Batman Begins introduced it. The Arkham Games then took from it a few years later and used it too.

In my opinion, it seems more convenient and smoother. The glider IMO looks to out of place, stiff and restricting.

I like the gliding cape a lot; it's one of the nice touches in the Nolan films, Arkham games, and TNBA.

@mrnoital: That seems more like a compact version of the traditional glider. It's nothing like the smooth and quick gliding seen in the Nolan films/Arkham games. Burton Batman was too stiff and immobile for him to achieve that.

why not ?

@frozen: yeah, I just thought it was funny

but he should have some kind of gliding cape, otherwise every time he falls it might end up like this

Heck ya. That's like a part of Batman now.

Batman Begins didn't introduce it, it popularized it. His cape was not used to glide previously as much as it is now, but it was certainly used that way.

Should it be a more prominent feature? Sure, it only makes sense.

Yes,

He's actually using his cape as a glider all the time.

I'm all for it, and I agree that the glider looks out of place.

I'm pretty sure in Night of the Owls it showed he had one.

Yes, actually.

Yes a 1000 times yes.

You mean he doesn't?!

He has it in the Arkham games, and if he has it in the Arkham games then I support it 110%

From batman #10 in court of the owls:

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag52/jashro/Batman-Zone027_zps8ca400df.jpg

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag52/jashro/Batman-Zone028_zps53d12bee.jpg

There are much earlier examples from the 90's, early 2000's.

@muyjingo: That doesn't surprise me I was just pointing out the first example that came to mind. Plus that one is more recent.

@jashro44: I would like to see the supposed earlier examples so I can edit my OP.

Anyway it makes sense for the gliding cape in Court of Owls. The handheld glider is just...stiff....

@muyjingo might have the scans of the earlier ones.

Hasn't he had the gliding cape for a long time.

@frozen:

What made you think BB introduced it in the first place? It's been apparent in a bunch of Batman comics long before that movie. I won't have time to find scans for a few days, but I don't have my own scans on hand anyway. I know the Batman feats blog has a bunch of examples showing it in action though, so I would suggest looking through there.

I'm not sure the batman #10 thing counts. Batman begins showed an electrical current being passed through memory fiber cape to stiffen it (pretty sure thats how it works in arkham games too) and that's not what happened in batman #10. Memory fiber is not part of his cape in new 52.

Now, the glider from TAS would be perfect. He actually uaed that in court of owls storyline and it was really cool to see. But the cape from BB and arkham would be too much. He basically flies with his cape there, and that's too much for me in comics. Its awesome in movies and a sick gameplay feature but not for comics. He shouldn't need that, its better to see him jumping rooftops or using the batplane.

I gotta say I'm a fan of a super-functional Batsuit including his cape, so I prefer him to use his cape to glide like in the games

@jayc1324: What Batman #10 thing?

The comics never elaborated on the mechanisms or even went int detail about how the cape allows him to glide.., indeed it was Batman Begins that introduced the memory cloth mechanism. But the concept that he can glide with his cape predates that by quite some time.

I strongly disagree about the glider...I think it's ridiculous to see him using that. Given how advanced his suit is, it doesn't make sense that he would use something some cumbersome as a glider. And he doesn't fly with the cape...he can only go down, never up. It's a perfect alternative to flying though...grappling hook up and down to glide.

@muyjingo: The instance of batman cape gliding in batman #10 I meant. And I agree with your first paragraph.

Part of the reason I liked he glider is because it reminded me of when he used it in TAS. I'm pretty sure Snyder mentioned that's why he had him use it actually. Back to basics, sometimes its cool to see him use something as simple as a glider. And yeah sure he can't literally fly with the cape gliding, but in the Arkham games, especially Arkham knight, he's going so fast and he can dive down then pull back up. Its essentially flying through the air. But I don't really see a reason for batman to need a gliding cape. He doesn't need to chase people on the air usually, and if he does he has the bat plane. That's all objective though.

*Edit- just checked the preview for batman #37 and it looks like he uses the glider there again too.

Yup.

@jayc1324: The glider worked in TAS, because it was a very stylized world...very backwards in some wars, very advanced in others. But in the actual comic world, things are far, far, far more advanced, and it simply doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense that he can have advanced lenses in his eyes, hologram disguises etc, and still have to use a hang glider.

I agree he shouldn't be able to glide like he does in the games, but I think being able to glide to some degree only makes. As a way to break falls, as a quick way to travel from great heights, as a way for dramatic entrances etc.

Besides, he tends to have jet packs when he needs it, is gliding via the cape any worse?