Batman Didn’t Care About Tech Until He Became Popular
When Batman first appeared in comics, he didn’t utilize the same bat-themed technology and gear that he would go onto become known for using. The Dark Knight’s war on crime has incorporated his bat brand for a long time, but he originally didn’t give much thought to his gadgetry.
Batman has frequently been parodied for his abundance of bat-branded vehicles, including the Batmobile, Batcycle, and Batwing among others. From the Batcave to the Batcomputer and the batarangs, it seems like everything has “bat” in front of it. Even the chair at the Batcomputer tends to include a bat symbol on its back. The trend continues for just about everything Batman uses while on patrol.
However, in early comics, Batman didn’t put any consideration into his bat brand. When the car that became known as the Batmobile first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (1939), it was basically a red Cadillac, without any hints that it belonged to the Caped Crusader. Similarly, Batman carried a regular gun, before he eventually vowed to never use guns or kill criminals. Instead of creating his car himself, or carrying a weapon tailor-made for his Batman persona, he purchased items like any ordinary person would who wanted to fight crime. Although Batman is frequently perceived as the most grounded superhero in comics, the Golden Age iteration appears more realistic than the modern day version, who goes to lengths to represent his bat brand.
As Batman grew in popularity through the Golden and Silver Ages of the DC Universe, he picked up more bat-themed vehicles and gadgetry. Despite being the “realistic” vigilante that he is known to be, the influx of items which incorporated a bat in their designs seemed to signal that Bruce Wayne had a lot of free time on his hands. While he is known to care about his general aesthetic, he has prioritized his mission above his outward appearance. The implementation of the Batmobile and other vehicles was considered an editorial decision, even though it seemed to infringe on writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane’s intentions to create a darker, intimidating superhero.
Today, Batman is known largely for his vast array of bat-specific technology. He has turned his crimefighting persona into a sense of fashion, with matching black and blue color schemes, and naming devices. It could seem strange for Batman to have used such off bat-brand items when he started out, but it is more practical that he wouldn't think to have a unifying theme in his gear. When he started out, Batman's main goal was to scare criminals with his costume, as he wasn't concerned with an overarching sense of style to his war on crime.