Among the list of all of Batman’s gadgets, the Batmobile is high in his readers eyes. An armoured tank capable of speeding through the streets of Gotham, taking out anything in its path. Or is it really a 55’ Lincoln Futura, with plenty of accessories?

The Batmobile has taken many forms in the 80-year history of the character. While not named, it made it’s first appearance alongside Batman in Detective Comics #27 [Kane & Finger.1939]. A plain, unmodified red coupe. Far from what we would recognise as a Batmobile in the modern day. It appears in the story that this first car is used publicly by both Batman and Bruce Wayne as Wayne and Commissioner Gordan are seen using the same model car to get to the Lambert Residence. But from this first appearance, it’s taken on multiple incarnations in different forms of media. From comic renderings from different artists, to the ’66 television series [Semple & Dozier.1966-68], multiple film franchises such as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight [Nolan.2008], and video game offerings such as Batman: Arkham Knight [Rocksteady Studios:2015].

With such a rich history, spanning 80-years. Artists and writers have payed homage and referenced this history through intertextuality. Originally introduced by Julia Kristeva in her 1966 essay, Words, Dialogue and Novel [Kristeva.1980], intertextuality is the practice of one text referencing another. For example, the parody genre is built very heavily on intertextuality as it directly references outside sources to make their jokes. Intertextuality itself can be broken down even further into three main categories. Obligatory, optional and accidental [Miola.2004]. Obligatory are the reference that need to be made to get across what you want. For example, Spaceballs uses obligatory intertextuality to Star Wars. It “involves the use of deliberate referencing, the writer will invoke texts consciously, and the reader will usually require some form of knowledge towards the original texts, in order to appreciate the new material created” [Laird.2017:05] [Fritzsimmons.2013]. Optional intertextuality is just that, an optional reference the author has included that doesn’t necessarily impact the story they are telling. They are used to “pay homage to the ‘original’ writers, or to reward those who have read the [text]. However, the reading of this [text] is not necessary to the understanding of the [new text]” [Ivanic.1998]. Accidental intertextuality then, is a reference that was unintentionally included, or one the reader recognises due to their own knowledge but wasn’t intended by the creator. When we are discussing the intertextuality of the Batmobile, we are discussing specific models and their appearance in a medium that is not their original, or in a separate continuity.

The first car explicitly labelled as the “Batmobile”, was in Detective Comics #48 [Kane & Finger.1941]. However, this car still does not resemble what we think of when the idea of a Batmobile is conjured. Instead, it’s similar to the car from Detective Comics #27, with the addition of a bat shaped hood ornament. The first car that we consider to be a traditional Batmobile based on design, comes from Batman #5, designed by Jerry Robinson. As noted on the blog, Batmobile History, “the design was created nearly whole cloth, with only a passing resemblance to real cars of the time. The result was a combination of speed, style, and brute force that continues to influence Batmobile designs today” [Spencer.2017]. The most noticeable piece of iconography here is on the front of the car. An image almost resembling the cowl of Batman, complete with piercing eyes. Physically tying the design of the car to Batman’s own iconography. The car also features a fin running off the back that mimics the look of Batman’s cape in movement.

From here, the most notable models of the Batmobile are those that appear in the 1966 Television series, Batman, the 1989 film, Batman [Burton.1989], and the 2005 film, Batman Begins [Nolan.2005]. The reason for choosing these as notable models are due to the material’s place in pop culture, and the wider audience appeal.

Due to a tight budget, the Batmobile for the 66 Television show, was based on a 55 Lincoln Futura. A perfect match as it included the fins on the back, much like the comic counterpart [Spencer.2017]. The nose was then shaped into a bat motif, again, much like the comic counterpart. Noticeable, on the sides and wheels of the car are little red bats. The shape of these Bats is reminiscent of the hood ornament on the Batmobile introduced in Detective Comics #48. If this was intentional, then it is likely an optional reference. Given that the much earlier design would have been little known. However, if it is unintentional, then it is a case of accidental intertextuality, as it is up to the reader to notice that reference.

Some of the most impressive uses of intertextuality are in Batman: Hush [Loeb & Lee.2002], and Batman: White Knight [Murphy.2018]. While written and drawn 16 years apart. Both stories feature very impressively done, 2-page spreads featuring a part of the Batcave. What makes these pages so notable, is the inclusion of several incarnations of Batmobiles. If these were all strictly kept to comic incarnations, then it could be stated as just an interesting image. But the inclusion of Batmobiles from outside of the comic book media, makes this a good use of optional intertextuality. Hush noticeably including the Batmobiles from Batman: The Animated Series [Timm & Dini.1992 – 95], Batman [Burton.1989], Batman the television series [Semple & Dozier.1966 – 68], Batman Forever [Schumacher.1995], and others just out of shot. In Batman White Knight, the shot includes slightly fewer models, but is modernised by including the ‘Tumbler’ model from Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins [Nolan.2005]

In the interactive landscape, such as Batman: Arkham Knight [Rocksteady Studios.2015]. The player has a level of input when it comes to the Batmobile. The final game in the Arkham series, allows the player to use the Batmobile during gameplay. This also gives the user the option to use ‘skins’ to customise the look of said Batmobile. This could be used in two ways, either as a new colour scheme for the in story Batmobile. Or, fill models of various Batmobiles in racing mode [IGN.2016]. This could be considered the ultimate version of optional intertextuality. Not only in the eyes of the developers, but in the choice of the players as well.

The Batmobile is far from the only use of intertextuality across the Batman franchise and media. Even outside of DC properties, the Batmobile has been referenced in media such as Ready Player One [Spielberg.2018]and The Simpsons [Groening, Brooks & Simon.1989 – Present].Particularly when you include interactive forms of media and allow things such as modding and bonus content. But the various incarnations of the Batmobile, and their prominence within both the fan base, and pop culture as a whole, make it a prime candidate for intertextual call outs.

Sources:

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