This is the cover of the new Action #1 coming out in a couple of months, and we're promised a progression in Superman's costume.  We've already discussed the lack of trunks elsewhere, but I have a slightly different costuming question. 

 

What elements of particular heroes costumes must remain in an update?

 

For Superman, I'd say I'm okay with a tasteful update as long as the following remain:

  • color scheme of blue, red, and yellow.
  • a red cape
  • the shield on his chest, dead center.
  • no mask or facial covering.

As long as the above are there, I'm willing to give a new costume the benefit of the doubt.

 

For Batman, I'd consider the following:

  • essentially black costume (the blue and grey of the past was only because old coloring technology couldn't do black with detail)
  • a scalloped cape
  • A mask/cowl with bat ears. 

That's it.

 

Any other ideas about these two or other iconic heroes?

You need to be a member of Captain Comics to add comments!

Join Captain Comics

Votes: 0
Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • Not really, that's about it. For Batman, oval "moon" around bat emblem or not?

  • Not necessary for me, but the darker the costume, the better the oval looks, though.  I really like the Batman, Inc. suit, for example.

    Jeff of Earth-J said:

    Not really, that's about it. For Batman, oval "moon" around bat emblem or not?

  • Jeff of Earth-J said:

    Not really, that's about it. For Batman, oval "moon" around bat emblem or not?



    I suppose there's no chance to it going back to being a yellow circle, as it was originally, instead of an ellipse.
  • It could if it looks good.

    Commander Benson said:
    Jeff of Earth-J said:

    Not really, that's about it. For Batman, oval "moon" around bat emblem or not?



    I suppose there's no chance to it going back to being a yellow circle, as it was originally, instead of an ellipse.
  • From the look of it, the costume on the Action cover might be an improvised one that Superman will wear at the start of his career (my guess is the police are shooting at him because they don't know who he is). But actually, I like it more than the Jim Lee high collar one; it suits Superman's personality better, and shows his physical strength better.

     

    I'd say in this design the cape is at odds with the "normal clothing" character of the rest of the costume. This point led me to wonder if it'd be OK to dump the cape and just have Superman in a t-shirt, as long as the t-shirt was blue and retained his chest symbol. I think the red of the cape is needed to contrast with the blue of the shirt.

  • I'm sorry, but the cape with T-shirt, jeans and boots on this cover just looks dumb, and it makes the man look dumb, too. It makes him look like Lil' Abner playing dress up.
  • As for Batman, count me among those who favor the yellow oval behind the Bat-emblem on the chest.

     

  • In noticing the cover, his pants legs are rolled up.  Also, it looks like he is wearing work boots.  This may be a reflection of his farm boy background and the fact that he will come from Smallville. 

     

  • To answer the question posed, it seems to me that costumes tend to stay pretty close to the original for many characters, so the original needs to be really well done. One badly done one that went through a necessary overhaul was Daredevil's. One far out-of-date one is Robin's, but the one Neal Adams designed still kept the red and green color scheme. Spider-Man's black "costume" still retained the same kind of face mask look and the spider emblem on the chest and the back.

  • Mike Parnell said:

    In noticing the cover, his pants legs are rolled up.  Also, it looks like he is wearing work boots.  This may be a reflection of his farm boy background and the fact that he will come from Smallville. 

    I think his trouser leg ends fairly high because of the way his knee is bent. Edit: I've changed my mind. What I thought was his sock is more likely the end of the pants leg folded over, as Mike said.

This reply was deleted.