As one of the biggest Batman fans on the planet Earth, I was very excited to hear the Tumbler Tour was heading into Dallas, TX again to promote “The Dark Knight Rises.” What fan of the superhero wouldn’t want to behold the Caped Crusader’s vehicles up close? For one reason or another, I missed the opportunity to see them the past couple of times they were showcased for “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” There was no way I was going to miss what might possibly be the last time the Bat-Tumbler and the Bat-Pod would be brought out for the public to see.
It shows a lot of dedication for fans to brave the 100+ degree Texas Summer to attend any outside event. Hundreds of enthusiasts exhibited their loyalty by coming out in the hottest part of the day to see these two legendary modes of transportation for Gotham’s masked savior. The two sleek black and silver vehicles were parked side-by-side behind red velvet ropes in a Walmart parking lot for anyone to come and see free of charge.
It was surprising there weren’t more people at the event. Around 100 attendees at any given time posed for pictures and walked around inspecting the Tumbler and Pod with a smile on their face. Some individuals dressed up in costumes while others showed their dedication to the Dark Knight by wearing t-shirts featuring the hero’s logo or one of the characters from his world.
Warner Bros. was on hand with free “The Dark Knight Rises” posters and stickers for everyone. Walmart also gave away Batman rings to little kids. You could enter for a chance to win free tickets to a 3D IMAX screening of the movie as well.
My son exclaimed “I can’t believe they’re really here” as we got out of the car and walked towards the vehicles. His outward joy was equal to my suppressed inner joy as an adult fan of Batman. Before my very eyes were the instruments of justice the Dark Knight used to track down the Joker, Ra’s Al Ghul, the Scarecrow, and Two-Face in two of the greatest superhero films ever made. He’ll be using them to chase Bane and Catwoman around in the upcoming finale of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.
It was an exciting day for my sons and I. We felt very fortunate to live in one of the major cities the Tumbler Tour visited. Warner Bros. successfully used this event to build up excitement and prime fans for the release of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
You can go to the official website to see if the Tumbler Tour is coming to a city near you.
You can view more pictures of the Tumbler Tour right here.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
Comic Book Superheroes Take Up Battle Against Human Trafficking
LEGO DC Universe Super Heroes Event Promotes New “Batman 2” Game
Batman, Incorporated Issue #1 Comic Book Review
