Gadgets

Batman's utility belt

Batman historian Les Daniels credits Gardner Fox, (the first writer other than Bill Finger to write the adventures of Batman in Detective Comics), with introducing the utility belt concept in Detective Comics #29 (July 1939). In its first appearance, Batman's utility belt "contain[ed] choking gas capsules." Two issues after the utility belt debuted, Fox also wrote the first appearance of a bat-themed weapon, when the batarang debuted in the story "Batman vs. the Vampire" in Detective Comics #31 (Sep 1939).

Up until 1989, most artists drew the utility belt as a simple yellow belt with a buckle and capsules/cylinders around it. In 1986, Frank Miller drew Batman's utility belt with military-style pouches in the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns limited series. This rendition was utilized again in Batman: Year One and used by almost every artist in the Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight comics series. In 2000, the pouches became a standard feature in the depiction of the utility belt.

One feature added to the utility belt in Tim Burton's live-action films, Batman and Batman Returns, was a small motor which would move items from the back of the belt around to the front allowing Batman easier access to his weaponry and tools.

A common gag amongst comic fans is Batman's apparent ability to carry a tool for almost every eventuality on his belt, all prefixed with the word 'bat', such as bat-cookies, bat-milk and bat-shark repellent. Often, especially in the Adam West series, Batman could carry everything needed for a particular scenario, from typical batarangs to a miniature batphone which remotely linked to the one in the Batmobile.

Description

Although seemingly unremarkable in appearance, the utility belt is one of Batman's most important tools in fighting crime. Consisting primarily of a strap and buckle, the utility belt houses ten pouches or cylindrical cartridges that are attached to the outside of the belt. The buckle itself typically contains a miniature camera and a tape recorder. A secondary compartment behind the length of the belt houses Batman's supply of batarangs.

Each of the ten pouches or cylinders contains various tools integral to Batman's war on crime, with the cylinders being interchangeable with each other. Through the years, Batman has modified the contents of his belt to accommodate various crime-fighting scenarios.

Most versions of the belt contain security features to prevent anyone other than Batman from opening it. In the 2011 video game Batman: Arkham City Batman's belt is shown to be able to electrocute any villain who even touches the belt, as shown when one of Harley Quinn's henchman took it off in the Harley Quinn's Revenge DLC story. However, this does not prevent characters such as Robin from picking up the belt.

During the events of No Man's Land, Batman made use of a simpler workman's belt with larger pockets due to the necessity of carrying more equipment. After No Man's Land, he designed a new bulkier version of the belt, which resembled the workman's belt he wore but with high-tech upgrades and security measures.

In the more recent animated series The Batman, the belt contains highly advanced gadgets that allows Batman to summon his vehicles, thaw him out in case of being frozen, and control his surveillance batarangs. The utility belt incorporates security features to prevent anyone other than Batman from wearing or using it. Batman once extended the design of the utility belt to shoulder and chest for carrying a number of vampire-fighting gadgetry such as garlic bombs, the garlic-treated batarangs, vaccine to counteract the vampiric virus, and presumably sacred items commonly known to enable warding off the creatures such as holy water, Christian cross, and rosary in The Batman vs. Dracula when Gotham had an outbreak of vampirism caused by Count Dracula. The extension of the belt would also create a shape of a cross, resembling a Christianity icon.

Contents

Elements of the utility belt at times include, but are not limited to, the following:

·         Batarangs : Perhaps the most famous equipment used by Batman. These take the place of firearms, which Batman does not use, as firearms killed his parents. Batarangs are customizable throwing weapons, similar to shurikens, and are collapsible so that a large number of them can fit inside of Batman's utility belt. There are several special varieties of the batarang, aside from the regular type. Explosive batarangs explode once they hit their target.Electric batarangs deliver powerful electric shocks to whatever they come in contact with. These batarangs can electrocute enemies or overload electronic devices. Remote-controlled batarangs let Batman fully steer the batarang via a remote control. These are used when a straight line of sight isn't possible. These batarangs have cameras in them so that Batman can see where they are going.

