Bat-Gadgets: The Batarang

"He's only one man!"

"The most... uh... dangerous man on Earth..." – Protex and Superman, JLA Issue #4

Unrefutability one of Batman's most dangerous tools in his arsenal, the batarang (originally spelled baterang) is a roughly bat-shaped, semi-lethal throwing weapon.  Earlier versions were indeed styled after boomerangs, whereas later adaptations of the batarang have become more of a shuriken-like weapon.



Batarang (Arkham Asylum/Arkham City Style)



Whatever its shape and format, the batarang has always been one of the most versatile and useful tools in Batman's armaments, used to disarm and disable assailants, cut various objects, carry small charges of explosives or electicity, or double as an impromptu grappling hook.



Although seldom referred to by name, the batarang is undoubtably one of the most iconic symbols within Batman's posession, not to mention that it's an all-time fan favorite.

It goes without saying then that Batman would most likely have one or several of these within his crime-fighting tools all the time.


I took it upon myself to create some of these, following an instructable, and with sound advice from a machinist and an airbrush artist.

Batarang - Folded

The result:  Foldable batarangs.



Now, while these particular batarangs are styled after the Arkham Asylam and Arkham City video games, after learning the skills necessary to machine these, I've found it's not necessarily at all difficult to create batarangs with any other style or focus, simply by varying the techniques and materials a little bit.

For example, the Nolan films foldable batarang can be easily made using plexiglass and a small mortise hinge, whereas this particular style shown requires a furniture nut, a flathead screw, and a pair of magnet tabs.  How you style them is simply a matter of cutting the shape of the weapon on plexiglass.



Batarang - Back View



But it seems one thing is for certain.  People LOVE batarangs.  Fans, and even friends that do not necessarily love Batman much have started asking me to sell these.  We'll see.

Does it come in black?

There's never been a huge amount of talk about Batman's boots.  Yet another little-attended part of the costume, Batman's boots has always been regarded as simply a part, or an extension of the suit itself.

Batman's Boots are essential to crime-fighting

That having been said, Batman's boots are an essential part of his crime-fighting outfit.  As the caped crusader swings through Gotham's treacherous terrain, dodging gunfire, knife cuts and various types of assault, the boots must be durable and comfortable.  Not to mention that the recent animated and Nolan film incarnations have begun to add various hidden gadgets inside and as part of the boots themselves.

This had me thinking quite a long time about the boots.  The original intent was to have a durable, stylish pair of boots that would fit both the bill and the budget.

Unfortunately, the process for tracking down the RedHead Front Zip 10" Waterproof Lined Rubber Boots had been notoriously difficult.  In fact, it was excrutiating to the point of absolute ridicule.

As an internet marketer myself, I must say that Bass Pro Shops has majorly failed in delivering in customer experience, satisfaction, and product availability.  The boots currently appear as a clearance item online, but every size is out of stock online, and the product is indicated to be available in stores only.

So I decided to visit my only local Bass Pro Shop to find the product.  After searching through the footwear section, and consulting two associates and a customer service representative, I was told that not only does the Vaughan Canada store not stock the product in question, but that they simply do not follow their own corporate website at all.

My friend in Mesa Arizona had pretty much a similar experience at his local store, finding nothing in either the footwear nor clearance sections, and was told that the product was not in stock when he called a day later.

Edit (18-Jun):  From an online support ticket...

Response (Debbie)06/15/2012 06:39 AM
Derek,
Thank you for contacting basspro.com. Your business is truly appreciated.I am sorry, however, this boot has been discontinued and is no longer available.
Best regards,
Debbie
Bass Pro Shops
2500 E Kearney
Springfield, MO 65898
1-800-BASS-PRO

All that trouble for one simple, lousy pair of rubber boots.



Bat Boots... Begins

After a few more searches and generally disappointing results, I ran into some dumb luck.  A local shoe store was holding a closing sale, and they carried a 10" nondiscript pair of black leather boots, allegedly made by a local footwear company.

I ended up bagging these at 50% off for $45 + tax, which is a little bit more than the cost of the RedHeads, but the fact that they are genuine leather, is more than worth that price.  It will probably need some kind of sleeve to extend the length of the boot, but they will do nicely I think.

Bat-Gadgets: The Bat-Phone

"It's the Bat-Phone." – Alfred Pennyworth

Although probably not one of the more exciting Bat-Gadgets of all time, the Bat-Phone has always been an essential tool in Batman's arsenal, helping to relay critical information to Batman and his aides in a timely manner for the purposes of crimefighting.

The Bat-Phone has evolved much over the decades, starting from the big red pulse-dial clunker in 1966, to the more recent incarnations of a high-tech mobile cellular device in the Nolan films, capable of performing many cool detective tricks like sonar imaging and all kinds of smart phone stuff.

Be it as it may, the TV and film incarnations of the Bat-Phone have always seemed to focus on the tactile, handheld device.  With technology the way it is these days, you'd think that Batman would simply hide a bluetooth earpiece inside his headset, and set a speed dial on his oh-so-trusty iPh... erm...  I mean Bat-Phone, so that he could call Alfred when he's in serious trouble.

Plantronics Explorer 210 Bluetooth Headset

Which, is why I've secured myself a new Plantronics Explorer 210 Bluetooth headset, to hide under the cowl.  A very ridgid body with a slim profile, comfortable in-ear speaker with a contoured ear-tip delivers decent enough sound (you have to turn it all the way up if there's a lot of road noise, but otherwise it's fine on medium), and I'd say decent battery life (8 hours talk time, 8 days standby), all packaged in only 11.5 grams of weight.

Cool part is, it only cost me $21.99, and I earned $0.44 maCashback for getting it through SHOP.COM.  Hey Nolan, time to get Christian Bale one of these, don't you think?