Batman: All 10 Bat-Signals ranked from worst to best

6. The Dark Knight Trilogy

The Bat-Signal plays quite the role in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. It first appears in the closing moments of Batman Begins and is a major indicator of how strong the working relationship between the Caped Crusader and Jim Gordon is, as the future commissioner had it made after his ally saved the city from Ra’s Al Ghul’s reign of destruction.

This one is also a little smaller than the previous live-action outings, but large enough to feel larger-than-life. The thing that makes it stand out is that it has the trilogy’s original Bat symbol on it, and it looks amazing for that reason alone. Whenever the signal itself is lit, that bat symbol eerily lights up the sky above.

Fans are a little divided about the way in which the symbol is cast onto the sky. The Nolan franchise opts for something of a more realistic approach, so the bat insignia isn’t crystal clear, with the whole thing boasting a more faded look as it stretches across the clouds. But in a way, this works in its favor. No, the bat isn’t sharp or clear cut like previous adaptations of the signal, but it blends in with the skies of Gotham, making it a much more chilling sight. And if you were a criminal of Gotham, the sight of this alone would be enough to send chills up and down your spine.

The Dark Knight Trilogy tried something different and paid tribute to what came before (and did both very well); you can’t really ask for more than that.