·        
Grapple gun :Lovingly dubbed the batclaw by Batman, the grapple gun shoots out a claw shaped projectile on a retractable high-tensile cord, which grabs onto a surface. Then, this cord pulls Batman to his target. He recently received a boost upgrade, launching him high into the air above the target point if he desires (so Batman can glide from there). The grapple gun can also pull down walls, grab enemies and pull them closer, or pull guns straight out of their hands. It is not kept in the belt itself. Rather, it magnetically attaches to it.

·         Cryptographic sequencer : With this computer-like device, Batman can hack into computer systems, communications frequencies, mechanical locks, etc.

·         Bolas : Thrown around the feet of Batman's enemies to tie them with a composite-nylon cord. Often causes an escaping opponent to trip. With the push of a button in Batman's glove it can deliver an electric shock.

·         Handcuffs :These resemble the kind used by Special Forces units. They are made of a lightweight diamond-impregnated nylon overlaying a banded steel core. Using a one-piece design, they slide closed and have to be cut off. Batman has given a special tool with a diamond-edged cutting implement to the Gotham PD for removal.

·         Tracers : Used to track enemies Batman cannot follow closely. They also function as miniature listening devices to listen in on conversations from afar. Sometimes fired from a modified pistol.

·         Smoke pellets :Large amounts of smoke can be deployed by throwing or breaking open these small hardened-gelatin spheroid capsules. Often used to quickly provide cover for Batman's stealthly exits and entries. Due to Batman's high-tech cowl lenses, he can see perfectly through the smoke.

·         Gas pellets : Similar to smoke pellets, gas pellets are used for incapacitating opponents. Lachrymatory, anesthesia, nerve, and regurgitant agents are deployed by breaking open the capsules. Due to Batman's nose-piece gas filter, he can be around the gas unharmed.

·         Line launcher : A device that shoots out a steel line in both directions making a zip line, or a tightrope to walk on. Notably seen in Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman (1989 film).

·         Tranquilizer gun :This collapsible gun fires darts that are tipped with fast-acting anaesthesia, paralytic agents, or other chemicals/drugs.

·         Goo globules : Small round globules of concentrated adhedive goo. They are used to encase enemies in a sticky substance. The globules can be thrown or fired with a small gun. Notably seen in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and in the webseries Gotham Girls.

·         Lock pick : This gadget is used to escape handcuffs and access locked rooms. It is rarely kept in the utility belt. Rather, it is kept in one of Batman's gloves.

·         Rebreather :This cylindrical device allows Batman to breathe underwater or in a vacuum. It is very small and compact so it fits easily into the utility belt. The standard rebreather gives 2.5 hours of oxygen.

·         Laser : A strong miniaturized laser used as a cutting tool.

·         Rotary saw : Used to cut through objects.

·         Plastic explosive grenades : These small explosives are often used to knock down walls. They are several times more powerful than standard military grenades.

·         Mines : These are powerful timed explosives, used to destroy vehicles or blast out reinforced concrete walls.

·         Explosive gel : A foamlike substance which can be remotely detonated for an explosion. It is contained in a spray device which also acts as a detonator.

·         Thermite grenades : An incendiary used to burn through obstacles. The fires produced by these grenades are fuelled by thermite, and thus are impossible to extinguish and burn at over three times the temperature of molten magma. In Batman: Year One, the thermite charge ignited accidentally and destroyed the utility belt. In All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, Batman kills a group of armed thugs using his thermite grenades.

·         Napalm :This incendiary gel is kept in delicate packets. Once thrown or broken open, the packets release the napalm gel, which sticks to whatever it comes on contact with and instantly ignites.

·         Flamethrower : A miniature flamethrower that was used on BatBane in the "Ghosts of Batman arc"

·         Taser : Used by Batman to stun his enemies with an electrical shock to temporarily paralyze them.

·         Remote electric charge : This small collapsible gun fires powerful bolts of high current electricity. It is used to electrocute enemies at long range or overload electronic devices. Seen in the video game Batman: Arkham City.

·         Stun pellets : Emit bright light and loud sound to completely blind and deafen enemies. The effect wears off in a few minutes, however. Batman is unaffected by these due to his cowl's lenses and sound dampening systems.

·         EMP Gun : Used to disable any electrical/electronic equipment. As it is too large to fit in the utility belt, it is collapsible and clips to the back of the belt that is normally covered by Batman's cape.

