Comics are Awesome III

[JediTricks]

Oh, so you already know for a "fact" that it'll be too dark to see Aquaman under water unless he's wearing a colorful costume, and no amount of lighting in the scene could possibly change that?

Yup, that's the situation. Sure, they'll crank up the contrast, but they can't really open up any more than they already will even with digital because they'll lose depth of focus, so they'll either use color or they'll simply fake it with unrealistic-looking underwater CGI.

As for the X-Men costumes, they weren't meant to be armor. At most Brian Singer said that they considered the leather costumes to be more durable than cloth uniforms. Durability =/= armor. So you're the one that's incorrect.

You're like fox news, thinking there are 2 sides to facts.

The problem is that colorful costumes do look kind of....stupid.


The Iron Man suit was designed by a millionaire with a sense of flash. A good chunk of "the First Avengers" was devoted to explaining why Captain America's colorful costume made sense.

The texture on Batman's costume is off. But, Wonder Woman's new costume looks good. (Never much liked her old costume. Why is an emissary of world peace from an uncharted island sporting American colours and imagery on her panties?)

Because she knows what side her bread is buttered on: AMERICA! Steve Trevor didn't land on Themyscira wearing a Canadian flag.

That's a really good point. Captain America's costume in the film originally came about because he was promoting war-bonds, he wasn't intended to see any real action at the time.

Yeah, but Cap chose to keep the colors even when he got a functional uniform.

[Sparky Prime]

Yup, that's the situation. Sure, they'll crank up the contrast, but they can't really open up any more than they already will even with digital because they'll lose depth of focus, so they'll either use color or they'll simply fake it with unrealistic-looking underwater CGI.

Right, the movie isn't due out until next year but you already know exactly what they'll do with it and how it'll look, even though other films have pulled off such under water scenes without using bright colors. Assumptions about something we won't see for another year isn't a fact Jedi, no matter how much you want to pretend that it is.

You're like fox news, thinking there are 2 sides to facts.

Says the guy who is presenting his opinions/assumptions as if they were facts with out any real substance behind any of it.

There's no 2 sides, the fact is the leather X-Men costumes weren't armor nor were they intended to be.

Yeah, but Cap chose to keep the colors even when he got a functional uniform.

I remember Bucky asked if he was going to keep the colors and Cap said they were growing on him, but would that decision really be up to him? I mean, someone would have had to make that personalized uniform for him. And considering daddy Stark was a part of the team and had the same personality his son has...

And in Avenger's, Coulson told Cap that SHIELD made the new uniform for him (which Coulson had a hand in helping to design). Cap asked if that'd be a little old-fashioned, which seemed to indicate he wasn't sure wearing the colors would be appropriate.

[Dominic]

Same could be said for Spider-Man. His red/blue costume was originally designed with the mindset of using his powers to perform, not for crime fighting.

Which is consistent with the real design inspriation behind most of the old characters, circus acrobats.

You're like fox news, thinking there are 2 sides to facts.

From what I have seen, Fox News is less "two sets/sides of facts" than it is presenting existing facts in a way to support a preferred conclusion. Less a question of fabrication and more one of presentation.

For someone like me, who would like to see some classic characters continue after Convergence, this looks hopeful. This is the cover of Convergence #8.

I would not read too much in to the cover. (How many covers really have much of anything to do with the books they are on, let along upcoming runs?)

On the other hand, there is speculation that "Divergence" will allow for books across multiple worlds/iterations of DC. Of course, that is only speculation at this point. (And, it would not likely play out until the end of this year.)

[JediTricks]

Color is also a mindset, it's a statement that fighting these elements doesn't mean hiding in the shadows the way they do, but standing for something greater. Although not the same since he does use the shadows, it's almost like Batman's costume in comics vs. in the movies saying different things: in the comics, Batman's costume is a mindfuck, it says "I'm otherworldly, I'm unstoppable, I don't need armor because I'm what you criminals fear coming to get you no matter what"; in the movies, it says "I'm vulnerable and need to protect myself, I'm just a guy in a suit" - look at the way Batman fights crime in Batman Begins vs. The Dark Knight, one uses fear and the other uses brute force, one is sleek concealing its true nature while the other is obviously all about armored movement.

