Inarguably one of the most iconic superhero costumes ever created, Batman's suit has certainly seen its share of iterations over the years. From purple gloves to rainbows to mech suits, Batman's outfit has managed to change with the times while still retaining the core elements that make it so memorable. So let's take a look at just how the caped crusader's cape and cowl have changed in the past 85 years.

Before we get started, for the sake of my sanity and yours, I'm going to set a couple ground rules. First, this list will be restricted Batman's outfits as they appeared in the main, contemporary continuity. That means no Elseworlds and no retcons (e.g. Zero Year). Second, I will be ignoring stylistic differences. Yes, the ways Graham Nolan and Kelley Jones drew Batman were extremely different, but they were still the same suit. Ok, with that out of the way, let's jump in.

1939: Bob Kane's original idea

After the success of Superman in Action Comics the year prior, Bob Kane wanted to make his own superhero character. For years, the official story from his lips was that he had had the idea for Batman fully formed before even Superman had been published. However, according to his co-creator and writer Bill Finger, it wasn't so simple. In an interview with Jim Steranko, Finger claims the original drawing was much different than what ended up getting printed:

He had an idea for a character called 'Batman', and he'd like me to see the drawings. I went over to Kane's, and he had drawn a character who looked very much like Superman with kind of ... reddish tights, I believe, with boots ... no gloves, no gauntlets ... with a small domino mask, swinging on a rope. He had two stiff wings that were sticking out, looking like bat wings. And under it was a big sign ... BATMAN.

-Bill Finger, The Steranko History of Comics (1970)

Unfortunately, no copies of that sketch still exist. The image at the top of this section was drawn by comics historian and artist Arlen Schumer for Alter Ego magazine in 1999, based on Finger's description. It would be through changes made by Bill Finger himself that we would get the version much more recognizable to people today.

March 1939: Detective Comics #27 (cover)

The cape, the cowl, the bat. Now this is Batman. Right up there with Action Comics #1 as one of the most famous comic covers of all time, this is what officially started it all. What's interesting is you can still see some vestiges of Bob Kane's original design that would later fade away, such as the cape that looks far more like actual wings than a cape.

March 1939: Detective Comics #27 (interior): 

What will soon become apparent is that comics publishing in the 30s was a bit like the Wild West. There was often very little standardization, and you'd even get cases like this where the design on the cover does not match what's inside (more on that later). Once you open up Detective Comics #27, you get the costume that everyone associates with "Golden Age Batman", complete with a circular belt buckle and purple gloves. It's ironic, then, that this only existed for one issue. It's been homaged and referenced a hundred different times, but Kane and Finger quickly moved on to other ideas as they tried to figure out how exactly Batman should look.

April 1939: Detective Comics #28

In the next issue they didn't just get rid of the purple gloves, they got rid of them entirely. In addition to a return to the square-buckled utility belt, now sporting a useful rope, Batman's next design decided to go bare-handed. Maybe they thought this would work better, or maybe Bob Kane wanted to push back against Finger's suggestion that he wear gloves. Either way, the decision wouldn't last long.

May 1939: Detective Comics #29 (interior)

This is another mismatch, as the cover of Detective Comics #29 kept the gloveless look from the previous issue. However, inside he's back to wearing blue gloves. It's also the first outfit that would last more than a single issue. The capsules on his belt are blue in the next issue, but those have a plot reason and aren't meant as a costume change.

July 1939: Detective Comics #31

Of course by "more than a single issue" I meant a whopping two. In Detective Comics #31 Batman got some bigger gloves that extend up his forearms, though still sadly spikeless.

August 1939: Detective Comics #32

Despite being a direct follow-up to the previous issue's story, Batman in Detective Comics #32 is sporting a snazzy new blue belt.

December 1939: Detective Comics #36 (interior)

They might not be there on the cover, but inside the spiked gloves we know and love are finally here. Along with the ears which progressively became more vertical (and less like a bat's actual ears), Batman is starting to look like the caped crusader should.

