Of all the debates partaken in by the comic book fanbase, few have been as passionate as which adaptation of Batman was the best. Regardless of where you think he ranks in the annals of bat-history, it's hard to argue that Michael Keaton's appearance wasn't important to his modern day resurgence as a pop cultural icon. His part in the Tim Burton-directed 1989 Batman, and its sequel, Batman Returns, helped pave the way for the Emmy award-winning Animated Series, which in turn provided a bedrock upon which further iterations would build from.

Naturally, Keaton's Bat-costume is also seen as a definitive take on the hero's imagery, introducing an all-black (with yellow icon) aesthetic that differed wildly from the previous costume worn by Adam West in the 1966 television series. If you were wondering how much that pop culture value translates into American currency, well...  we now have the answer.

Keaton wore similar costumes in both his outings as Batman, but the costume he wore in his final appearance in Batman Returns was recently sold at auction for the whopping price of $41,250. While the original post for the Batsuit is viewable by the Nate D. Sanders Auctions website,  a press release (reported by Heroic Hollywood,) has detailed the fine print of the noteworthy transaction:

LOS ANGELES, January 27, 2017 – The iconic 6-foot tall Batsuit worn by Michael Keaton in Batman Returns sold tonight for $41,250 at Nate D. Sanders Auctions. The 6-foot tall batsuit is displayed on a mannequin with Keaton’s chiseled face mounted to a pedestal with the Batman logo engraved on its facade. It features the trademark cape and cowl style mask with long black leather gloves, boots and gold plastic belt and bat symbol.

Burton’s film Batman Returns, the sequel to his smashing 1989 box-office hit Batman, was made for $80 million, but netted an astonishing $266.8 million at the box office in 1992. It received Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effect and Best Makeup. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominated the film in two categories. This was the last Batman film Keaton and Burton worked together as Warner Brothers decided to make the films more “family friendly.”

$41 thousand certainly isn't chump change, but it's also nowhere near the biggest amount dropped on a movie costume. Marilyn Monroe's dress from The Seven Year Itch, for instance, went for a whopping $4.6 million. Compared to that, the Batman suit seems like a bargain.

Screen Rant will follow up on this report if any related instances of superheroic vigilante justice emerge in the Los Angeles area.

Source: Heroic Hollywood