batman has worn isn’t from Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight or Matt Reeves’ The Batman— it’s from the comics. The signature suit designed by artist Lee Bermejo incorporates a tactical look with real world textures and practicality for Batman’s war on crime.
Throughout Batman’s comic book history, he has often been depicted wearing tights, sometimes with kevlar or other materials in his suit. When filmmakers considered his live action appearance, they utilized rubber, leather, and fabrics that made the Dark Knight look like he could exist in the real world. Recently, The Batman took a realistic approach to the costume, turning it into a military-like uniform with bulletproof armor, and a leather cowl that is intended to appear homemade. However, before the movies attempted to ground the bat suit in reality, the comics gave Batman a suit that could smoothly translate to live action.
Writer and artist Lee Bermejo has worked on multiple Batman stories, including Joker, Batman: Noel, and Batman: Damned, in which he has illustrated the Dark Knight with the most realistic suit he’s worn in comics. While still prioritizing its ability to strike fear in the hearts of criminals, the photorealistic suit is composed of recognizable materials and fabrics that make sense for Batman to wear. However, the kevlar-padded uniform puts practicality ahead of looks, as Bruce Wayne isn’t overly concerned with his bat brand. His utility belt is clearly intended to put “utilities” first, as it only features sturdy pockets and a waistband.
From the suit, only the cowl and cape are themed to a bat, as the symbol on his chest is connected. Without it, what’s left of the costume is only intended to be armor. The cowl and chest plate appear to be hard surfaces, possibly implying they are bulletproof. Although the costume can be shot-through and torn, it could be intentional so that Batman can move more easily, whether he’s gliding with his grappling gun, or fighting criminals. For what it is, the costume remains to be fairly low weight.
Bermejo’s photorealistic style caters to this iteration of Batman which prioritizes a real world look for the DC Universe. Not only does his rendition of the bat suit look like something that could be brought into live action, but it also looks like the type of costume that Bruce would actually create. No longer confined to tights, Batman can still move around with ease, while being prepared for his rouges gallery.
