George Clooney’s infamous ‘Batman’ “nipple suit” is up for auction
Batman & Robin, known for its close attention to anatomical detail, is set to go up for auction.Heritage Auctions described the Batsuit, set at a starting bid of $40,000 (£33,300), as “constructed of cast foam latex, vinyl, resin components, leather, and other mixed media elements all expertly painted, finished and assembled on a life-size pose-able mannequin with a hyper-realistic George Clooney head with prosthetic grade false eyes”.The auctioneers’ executive vice president Joe Maddalena also called the costume “easily the most famous and infamous Batman costume ever designed”, presumably in reference to its detailed nipples, which have provoked light-hearted derision since its release.“With Val Kilmer’s suit in Batman Forever, the nipples were one of those things that I added. It wasn’t fetish to me, it was more informed by Roman armor, like Centurions,” said Jose Fernandez, who provided the additional detail on the costume.“In the comic books the characters always looked like they were naked with spray paint on them – it was all about anatomy, and I like to push anatomy.