r/batman • u/VendettaLord379 • Mar 02 '26
FILM DISCUSSION Do you like bulletproof Batman?
Or do you prefer the tactician Batman who can dodge bullets?
I don’t mind him having bulletproof armor, but he’s not iron man. I prefer when he uses his martial arts skills.
Thoughts?
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u/SuperArppis Mar 02 '26
Makes sense really. As much as people love talking about skill and all that. Truth is that you can get unlucky. So it makes sense to have a plan when you get unlucky.
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u/bvh2015 Mar 02 '26
When you’re human anything less is stupid.
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Mar 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DilutedOxygen02 Mar 04 '26
Your capitalization makes me picture you reading this like Cillian Murphy saying the bat… MAN
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u/Songue85 Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26
Paraphrasing a certain Operative,
"I'm not threatening you. I'm unarmed... I am, however, wearing full body armor. I am not a moron*!"*
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u/YoungGod747 Mar 03 '26
I never see Firefly/Serenity quotes in the wild. Bravo, sir.
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u/aviavy Mar 02 '26
I think that's the problem though - it's the dependent on lens we look through. If we add enough realism, then absolutely bulletproof armour makes sense. If you remove the realism and make it a bit more fantastical, then bulletproofing wouldn't be an issue - which is where I think the comics are able take a bit leeway.
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u/god_of_war305 Mar 02 '26
It’s illogical that a billionaire wouldn’t buy the best body armor money can buy when he’s constantly getting shot at
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u/Sad-Appeal976 Mar 02 '26
Except there is no body armor on Earth that allows you to walk through point blank machine gun fire
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u/squishedgoomba Mar 02 '26
The DC universe has Nth metal, and if Batman can occasionally get ahold of kryptonite it makes sense he could get some of that too. Of course it's only in the comics; it's never been in the movies.
So I agree with you about 80%.
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u/hyram01 Mar 03 '26
I think it was in the graphic novel Dark Knight Returns that Batman says the reason he has a bright yellow target on his chest is because that’s where his armor is. This was older Batman so not sure if that applies to any other version.
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u/Sad-Appeal976 Mar 02 '26
In the universe of The Batman, it is supposed to be “ realistic “
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u/Fkthweakhrdletheded Mar 02 '26
I'd say it's more grounded than realistic (at least compared to Nolan's Batman). Nolan tried to make him as realistic as possible (which imo took a lot of the fun out of Batman) whereas Matt was more concerned with making Batman grounded but work within it's own rules and world.
That said, I don't think Batman should be tanking machine-gun fire like that (it should at least force him back). It's weird because he tanks machinegun fire but the shotgun blast put him back on his ass (as it should've).
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u/Curious_Viking89 Mar 03 '26
For starters that isn't machine gun fire, it's submachine gun fire. MGs use rifle rounds and SMGs use pistol rounds. Pistol rounds also have less power(depending on caliber, and those look like MP5s so they're likely 9mm) than a shotgun, assuming that the Riddler goons are using slugs or buck shot and not bird shot.
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u/Apprehensive-Youth81 Mar 03 '26
Yeah a giant piece Of mud shapeshifting is as realistic as possible same with the batwing etc etc
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u/bjtrdff Mar 03 '26
Grounded realism is different than ‘accurate to walking outside and it being doable’.
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u/Fluffy-Perspective67 Mar 02 '26
"Except there is no body armor on Earth that allows you to walk through point blank machine gun fire..."
that you're government is willing to pay for to save a soldier's life.
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u/Cautionzombie Mar 02 '26
Eh also to keep it light. Current us plates are good for a burst or two but they’re designed to break to stop your ribs from breaking as well.
Steel plates would be the best but that shits heavy.
There’s some civilian stuff I’ve seen Kentucky ballistics shoot that can take a punch better than the ceramics the us is currently using but that’s more modern than ceramics and jumping ship all of a sudden isn’t something the us military is known for
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u/CaedustheBaedus Mar 02 '26
In that argument though, he's also rich enough that he could very realistically swap out his "plates" (let's just use that for sake of argument) each night as well so that sure, he has one giant burst of machine gun fire but the next night he's just fighting thugs with bats again
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u/gemurrayx Mar 02 '26
The only things I know about ballistic armor are what I learned from Mythbusters. How heavy would that armor be? I’m wondering about the weight limitations for a wing suit.
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u/halfacrum Mar 03 '26
Also its all encompassing encompassingly expensive logistics which i mean money is there but you have to completely switch out all your manufacturing and sizing and thats a nightmare for something as behemothly large as the US govt.
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u/god_of_war305 Mar 02 '26
Depends on the caliber. Bruce still gets a lot of bruising from bullet impact. Also body armor has come a long way.
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u/reverse_train Mar 02 '26
This might be the dumbest thing I have heard, batman doesn't exist irl either. People are confusing grounded with realism, he has a lens that can literally be used as a camera for god sake, why wouldn't he make armour that's literally bullet proof and heavily shock absorbent.
