Batman’s rogue’s gallery may be filled with a cast of eccentric, chaotic, and colorful characters, but The Dark Knight is meant to be oppressive and brooding – a tortured hero feeding on the terrors that fester in the back of criminals’ minds. He is the night. So… what’s the deal with Rainbow Batman?
Readers know that Bruce Wayne has a literal cave full of Batsuits tailored to whatever’s necessary to take down the villain du jour, but the idea of Batman donning this particularly garish outfit first came about in 1957’s Detective Comics #241, with the cover promising readers that the book is “Featuring THE RAINBOW BATMAN!” It begins with Dick Grayson – in his civilian clothes – saving a girl from getting hit by a car, injuring his arm in the process. A media frenzy ensues, with Grayson being featured on Gotham’s local news. Following that, with no explanation whatsoever, Batman dons a bright red suit for the Dynamic Duos next adventure, to the puzzlement of both Robin and Gothamites. The next day sees Batman in bright blue as he works his way through the color wheel.
Gotham’s denizens speculate as to the reasons behind the sudden change in attire when he next shows up in a bright gold suit. Next comes an orange suit, followed by a green one. Then an all-white costume with a literal target painted across the chest (maybe that’s where Frank Miller got the idea). Finally, he goes full rainbow, with his final suit looking like a pack of Fruit Stripe Gum. Upon returning to the Bat Cave and returning to his traditional suit, Alfred finally asks for an explanation. Batman explains he was worried that Dick’s publicized injured arm might be noticeable even when he’s in costume, so The Dark Knight made a series of increasingly distracting suits to draw the public’s attention away from Robin. As convoluted as the plan seems, the now infamous suit was actually meant to be distracting and eye-catching.
But this wouldn’t be the last time fans saw an incarnation of Rainbow Batman. Decades later, in 2008’s Trinity #1, Superman jokingly reminded Bruce of the ordeal, to which Wayne simply replies, “I have no recollection of this.” A few years later, the suit would appear once again in animated form on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The outfit has become so enduring that it’s made its way into video games and has even gotten the Funko POP! treatment.
So that’s why The Caped Crusader decided to add some pizazz to his wardrobe. Though, while he’ll always be a formidable foe to Gotham’s criminals, it can be a little hard to take Rainbow Batman as seriously when he’s dressed more like Rainbow Brite.
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