Last week, we checked out several of the designs that will be featured in DC’s relaunched universe, the DCnU. Although DC is now telling us that most of its previous history will be intact, the previews show that several of these characters are definitely getting new origins and altered pasts and nearly all of them are getting new outfits. Confusion aside, let’s check out the new fashion styles of some of these characters.
MR. TERRIFIC
In the 1940s, Terry Sloan was a prodigy and a polymath who decided to use his various skills to help others. As a costumed crime-fighter, he not only took down villains but also attempted to serve as a role model for people, advocating high standards of morality and “fair play.” Many decades later, Michael Holt, a genius and skilled combatant, followed Terry’s example and became the new Mr. Terrific. Along with his own skills, Holt relies on special technology he’s developed, such as his flying “T-Spheres” that can access databanks, act as communicators and project holograms.
Okay, is there a rule in the DCnU that you’re not cool unless you have red eyes? It seems to be happening with a lot of folks. I like that Michael Holt will still be with us in the DCnU. And, truth be told, this costume isn’t all that different. But I miss the jacket. Although Michael does take the concept of “fair play” seriously enough to get a tattoo, I’m never a fan of a design that involves bare arms but has gloves. And not crazy but the little changes they made to the mask, I dug how it looked before.
FIRESTORM
Firestorm has had a long and complicated history. It began with college student Ronnie Raymond and Professor Martin Stein getting caught in a nuclear blast that fused them into a superhero who could manipulate inorganic matter. Ronnie was the dominant personality, while Stein was a voice in his head offering guidance and aid, and the kid decided to become a new superhero: Firestorm, the Nuclear Man. Over the years, things got different and a bit weird. Ronnie became a normal person again and Martin Stein became a new elemental, still using the name Firestorm. Later, Ronnie got his powers back, but then was killed in battle. His energies transferred to Jason Rusch, who became the new Firestorm and, after several months, began fusing with Prof. Stein just like Ronnie had in the past. Then things changed a few more times and, last we saw, Ronnie was back from the dead and fused with Jason to become Firestorm, but somehow this arrangement was now threatening to kill them (and possibly others) in the process.
It seems that Firestorm is starting from scratch in the DCnU. The preview for the new Firestorm #1 says that Ronnie and Jason are classmates, whereas before they were several years apart in age (Jason being in high school years after Ronnie had left college). It also seems that each one can become an individual form of Firestorm and then they may be able to merge into a more powerful gestalt hero later. We can’t be sure until the issue really comes out, so it’s tough to judge. Each of these designs is nice, but I think I would’ve left Ronnie with the loose sleeves and given Jason a sleeker look. Just to show a larger difference in attitude.
SUPERGIRL
Originally, Supergirl was Kara Zor-El, cousin of Kal-El AKA Superman, who arrived on Earth as a teenager after the hero from Smallville was already grown up. After the story Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC decided to make Superman the only survivor of Krypton and so Kara was erased from history. Other Supergirls appeared, but eventually DC decided to bring Kara back in all her glory. Supergirl has worn many, many outfits over the years, most of them involving a skirt.
And here we have Supergirl DCnU. Right off the bat, the reverse knee-pads are weird to me. Some people have tried to justify them to me. I don’t care for them. But they alone don’t make or break the outfit and I like the boots extending to her thighs, so moving on. The cape collar I’m still debating on. It’s hard to tell from this cover. I do like that it helps give her a different aesthetic from her famous cousin.
The red patch on the crotch? No. Know why? Because it’s a red patch on the crotch. Have shorts or don’t have shorts, have a skirt or don’t have a skirt, but just having a red diamond highlighting her crotch? And worse, with that diamond-shaped belt buckle (which seems pointless since she’s missing a belt), the red patch becomes the shape of a heart. On her crotch. Yeah.
