Critical popcorn

First revealed in Christopher Nolan’s iconic The Dark Knight trilogy, making its debut in Batman Begins no less, the Batmobile ‘Tumbler’ holds military-level stealth tech as its inspiration, can break through concrete walls, has bullet-proof bodywork and is unreservedly one of the finest additions to Bruce Wayne’s Batcave/hidden underground workshop… and now, we get to build a 1:8 scale model!

After kicking off with Issues 1 to 6 (head here for those), we’re taking on the Hachette Partworks challenge, and you can also build your own detailed replica here, because it’s too good to resist.

Build your own Batmobile Tumbler is the assembly, alongside sticking and screwing together die-cast parts, plus plastic-moulded ones for the smaller details, and it’s clearly going to be a marvellous monster when you start realising how many features are eventually here to highlight, and today our build just keeps on growing!

While we’re in the early days of a longer-term project, and if you’ve also done one before you’ll appreciate what I mean, I thought it’d be good to blog the build – so feel free to ask questions in the comments below!

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Issue 7

So, while these issues, now we’re extending to four at a time, more or less follow a few things we’ve done already, it doesn’t make it any less exciting to see the scale of this Tumbler begin to take shape.

Issue 7 kicks off with the shock absorber rods and right steering bar and is one of the first indications of the complexity of the build to come. But, let it be known, I approach it as ‘always’ being a learning process because even with experience of previous ‘build your own’ setups, and what I’ve done so far – sections of this made me invest in something – a small electric screwdriver (affordable though, pick yours up here)!

Reasons? Well, the shock absorbers rods, links and brackets need some patience, as well as a hit of getting those screws in their tightly. While I’m still using my regular screwdriver (with inter-changeable bits) for all of this, the electric one felt needed, so I could hold things in place whilst giving it a good hit of power – to make sure the screws were fully flush.

As well as adding the right front suspension to the front bulkhead – and getting to feel both the weight and see the style of the front of this Batmobile Tumbler – you’ll be adding in the right steering bar and, as ever, I add a *PATIENCE!* warning in here, and sometimes the help of others, if you’ve not got a vice or a third hand hidden away in a tool box.

Saying that, it’s achievable and satisfying once you get it all locked in together, I mean look at this beauty above! The magazine also continues to give good insights into the world of The Dark Knight, with how the ‘dragon’ in the engine was create, plus Batman’s first encounter with Superman, which is a great historical revisit to the comics.

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Issue 8

The Issue 8 magazine continues the look back at Batman and Superman, plus it delves into more specifics about the Tumbler’s movement once they built it for The Dark Knight – which must have been amazing to film!

Did you know that the front wheels on the Tumbler, unlike other vehicles, aren’t attached to an axle and can independently move? This is why it can manoeuvre so rapidly and turn in smaller spaces, because you can lock one wheel and turn the huge beast in an instant – perfect for getaways or driving through the busy city streets of Chicago/Gotham at full pelt away from any chasing pack.

The build for Issue 8 is essentially the same as part of Issue 4, but with the left front suspension and left disc brake this time. The difference for me, this time, was the introduction of my snazzy new electric screwdriver – because I wasn’t completely sure of the tightness of my screws in the left steering rod, and eventual brake housing, but this time I definitely was. Have a gander!

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Issue 9

Issue 9 isn’t difficult, it’s essentially just adding a small piece (the journal cross) into what you built in Issue 8 and while this could feel a little frustrating, you do also receive the rest of the second front tyre, with the outer and inner rim that will actually all come together in the issue after this one.

The magazine stretches out the fun a little though, with an essay on Fiction Vs Reality, and delves into the filming version of the Batmobile Tumbler and the one we see on screen, plus a really cool reminder of the ‘first’ Batman, that being the idea , back in 1956, that Thomas Wayne might have also been the Dark Knight, as Bruce and Dick Grayson discover an old suit hidden away, which has a little bit of Wolverine going on, but in black – all created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff for Detective Comics #235 – which is more interesting Batman history.

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Issue 10

Issue 10 hits us up with putting the finishing touches to the second front wheel, with the nuts and washers, and using the two inner rims from Issue 9 to sort the final assembly for these four issues. Check out the history of Batman’s journey with ‘no killing’ in the accompanying magazine as well, because while that’s not entirely accurate, it also wasn’t like that in his early comic days.

While, on the outside, it seems pretty straight forward to add the rims inside the wheel – which is massive by the way – it always ends up being one of the fiddliest sections so far. The big tip here is to pay attention to the treads on the tyre, and follow those specific guidelines from the instructions, as this really matters later on!

So, after putting the wheel and rims together, you’ve just got to hook up the left suspension unit, with the journal cross in place – as well as the universal joint kept flexible – and you’ve got that second front tyre ready to be fully attached to the front bulkhead, and that’ll come with Issue 11 and more front suspension elements.

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My Batmobile Tumbler Build Blog continues soon… Fancy starting yours?

Head to Hachette Partworks: https://batmobile.hachettepartworks.com

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