This is a thread to talk about character design.
Design Discussion Thread
- This topic has 294 replies, 22 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 6 months ago by
.
Author
-
-
Sounds like Anders fell down the stairs. Again.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Sounds like Anders fell down the stairs. Again.
He actually fell UP the stairs because, you know, Anders.
2 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
5 Superhero Costume Redesigns That Worked (& 5 That Didn’t)
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
Speaking of weird 90’s costumes, here’s a question? What’s a costume you liked (90’s or not) that everyone hated? =P
I have 2… the first one was the “deathsrtoke reborn” costume, I really liked what they did with the mask design and the darker colors (the green bits in the image below are supposed to be brown or grey), I thought he looked more like a ninja assassin badass and less like a spandex pirate weirdo…
And my second one is armored Daredevil, also from the 90’s… this one really only worked when Scott McDaniel drew it, particularly because at that point he was aping the shit out of Frank Miller (and I LOVED it, btw), but under any other artist it kinda looked like shit.
Also: I really wish McDaniel stuck with that style, he really produced some inspired art during that period.
-
-
Yeah I’ve always liked that Daredevil costume too. Nightwing’s there is pretty decent aside from the belly diamond.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
Oh man that nightwing costume is a great example… xD
I really don’t like it, although I dig the gold wings bit… but the rest is just too 70’s and I don’t really like the light blue… but again, great example… I can see why people love it.
Funny, I think it was precisely McDaniel who designed his next look, which was a lot more streamlined and modern…
I liked that costume too and completely agree about McDaniel’s art. His art was so ahead of his time during that period.
Well I don’t know if he was ahead since he was literally aping Miller, but it sure was a very cool style. I guess we should also give props to the inker(s) who might’ve also contributed a lot to the style, and at the very least did all the heavy lifting =P
Personally, I’d have switched the red and black parts.
mmm I don’t know if it’d work, because of the metallic bits… buy maybe… I would get rid of the neck red accents, they look weird. and I’d just make the metallic armor bits less spiky and overtaking, a more smoother fit I suppose…
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
The costume Joe Madureira (?) designed for Scarlet Witch around the time of Avengers: The Crossing:
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
I always liked this version of the Wasp’s costume, even though I know it’s objectively kinda stupid (why have one leg bare right to the crotch?!). George Perez has this great ability to design naff costumes that you go with as long as he’s drawing them but look terrible if anyone else draws them or you think about it too hard.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
I have a vague memory of a Wimbledon controversy where a female tennis player wore an outfit with one bare leg.
But I can’t remember who or when… possibly I’m completely inventing the entire incident.
But anyway, let’s assume for the moment that it really did happen, and that’s proof that it’s a suitable costume choice for a female super-hero
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
That Scarlet Witch one is actually pretty good… would probably look better with a more modern touch.
The Sue “window boob” one is so ridiculous that it’s a classic at this point xD
And that’s a no on the Wasp one… it’s not even the puzzling one legged thing… none of it works, it looks like what an ice-skater would wear.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
I always liked this version of the Wasp’s costume, even though I know it’s objectively kinda stupid (why have one leg bare right to the crotch?!).
Ask Jessie J
-
A lot of 90s costume redesigns were either ridiculously impractical or over-sexualised, but this one managed to give us a classy new look that is definitive as far as I’m concerned.
Fun fact: Paul Ryan (RIP) once said after he designed that costume, his wife made him sleep on the couch.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
after he designed that costume, his wife made him sleep on the couch.
…while she changed into it?
-
-
You’re probably thinking of Malice, Byrne’s BDSM look for Sue when she was possessed by the Psycho-man.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
Well it’s supposed to be every evil cliché you can think of, the polar-opposite to wholesome Susan Richards, so in that sense it works. It even has a gimp mask!
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
It looks… breezy.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
about Evs’ video: i ask the same question but i don’t care to listen to some bitter old comicsgater’s response
edit: did not realize there was another page.
About Wasp: she was trying to be a fashion designer so she had a number of impractical costumes.
Malice was a intangible mutant who also possessed Lorna Dane.
-
-
I always liked this version of the Wasp’s costume, even though I know it’s objectively kinda stupid (why have one leg bare right to the crotch?!).
Ask Jessie J
That smile really screams “KILL ME NOW”.
-
I kinda liked the costume US Agent started wearing around the time Force Works debuted. Perhaps his first costume since his Super-Patriot costume not to look like Steve Rogers’ hand-me-downs:
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
I mean, I don’t necessarily hate his “new” costume:
It’s more the fact that he’s all of a sudden super skinny for some reason… oh and the “US” on the shield is a no-no.
I still think a more modern rendition of the OG design works best. It’s actually a pretty cool Cap-alt costume, so they should just stick with that, something like this:
His worst costume was definetly when they turned him into a Judge Dredd wanna-be…
-
I always liked this version of the Wasp’s costume, even though I know it’s objectively kinda stupid (why have one leg bare right to the crotch?!).
Ask Jessie J
That smile really screams “KILL ME NOW”.
Or “I was drawn by Gary Frank”.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
Huh… maybe I missed some character development, but somehow “Damian” and “fashion icon” are two things that don’t fit together.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
Oh that’s a nice design.
-
-
"They’re not nearly scared enough. But they will be." #scarecrow new design, hope u like it, friends! @tomeu_morey colors🔥
March 2. #DCInfiniteFrontier
And #batman #106
@thedcnation @DCComics pic.twitter.com/ARFTL5IyCI— Jorge Jiménez (@JorgeJimenezArt) February 2, 2021
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
I think it is an interesting take on Scarecrow. the fingers especially.
