DC to REBOOT???
- Thread starter Professor Zoom
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They pretty much eliminated Batman's Underoos some years ago, didn't they?
I wonder if the three-dimensional treatments of their emblems is for the JLA-only outfits, same as with the collars?
I wonder if the three-dimensional treatments of their emblems is for the JLA-only outfits, same as with the collars?
They did and then they undid it and now they've done it again.
Yeah, you don't see much of that kind of costume design in the major DC characters who were introduced in the Silver Age - the artists went for a more streamlined, "unitard" look to the outfits. Barry/Flash and Hal/Green Lantern have outfits that are as much one like the other as Bats and Supes' were.
Well, Spider-Man is rather unique.
I hate Kid Flash's exposed hair. Though the Flash-Flash is the best costume of all time. Green Lantern and Magnus, Robot Fighter, are the runners up for the Silver Age. You're right, I can't think of any 1960s Marvel costumes other than Iron Man's and Spider-Man's that are particularly inspired, and I don't even like Spider-Man's red-and-blue all that much. Black Panther, maybe, if Batman didn't exist.
The Bronze and modern ages provide a few esoteric ones that could challenge the Flash, like Dream, or Elijah Snow. Phantom Girl from the LoSH show is definitely in my top ten. And I've always loved Mr. Miracle's impossible mask. Do the New Gods count as Bronze or Silver Age?
"Best" costume is Mike Grell's Cosmic Boy redesign. They should have stuck to their guns with that forever.
True. It has that same "modern" feel as DCs Silver Age revivals.
I love the style of mask ssen on Kid Flash. It tends to pop up on a lot the characters I design.
When I see the Panther's costume I think of Wildcat more than Batman. He even sported a half mask for a short time.
Some see Kirby leaving Marvel as the end of the Silver Age. So the New Gods would be Bronze.
The Cockrum/Grell costumes for the LSH are classic and probably helped more than one young man through puberty.
Black Panther in a half mask? Yikes.
Wildcat's costume is sort of great in its lousiness/apparent cheapness. I don't think anyone would design a costume that way today, so it's interesting to see Ted "What's a furry?" Grant along more contemporary designs.
I never liked Dave Cockrum's Star Boy, especially how Dave Cockrum's Star Boy eventually evolved into Dave Cockrum wearing Donna Troy's clothes. (Probably before she did, however. Time travel!) I'm kidding, but Star Boy just looks awful. Not as awful as SW6 Star Boy, which is one of the wretchedest comic book costumes ever conceived, and I'm certain must have been a joke or a dare.
I did like his Lightning Lad, on the other hand, and although I believe the redesign is minimal, Dream Girl looks great under Cockrum. And Phoenix has one of the few really, really, really great Marvel costumes.
Wildcat's costume is sort of great in its lousiness/apparent cheapness. I don't think anyone would design a costume that way today, so it's interesting to see Ted "What's a furry?" Grant along more contemporary designs.
I never liked Dave Cockrum's Star Boy, especially how Dave Cockrum's Star Boy eventually evolved into Dave Cockrum wearing Donna Troy's clothes. (Probably before she did, however. Time travel!) I'm kidding, but Star Boy just looks awful. Not as awful as SW6 Star Boy, which is one of the wretchedest comic book costumes ever conceived, and I'm certain must have been a joke or a dare.
I did like his Lightning Lad, on the other hand, and although I believe the redesign is minimal, Dream Girl looks great under Cockrum. And Phoenix has one of the few really, really, really great Marvel costumes.
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Nerys Myk said:
Jim Lee?
I'd be willing to defend Bryan Hitch's Authority and Ultimates designs, as mockworthy as they became because of oversaturation and imitation. Sure, Hawkeye being ribbed for her pleasure is funny now, and you can smell the Matrix on everything, but it was the shit back in 2002, and pointing that out overlooks the great Iron Man and Thor redesigns, as well as previous, original efforts such as Regis, Apollo or even plainclothes superjerk Jack Hawksmoor. (Midnighter's costume kind of sucks, but look at that Stormwatch #1 cover and you can see how much worse it could've been.)
Other than Hitch, I can't think of any influential costume designer in the past ten years. Even Hitch's legacy is going to be tarnished, at best (and Hitch ain't helping), and I certainly wouldn't say he was better than Cockrum.