FLASH
There is an energy field called the Speed Force. Over the years, a few people have been able to access its energies, either through scientific methods or accidental mutation. These people can move at incredible speeds without starving to death in the process and some can even control their own molecular frequency, allowing them to travel to other times and dimensions. Jay Garrick was the first speedster to call himself the Flash. Decades later, Barry Allen followed his example and wore the costume that has become most famously associated with the name. His protege Wally West acted as a third Flash for a while. And there have been others.
Here, we have Barry Allen, ready as always to race for justice. And in this case, DC knew that you shouldn’t mess with a classic. I mean, this is almost the same costume. The cowl is a bit different and a few thin lines have been added. The lines nicely imply lightning bolts but I wonder about cluttering up the costume too much. If this were a live-action film costume, I’d be just fine with this. In a comic book, I see no reason to really add them. Flash is a speedster and should look as sleek as possible. But they’re not that big a deal either, so I won’t say the costume is ruined.
HARLEY QUINN
Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a psychologist at Arkham Asylum and decided that she would make her mark by truly getting inside the head of the Joker. But it worked the other way around. The Clown Prince of Killers was amused by how the doctor’s name could be altered into “Harley Quinn” and spent several months twisting and corrupting her. Eventually, she joined him on his adventures, wearing a jester’s outfit and proving that you can be sexy while completely covered from head to toe. In the video games, she’s gotten some different outfits, but the suit she wore in the animated series that introduced her has always stood out. So what’s she like in the DCnU?
… You’re kidding, right? Right? Wasn’t there a new rule that women have to dress more conservatively in the DCnU? You kept Wonder Woman in trousers and de-sexified Black Canary and Poison Ivy (of all people), but you give Harley… THIS?! I’m not sure she’s even got shorts on, it looks like just another belt beneath her main belt.
I just… It’s so lazy. And how is she going to do acrobatics? Can she even briskly walk without falling out?
No, no, no, I’m sorry. The hair is cool, but you’ve taken away everything that said this character embraced her own zaniness. The collar and mini-cape don’t cut it. Next.
WONDER WOMAN
Some people have recently complained that Wonder Woman is a tough sell because she’s “complicated.” These people are wrong. Watch this.
For centuries, the Amazons have lived on a Paradise Island, kept ageless and hidden from “Patriarch’s World” by the magic of the goddesses of Olympus. When Queen Hyppolyta longed for a child, the goddesses breathed life into a baby she had molded from sand and clay, a daughter named Diana who was given beauty, speed, wisdom, strength, flight, and a connection to animals. As an adult, Diana has left her home, acting as an ambassador to a larger world and as a warrior ready to defend her planet from those who wold prey upon it.
Three sentences. Done. Anyway, Wonder Woman’s had a lot of outfits over the years, but many of them spring from the same basic color scheme and motif. But what about her new interpretation?
Not gonna lie. I prefer Diana rocking the bare legs. She’s a warrior who is also proud of her femininity and her skin is tough and dense enough that she usually doesn’t need armor, so it’s not like trousers are necessary for protection. Personally, my favorite outfits for her are either the skirt or the leather skirt she wore in New Frontier and “Hypothetical Woman.” And I’m happy with the shorts as long as they’re not drawn like a thong. But these trousers just seem a bit boring to me.
Although I like the cut of the new top, the silver doesn’t work for me as well as the gold did, which complemented the red and blue very nicely. The trousers and boots are also way too dark. This is a bright, optimistic character. She’s tough and she can be hard, but like Superman, she is more about inspiring others around her than she is about simply giving out punishment. By making the boots the same color, they also now blend in so much that there’s no real design to them. They might as well just be normal leather boots any of us can find in a shop. And why are the stars so muted?
This whole costume seems like an attempt to make Wonder Woman seem less of a superhero and more akin to someone who could be walking down the street in the real world. Another attempt to make a character more “realistic.” And you know what? This isn’t the real world. It’s not even a live-action TV show. It’s comics. She lives in a world with Kryptonians, gods of Olympus, Atlantean kings, and alien starfish that can possess your brain. Embrace it. Let’s see some color and flash. Don’t apologize to us that she has great legs or can kick your ass while wearing a skirt. Just my thoughts.