That part reminds me a little of the version from the Arkham videogames.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
"They’re not nearly scared enough. But they will be." #scarecrow new design, hope u like it, friends! @tomeu_morey colors🔥
March 2. #DCInfiniteFrontier
And #batman #106
@thedcnation @DCComics pic.twitter.com/ARFTL5IyCI— Jorge Jiménez (@JorgeJimenezArt) February 2, 2021
His head looks like a cross between a hedgehog and an aardvark.
And with the needles on his hands, it must be hell going to the bathroom.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
And with the needles on his hands, it must be hell going to the bathroom.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Aka the Freddy Krueger Dilemma.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
I like Booth’s art but this is a mess. That said, who thought it was a good idea to bring back those ugly original x factor uniforms? Basic colors and giant Xs, ugh!
-
-
Who’s the douchebag with the backwards cap?
Adam-X:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Adam_Neramani_(Earth-616)
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
I always liked this version of the Wasp’s costume, even though I know it’s objectively kinda stupid (why have one leg bare right to the crotch?!).
Ask Jessie J
That smile really screams “KILL ME NOW”.
Or “I was drawn by Gary Frank”.
It’s kind of fascinating how certain people look like they were drawn by a certain artist.
John Kerry looks like he was drawn by Carlos Ezquerra.
And Matt Smith is a Frank Quitely character who walked off of the page.
-
-
-
DC’s reimagined Static has an electric new look
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22299790/static_design_DC_Comics_2021_milestone.jpg)
Kinda looks like his costume from Season 3 on of Static Shock.
-
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
A closer look at Quinones’ designs reveals a joker that looks a lot like Prince who did some music for that Batman movie.
-
See how the X-Men glow up for Marvel’s version of the Met Gala
https://ew.com/books/x-men-marvel-hellfire-gala-preview/
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
As this is in conjunction with a riff on the Met Gala, the outfits are quite appropriate. Outfits worn by guests (usually celebrities) for the Met Gala are known for being outrageous and over the top. Google “Met Gala Fashion” and look at pictures of actual outfits. You’ll see that the X-Men attire would fit in quite well.
That doesn’t mean the X-Men and actual outfits aren’t ugly though…
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
Which is your preferred Captain Britain costume and why?
I’m a huge Alan Davis fan, but I could never get onboard with the costume he designed. I get his point that the original costume wasn’t a good representation of Britain (the lion is more English than British) but his costume is just a bit much. The flag on the chest AND the helmet (which is in itself ugly) makes it all too complicated, and as for those thigh-high boots… the less said, the better! I get that they’re supposed to be inspired by the Royal Horse Guards, but they also wear this monstrosity on their heads.
The original is a classic costume, IMO – even the wavy hair looks good (in a 1970’s kind of way…) and the sceptre was just cool!
-
-
Has he worn another outfit that might be better?
There have been minor refinements to the Alan Davis costume that tried to make the union flag on the helmet more abstract rather than literal, but the only other outfit I’m aware of is this one. No mask/helmet at all which is kind of lame.
-
Which is your preferred Captain Britain costume and why?
-
I can’t be objective in this. Davis’ CB is a touchstone for me in reading superhero comics. If I see CB drawn by Davis at any time my day gets happier, emotionally for me it’s perfect.
Also the old one is very English and I don’t like that aspect either.
I know practically it’s pretty hard to draw the helmet bits so Davis himself did this simplified version when he worked on Excalibur:
-
Which is your preferred Captain Britain costume and why?
I’m a huge Alan Davis fan, but I could never get onboard with the costume he designed. I get his point that the original costume wasn’t a good representation of Britain (the lion is more English than British) but his costume is just a bit much. The flag on the chest AND the helmet (which is in itself ugly) makes it all too complicated, and as for those thigh-high boots… the less said, the better! I get that they’re supposed to be inspired by the Royal Horse Guards, but they also wear this monstrosity on their heads.
The original is a classic costume, IMO – even the wavy hair looks good (in a 1970’s kind of way…) and the sceptre was just cool!
The one on the right.
I like the way it sort of takes the Union Jack design and turns it into a “X,” which is appropriate for the leader of an X-Men offshoot team. (Being an American, my first experience with Captain Britain was in Excalibur.)
-
The simplified Davis is my favorite followed by the MI 13. MI 13 doesn’t really need a helmet and it got rid of the boots which is a plus.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Can we agree that this is his worst look?
4 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
Good Lord. I hesitate to ask but… what was the context for that?
The 90s.
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
-
Ah, Scott Lobdell. Excalibur is one of those series where if Alan Davis wasn’t drawing it, it never happened in my head-canon.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
My golden rule with Excalibur is if one of the names Claremont, Davis or Ellis are not in the credits then it’s going to be dogshit.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Can we agree that this is his worst look?
Yes, we can.
Damn, that picture is just SOOO 1990s in every possible way. And that’s not a compliment.
-
Damn, that picture is just SOOO 1990s in every possible way. And that’s not a compliment.
Needs more pouches if you ask me.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
For 1990s comic book art, I think it’s pretty good. There is a background with details in it, the bulges represent real muscles you can find in a real human, the foot is connected to the ground.
The suit however, is horrible. And it must look really boring on some distance, when it’s just red with some black lines on it.
-
This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by
.
-
This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by .
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
This reply was modified 3 years, 9 months ago by
-
-
-
This one is…okay:
-
-
-
Jumbo Carnation himself though is a creation I love. Great name and look for an outrageous fashion designer. Is he a Hickman era invention or appeared before that?
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
-
I checked the Marvel Wiki page, it is in Grant’s run (New X-Men #134) but he’s introduced and dies in the same issue. He obviously had an impact on someone and the resurrection protocols brought him back.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
-
-
“Superheroes whose costumes got it right the first time!”
1: Superman, who hasn’t worn his original costume since about 1939.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
2.
-
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.