The History of the Batmobile
The History of the Batmobile
Kelley Jones had previously worked on DC Elseworlds titles such asRed Rain and Batman: Dark Joker the Wild, as well as covers during theKnightfall series. Jones' first work as a penciler inBatman was issue #515, and his first in-universe Batmobile appeared on the title page ofBatman #516, which began the storyline "Sleeper."
Unlike the sleek sports cars and futuristic machines that were typically used for Batmobiles at the time, Jones created a distinctly "retro" look with fat fenders, a spotlight atop a bubble dome canopy, a forward bat mask, and a single rear fin. The car is much more compact than the old cars, generally drawn as a single-seater (and often with a hulking Batman nearly filling the cabin).
The "Golden Age" inspiration was similarly used by Barbara Ling when she designed theBatman Forever car that same year, and would be continued in vaarying degrees byother comic artists.