Batman’s First Costume Returns at Last in Perfect New Cosplay

Since his first appearance, Batman has had a variety of looks, and a cosplayer has created the Caped Crusader’s original look, dating back to 1939. Cosplayer and illustrator @AlBigley unveiled the unique cosplay on his Twitter, garnering praise from fans and harkening back to the early days of the Dark Knight’s career in the late 1930’s.

To capitalize on the success of Superman, who appeared a year earlier, DC (then known as National Comics Publications) pressed artist Bob Kane for a new superhero. Kane originally envisioned his creation, which he called “the Bat-Man,” as a more generic superhero—much of what fans know and love about the character came from writer Bill Finger. Kane later minimized Finger’s contributions and Finger was not given creator credit until 2016. Batman would go on to make his first appearance in May 1939’s Detective Comics #27; the character was a smash hit, and DC had managed to capture lightning in a bottle for the second time. Batman’s costume has remained largely unchanged over time, sticking close to the classic cape and cowl look, yet there are distinct differences between his costume in 1939 and his costume of today, and @AlBigley transports readers back to an earlier time, to when Batman was just starting his war on crime.

In a post on Twitter, @AlBigley unveiled the cosplay photo, taken at a convention, with the caption “’1939 Batman’ strikes again.” The cosplay accurately recreates Batman’s costume from his first appearance, including the cowl with stockier ears and bigger eye slits. Missing is the yellow oval logo—while it has become synonymous with the character over the years, it was not a part of his costume until the 1960s. However, his trusty utility belt is present. Fans have responded enthusiastically to the unique shoot.

When Bill Finger and Bob Kane created Batman, there was no denying they created something special, not only in concept but in costume choice as well. Batman’s look is iconic and known the world over. There have been no drastic makeovers to Batman’s costume since 1939, only slight tweaks. The yellow oval logo remains perhaps the best-known modification, one that influenced the character’s depiction in other media. These subtle changes to Batman’s outfit were due to generations of artists putting their own spins on the character—the eye slits became smaller and the suit became body armor. @AlBigley’s cosplay honors Kane and Finger’s original design, looking ready to take on a syndicate or a Mad Monk.

Bill Finger and Bob Kane’s original design for Batman’s costume is flawless and has stood the test of time and cosplayer @AlBigley goes back to the source, recreating the Dark Knight’s original look.

Source: @AlBigley

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1379 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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