Batman’s Batmobiles are admired by fans, but Catwoman has a zany vehicle of her own, and it proves why DC comics are stronger than the DCEU.
DC’s Batman is famous for being the only member of the original Justice League without any powers, but that doesn’t mean he has no options when it comes to chasing down criminals. His Batmobile is a classic element of the character and the Caped Crusader has almost as many different vehicles as he does individual suits. But his enemies have vehicles too – and Catwoman’s own Catmobile is one of the major ways in which the DC Comics universe is superior to the DCEU.
The Batmobile first debuted alongside the Dark Knight himself in Detective Comics #27. The vehicle was little more than a bright-red Batmobile that had no gadgets and was a far cry from the souped-up muscle cars and street-legal tanks Batman uses in the modern era. Over the years, Batman would acquire a variety of vehicles and even Batmobiles from Batman films and the DCEU would transfer into comics. The Joker would acquire a “Jokermobile”, and Catwoman’s vehicle wasn’t that far behind.
Called the “Kitty Car” at first, Catwoman would have multiple cat-themed vehicles, but the first of which had rocket jets on either side and – according to Catwoman – the car could even outpace Batman’s own. The Kitty Car rarely has as many gadgets as the Batmobile and is known more for the vehicle’s outlandish appearance: elongated paws situated either under or over the wheels, a cat tail in the real (or the appearance of one), and a massive cat face on the hood. Even considering the ridiculous Bat-hoods that Batman has used for his own vehicles, the Kitty Cat beats him by a county mile.
But the Batmobiles in recent years – especially on film – are beginning to look less like stylized superhero vehicles and more like actual cars. Beginning with the Dark Knight Trilogy, the absurdity of Joel Schumacher gave way to the practicality of Christopher Nolan and the tank-inspired Tumbler. Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Batmobile was an attempt to merge the 2005 car with Tim Burton’s sleek 1989 car with mixed results. Finally, 2022’s The Batman gave Bruce Wayne a simple, albeit terrifying, muscle car. While comics must inevitably change elements for films, one mustn’t forget that Batman is an absurd franchise; the Kitty Car leans into the absurdity in a way that no recent DCEU property has done.
Comics are a stylized medium used to tell stylized stories. The DCEU has perhaps forgotten that a film needn’t be practical all the time in order to be entertaining. Catwoman’s absurd Batmobile is one of many ways in which the Batman comics are superior to the films, but perhaps the directors will take a cue from the Kitty Car and embrace the inane designs once in a while.