(Now, if we go back twenty, I can think of several highly influential designers, including Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld and Todd MacFarlane. Maybe we ought not go back twenty.)
I could weakly suggest that artists these days have less opportunity to design new characters, and perhaps less opportunity to radically redesign existing ones--indeed, as I understand it, the reboot redesign was a pretty centralized process involving few, arguably poorly chosen people.
all they really need to do to fix Superman's belt is to make it thicker (to better replicate the amount of red his trunks gave his overall composition) and give it some yellow accents to contrast the blue better, perhaps just as a border along the top and on the 'buckle'. Saying they don't want two big heroes to have the same color on their belt is just being difficult and if I had to chose I would kill Batman's yellow belt before Superman's if only because Batman's design still works without it and Superman's really doesn't. That tiny red belt seriously just sucks.
Regarding superheroic design, I forgot two really important contemporary artists:
J.G. Jones deserves a lot of respect as a designer, for Noh-Varr, Midas and Oubliette in Marvel Boy, every last thing in Wanted, and particularly Batwoman and the Great (looking) Ten from 52.*
Then, speaking of Kate Kane, there's J.H. Williams III, who did an amazing job with everything in Promethea, especially the eponymous character(s) and the Painted Doll, which is exactly what the Joker ought to look like. I also like Alice's look from the Batwoman run in Detective Comics, but I can imagine mileage may vary on that.
*Shame about Tony Bedard's series, huh? By which I mean it's a shame it sucked.
J.G. Jones deserves a lot of respect as a designer, for Noh-Varr, Midas and Oubliette in Marvel Boy, every last thing in Wanted, and particularly Batwoman and the Great (looking) Ten from 52.*
Then, speaking of Kate Kane, there's J.H. Williams III, who did an amazing job with everything in Promethea, especially the eponymous character(s) and the Painted Doll, which is exactly what the Joker ought to look like. I also like Alice's look from the Batwoman run in Detective Comics, but I can imagine mileage may vary on that.
*Shame about Tony Bedard's series, huh? By which I mean it's a shame it sucked.
Yeah; the Superman belt needs something. When solid red, it looks like something from the Toys R Us Halloween section. The yellow additions make it look more like it came from Target (which is better).
An interesting retailer report from Chicago...
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/06...-in-july-the-dc-retailer-roadshow-in-chicago/
I don't buy DiDio's explanation/excuse that Action Comics and Detective Comics were re-numbered so fans would take the relaunch anyway. There is already a jaded response from fans anyways when it comes to reboots, reimaginings, retcons, and relaunches. What the hell did DC expect would be the reaction when they did a company wide one? All the fans to be peachy keen with it? I don't understand why they just didn't keep the numbering the same. We're not dumb. It's already explained that this is a relaunch and not a reboot. There's no reason why the relaunched stories couldn't be told without renumbering the books.
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/06...-in-july-the-dc-retailer-roadshow-in-chicago/
I don't buy DiDio's explanation/excuse that Action Comics and Detective Comics were re-numbered so fans would take the relaunch anyway. There is already a jaded response from fans anyways when it comes to reboots, reimaginings, retcons, and relaunches. What the hell did DC expect would be the reaction when they did a company wide one? All the fans to be peachy keen with it? I don't understand why they just didn't keep the numbering the same. We're not dumb. It's already explained that this is a relaunch and not a reboot. There's no reason why the relaunched stories couldn't be told without renumbering the books.
Admiral does the numbering of the books really matter that much? I am rapidly approaching 20k books in my collection and really the numbering doesnt matter any little bit to me at this point. Everyone brings up Action and Detective but does the magic number of 1000 matter to anyone who doesnt have every single issue? I applaud DC for trying something new and exiting in order to attempt to draw in new digital readers with new number 1 issues. Going digital with issue 880 makes little sense from any marketing perspective.
I don't know if the numbering really matters any more except to purists, kids, and long time readers. I know that I used to get excited when I was a kid/teenager with milestone issues. I have copies of Amazing Spider-Man #300 and #400. I have Adventures of Superman #500, etc. I was mainly ranting about the dumb ass explanation given. I suppose I expected better from DiDio than that. I know fans hate the guy...or at least the bulk of the fandom does but I've always kind of respected/liked him.
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