SUPERMAN
You should really know who Superman is by now. Last son of the dead planet Krypton. Raised on a farm in Kansas. Moved to Metropolis. Dedicated to using his alien abilities to protect the planet that adopted him. He wears his family crest, a Kryptonian symbol of hope. And he’s had quite a few movies. And as for the DCnU’s interpretation of him…
I’m not a scientist, but why does a Kryptonian need armor?
And on top of that, why can’t this body armor be sleek? The many lines, the new clunky looking boots, it’s distracting and seems cumbersome. We’re moving away from the iconography of the character. What’s more, wearing armor implies that Superman looks for a fight and that’s anti-thetical to the character.
I’m not against changing the classic Superman suit or getting rid of the shorts, but this was not the droid I was looking for. I also find it a bit silly and repetitive to have the belt buckle be the same shape as his chest symbol, but I know that that’s a personal preference and not everyone agrees.
This other picture, from the cover of the new Action Comics #1, I’m not going to judge because I have no idea what the context is. It might just be a fun, weird cover that has nothing to do with the comic. It might be a signal that the story within will show a young Clark Kent in Kansas, operating in a make-shift costume he throws together before later designing his true uniform. Either way, Grant Morrison is writing and Rags Morales is drawing it, which means I will be there.
And that wraps it up, folks. Now we all just have to play the waiting game and see what this DCnU will truly bring us. Until next time, this is Alan Kistler, Agent of S.T.Y.L.E., signing off.
CONVENTION ALERT! I will be a guest at the Shore Leave Convention in Maryland. There, I will serve as Roastmaster at the Roast for Robert Greenberger. And I will be at San Diego Comic-Con, running about and enjoying the ambiance. So if you see me, come up and say hi!
Alan Kistler writes the comic book history/fashion column Agent of S.T.Y.L.E. He is an actor and freelance writer living in New York who has been recognized by Warner Bros. Films and major media/news outlets as a comic book historian. He is also a creator/host of the web-show and podcast “Crazy Sexy Geeks: The Series.” He knows entirely too much about the history of comics, Star Trek, Doctor Who, time travel, and vampires that don’t sparkle. You can find him on Twitter: @SizzlerKistler
June 17th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Agreed, Alan. Especially with the Superman armor-ish…things.
June 17th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
I keep hearing people saying “why should Superman wear armor?” But I think he has a good, legitimate reason: any dork with a red light can take away his powers (which I always whought was illogical: he’s a living battery powered by yellow sunlight, but put him under the light of a red star and he’s suddenly depleted?). So yeah, if I kept losing my invulnerability every coulple of issues I’d don some armor too.
And it’s not as if armor would hamper his movement. He has superstrength and superspeed, right? But then again, it would be way harder to hide under a business suit…
June 17th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
I imagine Superman’s new origin doesn’t include Kryptonian blankets that can be turned into an indestructible costume; and I guess DC don’t want to go the John Byrne route to explain why it doesn’t get torn to shreds in every battle.
So the armour, if it is armour, makes perfect sense.
And the new WW costume is way better than the bathing suit and bustier combo.
June 17th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Supergirl shall now and forever be referred to as The Angry Red Beaver.
June 17th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
Superman doesn’t need armour, and if he loses his powers how would he move in it anyways? That’s an argument for him just wearing material so he can then run away.
Harley’s is just a head shaker. Another proof of DC not bothering with listening to themselves.
@benwahbob I’m never going to forget that now, and I thank you.
June 17th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
When Marvel redesigned some of theie iconic characters costumes (Spider Man, Captain America, Iron Man, The X-Men, etc.) It was always done in story and with reason… And the costumes rarely ever lost the spark that made the original work so well (Well, Grant Morrisons Xmen costumes were rip offs of the movies, but Wolverine said it best: “suddenly I dont have to walk around in a clown suit?”) My point is, DC is revamping all of their characters and giving them alll new costumes… WHY? What was wrong with Supermans classic look? Weve been down the road with changing Supes duds before, it NEVER ends pretty… And i loathe to see what happens to Batman or the Green Lantern(s). DC, stop trying to win Marvels race and run your own. There was a time when I liked to read Dc comics, but that time is fading FAST.