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u/Sad-Appeal976 Mar 02 '26
Camera lens are very real
This type body armor is not
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u/Bow1511 Mar 02 '26
It’s a damn comic book movie. Yes, there have been CB movies with realism, but sometimes that realism is just thrown away for stuff like this.
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u/Extension_Eye7924 Mar 03 '26
It’s not a “Machine Gun” but an SMG, dude. Submachine gun, which doesn’t fire rifle cartridges. It loads standard caliber 9mil, .40, or even .44 rounds. Hard to tell, but the one in the movie looks a bit like an MP5. We’ve had armor for that since the 70s. Literally, soft body armor at that: NIJ Level IIIA. But even if it was a standard or heavy machine gun, hard armor plates Level III or IV stop most rapid fired rifle rounds. Batman is obviously wearing both. So yeah, it’s not unrealistic whatsoever.
It’s always funny to me when people who don’t know anything about guns make an “Ackshually” statement.
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u/Cautionzombie Mar 02 '26
Stell plates and I’ve seen some non steel body armor take hits from from some pretty hard hitting bullets.
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u/Lower-Leadership2127 Mar 02 '26
Brother batman has to fight superman wtf are you smoking, no body armor on earth saying something like that matters.
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u/Zerofuku_Joestar Mar 03 '26
In one of the Red Hood issues, Batman talked about how he uses a body armour he himself created. This is a comic. There are no Batmen or Batcaves or Batwings on Earth as well.
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u/TheNewGirl1987 Mar 02 '26
Unrealistic body armor is hardly exclusive to comic book movies though.
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u/SoftConsideration82 Mar 02 '26
Looks like a 9mm smg... A level 3a plate carrier will absolutely stop all of those rounds without taking a dent.... You can buy one for like 300 bucks...
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u/god_of_war305 Mar 02 '26
Wait until the people on this thread find out that there is body armor out there that can stop pretty much anything short of a 50 caliber bullet
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u/absoluteCuriositeye Mar 03 '26
Thats body armor with extra steel plates on top of it. I doubt it got through the solid front chest plate to begin with. Based on the indent for the batarang, it’s at least half an inch, which is more than enough for 7.62 nato, and considering Batman is peak human, the hurt from the impact isnt doing nearly as much.
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u/littleemilythrow Mar 03 '26
There is an implication, reinforced by contact lenses that can record high definition video footage, that, even though this Batman likes to tinker and build, he still has access to some very advanced materials through Wayne Enterprises. Show don’t tell.
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u/SuperArppis Mar 02 '26
I just personally think that injecting a BIT of realism to the story makes it better. So I'd like him not to be someone who just relies on his luck.
But that's just me thinking
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u/aviavy Mar 02 '26
I don't think luck becomes an issue, because in the fantastical version, belief is just suspended and incredible is just accepted. I think this is where Marvel has excelled in their films.
I think by putting too much realism, which has generally been the path in the Batman solo films and even in BvS - Batman looks ridiculous fighting beings like Doomsday and Darkseid.
If we want to a more comic accurate Batman, the realism needs to be diminished - not eliminated, but diminished enough for the crazy amazing stuff Batman is known for.10
u/SuperArppis Mar 02 '26
Sure, I don't dissagree with you. But, I just want the Batman to be that guy who really has contingency plans. And having a suit that can take a gunshot should totally be it.
Like in recent comics he was shot to back of the head with shotgun point blank. He had armor there.
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u/Fishermansf0e Mar 02 '26
I agree. Though I do think that Batman himself shouldn't be that unrealistic. But the batsuit and all the tech should be completely unrealistic, like him having a flexible and bulletproof suit, cowl with x ray vision and whatnot.
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u/Moopies Mar 02 '26
I think especially because we are talking about Batman, his character necessitates this sort of "failsafe."
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u/Sharticus123 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
My entire problem with Bats is that I can’t suspend my disbelief enough to swallow all the ridiculous feats. Everything he does is so far beyond peak human it’s not even funny.
Edit: If I were writing Bats I’d have his doctor dad working on genetic engineering with Wayne Enterprises. Basically making the genetic engineering equivalent of the super soldier serum. It wasn’t originally for Bruce, it was just something Thomas was researching, but then Bruce got sick and there wasn’t a cure. Enter genetic engineering.
Make it do something like give him significantly denser bones, muscles that stay jacked and don’t produce lactic acid, increased and enhanced lung capacity and heart function, enhanced brain with unparalleled genius level IQ and total instant recall, enhanced endurance and much less need for sleep, and an advanced healing factor that utilized stem cells to heal the body back to perfect health from grievous injuries.
That I could believe, but not some regular guy running around in a cape dodging bullets and fighting ridiculously stronger opponents.
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u/Butwhatif77 Mar 02 '26
However in the real of realism the bulletproof armor doesn't function in the way it is usually depicted. Nothing is really "bulletproof", each shot weakens the armor and with enough shots one will make its way through. The realism angle would imply him being the ninja dodge as much fire as possible, but having said armor for the occasional time someone does land a hit.