·         Disruptor: Batman's disruptor can remotely disable guns and projectile weapons, and can remotely deactivate grenades and other explosives.

·         Ultrasonic bat beacon:This device emits sonic waves that attract thousands of bats to Batman's location. The bats swarm around him, creating a diversion, as well as sometimes attacking assailants. Due to his device's ability to summon bats, this reinforces the idea that Batman is a supernatural entity. It is usually kept in the heel of a boot rather than the utility belt. Notably seen in Batman: Year One and Batman Begins.

·         Sonic devastator: This small device, when activated, releases high energy sonic waves that can shatter glass and completely incapacitate enemies, making them writhe in agony. It has a range of a few hundred feet. Batman is unaffected by this weapon, due to his cowl's sound dampening systems. Seen in Batman: The Animated Series and Injustice: Gods Among Us.This device is rarely kept in the utility belt. Rather, it is kept in one of the gloves.

·         Freeze grenades:These grenades encase anything in their blast radius in a block of ice. They are useful for freezing enemies to incapacitate them, as well as freezing water to create ice platforms to walk on. Seen in the video game Batman: Arkham City.

·         Kryptonite:Batman does not trust anybody. A perfect example of this is that he keeps a chunk of kryptonite in his belt at all times in order to take down one of his closest friends, Superman, if necessary. Batman calls his kryptonite: "insurance".

Batarang

A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become more like shuriken in recent interpretations. They have since become a staple of Batman's arsenal, appearing in every major Batman television and movie adaptation to date. Recent interpretations of the Dark Knight finds additional motivation to use the batarang as a ranged attack (alternative to firearms, which he rejects outright due to the circumstances of his parents' murder) and is used primarily to knock guns out of an assailant's hand.

History

Batarangs first appeared in Detective Comics #31 (Sept. 1939). The earliest depictions were of scalloped, metal boomerangs used to attack opponents, which quickly flew back to the thrower. However, variations of batarangs include those that can fold to fit into Batman's utility belt, those that can be explosively charged, and those that are electrified. A rifle-like grappling gun first appeared in Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1. However, the now standard hand-held version of Batman's grappling gun first appeared in the 1989 Batman film. It gradually replaced the batarang and a rope in the comics after artist Norm Breyfogle introduced a grapple gun in Batman #458 in January 1991. That tool became the standard in the subsequent animated series, comics, films, and video games such as Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Other characters and versions

Batgirl also uses batarangs. Nightwing, a former Robin, is known to use his own modified batarangs called Wing-Dings, which are styled after a bird. Tim Drake, the third Robin, also possesses his own 'R'-shaped shuriken. In an issue of Teen Titans (Vol. 3), Drake claims that he hid the costs for shipping a Batmobile from Gotham City to San Francisco in "the batarang budget", which he tells the others is "bigger than you might think". The current version of Batwoman, who was introduced in the 52 continuity, uses a miniature batarang. Catman also uses weapons inspired by Batman's and calls them "catarangs". Like Robin, Anarky, an occasional antagonist of Batman, also makes use of shuriken formed after his own gimmick, the "circle-a".

A Throwing Bird is a roughly bird-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Robin as a non-lethal ranged attack alternative to firearms. They are similar to batarangs. They first gained prominence in the 1997 live-action film Batman & Robin. The Throwing Birds in that particular film have silver edges with a red design. As with Batman, Robin can launch his weapon with a launcher located on his lower arm.

In JLA: Earth 2, Owlman has his own arsenal of "razorangs".

In other media

Live-action television

In the movie adaptations of Batman, the batarangs shown roughly match the adapted bat logo of the respective movie franchise. Following the backlash against the camp Batman television series, the franchise has avoided falling into the perceived overuse of the bat- prefix, which the 1960s was criticized for. Though shown prominently, the batarangs are very rarely referred to by name, unlike the Batcave and Batmobile.

The television series Birds of Prey also features batarangs. However these versions are circular and bear the Birds of Prey symbol, rather than the traditional bat shape.

