Minor question about Batman's costume in the nu52 continuity...

[DrSimonHurt]

It's silly to assume that after seven years, Batman has not made a single improvement or adjustment to his suit. In fact, it's best to assume the suit changes constantly, even if the overall visual stays mostly the same.

All throughout the reboot, we've seen glimpses and flashes of his past costumes looking slightly less detailed and mechanical. Batman Incorporated #2 shows his first meeting with Talia and he still has the New 52 belt and elements, but with a less seamlined costume. It has evolved over the years. We've also seen it in JLI#1, Batwoman, and Batgirl flashbacks. It's just a less armored version of his reboot costume.

The Finch Batman INC suit most likely still exists in some form. It just happens that the reboot resumed immediately after Bruce returned to Gotham and stopped wearing it because it was heavily damaged in Leviathan Strikes.

A lot of the confusion stems from how Jim Lee drew Batman's costume five years ago, in Justice League. You have to keep in mind that Lee is drawing everything extremely complicated and following the style sheets. Justice League #1 was our first introduction into the New 52, so Lee went all out with their new designs. Canon-wise, Batman and Hal Jordan were NOT in those costumes five years ago. in Green Lantern, we've seen flashbacks quite a few times that show that Hal was wearing the silver age Green Lantern costume. But again, for branding reasons, Lee drew everyone in their most detailed rebooted forms as an introduction to how they were going to look going forward. It all kinda falls into artistic preference, also.

For the most part, you can still follow that guys like Hal and Batman still went through their pre-reboot costume tweakings, as they've been shown all over the place outside of Justice League. It just isn't important to the story to specify, the way it once was.

[bat39]

It's silly to assume that after seven years, Batman has not made a single improvement or adjustment to his suit. In fact, it's best to assume the suit changes constantly, even if the overall visual stays mostly the same.

All throughout the reboot, we've seen glimpses and flashes of his past costumes looking slightly less detailed and mechanical. Batman Incorporated #2 shows his first meeting with Talia and he still has the New 52 belt and elements, but with a less seamlined costume. It has evolved over the years. We've also seen it in JLI#1, Batwoman, and Batgirl flashbacks. It's just a less armored version of his reboot costume.

The Finch Batman INC suit most likely still exists in some form. It just happens that the reboot resumed immediately after Bruce returned to Gotham and stopped wearing it because it was heavily damaged in Leviathan Strikes.

A lot of the confusion stems from how Jim Lee drew Batman's costume five years ago, in Justice League. You have to keep in mind that Lee is drawing everything extremely complicated and following the style sheets. Justice League #1 was our first introduction into the New 52, so Lee went all out with their new designs. Canon-wise, Batman and Hal Jordan were NOT in those costumes five years ago. in Green Lantern, we've seen flashbacks quite a few times that show that Hal was wearing the silver age Green Lantern costume. But again, for branding reasons, Lee drew everyone in their most detailed rebooted forms as an introduction to how they were going to look going forward. It all kinda falls into artistic preference, also.

For the most part, you can still follow that guys like Hal and Batman still went through their pre-reboot costume tweakings, as they've been shown all over the place outside of Justice League. It just isn't important to the story to specify, the way it once was.

Its true that Batman Inc # 2 showed a 'less armored' version of the suit, but I simply took that to be an artistic choice. The extent of armoring on the suit has generally varied according to the artist.

One thing I HAVE noticed though is that in Nightwing # 0 is that he's wearing a version of the Year One belt with pouches rather than the more advanced belt he normally wears.

[DrSimonHurt]

Yeah, it's best to assume he's had tweaks over the years. Some lasted longer than others.

Also, in Batman Inc #2, you just need to compare the way Burnham drew it with the way he draws it in the present. He purposely drew it less hi-tech to emphasize that it was several years ago.

Odds are, Morrison's script called for him to be shown in the classic costume Bruce wore in the original Son of the Demon story. Reboot meant you couldn't throw him in the blue and grays, so Burnham adjusted his 'classic' suit to agree to the New 52 version in the same way that all the Robins have new costumes in Flashback that aren't currently being used. They are designed to show change and progression, but without using the retro look.

[HeroComplex]

Or we could analyze the Bat-symbol over the years: http://calmtheham.com/products/batman-evolution

[bat39]

Yeah, it's best to assume he's had tweaks over the years. Some lasted longer than others.

Also, in Batman Inc #2, you just need to compare the way Burnham drew it with the way he draws it in the present. He purposely drew it less hi-tech to emphasize that it was several years ago.

Odds are, Morrison's script called for him to be shown in the classic costume Bruce wore in the original Son of the Demon story. Reboot meant you couldn't throw him in the blue and grays, so Burnham adjusted his 'classic' suit to agree to the New 52 version in the same way that all the Robins have new costumes in Flashback that aren't currently being used. They are designed to show change and progression, but without using the retro look.

I actually feel they should have retroactively made the Inc suit as an outfit Bruce wore in the early years...as a replacement for the classic Neal Adams suit.

I once entertained the possibility that Bruce might have worn a suit with the yellow oval during his first year (i.e. the year before JL # 1 and Dick becoming Robin)...but the recent flashback in Batman # 15 indicates that he wore the new 52 suit (albeit with less armoring) all along.