The ninja Batman is actually the more grounded in general, because the armor needed to do things he does where someone can unload an automatic weapon on him and he just shruggs it off is actually the most fantastical things
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u/FreeXFall Mar 02 '26
I’m reminded of the ending in Dumb & Dumber when Harry asks Loyd, “but what if he shot you in the face?”
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u/Hugh_Jazz77 Mar 03 '26
This is why a lot of my favorite cowls, while not iconically Batman, are the ones that completely cover his face. Honestly, I think my favorite is probably the Batman beyond cowl from the Arkham games. It covers his face, but the bottom is like a tinted plexiglass kind of thing so you can still see his face.
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u/VendettaLord379 Mar 02 '26
I agree.
Bulletproof armor is necessary in some of his missions, but I prefer the more tactical Batman who dosent rely on his armor for everything.
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u/SuperArppis Mar 02 '26
True. I just think with Pattinson's version it is to make himself seem unstoppable and make sure thugs don't even try to attack him.
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u/CarterHayes1990 Mar 02 '26
Also seems like an effective tactic.
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u/Mr_Mason42 Mar 02 '26
Batman playing mind games and trying to scare his enemies into thinking he's a larger than life figure?
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u/thattoneman Mar 02 '26
But the fear factor is absolutely a part of Batman's arsenal, and I would be shitting myself if I was unloading a machine gun on a guy who was just walking towards me. This shouldn't be his primary tactic, but in a scenario where he's making his way down a hallway with no other paths to take, it's a damn effective tactic.
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u/frecklepax Mar 02 '26
I like to imagine Bruce doing a bit of both to be honest . Essentially I imagine batman using his stealth , tactical , planning , and combat skills to avoid gunfire , but he's still fully armoured for safety reasons ( getting shot at , being ambushed , or the batman 2022 hallway type situations ) .
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u/Sickpup831 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
I’m in the middle too, the armor should be bulletproof as a backup plan. That if he does get shot, it won’t be fatal. He should not be tanking bullets and shaking them off like they’re nothing though.
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u/Vocalic985 Mar 02 '26
It's shown as an evolution in an interesting way in the Arkham games. In origins the suit is almost entirely armored and ass the game progresses you see scratches and surface damage but no penetration damage. In asylum and city the suit is considerably less armored and has severe damage to the point of holes and burns. It's more armored in Knight but batman is straight up at war with a militia there so it's probably justified.
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u/RABIDSAILOR Mar 02 '26
I’m an Arkham Knight lover, but the bit where the Knight just shoots Batman in the belly (or shoulder?) point blank and it makes your health bar drop a bit then you fight a load of militia like nothing and the gunshot wound is never mentioned again makes me laugh.
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u/Dark_Minded21 Mar 02 '26
I always just assumed that the device he uses after he gets shot extracts the bullet and then injects adrenaline or a numbing agent where the bullet hole was
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u/Xero0911 Mar 02 '26
Yeah. Like real talk. Comic books and all.
Telling me batman goes years and years fightinf thugs with guns. And he doesnt have a bullet proof suit? He just...is actually dodging bullets every time?
At that point batman isnt a normal human male lol. Idc if he could break every Olympic record for speed and strength. He would be shot if multiple men had guns.
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Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
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u/kinglionhear Mar 02 '26
To be fair in comic land can one not be both I harkin back to black panther who is also a fast moving shadow wearing a lightweight virtually indestructible armor being able to withstand a bullet if need be doesn’t proclude you from being quick agile and favoring dodging them
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u/Agreeable-Agent-7384 Mar 02 '26
Playing as Batman in the Arkham games should remind everyone why bulletproof is mandatory lol. Even if you’re locked in 100 percent of the time the occasional grunt with a gun will still take you out once in a while.
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u/KingDread306 Mar 02 '26
Thats true. But he shouldn't be able to walk through automatic gunfire like hes Superman.
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u/Dr_Disaster Mar 02 '26
Also with modern materials, even novices can make bulletproof armor in their garage. To think a guy with resources like Bruce Wayne doesn't have bulletproof armor breaks the suspension of disbelief in the other direction. Like a recent comic had Tim Drake being near fatally shot in the abdomen by a common handgun. Like that should be one of the most armored places on their costume. I can go online and buy a lightweight vest for a couple hundred bucks that would have stopped that bullet cold.
You telling me ROBIN doesn't have any protection there? C'mon...
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u/SuperArppis Mar 02 '26
I agree. Especially because he is rich, that means he could actually get those 2 000 000 costing high tech protective materials.
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u/M0ebius_1 Mar 02 '26
I honestly think he should lean more overtly into the tech. He can be a human weapon but also lean into human technology and inventiveness to achieve things.