June 17th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
I don’t think Superman’s outfit is armor, just leather-esque with piping of some sort.
Also, we’re missing Wonder Woman’s recent outfit with the choker, crappy coat and strange straps. In a way, they took the better aspects of that revamp outfit and brought back original elements.
June 18th, 2011 at 2:41 am
@Link Pascual
In Dc’s defense we don’t know that these changes will go unexplained. With Nightwing for example its been confirmed that his costume change will be explained in the series.
I think the problem is their revealing all this art, but we don’t know what it goes to yet. Maybe the changes are for the sake of change or maybe their are great in story explanations to each change.
June 18th, 2011 at 8:14 am
All of these costumes are horrible. Why say anymore than that?
June 18th, 2011 at 8:16 am
However, Superman doesn’t wear his short above his tides, it was about time.
June 18th, 2011 at 8:19 am
Ahm, sch..ße., my worse english, I meant TIGHTS !
Sorry sorry sorry….
Au weia…..
June 18th, 2011 at 8:26 am
Superman’s outfit doesn’t look like armor any more than most of the X-Men’s looks like armor. I think they just didn’t want him looking like he was wearing pajamas.
June 18th, 2011 at 8:37 am
All The Unnecessary Thin Lines – Again!
June 18th, 2011 at 8:51 am
I agree completely with your assessment on Superman costume. I just dont understand, DC has dozens of artists on their payroll and this was the best design they could come up with?? What I think they should have done was make a couple of designs and put them up on the net and let the FANS decide which one they should choose.
Your firestorm comments I however disagree with completely. The designs really look horrible. Though I like the idea of them having individual costumes, I just really hate the design.
June 18th, 2011 at 8:53 am
See, here’s the thing. Some of the X-Men look like they are wearing armor and it makes sense, because they are mostly not invulnerable. Wolverine is sorta invulnerable, and he was never caught in anything resembling that.
I mean, most of this stuff looks terrible. Mr. Terrific is the only one that’s worth a damn and it still has problems (though I think that bare arms and gloves may not work for the eyes, but it certainly has a practical usage).
I also don’t think it has anything to do with Marvel’s past costume changes. It’s still DC’s move and it’s still a bold one. It’s just that these looks aren’t at all iconic and most of them are either head-scratchers or just plain ugly or BOTH.
By the way, loved the “Agent of S.T.Y.L.E.” logo. Good stuff
June 18th, 2011 at 8:59 am
Yeah, I just think it’s Perez’s style that makes it look like armor. He has a heavy line. It’s probably just supposed to be a more structured suit, rather than a leotard.
June 18th, 2011 at 9:33 am
Seams, collars and knee pads. Wow.
Jim Lee, you really punted. From the twelve yard line. With no defenders on the field. And, you still missed the goal posts.
Iconic characters. New-ish costumes. Um, NOBODY can tell me what’s wrong with that idea? Bueller? Bueller?
The never-ending race to get attention by acting out on a whim, only to be ignored, only to ignore being ignored and acting out again on a whim to get attention continues.
We needed a re-boot to explain away bastard son sidekicks, resurrections, murders, mood rings, walking kryptonians, time-traveling, anthropomorphic multiverses, superhero incorporations, and Jim Lee’s, 90s-based over-ratedness.
We didn’t need Gotho-bitch Harley.
Somebody above said DC has to stop trying to out-Marvel Marvel. That person should have Dan Didio’s job.
June 18th, 2011 at 9:33 am
Making Superman costume more armor-y, ending the wedding. It seems like DC is taking my favorit character away from the “Superman is what I can do, Clark Kent is who I am” route. No way Ma Kent made that thing. I, honestly don’t like it. Seems they’ll make that stupid “Kill Bill” speech right.
