Caped Crusader Costume Guide

To celebrate the Blu-ray and DVD release of Batman: The Return Of The Caped Crusaders on November 7th, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to get that Batman and Robin style.

Embark on a journey into the iconic past with Batman: Return Of The Caped Crusaders starring the legendary Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin) and Julie Newmar (Catwoman). It’s back to the 1960s as Batman and Robin spring into action when Gotham City is threatened by Batman’s most-evil opponents – The Penguin, The Joker, Riddler and Catwoman. The four Super-Villains have combined their wicked talents to hatch a plot so nefarious that the Dynamic Duo will need to go to outer space (and back) to foil their arch enemies and restore order in Gotham City.

Batman
We all know the crime fighting man dressed like a bat who strikes terror into the hearts of Gotham’s criminals. He’s been portrayed by the likes of Adam West, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck and, while the costumes vary slightly in every on-screen appearance, here’s a quick guide to some of the key elements:

The Mask:
The Caped Crusader must, of course, protect his true identity making the mask a crucial part of his ensemble. The black mask covers the entire face apart from his mouth and has pointed bat ears at the top.

The Bat-Suit:
Batman wears this unique costume, commonly known as the Bat-suit, both to conceal his identity, and to intimidate his enemies. Most versions of the Bat-suit incorporate some form of body armour, and often night-vision, gas filters, and other aids to combat effectiveness or protection. In 1964 Batman was given a ‘new look’ which included modifying the costume to incorporate a yellow ellipse behind the bat-insignia.

The Cape:
The original incarnation of the cape was a wing-like structure, which is also seen in recent film adaptations such as The Dark Night. However, some depictions show a long black, fabric cape.

The Accessories:
There’s always one thing associated with Batman and that is his bad-ass vehicle AKA The Batmobile. This has taken on various forms throughout the years and more recently, Christian Bale’s version of the character opted for a motorcycle-esque vehicle.

Robin
The junior counterpart and sidekick to Batman: together they make up the Dynamic Duo. There have been many fictional characters who have donned the Robin costume throughout the years. Burt Ward played Dick Grayson in the 1966–1968 Batman television series and in the 1966 film. John Blake was portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Nolan’s The Dark Night trilogy.

The Mask:
A black domino mask covers Robin’s eyes to conceal his identity, though there have also been green masks in the past.

The Outfit:
The original Robin costume was introduced in 1940 by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson and has remained almost unchanged. Traditionally, Robin is seen to wear a red and green costume with an ‘R’ logo. The medieval look of the original costume was supposedly inspired by the Errol Flynn movie The Adventures Of Robin Hood.

The Cape:
The classic Robin cape is short and yellow.

The Accessories:
Robin carries a collapsible bo-staff in some of his appearances, alongside a range of other cool Bat gizmos and gadgets.

Own Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders on Blu-ray and DVD November 7th.