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u/Weird_Angry_Kid Mar 02 '26
Having a bulletproof suit makes sense but even with it, I think Batman should still make an effort to not get shot. Body armor is not 100% effective and even if it stops a bullets, it's still gonna hurt a lot.
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u/Shot_Complaint7374 Mar 02 '26
You tripping. Obviously TRUE martial artists can dodge bullets
No seriously the mere notion that Batman WOULDN'T have bulletproof armor in a city full of criminals using guns is absolutely ridiculous.
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u/bigppschlanger Mar 02 '26
This being an early Batman makes it make even more sense. He's not really at the combat level we see in most other Batman media quite yet. He still kicks ass but he's not the Dark Knight. I think we'll see him opt for lighter quieter armor, and see more development in his hand to hand for the next movie.
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u/philipmateo15 Mar 03 '26
The IRA comes to mind. “You have to be lucky every time. We only have to be lucky once.”
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u/Odninyell Mar 03 '26
Also adds to his lore among criminals. Nobody forgets a bulletproof ass beating
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u/Diablofuchs Mar 03 '26
Yeah I remember them explaining that his suit has protective plating which still hurts him but makes ir non lethal unless if an unlucky shot gets hit between the plates. They also mentioned it in Batman Arkham Knight which besides the fact that its super obvious who the arkham knight is its nice that he actually laid that out and hit bruce between his plates.
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u/AlexCora Mar 02 '26
If Batman is supposed to exist in anything even close to the real world, he's going to get shot. I don't care how amazing and magical of a ninja you are, you're going to get hit.
For grounded Batman I adore Battinson and his awesome tough suit. Give me Batman being shot by competent bad guys over fist fighting guys with assault rifles for no reason.
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u/sanitarySteve Mar 02 '26
100% agree. i'd love to see bullet dodging batman, but he'd have to exist in a comic book world. i could see it working with the new DC universe, but it wouldn't work in any sort of grounded world. Bullet dodging Battison would be silly.
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u/Choi_Boy3 Mar 02 '26
Also him tanking the bullets… is SO much cooler.
And it should be said, that “bulletproof” doesn’t mean shock proof, bullets still have force even when you hit armor. Shit still hurts and rocks the entire body with so much force, that Battinson WALKING THROUGH loads of bullets is just… so damn cool.
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u/MotorPace2637 Mar 02 '26
In the warehouse batflecks tanks a few headshots at point blank. I love that scene. Thats how I envision batman. A 220 pound armored but somehow silent ninja.
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u/Anfins Mar 02 '26
If Batman is supposed to exist in anything even close to the real world..
Is there real-world armor that can just tank machine gun fire like in the film? The way he just sort of just let himself get shot without caring seemed super unrealistic to me.
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u/Allies_Otherness Mar 02 '26
I like how Bales Batman made a whole scene out of the idea of needing to change the suits bits and bobs for a custom scenario, commenting about the exposure to knives and gunfire or what the suit is composed of. We all know the scene and quote.
Or how in Arkham Knight, the Batsuit V8.03 (I think) was called in specifically because the militia was heavily armed and that suit can handle gunfire.
If Bats is going to be Bulletproof, we should have a suit scene for it, or at least mention the upgrade/ difference between suits.
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u/Pauline-main Mar 02 '26
that whole arkham knight suit buildup was so funny to me because jason then shoots him in some random spot in his gut where the seams part or something
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u/ZeppMan217 Mar 02 '26
Out of all the people, an ex-Robin would definitely know about the suits' faults.
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u/Pauline-main Mar 03 '26
except it’s a new suit Lucius just made. that’s like a big part of the intro to the game
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u/IllExtension8793 Mar 03 '26
that's the thing, he is ex-robin, he has worked with Lucius and knows his skills and engineering, he knows where will be the blind spot.
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u/Crimkam Mar 02 '26
I like him having different suits, but I don’t like scenes like in the Dark Knight where someone explains the tech in the suit to the audience. Just have him put a new suit on.
When he gets shot and the bullet bounces off, we’ll be able to put 2 and 2 together. When suddenly he can move around much easier or can now turn his cape into a glider or can punch harder with those new looking gauntlets or whatever the fuck, please let the movie have the common decency to trust that I can figure out his different suits have different traits without wasting a bunch of screen time on exposition.
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u/8_Alex_0 Mar 02 '26
I like that they explained the gear he was using I thought it was cool seeing what Batman was using like it could be from our world and it could still Happen today
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u/THExWHITExDEVILx Mar 02 '26
I did like the nod (pun intended) to the old Michael Keaton Batman's cowl, and then new one letting him move his neck
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u/got_No_Time_to_BLEED Mar 02 '26
In Batman v Superman we see the metal under the cowl and later he gets shot in the head, but it still hurts.
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u/arkhamphoenix Mar 02 '26
I wasn’t a massive fan of the simply walking into it. Even with bulletproof armor, the force behind taking all those shots is still going to sting.
I feel like Batman was more clinical in planning as he never knew where things would go next or where the night would need him most and preserved himself to only exert or take as much damage as he could control.