Live-action films

The batarang used in Batman was a foldable metal bat attached to a line and was used to ensnare an enemy's legs and manually drag them back. Batman Returns also featured a computerized version that could be programmed to fly after specific targets. Batman Forever featured two types of batarangs: one with a string which catches one of Two-Face's thugs in the Gotham City bank and a "Sonar Batarang" that uses the "Sonar Suit" to destroy the Super Box and the Nygmatech building. Other batarangs are seen in the Batcave, along with the one used in Batman Returns but not used during the movie. Batarangs also appeared in Batman and Robin.

The 2005 film Batman Begins showed them as a simple bat-shaped shuriken, used mainly for distraction rather than as weapons, fitting in with that film's depiction of Batman's ninja training.

While The Dark Knight uses the batarang in its promotional posters, it is not thrown in the film. As part of Lucius Fox's improvements on the Batsuit, he adds blades on the suit that shoot out of Batman's arm, which are similar to the batarang. To gain leverage over his fight with the Joker, Batman shoots these blades at him, distracting him and giving Batman the upper hand. His true batarangs are only seen once during the film; when Bruce Wayne puts away his Batsuit after deciding to turn himself in to the police, he takes a minute to pick up and stare at one of his batarangs, and then proceeds to put it away with the rest of his gear.

In The Dark Knight Rises the traditional batarangs as seen in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are not shown but a similar weapon is used. Batman fires miniature bat shaped darts at Bane's henchmen which knock them unconscious.

Animation

Batman Beyond, another animated series, which takes place 50 years in Gotham City's future, has a young high school student donning a high tech version of the batsuit to become the new Batman. This suit, among many other features, has the ability to automatically produce batarangs in the wearer's hand.

In the Justice League cartoon series, Batman employed a variety of Batarangs, including explosive Batarangs and electrically charged variants.

In the Teen Titans animated series, Robin uses similar modified batarangs to the adult Nightwing, referred to as birdarangs. The same weapons are used by The Batman's interpretation of Robin. Robin also uses circular Batarang type weapons in the TV series Young Justice. These are mainly used as explosives and have once been used as communication devices.

In the animated series Krypto the Superdog, Robbie the Robin uses comical weapons called beakerangs, which are miniature projectiles that contain a highly exaggerated amount of purple incapacitating foam.

In The Batman, a later animated series, the batarangs are mostly depicted as futuristic throwing weapons lined with fluorescent blue, and making a distinct humming noise while flying through the air. They are also portrayed as sharp enough to slice through metal pipes. The Batman has from time to time also used them in hand-to-hand combat (in one instance, during the fight with Clayface II, Batman attached a rotating batarang to his wrist, making it a makeshift miniature buzzsaw). Despite the regular batarangs, the Batman uses several other variations, including explosion batarangs, that explode after making contact; electrocuting batarangs, that discharge a strong electric current through a person or object; and, batarangs with a special technological virus, that infects and disables a machine or gadget, making it ineffective. Also, the Batman uses a very special remote-controlled batarang, that is a little larger than the other versions, can adhere to any surface, and has a miniature high-resolution camera. Despite them being futuristic, these batarangs have the most boomerang characteristics, and are the only ones shown return to Batman's hand. In The Batman vs. Dracula, Alfred Pennyworth treated some of the batarangs with garlic in preparation of the Dark Knight's battle with Count Dracula.

In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, the last Batman cartoon, the batarangs are not shown as high tech futuristic throwing tools like in The Batman, but as simple shuriken/boomerangs that he uses to fight crime (although he has been seen using explosive batarangs, and in the case of the Gentleman Ghost, Nth metal batarangs.) Batman has also been shown to be able to turn his bat symbol into a batarang, as seen the pilot episode, "Rise of the Blue Beetle". Also, Owlman, Batman's parallel universe counterpart, has a similar weapon to the batarang, however, his, instead of spinning at high speeds, fly straight like a glider.

Video games

Lego Batman: The Video Game features batarangs (Each with a color), which can be used by four characters; Batman (batarang black and yellow), Robin (batarang red and green), Batgirl (batarang black and yellow), and Nightwing (batarang red and green).

In the Batman Begins video game, Batarangs were only used to interact with the environment, in order to scare henchmen.

In Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman can wield a single Batarang from the beginning, and the player has the opportunity to unlock multiple as well as remote-controlled Batarangs and Sonic Batarangs, which can be used to attract enemies. In addition, the Collector's Edition of the game comes with a 14" plastic Batarang model (scuffed and scratched to suggest heavy usage) affixed to a display base.

The Batarang also appears in the sequel, Batman: Arkham City, along with the remote-controlled Batarangs and a new type, a reverse Batarang able to loop behind an enemy and attack from behind.

The Game Boy Batman game allowed the collection and use of up to 3 Batarangs that could be thrown simultaneously.

Batplane

The Batplane, later known as the Batwing, is the fictional aircraft for the comic book superhero Batman. The vehicle was introduced in "Batman Versus The Vampire, I", published in Detective Comics #31 in 1939, a story which saw Batman travel to continental Europe.  In this issue it was referred to as the "Batgyro", and according to Les Daniels was "apparently inspired by Igor Sikorsky's first successful helicopter flight" of the same year. Initially based upon either an autogyro or helicopter, with a rotor, the Batgyro featured a bat motif at the front. The writers gave the Batgyro the ability to be "parked" in the air by Batman, hovering in such a way as to maintain its position and allow Batman to return.

The Batgyro was soon replaced by the Batplane, which debuted in Batman #1, and initially featured a machine gun. The vehicle was now based on a fixed wing airplane rather than a helicopter, with a propeller at the front, although a bat motif was still attached to the nose-cone. The Batplane has undergone constant revision since its first appearance, and has even been depicted as having the capability to traverse underwater. With the launch of the Tim Burton directed Batman film of 1989, the Batplane became known as the Batwing, a name which was carried over into the comics. The 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises adapted the Batplane to film once again.

Background

Batman once maintained aircraft in his original Batcave. However, launching these planes so close to Wayne Manor's neighboring estates threatened to compromise Batman's secret identity. The Caped Crusader now "borrows" specially-modified jets and helicopters from Wayne Aerospace's business and military contracts.

Batplane I

Batplane I and the Bat-Rocket favored Batman's signature look over sleek aerodynamics.

Batplane II.

Batplane II was a retooled Wayne Aeropsace W4 Wraith fighter that married style with substance. In terms of design, it shares features with the Grumman F9F Cougar and McDonnell F-101 Voodoo. When the Batplane is stolen and triplicated by smugglers in Batman #61, Batman and Robin upgrade the Batplane to jet propulsion, adding at least "100 miles per hour" to its maximum speed.

Batplane III

Batplane III is a modified Wayne Aerospace SlipStream ($46 million sans "extras"). It is detailed to resemble a standard mid-size corporate jet during take-offs and landings. Some of its features and capabilities are as follows:

·         At cruising altitude (35,000-45,000 ft.), telescoping wings retract. Exterior sections of tail and nose-cone envelop cockpit and cabin fuselage for higher altitude pressurization.

·         Gaining further altitude (45,000-55,000 ft.) delta fins in the tail and snub winglets elongate to increase efficiency and stability as speeds approach supersonic.

·         At ceiling altitudes (55,000-60,000 ft.) "smart" paint on exterior radar-shielding ceramics responds to dropping air pressure and temperature, thus camouflaging the Batplane's exterior to stealthy black.

·         Avionics include ergonomic "at-a-glance" viewing levels for all electronics and multifunction displays. The breakaway canopy allows for pilot/co-pilot emergency ejection. The reinforced acrylic glass canopy windows polarize at stealth altitude.

The aircraft's specifications are:

·         Height: 14.5 ft.

·         Length: 57.7 ft.

·         Wingspan: 47.6 ft. - The wings are protected by a bleed-air anti-icing system.

·         Altitude Ceiling: 60,000 ft.

·         Maximum Speed: 4,400 mph

·         Range: 2,486 n m

·         Take-Off Distance: 5,230 ft.

·         Landing Distance: 2,984 ft.

·         Payload: 2,670 lb.

·         Refueling Time: 7.8 minutes

·         In other media

Live-action films

"The Bat" in the set of The Dark Knight Rises in June 2011

The Batwing appears in the movies Batman and Batman Forever, used to combat the Joker and the Riddler, respectively. After being used to prevent a deadly Smilex gas attack, the original Batwing was shot down by the Joker towards the end of the first film and has been rebuilt and upgraded by the events of Forever. The Batwing in the latter actually has an ejection pod which also doubles as a mini sub. Both models of the plane are roughly bat-shaped. In the comic book adaptation of the Batman Forever, the Batwing actually folds up into the Batboat.