1940-1964

In (the interior of) Detective Comics #37, the yellow utility belt was back. Unfortunately, old comic publishing can never be that simple. Batman's blue belt would show up inconsistently for a short while after this point, mostly on covers, even if reprints often change them to meet fan expectations. I won't count each flip flop as a new costume, but I will list all of the blue belt's remaining appearances here:

• Detective Comics #38-40 (covers only) - Don't believe the recolors' lies
• Batman #1 (cover and cut-out poster)- More recolor lies
• Detective Comics #41 (interior only)
• Detective Comics #42 (interior, but the colors are reversed with the capsules being blue. Possibly an error)

Aside from that, by this point Batman's outfit had been solidified. New artists would each bring slight variations to the style, but this is the costume that Batman would wear throughout the majority of the Golden and Silver Ages. The only exceptions would be when comics decided to get weird with it.

Variants, 1940-1964

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The Silver Age of comics was one filled with gimmicks and bizarre premises to catch readers' attention. Batman was certainly no exception, as his alternate costumes would range from "hyper-specific preparedness" to "Batman gets transformed into a baby and has a special outfit for that". Each one as its own entry would dominate this entire list, so here's every special costume Batman wore during this time:

• 1950: Detective Comics #165, "The Strange Costumes of Batman!"
• 1952: Batman #72, "The Jungle Batman!"
• 1956: Detective Comics #235, "The First Batman"
• 1957: Detective Comics #241, "The Rainbow Batman"
• 1957: Batman #111, "The Armored Batman"
• 1958: Batman #113, "Batman - The Superman of Planet X"
• 1960: Detective Comics #275, "The Zebra Batman"
• 1960: Detective Comics #284, "The Negative Batman"
• 1962: Batman #147, "Batman Becomes Bat-Baby"
• 1963: Detective Comics #320, "The Mummy Crime-Fighters"

1964-1994

Debuting his "new look" in Detective Comics #327, Batman's logo was changed to have its now iconic yellow oval that would define the next few decades of his comics. Initially keeping the angular bat from the previous iteration, it would slowly curve to match the border of the oval over the course of the late 60s (on covers before the interiors themselves). By the Bronze Age of the 70s, it had become the striking symbol we know today.

Variants, 1964-1994

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Writers significantly dialed back the crazy alternate costumes for the Bronze and early Modern Age, keeping in line with the much more grounded tone of the era.

• 1969: Detective Comics #388, "Public Luna-Tic Number One!"
• 1990: Batman #449, "The Penguin Affair III: Winged Vengeance"
• 1993: Detective Comics #662, "Burning Questions"

1993-1994

The early 90s were a turbulent time for DC. Superheroes were dying and getting replaced with newer, edgier versions left and right. Batman was no exception when, after Bruce Wayne had his back broken by Bane, Jean-Paul Valley (AKA Azrael) stepped up to take on the mantle. In order to defeat Bane and take back Gotham, he started adding his own modifications to the classic Batman suit in Batman #500 . It's so over the top in its love of spikes, pouches, and belts that it can come off as parody, and in some ways it was. Azrael Batman was partially editor Denny O'Neil's way of critiquing the direction comics had taken, and acted as a cautionary tale of what can happen when you abandon the principals of the character.

February-June 1994

In case the point wasn't made strongly enough, Azrael continues to lose his mind more and more. Coupled with that is an even edgier suit starting in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #26. That mean more spikes, more armor, more guns, and apparently it turns red when damaged during the final fight against Bruce. It's a very in-your-face visual indicator of how far from what Batman should be Jean-Paul had fallen. Bruce obviously wins their battle, and does so while wearing the suit Azrael discarded. However, he would leave Dick Grayson in charge of being Batman for the Prodigal crossover while he went off to reflect on his mistakes.

Variants, February-June 1994

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While Azrael was acting as Batman in Gotham, Bruce was training under Lady Shiva wearing the "Mask of Tengu", representing the spirit of the bat.

• 1994: Batman #509, "KnightsEnd, Part 1: Spirit of the Bat"

1994-1995

Bruce would make his triumphant return for the Troika event in Batman #515, now with a darker costume. Inspired by the Tim Burton films, this was designed to be an all-black body suit with no separate gloves, boots, or trunks. Additionally, he seemed to have thought Azrael had at least a few good ideas, deciding to keep the spikes along his legs.

1995-1999

Someone at the Batman offices clearly thought the Troika suit went too far, as it wouldn't even last the titular event before getting another redesign. In Robin #14, about a month after Troika began, the gloves and boots were back and the leg spikes were gone. However, it wasn't a complete reversal, as the trunks were still absent and the accessories were kept a darker shade of blue (or black, depending on the colorist).