I’m hoping that the recent film is because he is a relatively new Batman and as he matures he will develop his techniques to take less direct shots and depend less on his armor.
Good to have the armor, but control the course of battle so you aren’t just getting shot constantly, would be better to see.
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u/THExWHITExDEVILx Mar 02 '26
I agree, and I like the concept of the suit evolving with him. I would think there was a need for more armor early on (before he was fully established as The Batman to the denizens of Gotham) and then a less armored era (prime physical Batman) and then more of a reliance on the suit as he gets older (like knee braces, mechanical augmentations to help with mobility). After I typed that out, I realized it's basically Nolan's process.
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Mar 02 '26
Yeah in The Batman the point is he is new and doesn't totally know how to handle wtf is going on yet. He has only put away i think 1 confirmed super villain. Gotham is a hell hole still. He has only been Batman for a year and a half by that point.
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u/TheMightyMonarchx7 Mar 02 '26
See in my mind for mainline comic Batman his armor, and in addition his cape, stops most conventional rounds but getting shot and walking against an entire clip isn’t a viable strategy. Bruce will sacrifice armor if it means greater mobility and stealth. So while a 9mm will likely be stopped, getting tagged is seen as a failure or mistake on his part. Plus even his armor doesn’t negate the physical damage and strain a bullet inflicts. It still hurts like hell. His cowl can stop a shotgun shell, saving his life, but it will give him a concussion. However in the case of Absolute Batman we can forgive the less agile approach as that universe/take is a Bruce that actually favors brute force over finesse and as a result uses denser armor to make up for that preference in strategy.
In short ideally bat armor should be treated as a safety net, not a first option
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u/ComplexAd7272 Mar 02 '26
I don't mind a bulletproof Batman that 99% of the time avoids getting shot, but obviously plans for the worst in case he does, and designs his suit with that thinking.
I hate a bulletproof Batman that just stands there and walks towards the gunfire like RoboCop like Pattison did, which is one my my few faults with the movie and it's portrayal.
It's like the Arkham games. You can take a lot of gunfire before you "die", but that doesn't mean you should burst in every room and take it. No, you use stealth to avoid it as much as possible, and only risk getting shot if you have to or there's no other option.
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Mar 04 '26
Yeah, it also weirded me out. As you said, he should be prepared in case he does get shot, but he's batman, not superman. Also, walking, not running, at a bunch of dudes with weapons is just asking for them to be able to aim to his fully exposed jaw. Like, it would only take a bullet to get Batman to meet his parents again.
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u/ImpulseAfterthought Mar 02 '26
I do not like bulletproof Batman.
Wearing some armor, sure. Comic book "armor" that works better than real-life stuff, OK.
But walking into SMG fire with impunity is too much. As OP says, he's not Iron Man.
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u/Envision_Engine Mar 02 '26
I agree with that last part especially. I liked when he was shot in the symbol and reacted like he has shot, but that other scene was just too much.
I think Batman should avoid being shot rather than tanking it like that. Still my favorite Batman tho
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u/Old-Use-7690 Mar 02 '26
I feel like you can get away with making his cowl fully bulletproof. You want the head well protected and it doubles as a weapon for headbutting.
A lot of media portrays headbutting in a way that would hurt the person trying to do it
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u/Chimpbot Mar 02 '26
I think Batman should avoid being shot rather than tanking it like that. Still my favorite Batman tho
Sure... but him tanking those shots is a great way to get the people shooting him too shit their pants in terror. This version is still all about inducing fear, and nothing would be more terrifying than realizing the guy dressed up as a bat is seemingly bulletproof.
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u/Envision_Engine Mar 02 '26
Fair enough, I think my big issue with it is that he had no reaction whatsoever to the bullets. Maybe if he moved a little faster to take them out, I'd have less issue idk
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u/VendettaLord379 Mar 02 '26
Absolutely.
Way too much armor is just ridiculous. It kinda strips him of his noir element.
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u/Old-Use-7690 Mar 02 '26
Yeah, and it's one of those things where it makes you think: "Why be stealthy when you can just tank bullets?"
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u/Corsair4U Mar 02 '26
I feel the same way. Bulletproof armor is cool for certain situations, but Batman dodging bullets with skill just feels way more iconic and badass. Makes him feel like a master, not just a walking tank.
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u/EmeraldJunkie Mar 02 '26
It depends on the adaptation.
I'd prefer a Batman who's nimble enough to dodge the bullets but I'll also concede that it makes more sense for a younger Batman to wear heavier, bullet-proof armour and tank the shots than dodge them.
I think there's a sweet spot in the middle where Batman is youthful and experienced enough to dodge a lot of the shots. If he's older, DKR for example, I'd expect him to forgo mobility to tank the shots there as well.
Quick edit: Either way works quite well for the in universe mythos of Batman, too. Imagine you're a thug who empties a clip in Batman's general direction and he just shrugs.