Also,m what’s the deal with the turtle necks for every DC hero?
June 18th, 2011 at 10:13 am
I argued Supergirl on FB with Busiek. He likes it, you add to the reasons I don’t. IMO, she needs a skirt, even an implied one like Imra wears.
I’m just waiting for this reboot to be written off as some “overlap” between the DCU and one of it’s many multiverses, like #37.
Flash…looks like Barry in Wally’s V-belt costume? Other than the chin, I don’t see much difference.
Cyborg – there are already jokes about raiding Styfe’s closet. @_@
and add me to the growing list of those scratching their heads at those damn necklines/chokers.
June 18th, 2011 at 10:25 am
I’m surprised that nobody seems to have picked up on the obvious fact regarding the Firestorm redesign. Jason and Ronnie have either been merged with Shade the Changing Man or their ‘explosion’ has been contained by his M-vest, or whatever it’s called nowadays. Hence the symbols and the one weird eye.
As for the rest of the redesigns: they’ll never last because they’re not the look that the general public recognises.
It takes time to turn a supertanker. You can’t modify a look that’s known around the world overnight.
June 18th, 2011 at 10:32 am
The Superman uniform change is just too much for me. After reading the column for so long, I expected you to like the no shorts part of it, but after 70+ years he is the one character I feel pulls it off. The uniform is iconic!
Supergirl’s new look is another one I have trouble with. THe illustration makes her look like a vampire with a cape collar to hide the fang marks. I did like the boots, but again the need to be new has taken away the iconic element of the skirt.
Mr. Terrific,s costume seems to be an effort to make him look more “street.” The tattoos on his arm seem out of character for Him and the new mask looks clownish compared to the T-mask that mirrored his T-Sphere.
Flash works, but WW’s just doesn’t scream Amazon Princess who can kick you butt to me.
All in all, not many of the new uniforms do it for me.
June 18th, 2011 at 11:24 am
I really don’t understand why they went that far with Harley. Her look in Arkham is over the top but it fits the artistic tone of the games. That image above is a bit much to say the least. I completely agree with the author’s statement that DC managed to completely obliterate the sex appeal of both Black Canary and Poison Ivy, a feat I didn’t think was possible or necessary. Canary is one of my favorite characters and that new costume really fails on every level.
June 18th, 2011 at 11:29 am
all of these costumes are busier, which means they will slow down artists who would have normally been able to breeze through the original costumes. ironically, Jim Lee himself is a slow artist and he’s expecting this from every art team at DC now…
June 18th, 2011 at 11:32 am
The only thing I can see DC doing right with this re-vamp is putting Superman back as the world’s first superhero.With Superman you could explain superhero tights in one shot.Kryptonians wore tights-I don’t know why-I’m not from there but that’s what they did. So Superman’s suit is based on his heritage so that’s why his costume always looked like it did.With Superman being the first superhero all other heroes drew their inspiration from him so their outfits were mostly tights.
June 18th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
As I’ve said before. Jim Lee seems to think we’re all still so fond of the nineties when he was king. In truth every design in the nineties is now made fun of and dismissed as noninspirational (yes even your designs Jim) so the fact that they would bring all these ill conceived, dated designs to comic characters in the modern day (look at those awesome video game designs) who’s book sell based on them on the cover is absolutely bad thinking and bad business. DC should have infact had a costume creating contest for the best Superman costume and Wonderwoman costume, if they felt that they werent getting anywhere with there own designs. And have the general public vote for it. That would have sparked debate, and bumped sales for sure. because it was the “people’s costume”. thats my two sense.
June 18th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Alan,
Are you sure those lines on Flash’s cowl on the cover of the Flash are actually ON the costume? Couldn’t they just be more lighting energy flashing around him? I admit they’re oddly symmetrical if they’re not on the mask, but they’re not on there on the Justice League cover so I never even considered it until you pointed it out.