Variants, 1995-1999

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It may not have lasted a long time, but the late 90s began to bring back the trend of giving Batman new, alternate suits for one-off issues. This would only increase as we enter the 2000s.

• 1998: Green Arrow #134, "Brotherhood of the Fist, Part One: The Stalkers"

1999-2000

From one event to another, No Man's Land saw Gotham fall into anarchy after it was near leveled by a massive earthquake. Fitting with the tactical nature of restoring order block by block, Batman's utility belt gets an upgrade from capsules to military-esque pouches in Batman #563. This style had already been popularized by comics such as Batman: Year One and shows like The New Batman Adventures.

2000-2009

With No Man's Land over, Batman would get yet another costume redesign. Following the event, Bruce would bring back the trunks while also ditching the spotlight oval for the first time in over 30 years. The curvature of the bat itself would vary from artist to artist, but the black on gray logo would define the 2000s for Batman.

Variants, 2000-2009

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Just as the 2000s brought back the black bat logo, it also brought back the idea of tons of unique costumes for every possible situation.

• 2004: Robin #128, "Fired!"
• 2004: Batman #630, "As the Crow Flies Part Four - Home Invasion"
• 2006: Green Lantern #9, "Branded"
• 2006: Batman #657, "Batman & Son, Part 3: Wonderboys"
• 2006: Superman/Batman #30, "The Enemies Among Us, Part 3"
• 2007: Green Lantern #17, "Wanted: Hal Jordan Chapter Four"
• 2008: Superman/Batman #45, "K, Chapter 2: Known Deposits"
• 2008: Detective Comics #838, "The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, Part 3: Sins of the Fathers"
• 2008: Batman #678, "Batman R.I.P. - Zur En Arrh"
• 2009: Superman/Batman #58, "Nanopolis, Part II"
• 2009: Superman/Batman #64, "Prelude to the Big Noise: Three Months Away"
• 2010: Widening Gyre #6, "The Widening Gyre, Part Six: the Blood-Dimmed Tide is Loosed"

2009-2011

When Bruce was sent back in time and presumed dead at the end of Final Crisis, Dick Grayson stepped up to fill in for the second time. He debuts in full in Batman and Robin #1, and unlike his first time in Prodigal, he makes some changes to the Batsuit. It's not much, but his new utility belt is enough to count for our purposes.

Variants, 2009-2011

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This era had plenty of alternate versions of the Batsuit thanks in large part due to the time travel shenanigans that were a big part of Morrison's run.

• 2009: Battle for the Cowl #1, "A Hostile Takeover"
• 2009: Blackest Night #5, "Blackest Night, Part 5"
• 2010: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1, "Shadow on Stone"
• 2010: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2, "Until the End of Time"
• 2010: The Return of Bruce Wayne #3, "The Bones of Bristol Bay"
• 2010: The Return of Bruce Wayne #4, "Dark Knight, Dark Rider"
• 2010: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5, "Masquerade"
• 2010: Bruce Wayne: The Road Home
• 2011: Justice League of America #55, "Eclipso Rising, Part Two: Mayhem"

2010-2011

When Bruce finally returns to his own time, he creates a new Batsuit for a new era (after a short time in Batman and Robin #16 where he still has his old outfit). Debuting in Batman: The Return #1, it brings back the pouched utility belt and yellow oval logo. However, this time the logo itself is raised as part of a solid, glowing plate with a matching belt buckle. He also replaces his black trunks with gray crotch armor.

This suit ran concurrently with Dick Grayson's, as he was left as the Batman of Gotham City while Bruce went global with Batman Incorporated. While it would be retired with the DC continuity reboot of 2011, it still returned in 2021 from Batman #118-124 when Batman Incorporated briefly reunited.

Variants, 2010-2011

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Despite only lasting for about a year, this suit did manage to get one variant.

• 2011: Brightest Day #14, "Acrobats"

2011-2015

With the New 52 reboot came a costume overhaul for Batman along with the rest of DC Comics' heroes. Once again the trunks were gone and he had a new utility belt and black bat logo. In order to break up the all-gray outfit, lines were added along his legs, arms, and torso. Finally, he was given heavily armored gauntlets.

Variants, 2011-2015

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The New 52 saw plenty of unique Batsuits, a shocking number of which involved giant robot armor (a precursor of things to come). This era of variants also extends slightly past its "official" conclusion, since some later comics still took place before the events of Endgame in 2014. Comic continuity is messy.