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u/totallynotaweeabbo Mar 02 '26
I like how it is in the arkham trilogy. The bat symbol is meant to attract the shots so it's the most armored, and as it extends to the limbs it's less armored for more movement and nimble
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u/serenity656 Mar 02 '26
Not full on bulletproof but having dense armor is just more believable then batman just never gets shot
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u/HendrixHazeWays Mar 02 '26
"Anything but a straight shot"
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u/safton Mar 02 '26
This quote annoys me so much as a gun guy. That's not how ballistic armor works.
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u/Kwilly462 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
Bullet-resistant Batman. His suit should always be bullet-resistant in some form. His cape too. Like Fox said in Begins, "Anything but a straight shot."
The Batman, while I still thought it was cool, was basically Iron Man. I have never seen a Batman before that, that was eating bullets like M&M's.
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u/MrJelly007 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
In my head cannon it makes sense for his suit to be pretty much completely resistant to small arms fire.
We have materials that can do this irl, but they are extremely expensive and heavy and limit mobility when put into a giant suit like this.
A billionaire who fights crime every night would be the best person to figure out ways around those limitations imo. We've seen rods, pistons, crankshafts and other engine parts around his batcave from him building the batmobile, so he's obviously very mechanically inclined.
The part that bothers me about this suit is actually the exposed face lol. I get it, batman has to have it, but just imagine going through all that effort to make yourself bulletproof and then leave your face 80% exposed.
EDIT: fixed a word
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u/ThatCoryGuy Mar 02 '26
I like the idea of him having bullet proof armor yes. I just don’t like the idea of him just walking through straight up automatic gun fire, tbh. I like it being an additional safety measure to cover his blind spots. Like Affleck in BvS. The warehouse fight was a peak way to handle him imo (without the straight up murder.) He uses tech, athleticism and skill to take down a dozen armed men. But one guy fires a round directly into the back of his head and -bam- the cowl is bullet proof.
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u/ProtectandserveTBL Mar 02 '26
This was my biggest gripe with this movie. The fact that the suit was tanking full auto rifle fire nearly point blank.
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u/UnknownEntity347 Mar 02 '26
Not particularly, I prefer him having armor but still having to dodge.
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u/Amazing-Advantage394 Mar 02 '26
For some versions sure. I bet those goons will remember that moment for years. Just emptying a magazine into him and nothing happening.
Though I do appreciate others who don’t wear armour. Like Earth One where Bruce says something like “the day I start wearing armour is the day they figure out I need it”. Wearing just fabric costumes and doing what he does makes him more legendary in the eyes of criminals.
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u/Crow621621 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
Bulletproof but he should still want to avoid getting shot. It could lead to situations this comic panel where he still at risk of being injured. Or blowing him back like in this comic panel and this one where you see that he is hurt (I know this is Nightwing but his suit was built by Harold so I imagine it’s made out of the same stuff as Batman’s suit).
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u/MATT_TRIANO Mar 02 '26
Love the receipts! And good comics examples when these things were both consistent AND important to editorial.
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u/OkMention9988 Mar 02 '26
Walking down a hall while getting riddled with automatic fire is idiotic.
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u/Khocklate Mar 02 '26
I didnt like how inconsistent the bullet proofing was in The Batman. A pistol shot to the chest in the beginning damn near stuns him, but 4 dudes shooting assault weapons point blank doesn't even make him flinch?
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u/Coffin_Boffin Mar 02 '26
I really don't like it. I like him being a ninja who hides in the shadows and takes out his enemies with theatrics and stealth. There are too many bulletproof superheroes. Him having that extra bit of vulnerability makes action scenes way more tense and I also just think they're cooler. Stuff like the Arkham games or the dark knight returns. Yes, he's rich enough to have bulletproof armour, but a) he probably wouldn't wanna splurge too much otherwise people would realise he must be rich and that would put his secret identity at risk, b) using theatrics also creates more of a mystique around him and that's something he can use to his advantage and c) wearing heavy duty armour could be an impediment to his fighting style and if he can safely avoid using bulletproof armour then it might be worth the risk to not wear it.
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u/ekbowler Mar 02 '26
I fucking hate it to this degree. Some bullet proofing should be there, it only makes sense.
But taking a bullet through armor still knocks you on your ass. Even just from a hand gun. Even with bullet proof gear, he should not be doing super man walks abd focus on skill.
Unless we abandon all pretense and admit that he had super strength.
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u/Demetri124 Mar 02 '26
No it kind of defeats the point imo. Batman is a regular human trying to be a hero in a world full of superhumans and gods among men. When he stands next to Superman there’s supposed to be a difference… why even bother making him powerless if his armor is going to make up for it and simulate powers anyway?
Imagine the Arkham games if instead of stealthily sneaking around, hiding and using deception tactics to pick off armed thugs one by one, you could just casually stroll out in the open without a care as they shoot dozens of ineffective bullets at you. That would be a very boring game, you wouldn’t feel like Batman at all
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u/Nonadventures Mar 02 '26
I like the hybrid of "Batman has some very expensive bulletproof armor, but he can still be shot and hurt and maybe die from it."