June 18th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Great stuff, Alan.Some comments:
1. Mr Terrific: Never cared for any of his looks. The tattoos are not an improvement.
2. Supergirl: Klunky, cluttered design. Frankly,given her youthfulness and invulnerability, there was nothing wrong with having her wear a skirt.For preserving modesty, just have her wear shorts under it.
3. Flash: As you said, Alan, they knew better than to mess with a classic. Still, I don’t like the chinstrap.
4. Harley Quinn: Hideous.Needs to go back to her animated outfit.
5. Wonder Woman: Wrong in so many ways. As with Supergirl, I think that a skirt over shorts combo would have been the right way to go.In WW’s case, I think that a leather, Xena-style skirt would have been the right look. It would have preserved the classic iconography of the character while diminishing the overly cheesecakey elements of the design.
6. Superman: This is just terrible.On a practical level, it is absurd. Supes is invulnerable; he doesn’t need to wear armor! Furthermore, as you say, it also fails on an aesthetic level. Wearing armor suggests a warrior mentality, and that is not part of Superman’s ethos. Characters like Thor and Wonder Woman can look fine in Armor, not Superman.
June 18th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
I thought Barry’s belt was the V belt Wally wears also I think the Flash should wear goggles like impulse use to wear and do away with the yellow boots his whole costume looks like one piece until his boots it should continue the one piece look with yellow treads maybe wings on the side around the heel.
I was thinking the JMS wonder woman was the origin for this Wonder Woman which explains the costume
What if Superman has been depowered back to his original power level is no longer as invincible as he is now hence the armor (made from the ship that brought him to earth) with the belt why Doe it look like it has pockets? So he can throw those giant S things to wrap people up?
June 18th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Just terrible the whole lot!
June 18th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
I have said, from the beginning, that the key element here is the number 52. 52 new #1s. 52 multiverses. I think there’s more going on here than DC is letting on (I hope). I remember with COIE there was a lot of pissed off readers for changing “their” DC histories. But they did a good job there. I’m sure they will here as well (again, I hope). I think it would be a bad idea to have such a major overhaul now. There really is no reason for it. And a lot of what I’ve seen has not been THAT interesting enough to make me excited (which is what they seem to be trying to do – excite readers and non readers alike). What does this mean for all the unpublished stories hinted at (IE: Firestorm’s delima at the end of Brightest Day)? I will be giving the books a chance – see what’s what, but really….Wonder Woman and Superman look terrible. Why try to fix what’s not broke? And they dropped the WW series because of all the complaining about the costume. So what do they do? They’re now force feeding that costume concept (it’s basically the same as the dropped tv show)in the books. The only one that has seemed to be unchanged (visually) is Green Lantern.
DC? Please, just put an end to all the speculation and let the cat out of the bag. Why do this to your fans/supporters? Hopefully this is NOT being done for the sake of publicity. I liked where things were going with DC after Brightest Day. And was even looking forward to the return of Aquaman and Firestorm. Now I have no clue how I feel. Actually, I do know how I feel. I feel a slight hesitant disappointment. Ball’s in your court, DC. Don’t screw up!
June 18th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Superman may be getting de-powered so that might explain his new look. I was hoping for something more along the lines of Superboy’s first costume or the eradicator suit, but oh well.
June 18th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
Another fish in the barrel.
cool article dude.
I dont mind Supeman in armor just as long as it is a gladiator/war storyline and not his everyday look. besides the armor in the second row of his pic looks cool and better. Alan, which storyline/comic is that from?
Wonder woman’s costume is ok since she is a warrior and i never found her to be a nurturer but thats just me.
I think Harley Quinn’s outfit is more of a progession of what she wore in the videogames but not one we actually need to see.
Flash is cool just hope they give wally a new costume and identity.
Supergirl’s old outfit was better but since this supergirl seems to look more like power girl and a older confident woman it fits her but i think the skirt should have stayed. and just give her knee padds.
Firestorm is fine.
