Cosplay: BATMAN (Low Budget)

The WHAT

I made my own Batman suit. Or costume. Or cosplay (I mean, it just means costume player but whatever). It is a low budget one and it is not accurate or without its shortcomings for both the person wearing it and those that look at the details.






The WHY

Ever since my 3rd birthday I've had at least some sort of evidence that I'm a Batman fan. Prior to this one could only assume looking at paint dry and angling my rectum in the perfect direction as to shit out my diapers were my only past times. I don't know. I don't want to know. Having been a fan for so long, I've bought Batman-related merchandise in some way or another throughout my life. Be it t-shirts, sneakers, cereal, action figures, wallets, you name it. I'm not the biggest or the most ambitions fan, not by a long shot, I'm just a very big fan of Batman, period. I'm also  a fan of Halloween and the opportunity to dress up, I've previously covered in this very blog the various disguises I've donned over time such as V for Vendetta, Cobra Commander, The Riddler, Ghostbusters, etc. One thing I had never contemplated for longer than 5 minutes at a time was to dress up as Batman, this thought would cradle back and forth for YEARS mainly because anything under $300 was a very pathetic attempt at a costume:



Or at the very least just not a decent version of one:




But then there were some expensive ones that while they didn't really turn any heads other than to say "Wtf?!" they just were not worth the money.

Then I discovered cowl replicas (Batman's helmet or mask) and this opened up a whole new world of Batman cosplaying to me. I had not imagined there would be people out there sculpting and molding replicas of movie cowls, comic cowls, cartoon cowls, video game cowls, and everything else imaginable. Same goes with the gauntlets, its fins, the shin guards, chest pieces, capes, etc. A pretty average  price for one cowl is around $200 and most of them are made of a type of rubber called urethane but there are others made of latex, I've yet to buy either one of these so I can't really vouch for one or the other. When I decided to tackle this project, my main thought was "If I can't make the cowl work, the whole thing is doomed" and that it needed to be done within $300-$200, no more maybe less (but unlikely). So if I didn't shell out $200 for a cowl what did I do? I'm glad you didn't ask.

The COST

I had a lot of research done, I would go back and forth video games, movie stills and ideas from groups such as Becoming: BATMAN and Brotherhood of the Bat, but it was also a LOT of trial and error. To be honest, after a while it stopped being research and it was just a mish-mash of anything I could wrap my head around and create a low-budget version of. Below you'll find most if not all the components used and a link to the website I got them from:

HEAD AREA
Batman Arkham Origin Mask = $22.00
Notice it does not cover the back of the head, so you will have to think ahead and figure out how to cover that. Plain cloth could work but it will not look convincing at all.
eBay Link




Batman Returns Rubies Mask = $27.00
This was actually the first thing I purchased. My mentality was that if I couldn't make the cowl work, nothing would. I wanted to do the Keaton version first and foremost and without shelling out $200+ I thought this was as close as I could get. Boy was I wrong... Keep in mind that both styles below are actually meant to advertise the exact same product. The grossly exaggerated poor craftsmanship of the second version is inaccurate with both the actual product and the product it tries to imitate.
eBay Link 1 | eBay Link 2



Ultra-thin Balaclava = $2.50
I have long hair so this helps keep it in place, as well fill in the gaps that will inevitably show up when tilting my head.
eBay Link

CHEST AREA

Compression Shirt and Pants (Link) = $18.00

This specific texture was a very nice starting point for the actual bodysuit. Of course, the photos are using an amazing specimen of some mannequin I bet, but it's still decent. And come on, you're not going to find a bodysuit for less than $20.00!

Foam yoga mat (4mm) for the Bat Emblem (Link) = $5.00


CLASSIC GAUNTLETS
Faux Leather Opera Gloves (Link) = $3.50
Archery Arm Guard (Link) = $2.50 x2 = $5.00
9-inch Black Zipper = $1.00 x2 = $5.00



ARMORED GAUNTLETS
Craft Foam (6mm)
Craft Foam (3mm)
Tactical Gloves (Link) = $10.00 (approx.)
Soccer Kids Shin Guards (Link) = $4.00




BELT
10 Pocket Utility Pouch Cartridge Ammo Tool Rugged Cotton Canvas Adjustable Belt (Link) = $15.00 (Approx.)

MISC.
Mannequin head (foam) = $5.00
Heat Gun = $16.00
Dremel / Rotary Tool = $10.00
Precision knives = $8.00
Velcro = $5.00
Contact Cement = $6.00
DAP Rapid Fuse Adhesive = $6.00
Plastidip = $7.00
Tall combat boots = $35-$55
Upholstery Foam = $ Varies
Upholstery faux leather fabric (at least 6 yards) = $ Varies

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