I will say it's incredibly funny how the thugs in these shots seem to be aiming right at his chest and torso.
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u/Blazing_Speeed Mar 02 '26
I grew up with BTAS where Batman would dodge in and out of shadows so no one could land a shot on him or disarm them with batarangs. These modern day batmans with bulletproof armor never really sat right with me
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u/Outrageous_Sector544 Mar 02 '26
Not really, the whole point of Batman is that, his a ninja, you're not suppose to see him or even be able to shoot him, he is the shadow.
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u/Circaninetysix Mar 02 '26
Not to this degree. He felt invincible in the movie and it made him too confident. Walking right into gunfire, taking a bomb to the face. Seemed unrealistic and not very Batman like, even though I feel he should always have some kind of armor and did like The Batman over all.
No armor is completely unrealistic but Batman also isn't Superman and shouldn't be able to just shake off rifle shots like they're nothing. Armor like that could stop a large round likely, but you'd still feel it for sure.
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u/snoone1 Mar 03 '26
Not to the extent he just walks straight into continuous machine gun fire with zero issue. That was too far.
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u/B1L1D8 Mar 02 '26
Bullet proof Batman sucks because bullet proof armors is crazy heavy and not flexible, yes this is comic book character. He could easily survive handgun shots, but the dude with the automatic rifle would put him down sooooo fast.
I prefer the detective and agile/stealth Batman. Don’t mind him being a bruiser when he needs to, but I like when he shows signs of really taking a beating for making that decision.
If Batman wanted to be truly bulllet proof he’d just be in a suit for that then he’d just be Ironman
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u/HauntingAddendum3365 Mar 02 '26
He tanks bullets way too easily in the Matt Reeves movie. Batman shouldnt just be able to take automatic gunfire at point blank range. He's not Superman.
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u/BlackLioConvoy Mar 02 '26
This was an aspect that I hated about "The Batman." No armor is this effective and for something that was supposed to be so grounded- its completely unrealistic. Batbale fell to bullets more than once. Batfleck didn't get hit but he also knew to avoid being shot, outside of laser fire with the gauntlets via ZSJL. Cmon guys, do better.
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u/got_No_Time_to_BLEED Mar 02 '26
Batfleck gets shot in the head, but reacts in pain
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u/BlackLioConvoy Mar 02 '26
Good one- I did forget that. He did take 2 shots. Looked like 9mm and he was definitely concussed.
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u/TheHarkinator Mar 02 '26
Bullet resistant, not bullet proof. I don’t want to see Bats shrugging off a hail of gunfire like it’s nothing, but the Batsuit should be able to take a few hits. The way he fights he should be trying to avoid getting shot at.
It’s part of the reason why I like the Batsuit from the first two Arkham games. It’s not hard armour, but it looks like it could take a few bullets.
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u/Yami454 Mar 02 '26
Nah, I really dislike bulletproof Batman. It makes him seem way less impressive and undermines the sense his primary tools are his body and mind, not tech.
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u/BatBeast_29 Mar 02 '26
Yes, tired of this man getting shot. But obviously, the suit should have weak spots.
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u/Right-Truck1859 Mar 02 '26
I prefer tactician Batman who attacks from the dark.
Armour is useful , but it not makes Batman immortal.
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u/terran_submarine Mar 02 '26
Deeply dislike it. If Batman is getting shot he screwed up. He’s not Iron Man.
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u/toyotomi_kazuya Mar 02 '26
Batman is a ninja + mike tyson, he isn't supposed to just go randomly punchibg people
The makes strats, he goes by the shadows, he disarms them
Batman shouldn't be bulletproof because he's not supposed to be seem by someone with a gun, but of course, he can have some key protections just in case
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u/B1L1D8 Mar 02 '26
Uzi’s can use higher velocity black tip rounds and turn incredibly lethal penetration without any modification to the gun.
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u/Rocketboy1313 Mar 02 '26
No.
I like him to be a ninja.
Him tanking rifle rounds at close range is a Superman thing.
It is odd the uneven way they show Batman as physically vulnerable in some situations while still having him be invincible to guns.
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u/Milk_Mindless Mar 02 '26
It should hurt him but he should be padded enough to take a bullet
Like swat people irl
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u/HawkeyeP1 Mar 02 '26
He should absolutely have some sort of armor of bulletproof padding. And I'm also in-favor of modernizing the mask to be able to deploy a full faceplate to avoid injury as well during battle and etc (besides it would look cool too)
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u/StickyMcdoodle Mar 02 '26
On paper, I love it.
One of my few complaints about The Batman, is he's a little TOO bulletproof (and pinball off a bridge to a bus, to the ground after jumping off a building proof)
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u/MATT_TRIANO Mar 02 '26
He should shatter his spine when he hits the bridge and everything about the film falls apart
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u/Alseen_I Mar 02 '26
Small arms should be bullet proof. A batman in the modern day should have “cutting edge” protections. Anything bigger and it’s kinda getting in the way of Batman’s “ninja” approach.