Mr. terrific’s old look was cool but this looks like that just without the jacket which doesnt make much sense since he has no other powers then his brain so its a bigger risk of getting shot.
June 18th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
I’m not entirely convinced that Superman is wearing armor. Seems to me that his “costume” will be kryptonian in origin (much like it was in the Donner movies and Smallville), made of alien fabric. Mu main complaint about this costume is the high neckline. As an artist, I think Superman’s neck is very important to show his strength, it’s a good shorthand. His traditional costume has a lower neckline that emphasized his neck and shoulders, in addition to making him more “athletic”. This high neckline implies a haughty, cerebral attitude that isn’t Superman’s thing.
June 18th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
That is not Harlequin. That’s Duela Dent; Joker’s Daughter — former Teen Titan, I think on Deathstroke’s “bad” squad. That’s not Harley, I’m not sure why everyone thinks it is.
June 18th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
LUKE M: they actually are on his cowl on tje Justice League cover, they just aren’t glowing. Zoom-in.
June 18th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Ziyad: That suit is from the storyline “Godfall,” available in trade.
June 18th, 2011 at 6:33 pm
is this piss poor site still using that stupid moniker of “DCnu” please stop it
June 18th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
I agree with you on everything in this one, Alan! I do like that they got rid of Superman’s underwear outside his pants (as I’m sure you are as well), but the rest of his outfit is stupid. Too many lines. And the boots lost their identity. I was hoping with updating his costume they’d finally give him gloves, but oh well.
And Firestorm . . . too soon to judge, but I hope those aren’t the final designs. Why on earth do they always give him puffy pirate sleeves?! Jason’s original costume was sleek and updated . . . then they reverted to that old ugly look.
I like the silver on Wonder Woman. It matches her bracelets for once. But I’m not a fan of the dark pants (of course, I also preferred her in shorts).
Mr. Terrific needs his jacket (wouldn’t they fit the modern look they’re going for?) but without the words “fairplay” on the sleeve (always found that cheesy).
And finally, Supergirl’s costume does not make her look like a girl anymore.
June 18th, 2011 at 8:30 pm
Oh, and I just hope that when they finally reveal Kyle Rayner’s look, it’s his original costume.
June 18th, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Yeah, BAD designs. Who sent out the memo to all of the DCU heroes in the first place?!? “Hey, all. We almost got wiped out by Reverse Flash. REVERSE FRAKKING FLASH! Ok, time to get TOUGH! Ladies, cover those legs! Men, no undies on the outside! Teens, straps and pouches are so out that you can make them cool retro “anti-cool” again! See you all at the Hall of Justice (assuming the building survives the revamp).”
I mean come on! How is Clark going to hide his Tony Stark wannabe costume under his single breasted suits?!? Oh crap. He doesn’t work at the Daily Planet anymore? He’s a “mild mannered blogger” by day, isn’t he. Sigh…
June 18th, 2011 at 11:09 pm
I always thought that if somebody was going to get rid of the shorts from Superman’s costume design, they would have to find some other way to compensate from keeping the rest of the body too monotone. I imagined it would involve some additional lines but the DCnU version seemed to have gone a bit overboard.
My guess is that they want to keep the suit from looking like a pair of tights made of thin material like a spandex. Maybe they want to keep Superman from becoming the butt of jokes like Spider-Man. A few comics had ol’ Peter worried that his last battle with a supervillain might have thinned his tights pants.
The new Superman suit would be a kind of bodysuit made of thicker, stronger material that wouldn’t tear easily.
I wish they kept the classic boots with the V-cut. The V-cut is one of the Superman’s distinguishing looks from other characters’ boots. Shane Davis derided them as “cowboy boots”.
All this talk of Superman reminds me. When are we getting a Agent of S.T.Y.L.E. article focusing on Superman’s many looks?
June 18th, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Mr. Terrific’s costume is the worst of the redesigns to me. It comes across as beefcake-ish. If this were the smallvile costume I might be o.k with it but in a comics this just look like a guy showing off his guns. It look like something Terrel Owens would wear to practice.
