Let’s get something out of the way, before I begin: Road trips are not my preferred means of travel. If I have to choose between 14+ hours in the car, or 3 hours on a plane… Hands down, I’d be choosing to wait in the TSA line with my shoes in a bucket and a boarding pass in hand. Roads trips, a good percent of the time, are quite miserable for me.

So, let’s start sharing some things I’ve found that can make the trips much easier, starting with one of my favorites. Whether it’s just an hour drive to St Louis, or 15+ hour journey to Orlando in a car full of people: I love listening to Bat Force Radio in the car.

Now, I don’t JUST listen to BFR when I’m going places. I regularly listen while I’m at work, plus when I’m at home. Many weekend nights have been spent dusting my shelves and rearranging my collection while listening to my favorite podcast.

Not just favorite Batman podcast (though that’s 100% true, as well), but my favorite podcast period.

The Bat Force / Bat Force Radio is comprised of a group of friends from all over the U.S., and even one just across the boarder in Windsor, Ontario. They’ve connected with other Batman fans all over the globe, too, on their Instagram page – @thebatforce

They do a bit of everything: latest Batman/DC news, reviews, interviews, discussions about newer comics, as well as going over some favorites. They’ve interviewed big names in the world of comics, such as Paul Dini, Scott Snyder, Tom King, David Finch, Jason Fabok, etc. Really, the list can go on and on.

It’s not just dry, bland talk radio. These guys are funny as hell, and know what they’re talking about. They don’t all share the same opinions on everything, either. You can really get a variety of opinions during a discussion. They have different favorites, and different areas of focus in their collections – for example, some are heavily focused on Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, or some have an extensive Michael Keaton collection, etc. Some just collect everything and anything that they enjoy about the Caped Crusader. And that’s what makes it great: These are different guys, different likes, different areas of the world – – but all coming together because of their love for this character.

Around Halloween, last year, I read The Long Halloween again, then listened to their discussion episodes on Bat Force Radio. I’ve repeated this process with other episodes (Year One, etc), and it’s a great way to really connect more to not only what you’ve just read, but also to the episodes.

But, the point of this post was the road trip aspect.

The last time we went to Orlando – last September into October – we drove, since we had my nieces. I had my iPod with me for music purposes, obviously. Can’t drive that long and have nothing to keep you awake. But, I had a few episodes of Bat Force Radio downloaded, and decided to put on their first interview with Tom King, which is one of my favorites.

Keep in mind, I was raised by a nerdy mom, with a nerdy older brother. And while they both enjoy Batman, they’ve got their own favorites – my brother more Superman and Green Lantern, and my mom loves Wonder Woman. And neither are really podcast listeners. So, my brother wasn’t exactly ecstatic when I said I was putting on an episode of a Batman podcast while he was driving.

But, something cool happened: Everyone in the car listened. Everyone laughed and enjoyed the interview, and it made for some good driving discussions. My brother even admitted it helped keep him awake while he drove. Now THAT is an entertaining podcast, ladies and gents.

So, if you’re a Batman fan and love podcasts – definitely check them out. If you’re a Batman fan and are new to the world of podcasts – good news, this is a great place to start! Or if you’re just looking for some entertainment, give these guys a listen.

You can find Bat Force Radio on iTunes and SoundCloud.

You can also follow them on Instagram @TheBatForce, where you can find the individual members and their collections, as well!

Does anyone already listen to The Bat Force? Do you follow The Bat Force on Instagram? Let me know in the comments!

~Angel