lets get back the real utility belt

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I'm pro this as well.

I am conflicted: on the one hand I pretty much grew up with the oval; on the other hand, when it disappeared, I was kinda glad, from an aesthetic point of view.  But now, nostalgically speaking, I do miss it.

JB: "How many of the hoods in Gotham do you reckon are marksmen? How many, with the Batman bearing down on them, would really take the trouble to aim? And how many, if they did, would aim at his heart, rather than, say, the lower half of his face -- the only part of his body they KNOW isn't armored?"

They wouldn't take the trouble to aim; it's more of an unconscious action.  Psychologically-trained Batman is counting on their eyes being drawn to that yellow oval - the criminals' mindseyes take in this massive dark shape - with this one, glaring bright spot.  The lower half of the face isn't a kill shot.  Even at a quick glance, the oval is seen as centrally-located -- and that's heart territory, a much higher percentage for a successful kill shot.  Without taking time to think and consciously aim, they instinctively home in on the oval, desperately squeeze off a shot (or burst, if it's a machine gun), and, by the time they collect themselves enough to actually direct their next shot to where it'll do some good (well, bad, really), it's too late -- the Batman is already upon them...

Of course, the first time Batman runs into an armed, evil psychologist-marksman, he's so screwed...

If most people see a bat, they don't automatically think "Batman". But if they see just about any variant on the oval version, they do. For instance, after the first Tim Burton movie came out, I was at a local crafts fair, where one booth was offering a little item that looked sorta like this:

I hung around the booth for a while, and didn't hear anybody asking what it was. Kids, adults, you name it -- they all saw it and said "Batman!"

They wouldn't take the trouble to aim; it's more of an unconscious action. Psychologically-trained Batman is counting on their eyes being drawn to that yellow oval - the criminals' mindseyes take in this massive dark shape - with this one, glaring bright spot. The lower half of the face isn't a kill shot. Even at a quick glance, the oval is seen as centrally-located -- and that's heart territory, a much higher percentage for a successful kill shot. Without taking time to think and consciously aim, they instinctively home in on the oval, desperately squeeze off a shot (or burst, if it's a machine gun), and, by the time they collect themselves enough to actually direct their next shot to where it'll do some good (well, bad, really), it's too late -- the Batman is already upon them...

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