• Superman Costumes

Hey gang, Valkor here. With Zack Snyder's reboot of Superman well underway (tentatively titled Man of Steel), I thought I'd take the time to discuss something of importance - specifically speaking, I wanna talk about Superman and his costume. The dude has been around for 70 plus years, and during that time the character has never had a new costume that was… long lasting; Supes is still sporting the red underwear over blue tights. Now I'm not completely against this, as this is a look that I grew up with and it's definitely gained icon-status. But I think it's time that Warner, DC, and Zack Snyder finally come together and get this man a change of clothes that's fitting for the time we're in.

But Val, won't he anger the hard core fans, who love Supe's older duds? Honestly, you'll never make that bunch happy no matter what's done. So he may as well take a leap of faith and try something new. If anything, he still has the gear in the comics, but as far as the films go, Superman needs new clothes. Oh and please don't assume that I want to see him dressed in black like Batman, those two are completely different and while I want to see Supes in a new suit, I would love it that the color scheme be kept in tact.

So with that in mind, this article takes a look at some artwork I found from around the interwebz that showcases Superman in different attire. These are not conceptual art pieces that will be used for the movie, but stuff I found that I thought looked cool. I know some are a bit far feteched to the point of "that ain't happenin!" But let's have some imagination and open our minds at the thought of how a live action Superman would look wearing any of these costumes. Also if you have ideas of your own, or you wanna share a link of an interesting look, please share it in the comment section below.

1) Superman X by ErikVonLehmann official Devianart site can be found [HERE] - Now this is a costume! though it has much red, it's damn fierce! (Certainly not inspired at all by Hokuto no Ken). It's definitely more modern, more regal, and looks very powerful. I love it! I think the cape should be black, because of all the red in the costume, everything sorta blends together. But all in all, this is how it should be. Nice work Erik!!



2) Artist unknown - Here we keep the classic look and lose the underwear. The "S" logo and cape look to be one piece; it's a pretty simple design and I'm surprised a style such as this isn't used in the comics. However I think he could use a belt, something like in "Superman Returns". Other than that ,I think it's a fine piece of work.



3) Eddie Yang, concept art for a Superman movie - Not sure if it's for "Returns", but with this design we have a more armorplate-like appearance, one that you'd find in a Batman movie. It has the look of the previous pic, minus the "S" logo not being attached to the cape as a one piece. However I'm curious to see how this would look on film.



4) Michael Turner's "Godfall" Superman design - Michael Turner passed away in 2008. And though he's no longer with us, his comics will have an everlasting impression. And this is one design that I'm surprised didn't stay in the comics. It's definitely edgier and gives Supes more of a soldier appearance. I love the stripe down the arms and the inclusion of the "S" logo belt, which really completes the package. R.I.P Mike.



5) Artist currently unknown - Now this is what number 2 should look like! We keep the same design, but now we add in the belt and toss in some yellow bold lines, with gloves to complete the picture. I think this costume would translate very well on-screen. What do you guys think?



6) Steampunk Superman - While I can't ever imagine a live action film where such a costume could exist, I can see this costume translated to the animated screens quite easily. I like the "S" logo off to the left, but not feeling the underpants, which I feel throws off the costume. Nice that it keeps something of the original, but totally unnecssary.



7) Artist: grimmcj, Deviantart Website - [HERE] Coloring: Chimera335, deviantart site - [HERE] - Other than the "S" logo looking a bit wonky with the background (Why not go with a yellow back?), I think this is an awesome costume, and it's also pretty cool how you get the "S" and "M" in there.



8) Artist Unknwon - Finally, leave us not forget that this coming May, Tom Welling, star of hit TV series "Smallville", will don the cape of the S-Man for the first time EVAR! (Unless the WB dicks us around and cops out with some sorta silohuette or something just as corny). I found this one awhile back, after searching the interwebz for pics of what Welling might look like in the S-costume (after hearing rumors that some were circulating). I found this suit, which is concept art with Welling's head imposed on the body. However if you've been following the season, you know that the suit will be the classic digs. However this suit is kinda nice, though somewhat patchy. At first glance, the suit looks kinda plain, the logo should connect with the cape, maybe get some red wristbands in there. And it definitely needs a belt. But otherwise, solid work.



As much as I enjoy reading about Supes in the comics, watching him animated, or hitting the theaters to catch him on the big screen, I do hope that someone (Yes I'm looking at you Zak Snyder), takes the first bold step towards a new beginning and give the man with the big red "S" on his chest some style. Worse case, you can always fall back to the old suit - believe me, it's been done. Other than that, I'm liking how the new film is taking shape - the cast so far is solid and I'm curious as to the story. Sadly we're getting an origin story once more, but if it means we can put behind us Superman fighting a giant rock of Kryptonite in his last film, then I'm all for the ride.