[andersonh1]

Same could be said for Spider-Man. His red/blue costume was originally designed with the mindset of using his powers to perform, not for crime fighting.

Which is consistent with the real design inspriation behind most of the old characters, circus acrobats.

I'm currently reading Gerard Jones' book about the creation of comic books, and he has some entirely different ideas about what inspired Siegel and Shuster to put Superman in a cape and colorful tights, namely some of the other fictional characters of the time that they enjoyed reading. Circus costumes may well have had nothing to do with it, despite that being the popular explanation these days.

Color is also a mindset, it's a statement that fighting these elements doesn't mean hiding in the shadows the way they do, but standing for something greater.

The costumes are almost like heraldry, like a banner shouting out who and what is stepping up to fight for their cause.

[Sparky Prime]

it's almost like Batman's costume in comics vs. in the movies saying different things: in the comics, Batman's costume is a mindfuck, it says "I'm otherworldly, I'm unstoppable, I don't need armor because I'm what you criminals fear coming to get you no matter what"; in the movies, it says "I'm vulnerable and need to protect myself, I'm just a guy in a suit"

The comics have also explained the bat-suit to be made of "Kevlar thread and carbon nanotube fibers" and/or sometimes that it's got a type of advanced flexible armor plating layered within the fabric of the suit. Basically a cheat to explain why it looks skin tight, yet has armor-like qualities similar to the suits in the films.

I'm currently reading Gerard Jones' book about the creation of comic books, and he has some entirely different ideas about what inspired Siegel and Shuster to put Superman in a cape and colorful tights, namely some of the other fictional characters of the time that they enjoyed reading. Circus costumes may well have had nothing to do with it, despite that being the popular explanation these days.

I've always heard that it was just easier and faster for the artists to draw the characters essentially naked, hence the skin-tight costumes.

[Dominic]

I'm currently reading Gerard Jones' book about the creation of comic books, and he has some entirely different ideas about what inspired Siegel and Shuster to put Superman in a cape and colorful tights, namely some of the other fictional characters of the time that they enjoyed reading.

Do you recall the name of the book? (It can go in my pile of books that I will get to at some point.)

The costumes are almost like heraldry, like a banner shouting out who and what is stepping up to fight for their cause.

It also makes them easy to spot, which might not be a good idea for a vigilante.

[andersonh1]

I'm currently reading Gerard Jones' book about the creation of comic books, and he has some entirely different ideas about what inspired Siegel and Shuster to put Superman in a cape and colorful tights, namely some of the other fictional characters of the time that they enjoyed reading.

Do you recall the name of the book? (It can go in my pile of books that I will get to at some point.)

Yes: Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book. It starts out as essentially chapters of biographies that follow Harry Donnefield, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and their lives as they grew up. It's a look at people as much as it is a history of the comics, which I've just reached. It's pretty good and well worth reading.

http://www.amazon.com/Men-Tomorrow-Geek ... 0465036570

It also makes them easy to spot, which might not be a good idea for a vigilante.

It depends. Some of them didn't want to be seen, and some very much wanted to be visible. Alan Scott designed a deliberately garish costume so he would be seen and be memorable, just to give one example. It's only the guys who operate by stealth like Batman who should stay away from the brightly colored outfits.

[Sparky Prime]

It's only the guys who operate by stealth like Batman who should stay away from the brightly colored outfits.

What about something like Spider-Man's black costume? I think there was maybe one issue where he used it for stealth, but then he realized the big white spider on it was a giveaway. But anyway, given the popularity of that costume while Spidey is also known for his red/blue suit, I think it goes to show heroes don't necessarily have to be in bright colors.

[andersonh1]

It's only the guys who operate by stealth like Batman who should stay away from the brightly colored outfits.

What about something like Spider-Man's black costume? I think there was maybe one issue where he used it for stealth, but then he realized the big white spider on it was a giveaway. But anyway, given the popularity of that costume while Spidey is also known for his red/blue suit, I think it goes to show heroes don't necessarily have to be in bright colors.

I don't think any of us have said every superhero must be in bright colors. But there's nothing wrong with the fact that 90% of them are in brightly colored outfits either.