Theme Week, Part III

Jeremy’s Sametime Status Proudly Presents:  Little-Known Batman Facts Week!   

The iconic Batmobile debuted a full year and a half after the Batplane

That can't be right, can it?  How did Batman get around?  

To get really technical, today's Sametime Status is entirely true.  Let's take a look at the timeline, shall we?

Batman made his first appearance in comic book form in May of 1939 as part of DC's "Detective Comics."  (Issue 27, if that sort of thing matters to you)  In that comic, Batman did drive around in a car, but it was a completely stock red sedan convertible.  Over subsequent issues, the car evolved with the bat motif and features and gadgets were added...

Gadget Hackwrench?

...and the car was never referred to as "Batmobile" until issue 48, which came out in February of 1941.  Also, Gadget Hackwrench is a Disney character, and is not part of the Batman universe, but I'm sure there are crossovers in the Cosplay universe.  

Had to check.

However, in September of 1939, Batman did make a flight in the original Batplane, also referred to as the Batgyro.  This plane has also undergone a number of facelifts since its introduction, even including the ability to "fly" underwater.  

So why have I heard it called "Batwing"?

There is another example of Tim Burton changing things around to fit his movie.  The name "Batwing" was first associated with the Batplane in 1989 with the release of the feature film.  The name has since been carried over into comics and other media forms.