Can I say this..I’m genuinely disappointed with the new Superman outfit. I know that some will say that I’m too much of a purist and that with the DC ‘New 52’ initiative change is needed, but there’s something different about Superman.
Superman has always been a personal favorite of mine. Clark Kent and Matt Murdock (Daredevil) regularly battle for the title of ‘my personal favorite superhero’. And unlike Daredevil, who has a rather classic origin himself (having debuted in 1964), Superman is an American icon and holds a place not only in comic book history, but pop culture history. There’s something different about Superman in my eyes. To me he’s…more important because of his history.
For those that aren’t up to speed, DC Comics is currently ‘relaunching’ or ‘rebooting’ 52 of its biggest comic books. Everyone, from big names like Superman and Wonder Woman all the way to lesser known characters like Static Shock and Blue Beetle will go back to issue #1 . Officially DC says the reason for the relaunch is to make it easier for new readers to jump into a book, which I totally understand. As someone who only recently tapped into the comic book side of my geekdom, some of the books that were on issue 700+ were intimidating and the prospect of having to read through years worth of trades was daunting. Unofficially, many comic experts are saying the relaunch is an attempt to boost lagging sales. Either way, if you’re a comic book fan this is the story of the year.
Along with the relaunch of the stories comes some retooling of the outfits. The biggest retool is the garb of the man of steel. When it comes down to it, I understand that the outfit isn’t what makes Superman as special as he is…but it does play a part. Superman has to be the most visually known Superhero in the western world, if not one of the best known characters in media history. The classic Superman suit is iconic, it’s Americana and it’s a graphic representation of the best part of American culture.
Admittedly, I’m a purist when it comes to some things. I know that everything has to evolve to survive. It’s why Superman was killed in the mid 90s; DC had to make Superman relevant in a world that had changed since the 1940s and 50s. By his very nature, Superman is an incredibly difficult character to keep fresh because nothing hurts him. He’s invincible to everything except kryptonite, so what kind of tension can you really have when he’s fighting a big bad? Writers learned to put those close to Clark Kent in the line of fire as a way to increase tension, but Lois Lane can only get captured so many times before that, in and of itself, gets old. When Doomsday killed Superman, it showed that he could be hurt, he could be killed and he wasn’t completely invincible.
But it’s been nearly 20 years since then, and I guess Superman is getting out of touch again…
Ever since its first appearance in Action Comics #1 in 1938, that suit has been the jumping off point for all superheroes after it. This is a double edged sword when you think about it. It means that the suit is iconic to the point that nearly every superhero since the late 30s is based off Superman. In turn, it means that Superman is like the old Atari 2600 game ‘Adventure’. All RPG games since Adventure’s release in 1979 took from that classic game, but not many people are satisfied with playing Adventure today. Not when games like Portal and Uncharted are readily available.
Characters like Batman have passed Superman in popularity, and Kal-El has to do something to get readers to identify with him again. Part of that process apparently involves ‘updating’ his suit. It definitely has a more modern look. It has that textured look that many superheroes have nowadays (this started with Brandon Routh’s Superman in Superman Returns). The red bottoms are gone to make the whole suit look sleeker and the outfit now comes with armor (why a man that’s invincible needs armor…I don’t know). The new suit isn’t just for the comic books though; Zack Snyder’s Superman movie The Man of Steel seems to be taking its cue from the new school as well.
When all is said and done, the stories are what makes Superman…I understand that. The Suit doesn’t define Superman, but I believe it’s a big part of what made him the cultural Icon he is. Nearly every kid put a pair of underoos over his (or her) pants at one point with a towel around his neck pretending to be Superman. Those days are now in the past. DC, I’m going to trust you. I’m going to have faith that you’ll be able to relaunch Superman for a new generation, while keeping him true to his roots.
But when I have kids, I’m still showing them how to put their underwear outside of their pants and tie a towel around their neck.
Zak Grim is a freelance writer, podcast host, producer and all around geek. You can follow him at @ZakGrim and www.ZakGrim.com.
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