Timothy
Men of Steel 
He's a Crafty-Sort of Fellow
Posts: 8,716
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Post by Timothy on Apr 23, 2007 16:50:54 GMT -5
Do you prefer Batman with or without his cape? After pondering about this for my take on Batman, I looked for inspiration in two different sources, with the first being Batman Beyond. I thought that particular animated series did a great job in showcasing how you can still have Batman, but without a permanent, fixed cape... The second source was an Elseworlds story called Citizen Wayne, which featured a Batman that had a small version of his cape underneath his arms...
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Jack Napier
Gotham Knights 
The Scarecrow
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Post by Jack Napier on Apr 23, 2007 16:57:20 GMT -5
There seems to be a conflict between plausibility and aesthetic.
Plausibly, if I were a crimefighter, I wouldn't wear the cape. If you've seen The Incredibles you know what I mean...
On a more serious note, though, the film had a good point. Imagine Batman getting stuck and needing to take the time to rip the cape just so that he can move forward. Or, worse, not being able to rip the cape at all...
Aesthetically, though, I just don't see Batman without the cape serving as his "wings." I haven't read Citizen Wayne. To me, Batman Beyond worked because he was in the future and that Batman could technically fly, so the small wings were there for the aesthetic and the cape was unnecessary. In a Batman world set in the contemporary world, I don't quite see it working well.
That's just what I think.
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Timothy
Men of Steel
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Posts: 8,716
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Post by Timothy on Apr 23, 2007 19:55:00 GMT -5
Makes sense... What if the cape were shortened for ease of movement?
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Jack Napier
Gotham Knights
The Scarecrow
Poster formally known as Dr. Crane
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Post by Jack Napier on Apr 23, 2007 22:20:58 GMT -5
I suppose that would be the best compromise. How long would it be? To his knees maybe?
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Timothy
Men of Steel
He's a Crafty-Sort of Fellow
Posts: 8,716
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Post by Timothy on Apr 24, 2007 5:30:17 GMT -5
That could work... Here's another thought; if Batman is done in, say, my kind of storytelling where he's a real person living in our world, why not have specialty capes for the weather? One cape could be longer (the one that we've come to know) for the winter months, one could be slicker for when it rains... Etc... Just an idea...
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Wolf
Mysterious Stranger
"I have a shotgun."
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Post by Wolf on Apr 30, 2007 11:42:54 GMT -5
I think that the cape, for safety reasons, shouldn't be there, but that it should have some substitute other than the stupid little things given to Beyond. Perchance something attached to the legs or the arms that could extend... a little like what he has in Batman Begins...
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Timothy
Men of Steel
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Posts: 8,716
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Post by Timothy on May 1, 2007 6:36:31 GMT -5
Or like the "glider thing" in Batman Returns?
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Batdad
Kansas Farmboy
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Post by Batdad on May 1, 2007 7:45:42 GMT -5
The cape plays into the "criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot" mentality with it's Dracula overtones. If that is the type of foe he faces, why not a cape? Bat "wings" like Spiderman underarm webbing would have to be utilitarian like in Batman Beyond as opposed to fear inducing.  The cape can be both offensive and defensive. The scalloped bottom edges can be weighted and barbed, while the "pleather" cape can be fire/acid resistant. Superman's cape is indestructible and serves a purpose. Captain Marvel's cape serves little purpose. I vote to get rid of that one.  |
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Wolf
Mysterious Stranger
"I have a shotgun."
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Post by Wolf on May 1, 2007 11:16:43 GMT -5
While the cape is used to produce fear in the opposition, it can be used by the opposition against Batman in battle with a determined enough opponent. If it's kept, there will have to be a defence mechanism to make it so no one can do that. THAT, however, requires a deep understanding of Biometrics and the ability to capture super-human abilities in inanimate objects. While the writers may be able to copy such an effect in animation, it'll take a crudload of special effects to pull it off in a live-action movie. Why not just make the whole darn suit fire/acid resistant? And doesn't he have weapons to use to the effect of your description of the edges? Fear is in the mind, and such things can be controlled without putting your life in danger excessively to do it.
Tho I agree... Captain Marvel's cape is pretty useless.
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Timothy
Men of Steel
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Posts: 8,716
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Post by Timothy on May 3, 2007 10:28:30 GMT -5
The cape plays into the "criminals are a superstitious, cowardly lot" mentality with it's Dracula overtones. Ok, in that light, it's purpose makes more sense... Wait, so the cape itself is indestructible? I thought that it was only indestructible when it was on his skin; in John Byrne's "The Man of Steel" mini-series in the 80's, I thought it said that any article of clothing surrounding the Man of Steel was destructible, although I could be wrong...  Yeah, that one's just a leftover from the 40's... |
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