• 2012: Batman #8, "Attack on Wayne Manor"
• 2012: Detective Comics #12, "The Killer Inside"
• 2012: Batman And Robin #12, "Terminus: Last Gasp"
• 2012: Detective Comics #15, "But Here's the Kicker"
• 2013: Batman Incorporated #10, "Gotham's Most Wanted"
• 2013: Batman #20, "Nowhere Man, Part 2"
• 2013: Superman Unchained #2, "The Fall"
• 2013: Detective Comics #24, "State of Shock"
• 2013: Forever Evil #4, "Hide and Seek"
• 2014: Batman And Robin #33, "Robin Rises: Cold Justice"
• 2014: Batman #35, "Endgame, Part One"
• 2014: Justice League #36, "The Amazo Virus, Chapter One: Quarantined"
• 2015: Justice League #42, "Darkseid War, Chapter Two: The New God"
• 2016: Batman/Superman #28, "Universe's Finest"
• 2016: Justice League #50, "Darkseid War, Conclusion: Death and Rebirth"

2015-2016

After Batman is presumed dead at the end of Endgame (that seems to happen a lot), Commissioner Jim Gordon takes over as the new Batman. For the Superheavy arc starting in Batman #41, he sports a sleek, black and yellow bodysuit. Sanctioned as an official agent of the GCPD, he makes up for his lack of training-with-every-master-in-the-world-for-a-decade with a mechanical exosuit.

2016-2018

When Bruce regains his memory in Batman #50, he returns with the new suit he'd wear for the upcoming Rebirth relaunch. Similar to his earlier New 52 suit, this added a purple-lined cape and kept the black and yellow bat logo from Jim's costume. Striking a balance between the plain black bat and the yellow oval of the 60s-90s, the symbol kept just the yellow outline around the logo. It also had a matching belt, now shaped like a bat as well.

Variants, 2016-2018

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Rebirth continued the tradition of giving Batman plenty of mech suits and special armors.

• 2016: Justice League #1, "The Totality, Part 1"
• 2016: Batman #8, "Night of the Monster Men, Part 4"
• 2017: Dark Days: The Forge #1, "Dark Days: The Forge"
• 2017: Batman #33, "The Rules of Engagement, Part 1"
• 2018: Batman #39, "Superfriends, Part 3"
• 2018: Dark Nights Metal #6
• 2018: Justice League: No Justice #1, "With the Source Wall Shattered... Death Arrives!"

2018-

After Catwoman left him at the altar in Batman #50, Bruce began to have a bit of an identity crisis. His breaking point comes in Batman #53 during a trial where Mr. Freeze argues his case should be thrown out because of Batman's extralegal methods, causing Bruce to toss his costume off a building. When he regains his composure, he decides to go back to his "original suit". In actuality it's the suit he wore from 2000-2009, though Batman: Year One had retconned it to be his first one.

For the past six years and counting, Batman's worn this costume. Its simplicity is what makes it return again and again after so many iterations. Variations in the belt aside, it's the overall design that Batman has worn more than any other, followed closely by the yellow oval of the 60s-90s. There will surely be future changes, but this core concept always seems to find its way back.

Variants, 2018-

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Just because they've settled on a Batsuit (for now) doesn't mean that artists can't still go crazy creating alternate versions. Whether it's some flashy robot armor or just a special outfit when the circumstances call for it, Batman will always be prepared.

• 2019: Justice League #25, "The Sixth Dimension! Conclusion"
• 2019: Detective Comics #1013, "Cold Dark World: Thawed"
• 2020: Dark Nights: Death Metal #1, "An Anti-Crisis, Part I: It All Matters"
• 2020: Batman #95, "The Joker War, Part One"
• 2020: Detective Comics #1027, "As Always"
• 2020: Justice League: Endless Winter #1, "Endless Winter, Chapter 1"
• 2021: Dark Nights: Death Metal #7, "An Anti-Crisis, Part VII: A Slap in the Face"
• 2021: Batman: The Detective #1, "Batman: The Detective, Part One"
• 2022: Batman #126, "Failsafe: Part Two"
• 2023: Batman #133, "The Bat-Man of Gotham: Part Three"
• 2023: Batman #135, "The Bat-Man of Gotham: Conclusion"
• 2024: Batman #147, "Dark Prisons, Part 3"
• 2024: Detective Comics #1085, "Gotham Nocturne: Act III - Crescendo, Part 2"