DC: 10 best original costume redesigns
DC Comics heroes and villains are some of the most popular and instantly recognizable fictional characters, and their costumes have a lot to do with it. When Superman graced the comic book pages in Action comics # 1, the superhero look was forged. The spandex, cape, and bold emblem have all been replicated and constructed with the thousands of characters that followed.
The costumes of these characters are so iconic and would grow and change thanks to the hundreds of talented artists who would take turns in the books. While some characters have undergone drastic changes from their original designs, many fans find that the classic looks of the most iconic characters are best left unaltered for the most part (aside from a few minor tweaks and changes over the course of decades of publication).
ten Flash’s new 52 costume
Barry Allen has been wearing his classic red suit with yellow lightning since he first appeared in Showcase # 4. It’s one of DC Comics’ costumes that has changed the least in its nearly 70-year history. When DC Comics showcased their line-wide relaunch in 2011, Barry Allen’s costume got a little tweaked, but enough to make it better.
The costume has remained relatively intact, with the exception of thin black lines all over the costume. When Barry harnesses the force of speed, the lines glow yellow and emit lightning bolts. The effect is simple but beautiful, especially in the hands of Francis Manapul who illustrated Flash comic strip at the start of the relaunch.
9 Hal Jordan’s original rebirth costume
When Hal Jordan became Parallax, he wiped out the entire Green Lantern Corps. A new ring was created and given to Kyle Rayner, who acted as the torchbearer. In 2004 Geoff Johns wrote Green Lantern: Renaissance. The miniseries saw the return of Hal Jordan and the bigger GL Corps.
The status quo was restored and Hal Jordan received a subtle upgrade to his costume. His new costume is almost identical to the one he wore decades before, but the green stopped at the waist, preventing the costume from looking like a large jumpsuit, and the lantern emblem on his chest emitted an emblem. in double fact of will energy.
8 Wonder Woman Earth 2 Armor
The New 52 line-wide relaunch saw a reboot not only of the DC Universe, but its multiverse as well, including the Justice Society and Crime Syndicate worlds. In 2012, a new series called Earth 2 hit the stands, giving readers a modern, revamped take on JSA heroes from the Golden Age.
The series focused more on Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, and others, with DC’s Trinity, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman perishing in the first issue. The armor that Wonder Woman wears in her final battle is stunning. Instead of a tiara, she wears a larger gold crown, as well as large silver shin guards and gauntlets. It’s a shame that this design was so fleeting.
seven Harley Quinn by Joe Quiñones: black + white + red design
Harley Quinn quickly became a fan favorite after her introduction in Batman: The Animated Series. Originally created to be another of Joker’s thugs, Harley quickly made headlines in the series, developing close relationships with longtime Batman characters like Poison Ivy.
Their friendship is further explored in the recent Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red series. Issue 9 was written and illustrated by Joe Quiñones, who draws Harley in a costume that takes inspiration from her classic look and makes her look even more silly. It’s a familiar design, but unique enough to hopefully warrant future appearances.
6 Wally West’s Rebirth Costume
The relaunch of the New 52 is possibly one of the most controversial events in DC publishing history. Many characters have benefited from reboots, but many more have suffered. Entire characters have been wiped out of the canon like Wally West. When Geoff Johns wrote DC Universe: Renaissance # 1, a unique number meant to set up the next relaunch, the classic Wally West is back.
Joining his old friends and teammates in the New Era, Wally donned a new costume that seemed to combine both his Flash and Kid Flash costumes. Her hood looks like her Kid Flash costume while her costume looks like her Flash costume, swapping yellow lightning patterns for silver ones.
5 Shazam’s new 52 costume
When Geoff Johns rebooted Captain Marvel in Shazam after New 52, he not only worked with Gary Frank to redesign the costume, but he also redesigned Billy Batson. Billy wasn’t the nicest or nicest kid, but he had a good heart, and that’s what made him worthy of power.
Shazam’s New 52 suit, like most New 52 revival suits, is very reminiscent of the original Captain Marvel design. More lines were added to the costume to add visual detail, and the white cape received a hood. The changes are subtle, but it definitely gives the suit a cooler edge.
4 Darwyn Cooke’s conception of Catwoman
If someone who’s only read the Catwoman comics for the past 20 years, saw a few of her original costumes, they’d be forgiven for thinking they were entirely different characters. Catwoman’s original costumes looked more like dresses with capes. His costume in the Batman’66 The TV series is closer to his modern costume than anything from this comedic era.
When Darwyn Cooke redesigned her costume for her cat woman series in 2001, he created a character look that will live and thrive for two decades and continues to be the foundation for all modern costume design of his since.
3 Batman’s New 52 / Rebirth Costume
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo Batman running is legendary. Not only did they introduce so many enduring elements into the Batman mythos, but Capullo provided number after number one incredible art. The Batman costume has been redesigned following the relaunch of the New 52, removing the underwear and adding more texture to the costume.
When the series was relaunched after Rebirth, Batman sported a costume that combined his First Appearance costume with purple accents, his New 52 costume, and introduced a sleek new bat symbol that seemed to combine every previous iteration into just one.
2 Superman Kingdom Come Costume
kingdom come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross is a must-have graphic novel for any comic book fan. He presented DC characters in a way readers had never seen before – Superman more than any other. Alex Ross had the fun opportunity to play around with the character designs, showcasing very different costumes for the heroes at different times in their lives.
Superman has received one of the most subtle changes of all. In his superhero retirement years, his dark hair took on a few white strands on his temples, and his emblem, which previously glowed red and yellow, was now red and black and streamlined.
1 Bab Tarr’s Batgirl design
The relaunch of New 52 returned Barbara Gordon to the role of Batgirl. When she returned, she was wearing a costume that looked quite familiar to her old costume. It wasn’t until issue # 35 of the series that Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr showcased her new look. Batgirl wore a costume that looked more like battle dress than spandex or armor.
The costume style would inspire other designers to redesign their heroes’ costumes as well. Batgirl’s new costume seemed to combine the essence of its original with a modern, hip style. The purple and yellow combo is also striking and so visually satisfying to look at.
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