An entirely new version of the Batwing appears in the film The Dark Knight Rises referred to simply as the Bat. It is an unconventional, lightweight volantor-like craft with a ventrally mounted rotor. Developed by Lucius Fox, the Bat was originally intended for close-quarters urban military operations but instead becomes Batman's new primary vehicle. Fox notes that the Bat's autopilot function does not work but suggests that Bruce might be capable of fixing it. Batman first uses the Bat to escape pursuing police officers after being cornered in a dark alley. Immediately after, he uses it to rescue Selina Kyle from Bane's henchmen. Later in the film's climax, Batman uses the Bat in the fight to retake Gotham City from Bane and he uses the Bat to haul a fusion bomb away from Gotham City where it detonates over the ocean and presumably kills him. Later, while completing work on the Bat, Fox discovers that Wayne had fixed the autopilot function months before and may have escaped before the bomb detonated. In designing the Bat, Nathan Crowley approached it as if it were an actual military project, emphasising the need for it to "fit into the same family" as the Tumbler and the Batpod. The final version of the Bat takes its design cues from the Harrier Jump Jet, Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey and the Boeing AH-64 Apache. Chris Corbould described the Bat's size and shape as presenting a major challenge for filming given Christopher Nolan's emphasis on practical effects over computer-generated imagery. In order to make the Bat "fly", it was variously supported by wires, suspended from cranes and helicopters, and mounted on a purpose-built vehicle with hydraulic controls to simulate movement.

Animation

The Batplane has appeared in the Super Friends cartoon, where it was revealed to be a jet, and it was most often referred to as the Batjet, except for in season one. The Batwing also appears in Batman: The Animated Series, shaped like a stylized bat with very long wings that jut out past the "head" of the plane. The Batplane in The New Batman Adventures takes on a smaller, sleeker design shaped like a rocket with a curved wing on each side which also appeared in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. In Batman Beyond, flying cars are commonplace and thus the Batmobile used by Terry McGinnis doubles as a plane. The classic Bat-Plane appears frequently in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

In The Batman, the Batwing is created in the episode "Thunder" to defeat Maxie Zeus. In the episode "Artifacts", Nightwing uses it to save a plane and crashes it on Freeze.

The Batwing briefly appeared in the Young Justice episode "Revelation", where Batman used it to help combat a giant plant monster created by the Injustice League.

Other appearances

Lego's Lego Batman line includes one set which features an incarnation of the Batplane, though it goes by the name of "The Batwing" (7782-The Batwing: The Joker's Aerial Assault). The set is featured alongside the Joker's helicopter.

A vehicle largely reminiscent of the one seen on screen in the 1989 Batman film is also seen in Batman: Revenge (2003).

In the Batman-themed motion simulator ride Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 in Warner Bros. Movie World, riders seemingly follow the Batplane in pursuit of the Joker, Mr Freeze, and Catwoman.

At Six Flags America, there is a roller coaster named "Batwing" and themed after Batman's personal flight vehicle. As riders enter the station, announcements are played welcoming them to test pilot Wayne Enterprise's newest vehicle. Batman then interrupts and explains that he needs help saving Gotham City from the Joker. Guests then board the train and ride the ride.

In the video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, a Batplane-like vehicle can be seen hanging from the ceiling and covered by a tarp inside the hidden Batcave under Arkham Island. Later in the game, Batman remotely pilots the Batplane to his location and has it drop off one of his gadgets, the Line Launcher. At the end of the game, Batman calls it again to leave for Gotham and apprehend Two-Face. When unlocked, the character trophy is called 'Batwing'.

The Batwing makes a brief cameo in Batman: Arkham City, dropping off Batman's Batsuit in the beginning of the game. It also makes a cameo in the Batcave DLC.

The Batwing now has a more important role in the prequel Batman: Arkham Origins, where you will be able to get to a section of Gotham City quicker. However, in certain areas you would need to dismantle enemey towers that block the summoning.