16. The Batsuit
Dont think for a second that the suit gets away scot-free. For me, heres where Nolan really starts losing his grip on the soul of the source. Imagine Raimi had decided to replace Spidermans spandex-style suit with heavy, armoured rubber, which limited the movements of its wearer. He can no longer twist and turn, which is his trademark, he can only stand and trade blows with the Green Goblin. There would be absolute ructions. So why is this acceptable for Batman? Think back to the origin of the character; he spends many years training (15 in comic lore, 7 in the moviejust so Nolan can say it was different) and in that time he learns to embrace his humanity and incorporate it into his combat mentality. Yet Nolans version arrives at a much different conclusion than what I would have hoped: Comic book Batman prefers mobility in order to avoid damage; Nolans Batman wears armour to absorb it. No doubt you think Im nit picking, but I actually see the design of the suit as a huge display of what the character is really made of. Nolans Batman knows hell get hit and as such he attempts to pre-emptively protect himself. Hes incapable essentially, compared to comic book Batman, whos so justifiably confident in his ability that he doesnt need the protection. This is why for me and countless others, Nolans suit sucks. Why couldnt it have just been thick grey spandex? I dont see the big deal. Are audiences that turned off by comic book iconography? If thats the case, why was there even a Batman movie in the first place?