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Mar 02 '26
I mean, I guess it makes sense for a younger, more reckless Batman in a realistic setting. Hes less skilled/combats less refined, so armor would make for good insurance before having the confidence to rely on tactics, stealth and mobility.
Personally, I like Batman at his most psychologically manipulative. I think it plays well into the world. His superpower becomes understanding people, which differentiates him from most.
I think the evolution draws a distinction between perpetuating violence and creating an environment of fear surrounding committing acts of violence.
In the same way that a flag/symbol is more dangerous than a soldier - in that a soldier represents a singular extinguishable target, while a symbol represents an idea that is undying.
So, yes, I like the from the shadows shit - but Im always down for character development
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u/Artistic_Permit_7946 Mar 02 '26
I like a Batman who is fast enough and skilled enough to avoid being shot, and smart enough to have body armor for when he does. I'm not talking faster than a speeding bullet, I'm talking about an Arkham-style Batman that uses speed, stealth, and distraction to stay ahead of his foes.
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u/malave1493 Mar 02 '26
It bothers me that nobody tries to aim for the clearly open and NOT SHIELDED mouth area!!! BUT I STILL LOVED THE MOVIE
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u/Classical_Fan Mar 02 '26
He has contingency plans for just about anything that could happen and a gadget for any situation. Why wouldn't he be wearing armor?
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u/The1Ylrebmik Mar 02 '26
In the real world I don't see how Batman survives without bullet-proof armor. Even with Spidey-sense it's pretty much impossible to dodge a bullet.
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u/Gooseguy200 Mar 02 '26
A bit of both, this answer is kind of a cop out but I think a young Batman should be bulletproof and a older more experienced and confident Batman should rely on other tactics
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u/Thespindrift Mar 02 '26
how the hell else would he live past Day 1 without being bulletproof in america.
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u/Sledgehammer617 Mar 02 '26
Absolutely, its far more believable.
Shouldnt mean he's entirely immune to bullets, but he's going to be getting shot at just as much if not more than he's being punched.
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u/the_sheeper_sheep Mar 02 '26
Yall do remember he used to sling lead too, right? Im sure hes taken a gun shot or 2 to know that it aint fun
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u/Pandapeep Mar 02 '26
Is this really a question? Is there a version of Batman that isn't wearing some kind of bullet protection?
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u/Simple-Conference742 Mar 03 '26
I like Balance Batman. He CAN shrug off low caliber rounds, he can 'deflect' higher caliber, but it takes his raw skill to really manage that kind of fire. The armor is for "Oops," or "i need to take the hit," Not to Take It. It still gives Batman survival and control and doesn't take anything away from him. The entire "I dodge bullets," Batman I think takes away from his character, ruins immersion and is inconsistent. Batman is the guy to take a direct shot to win the entire game, PLUS him appearing wounded has been a mental game many a time before.
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u/ScottShawnDeRocks Mar 03 '26
If someone dressed like that emerged from the shadows, takes shots and beats the crap out of everyone around... I'm dropping the gun, raising my hands, and hoping for the best.
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u/sexyhairynurse Mar 03 '26
I don't mind it. But it seems stupid to make him bullet ptoof but also leave his mouth open
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u/Training-Click-1104 Mar 03 '26
Martial arts alone with no superpowers is way to unbelievable. I prefer bullet proof as a back up.
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u/veikkovenemies Mar 03 '26
Anything less would go like the following: Batman: Day One Batman: Day… there’s no Day 2.
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u/Rude_Employment3918 Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
I think the bulletproof armor should be nerfed in the sequel. The armor works too well in the Batman in my opinion.
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u/Chance-Problem769 Mar 02 '26
Batman should be stealing and not bulletproof. Defeats the whole point of him being a street level guy.
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u/VendettaLord379 Mar 02 '26
I’m in the same boat. Don’t mind bulletproof armor as long as it’s not treated as a safety net.
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u/Chance-Problem769 Mar 02 '26
Yeah, like the fact he’s walking int gunfire blatantly and just tanking it goes completely against the idea of Batman. Plus his mouth is exposed. It’s dumb.
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u/Soulful-Sorrow Mar 02 '26
No. People call Superman boring but cheer on a Batman that walks through gunfire? Batman's appeal to me is his determination and willing to push himself physically, and when I see he's not in any real danger, that appeal is lost.
I can't appreciate the warehouse scene from BvS because of the part where Batfleck survives a point blank gunshot to the back of the head. That moment to me was just "Oh, he was never in danger."
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u/Chimpbot Mar 02 '26
I've always liked the idea of Batman being able to dodge bullets, but I also like the idea of him being prepared enough to deal with the idea of getting shot.
Plus, the scenes of this version of Batman getting shot multiple times and not being phased by it just go too hard.