While I was thinking about potential features to pitch for this week’s premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises,” my mind turned to all of the crazy gadgets and vehicles Batman has used over the years in his movies — all the way back to the campy 1966 movie in which he fought off an exploding shark with “Bat Shark Repellent.” And once I started thinking about the 1966 movie, it occurred to me that the Joel Schumacher movies of the late ’90s might be just as bad when it comes to ridiculous gadgets.

And that’s how I ended up putting together a visual guide to some of the most noteworthy gadgets and vehicles from Batman’s big-screen adventures over the years, in chronological order.

Here’s an excerpt:

Created specifically for the 1966 film, the Batcopter only made a brief appearance in the ’60s franchise, but it was a memorable one. At one point in the film, Batman fights off an exploding shark (yes, you read that correctly) while hanging from a rope ladder attached to the Batcopter. Beat that, Christopher Nolan!

You can read the rest of the article at Movies.com. I think it makes a strong argument that Schumacher’s Batman just might be even more ridiculous than the 1960s Batman.

After you read it, let me know what you think.