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, I get to build a 1:8 scale model!

After kicking off with Issues 1 to 10 (head here for those), we pick up the pace this month for SIX issues in one hit with the Hachette Partworks release, and you can also build your own detailed replica by clicking here.

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, it feels right to blog the build – so feel free to ask questions in the comments below!

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Issue 11

And we’re back in the groove. And the issue 11 magazine also offers an excellent insight in Rainbow Batman from 1957, which could easily inform a lot of people now – whatever the original reason, because it’s there in print! In terms of the build, we’re onto more shock absorber rods and the left steering bar – this sets you up (like it did on the right hand-side) to screw together the full suspension unit from Issue 9.

From that, you’re completing the other side of the front bulkhead and you’ll DEFINITELY begin to feel the weight of the creation. My one tip is try to be equally gentle and specific – and maybe use masking tape-up those shock absorber rods to help them stay on the right side of the bulkhead, when you screw it all together.

Like the other side, this is complex procedure but after my investment in a small electric screwdriver – with interchanging bits – it’s made it a lot easier to hold the unit and screw in effectively and more solidly. You can do it manually, but this new method takes off some stress, and you don’t need any clamps nearby. Once that’s together, it’s just screwing the left steering bar into place and you’ve got a wonderfully chunky front bulkhead with the first two wheels firmly in place!

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Issue 12

Just before we dive into the dashboard, and our first visual look at some inner and outer central panels, the magazine delves into more Tumbler history (from the filming of The Dark Knight), and a particular reminder that although Nolan saved it for his second film, as he couldn’t quite let go of the ‘character’, but now was the time to move it on – and create a new legend – and the Batpod was born. There’s a lot more on that as well in later issues.

In terms of Batman history, we also get a little reminder of the decline in history of superheroes, and the rise in paranoia that Batman was selling homosexuality openly (and that Wonder Woman was portraying someone who’s happy without kids and a husband), and so a backlash began – which is genuinely ridiculous but, maybe, good to hear that these characters now had such an impact on society they were starting to help change things for the better, whatever the reality at that moment in time.

While the creators were forced into giving Batz a ‘love interest’ with the likes of Batwoman – and to stop them going on about Batman and Robin shacking up together – the censors the literally forced the dynamic duo off world and into space to fight aliens, it’s interesting people did still read the comics, and it’d be some time before stories reflecting reality again but, indeed, in the 1950’s and 60’s… one step at a time.

But, digressing, Issue 12 is a simple build for an interesting part with the dashboard being stuck together with some good-old-fashioned double-sided sticky tape (all included) and you get to see your first panel come together! There’s not a lot to add, but the sticky tape is very sticky, so tweezers might help, and even some back-up tape.

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Issue 13

As briefly mentioned before, the magazine now takes this opportunity to breakdown the end of the Tumbler and the start of the Batpod! I clearly remember the excitement of seeing it happen – and we didn’t know it was coming – a genuine joy.

On the Batman history, we’re hitting even stranger battles for the Caped Crusader, with the hero transported off to Zur-En-Arrh and who says rumours of Roswell and the supposed space-race didn’t help these ventures. The stories did have depth and reason, but they’re far from Nolan’s visions but what a depth of history the character has – although I doubt we’ll ever see live action versions of it.

For the build, there’s not much to do – it’s a part of the dashboard console and some left/right instrument panels, and you get to add a bit of it to the previous panel build. No screwdriver required. Just some peeling and it also recommend a tiny dab of glue – I didn’t have any, so I used another of self-adhesive and thin-strips of masking tape and… voila!

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Issue 14

It’s time for Batpod action in the magazine! While it was essentially an escape pod, it’s simple to see how it’d be so quickly and easily named with the ‘bat’ moniker. There’s not much we don’t know already, but it’s good to see some graphics over how the front wheel works, and how it came to slot together – whilst the Tumbler detonated behind him.

History wise: it’s more surrealist and some Bat-Mite lowdown. Yes, the child-like imp who dresses like Batman but a little less fitted. Yes, it’s a very strange time but we also get a reminder of Mister Mxyzptlk and their joint venture to cause trouble for our Batman, but also Superman (and stories beyond that), and let’s not forget Bat-Mite even had his own minseries in 2015!

The fun thing about the Issue 14 build is getting a look at the cockpit floor of the Tumbler itself. This is a big section of ready-moulded plastic with clearly a lot to come and eventually add. This time out there’s a few CP screws and a (gentle) grab of the dashboard you previously built, and then putting them together. So components in place. Bottom board built. Yes, I’d like more complicated bigger sections, but I do like what I see.

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Issue 15

While the mag now takes us into the Batpod creation, in a design sense, and Nolan’s vision along with that incredible production team. They even had a 1:1 prototype and – if that’s going out there still – I’ll take it Nolan! Thanks to the skills and talents of Chris Corbould – an effects legend – (and kudos to the only man who could ride it, stuntman Jean-Pierre Goy) it eventually became a reality and everybody won.

Batman’s history reminds us of the birth of the Justice League, and even a little look at early Starro, who got a new lease of life recently in The Suicide Squad – and excellently to. But the build itself is another reasonably small one, with head-up display components, which do mean you need to take care not to break them… as you’ll need them to add to the final issue of this blog post (for this month!)

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Issue 16

And so, for the moment, the final build of these 6 issues – which is essentially the supporting arms for the head-up display, and a small structure to build that I guess will slip inside the cockpit one day. So to speak.

It isn’t too complex but it is one of those that’s awkward to hold together – and definitely when my electric screwdriver comes into its own again. At the end of those, you’ve got a tiny head-up display, with some extra bits to take onto the next delivery – and the tease of Display Panels! See you in a few weeks, and hope you enjoy the pics.

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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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