In its latest episode, Batwoman had some choice quips for Batman’s costume design from Justice League - namely the decision to add noticeable goggles to the Bat-suit. Although the DC superhero team-up was released in 2017, it very much remains a point of both discussion and contention for many fans. Originally set to be directed by Zack Snyder, the baton was ultimately passed to Joss Whedon during production. Whedon helmed numerous changes to the script and extensive reshoots. The results were, unfortunately, poorly received by fans - who derided its drastic shift in tone and heavily truncated story.
Not all of Justice League’s controversies came to light after release, however. While the film was still in production, there was, of course, the famous issue of Henry Cavill’s mustache. Working on Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Cavill grew said facial hair for his role. Unfortunately, Paramount refused to let him shave it when, on a break, he returned for Justice League’s aforementioned reshoots. What resulted was some unintentionally hilarious CGI to cover it up and some fans declaring that it should have just been inexplicably present upon his resurrection. With even Ryan Reynolds joining in with the ridicule, it continues to be mocked to this day. Less talked about now, but even more divisive, however, was Justice League’s design of Batman’s suit. At some stage during the film’s production, it was decided to give Batman a pair of goggles that he would wear over the top of his cowl. Although the rest of the suit was largely well-received, all attention was drawn to the incongruous eyewear. The moment pictures emerged of the design emerged, it was unfavorably compared to Watchmen’s Nite Owl and DC Comics’ own Owlman.
The new installment of Batwoman saw Kate once again cross paths with her twin sister, Beth, aka Alice, as more of the villain’s tragic backstory was revealed. As the episode opened, Alice was revealed to be grimly stealing the skin from corpses at various Gotham city morgues. Kate immediately resolved to stop Alice once and for all. As Kate set out for the mission at hand, she began packing numerous pieces of equipment. As she did so, she turned to Luke and asked whether Bruce had any night-vision goggles. Luke’s response was brief yet emphatic. “Batman doesn’t do googles,” he said. The mention felt immensely too specific to be anything but a direct nod from Batwoman towards Justice League.
The episode even went a step further in the next scene. Having tracked Alice’s henchman, Dodgson, to the group’s latest hideout, Batwoman descended. Taking out the building’s power, the fledgling vigilante made quick work in dismantling the Wonderland Gang and capturing Alice. While fighting in the pitch-black, Kate utilized night-vision tech that was internally built into the cowl. In the process, the eyes glowed a bright white - emulating the comics in a way that fans had wished Justice League (and many other Batman adaptations) had done.
It isn’t the first time that Batman has been given goggles. In the dystopian future witnessed in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Batman wore a pair as he traversed a desert wasteland. Given the context, however, they made sense and were viewed a lot more favorably than in Justice League. And while it was revealed that they would have had tactical capabilities, fans still remained unconvinced by the latter pair. In what emerged as a big week for the ‘Snyder Cut’ campaign, it’s a noteworthy piece of evidence that the flaws of Justice League are still very much in the public conscience. Though this would likely be not one of the changes made by Snyder in his cut, he might have included more to win fans over regarding them. Whatever the case, the characters of Batwoman made clear where they’d stand on the design.
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