Did "Elseworlds" Reveal What Costume Earth-1 Batman Wore Before He Disappeared?

While Batman did not appear in last night's Gotham City-based installment of 'Elseworlds,' is it [...]

By Russ Burlingame

While Batman did not appear in last night's Gotham City-based installment of "Elseworlds," is it possible that the Arrow episode revealed what look the Dark Knight was sporting before his disappearance?

It is a small detail, but a fun one: during The Flash (Stephen Amell) and John Diggle's trek down a hallway at Arkham Asylum, fans focused primarily on the names on the doors, which included "Elseworlds" showrunner Marc Guggenheim as well as The Penguin, Poison Ivy, Clayface...and The Riddler.

Outside The Riddler's cell, though, was a riddle carved in the paint:

riddler-riddle-elseworlds
(Photo: Warner Bros. TV/The CW)

If you can't read that, it's "what is blue and grey and red all over?"

This seems likely to be a Batman joke, with the red being blood. It's a riff on the classic "what's black and white and read all over? The newspaper!" gag, but Bat-themed.

That said, it likely suggests that the costume worn by Batman in the Arrowverse is the gray bodysuit and blue cape of the comics, rather than the black and/or armored takes that have dominated movies since Tim Burton's 1989 hit.

In recent years, Batman has worn black and gray costumes rather than blue and gray, although for the purposes of licensing, the blue-and-gray color scheme has remained the most popular. Jim Lee's mid-2000s take, with a distinctive utility belt and no yellow to be seen, has been featured on merchandise and clothing for adult consumers, while Warner Bros. Consumer Products still likes the '60s-inspired version with a yellow oval around the bat on his chest as the preferred imaging for children's merch.

It seems likely that the blue and gray color scheme would be abandoned for something a little more stealthy and camera-friendly if Batman were ever to actually appear in the Arrowverse...but then again, such a move would make the riddle a lot harder for casual fans to figure out.

Tonight on Supergirl, the Trigger Twins (Oliver Queen/Stephen Amell and Barry Allen/Grant Gustin) will face off against the wrath of an angry Superman (Tyler Hoechlin), while the Superman and Supergirl of Earth-38 come to the rescue.

The "Elseworlds" crossover will conclude tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT, on a new episode of Supergirl airing at a special time. The midseason finale of Black Lightning will follow at 9 p.m.

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