The “fairplay” jacket was a pretty iconic look even though they changed it for the new character. If anyone would actually look right with a liefeld-esque big jacket and shoulder pads and pouches it’d the guy all about the technology.
June 19th, 2011 at 2:15 am
Jim Lee shouldn’t have broken out the UnderArmour, Nike, Reebok, etc; catalog to design Supes new suit. It’s clearly a tight long sleeve, long pants compression workout outfit. It helps sore muscles and wicks away moisture nicely and has to bio fibers that reduce bacteria buildup for natural deodorizing. =\
June 19th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
thanks
June 20th, 2011 at 1:56 am
Woohoo! I’ve been waiting for years for Superman to take off his little red panties. But the baby blue is still a bit retro–couldn’t they have just gone with the Wizard redesign?
For Supergirl, I can only assume that the red represents an extra panel of cloth sewn on (though usually these go on the inside.)
The odds of successfully redesigning all of DC’s characters at once are not good. (The Silver Age didn’t even do that.) Makes a media splash, though…
June 20th, 2011 at 11:47 am
Merovaeus,
The solicitation direct from DC says that is Harley:
Harley Quinn! Deadshot! King Shark! Defeated and imprisoned, they’re being interrogated about their mission – and about who’s pulling the strings behind this illegal operation. Who will be the first to crack under the pressure?
June 26th, 2011 at 10:16 pm
I can deal with most of the looks and changes, I can even attempt to give them a chance…but the Harley to me was just insulting. and I’m sorry if people consider them offensive but I loved Zatanna and Black Canry -in the fishnet looks… Zatanna looked like the stage magician she was, and canarry was paying homage to ter mothers look.
June 27th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Honestly, most of the designs look made for movie versions more than true comic books. The armor on Superman looks very plausible for a movie, given Hollywood’s fetish of suiting up every comic book hero in some type of armor/war-like costume.
June 30th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
hmm…you know, upon reflection…I think the whole thing with Harley’s redesign (as it fits in with DC’s new aesthetic for female characters)is a way of saying “if a young lady shows too much skin she’s obviously an evil, psychopathic whore”…so I guess the question is “is that interpretation what they were going for or is it something entirely unintentional?”…
July 9th, 2011 at 9:19 am
Really agree on most of the re-design’s being a bit naff. Superman’s is fine BUT why does it look like armour? If it was just line work in the material fine but it’s way too fiddly (really Jim Lee’s going to do this costume and all the others in JLA, all the time?
Supergirl’s costume looks like they had no idea what to do with it and Harley Quin’s honestly is making me not want to but ANY of the new line if it’s indictment of how DC are thinking.
July 9th, 2011 at 11:19 am
I guess DC thought spadex was silly and to just give everyone a lot of armor.
September 11th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
I kind of like Superman’s new look, although I agree it should look less like armor. I’m sure the idea is that it’s some sort of Kryptonian material and that this will be revealed in Action Comics. But the image seems more body armor and less alien suit. Also, I think a better idea would have been to incorporate the belt as part of the suit and make it gold on top and red on the bottom to recall his classic look while still getting rid of the undies.
October 6th, 2011 at 10:15 am
Mr. Terrific – thumbs up, nice look for him, tattoo is nice touch
Firestorm – thumbs up, like this very much, fixes many of the flaws in the original. Is this a team book now?
Supergirl – thumbs up, Wonderful costume, awesome job
Flash – thumbs up, great as always
Harley Quinn – thumbs up, GIGANTIC IMPROVEMENT!
Wonder Woman – thumbs up, I dont have the problem with it others seem to. I like it. I always thought it was dumb to have a warrior, an amazon in a bathing suit
Superman – thumbs up, nice. I like it!
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January 6th, 2012 at 9:17 pm
This whole DCnU is just Heroes Reborn DC style. You know it is going to be un-done, and returned to the normal style, Was not Bob Harras the editor in chief that killed Marvel until Joe Q took it over.
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