Batman has used a ton of iconic gadgets in his time fighting crime, but none of them are as recognizable as the Batarang. The Batarang has been around nearly as long as Batman himself, debuting in comics just four issues after Batman made his first apperance. Originally modeled after an Australian boomerang, these bat-shaped weapons are more often used as shurikens, thrown to disarm and distract opponents.
The Batarang has appeared in almost every single adaption of Batman, from video games to cartoons, to the big screen. It’s natural over all these years that he’s been throwing Batarangs, that he’d come up with a number of variations. While some of the more outlandish varieties debuted in the Silver Age of comics, the Dark Knight has continued to reveal new modifications of hte classic Batarang. These are the top 10 types of Batarangs that Batman has used to fight crime.
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10 The Original Batarang
Detective Comics #31 (1939)
This is the original Batarang that Batman has been using to stop crimes for decades. Batman’s been using it for so long for a reason; it’s one of his most adaptable tools. The original versions are often foldable, so he can fit multiple onto his utility belt. Because he does not use guns, Batman uses the Batarang to hit villains from a distance, as well as to distract them or announce his presence. It first appeared way back in Detective Comics #31 by Gardner Fox, Bob Kane, and Sheldon Moldoff and has been used by Batman in almost every series he’s been featured in ever since. While it doesn’t provide anything special, the rest of the entries on this list simply wouldn’t exist without the original Batarang that started it all.
9 Magnetic Batarang
Detective Comics #244 (1957)
One of the more useful variants of the Batarang, this form first appeared in the story “The 100 Batarangs of Batman!” in Detective Comics #244 by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, and Charles Paris. After learning that a gang of crooks has stolen one of their Batarangs, Batman and Robin review several in their inventory to discover which one has been taken. This Batarang is magnetic, allowing it to pull anything metal towards it. While Batman originally uses this to simply and quickly capture evidence from a pair of criminals, the uses for it go far beyond that. Batman’s magnetic Batarang can remove all guns from a group of villains, pulling the pistols out of their hands before Batman even enters the room, which is immensely useful.
8 Seeing-Eye Batarang
Detective Comics #244 (1957)
One of the core parts of being a vigilante is gathering evidence before taking on criminals. After all, it’s not wise to just beat up random people or to run into a warehouse full of an unknown number of criminals. Batman gets around this issue with the Seeing-Eye Batarang, another variant from Detective Comics #244. This Batarang flies around a target area, snapping pictures the entire time, before returning to Batman and printing the pictures out for him. This allows him to safely survey an area instead of just jumping in head first and being surprised.
7 Flash-Bulb Batarang
Detective Comics #244 (1957)
First and only seen in “The 100 Batarangs of Batman!”, this Batarang is never actually used in the issue. However, it’s easy to imagine what it could be capable of doing. Batman has used many tricks to confuse and disorient his enemies over the years, and one of the easiest ways to do that is with a flashbang. Batman has plenty of ninja training and something ninjas are great at is throwing something that allows them to make a quick escape. A flashbang Batarang would accomplish this perfectly.
6 Rope Batarang
Detective Comics #244 (1957)
One of the major parts of being both a ninja and a vigilante is being able to get into hard-to-reach places. While Batman typically uses his grapnel gun to do this, it’s not his only option. Seen in Detective Comics #244, Batman uses the Rope Batarang to scale the top of a building. While this Batarang really isn’t as useful as the grappling hook, it can be useful in a pinch if Batman is without his grapnel gun for whatever reason. There have also been numerous times when Batman has used this Batarang to try and capture criminals; by throwing it at their legs, he’s able to easily trip them up or snare them, preventing any hopes of escape.
5 Fire-Prevention Batarang
Batman #139 (1961)
While Batman absolutely spends the majority of his time fighting villains and stopping crime, the more low-key aspects of his job include saving civilians. Sometimes there’s a burning building or some other disaster that Batman has to lend a hand with. In these situations, what would come in handy is none other than Batman’s Fire-Prevention Batarang. This Batarang sprays out chemicals that suppress fire as it flies through the air. This Batarang thus allows Batman to lend a hand with a deadly inferno from a safe distance, without the need for a hose or fire hydrant. It was first seen way back in Batman #139 by Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff, and Stan Starkman.
4 Smoke Batarang
World’s Finest #323 (1986)
As stated earlier, Batman is essentially a ninja and often needs to disappear like one. Typically, Batman will use his gas pellets, which he often drops when he needs to make a smokey retreat. However, these aren’t his only options, as seen in World’s Finest #323 by Joey Cavalieri, Jose Delbo, Alfredo Alcala, Duncan Andrews, and Nansi Hoolahan. In this issue, Batman tosses a smoke Batarang at one of the Nightwolf’s spectral wolves. This distracts the beast long enough for Batman to retreat and save the civilian who is being attacked.
3 Electric Batarang
Superman/Batman #21 (2005)
First seen in Superman/Batman #21 by Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness, and Dexter Vines, Batman uses this electric Batarang to send 10,000 volts through his target. While it doesn’t exactly affect this particular opponent the way he hopes it will, that doesn’t change the fact that 10,000 volts would put a dent in pretty much anyone else. The electric Batarang was created to deal with the bigger villains in Batman’s rogues’ gallery, like Killer Croc or Solomon Grundy. Since normal Batarangs would have absolutely no effect on such large enemies, Bruce had to create one that has a little more juice to it.
2 Hellfire Batarang
Future State: Gotham #14 (2022)
The Hellfire Batarang was first used by Damian Wayne’s Batman in a possible future glimpsed in Future State: Gotham #14 by Dennis Culver, Giannis Milonogiannis, Geoffo, and Troy Peteri. The Hellfire Batarangs are easily the most dangerous Batarangs on this list, as they instantly burst anyone they hit into hellish fire. These Batarangs are powered by Damian Wayne’s version of Batman, often known as Batman 666, after he sells his soul to the devil to be able to protect Gotham City forever. While criminals already fear Batman in the modern day, one thing is for certain: a Batman with literal hellfire Batarangs is a lot more terrifying.
1 Nth Metal Batarang
Batman Eternal #6 (2014)
There are tons of strange metals and chemicals that exist in the DC Universe that don’t exist in the real world. One of the best examples of this is Nth Metal, which is a metal that comes from Thanagar. Nth Metal has many unique properties to it, such as gravity negation. Usually associated with heroes like Hawkman, Nth Metal allows anyone who wears it to just ignore gravity entirely and fly through the sky if they desire. This metal also has another property that Batman found use for: Nth Metal can disrupt magic or magical beings, including ghosts.
Batman first reveals his Nth Metal Batarang in Batman Eternal #6 by Ray Fawkes, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, John Layman, Tim Seeley, Trevor McCarthy, Guy Major, and Taylor Esposito. Usually one can’t physically hit things like ghosts, but with a Nth Metal Batarang, Batman can not only directly strike at a spirit, he can banish them from the mortal plane for a period of time entirely. Batman doesn’t go up against the supernatural very often, but when he does, he has a special Batarang reserved just for them.
