Across all Batman films, Batman & Robin perhaps takes the cake as the campiest of the bunch. Starring George Clooney as the Caped Crusader, this iteration of Batman faces the icy pun-ny (pun intended) Mister Freeze and Poison Ivy. Thankfully, Batman doesn’t have to fight the two villains alone.
As the film’s name implies, this Batman film focuses on Robin finally coming to grips with his role as a superhero, as well as the first appearance of Barbara Wilson, who becomes Batgirl. And while the three members of the Bat-Family pack enough punch to take on these new threats, there are some parts of George Clooney’s Batman that just have his own charm. What aspects of George Clooney’s Batman portrayal would only fans of DC Comics notice?
6 Present Batman Would Need That Credit Card
Despite Batman & Robin's reputation as one of the worst superhero films ever made, it did have its moments — particularly with the Batman Credit Card scene. When Batman is asked for his credit card, he pulls out a special card that simply names him as “Batman” with an expiration date that states “Forever.” When put together, this spells “Batman Forever,” the title of the previous film.
Interestingly, comic book fans today might see this as a nod to Batman's ridiculous wealth, even by comic book standards. Unfortunately today, Batman is depicted as a struggling millionaire with less access to his usual tech — to the point where Lex Luthor, Superman's nemesis and another rich tech genius, almost mocked Batman.
5 No Need For The Hatch Gliding Scene, At Least For Batman
Given the campy nature of Batman & Robin, it’s obvious that some of its action sequences were particularly over the top. In regard to its larger fight scenes, Batman & Robin was actually one of the first films to use CGI specifically for stunt work. These included "sky surfing" sequences against Mister Freeze, which included gliding from high up in the air using hatch doors without ever slipping.
Interestingly, the comics Batman would not have needed the hatch doors to glide while chasing Mr. Freeze. In the comics, Batman designed his cape to be gliding-capable, allowing him to just jump off high places and glide his way to his destinations. Of course, Robin's lack of a cape means he might have actually needed the hatch door.
4 No Comics Batsuit With The Silver Emblem
As with other Batman films, fans noticed the change in the Batsuit in Batman & Robin, despite sharing a lot of similarities from Batman Forever. Granted, the suit still retains the rather infamous Bat Nipples, but its anatomical design is arguably more consistent and “tighter” compared to the previous films. Another notable difference in this new suit is the smaller emblem, which now sits squarely in the center of the chestpiece. However, it’s still full black like the rest of the suit, with no other colors.
Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be a Batsuit in the comics that depicted the circular version of the emblem as blended into the suit colors. Most of the time, any Batsuit in the comics that used the Bat Symbol with the circular border always involved a yellow circle.
3 Ice Armor Is Proof Of Batman's Prep-Time Supremacy
It’s evident that the Batsuit’s original design cannot counteract Mister Freeze’s arsenal of frosty weapons. Thankfully, Batman has both the brains and the money to pull off a Tony Stark move, and build a modified suit to combat this new threat. Dubbed the Ice Armor, this bulkier version of the original Batsuit had a new Utility Belt as well as gadgets specifically designed to fight Mister Freeze.
This is a nod to Batman's capabilities of counteracting foes even in the comics. In The Dark Knight by Frank Miller, Batman is seen going toe-to-toe against Superman thanks to Batman's reserve Kryptonite Ring. In fact, Batman's spare Kryptonite has become testament to his ability to prepare for anything, even the possibility of Superman going rogue.
2 Ice Armor May Have Inspired The Azbat Suit
Despite George Clooney’s reportedly unpleasant experience in the Batsuit (he had to pee in the Batsuit, according to a story), one can't deny the sheer level of creativity added into the variations of the Batsuit in the Schumacher films. The Ice Armor, in particular, was an interesting callback to Batman's ability to whip out any gadget to face his foes.
However, the bulkier, armored variation of the Ice Armor may have inspired the so-called Azbat Suit used by Azrael, or the vigilante Jean-Paul Valley, after taking on the Batman mantle. This happened during the events of Knightfall, when Bane broke Batman's back. Following the trend of edgy 90s fashion, the Azbat Suit features a lot of sharp armor pieces, multiple pouches, and a more vicious arsenal suited for villains that had become more confident during Batman's absence.
1 The Nightwing Suit In Robin's Costume
Another interesting callback to the comics involves Batman providing Robin with unique-looking suits. Whereas Batman Forever gave Robin a suit that resembled that of Tim Drake's, Batman's suit for Robin in Batman & Robin actually resembled his Nightwing costume in the comics.
Interestingly, it's this film where Dick Grayson also subtly contemplates about being a superhero more independent of Batman. And his maturity into his role as Robin may have earned him his own insignia in Batman's book, which explains the larger red symbol over his chest. This is a similar path that Nightwing took in the comics, as he contemplated being a hero separate from his mentor.
The Batman starring Robert Pattinson will premiere on March 4, 2022.