There wasn't always a Batmobile, but when you're a billionaire playboy who likes to dress up like a bat and roam the streets fighting crime in Gotham City, well... eventually you find yourself needing some custom-built vehicles to get around safely and swiftly.
There are, of course, a wide variety of transportation options in the Bat-motor-pool, from Bat-gyros to Bat-boats and from Bat-planes to Bat-Cycles. However, of all of the high-tech toys for getting around Gotham, nothing has come close to the long-term adoration generated by the Batmobile.
Batmobile: The Complete History does a pretty darn good job of living up to its name, going as far back as when Batman drove around in a red sedan that wasn't referred to as the Batmobile, all the way through to the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises, including the Tumbler and even brief mention of the Bat-pod and the Bat, as well.
This is a coffee table book, which always means you should expect a lot of artwork, but I was a bit taken aback by the depth and beauty of the artwork in Batmobile: The Complete History. The pages are thick, and the pictorials are large and glossy. There are a couple of fold-outs that show, for example, a line-up of the various Batmobiles used onscreen, from the television show up through the Tumbler. That one is awesome and is good enough to be frameable. I seriously sat for a couple of moments wondering how horrible it would be to remove it and have it framed. Then again, there is the crease down the center. No matter, if you find that you want to gaze back at the images frequently, simply return to your coffee table, kick back and enjoy; that's what they're there for.
The book cover (seen in the image, above) is a semi-glossy full-color cover on a good weight paper, making it decently durable. The outside of the book, itself, is adorned with no name (except, of course, on the spine), but instead features close-up shots of the Tumbler on both front and back.
The actual text of Batmobile: The Complete History is a wealth of history, not only what changed, but often what influenced those changes. It also abounds with comments and insight from directors, artists, comics analysts and anyone else who might be worth listening to when it comes to the Batmobile. Even so, I found it difficult to maintain focus on the text at times, with so many interesting and pivotal images from comic books and movies throughout the years.
Whether you're a fan of Batman or simply a connoisseur of high-tech super-hero vehicles, Batmobile: The Complete History deserves that spot on your coffee table.
