Smallvilleis one of the greatest superhero shows ever…but there’s one thing I’ve never been able to get over regarding a particular costume in the connected comics. Following the conclusion ofSmallville’stenth and final season, DC Comics released an eleventh season in comic book form, continuing the adventures of Tom Welling’s Clark Kent who’d officially become Superman. Likewise, this series also debuted new DC characters who never made it on the live-action television series. This notably includesBatman, who debuted inSmallville:Season 11wearing the wildest batsuit I’ve ever seen.
InSmallville: Season 11, Batman and his sidekick Barbara Gordon aka Nightwing first come to Metropolis on a very personal mission for Bruce Wayne, who’s tracking down his parents' killer. This quickly brings him face to face with Superman, resulting in initial tensions and an eventual alliance where The Dark Knight becomes a part-time member of the Justice League.However, the design for Batman’s costume in theSmallvilleuniverse is certainly up there as one of the boldest/strangest batsuits of all time.
Batman’s Smallville Season 11 Suit Was All Kinds of Strange
One for the Ages (And Not Necessarily In A Good Way)
To be fair,Batman’s primarySmallvillebatsuitmay cater to some fans who liked his unique and certainly bold costume design. However, the vast majority did not like The Dark Knight’s look. Shown wearing navy-gray facepaint over the bottom of his face to conceal his identity beyond his oddly shaped cowl,theSmallvillebatsuit itself is a bizarre combo of chainmail-type patterns and futuristic elements at the same time.
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A notable feature of this odd batsuit is the glowing red symbol on the chest. While it was explained that it was a red sunlight emitter to give Batman an advantage over Superman, the result is a sort of Batman Beyond-inspired look, especially with the whole of his face being covered.That said, the suit overall is a pretty jarring combination of elements that don’t exactly mesh, giving Batman’sSmallvilledebut some odd vibes mixed in with the excitement of the character finally getting to interact with Clark Kent and his allies/foes.
Perhaps He Would Have Worn One of His Other Batsuits…
The main reasonBatman wasn’t allowed in theSmallvilleshowproper was due to concerns that his presence would somehow hurt Warner Bros.Batmanmovies that were being made by Christopher Nolan in the 2000s. However, the comics were apparently fair game, hence his eventual debut inSmallville: Season 11.That said, one has to wonder if Batman would have worn this same suit in live-action had he been allowed to appear in the main television series.
“It’s hard not to feel weird when readingSmallville: Season 11whenever Batman’s on the page, decked out in what is objectively one of the strangest batsuits of all time…”
It’s possible that Batman’s original suit referenced in flashbacks or the one he would later wear in the connectedSmallville: Alienseries would have been better for live-action, as they both bear a closer resemblance to Batman’s typical costume in the primary DC universe (while still sporting the odd blue-gray facepaint). They also probably would have been easier to create in live-action in comparison. Either way, it’s hard not to feel weird when readingSmallville: Season 11whenever Batman’s on the page, decked out in what isobjectively one of the strangest batsuits of all time.
