Welcome everyone,

Xtremesteve here, and I should probably say I don't think DC sucks first and foremost. I love the characters and many of the stories, but from from this love I experience hurt week after week when I see sub-par art, stories, character arcs, and marketing gimmicks... I'm here to take a stand for us all!

Each Post I'll pick a new specific topic/issue to bitch and moan about. After I get off my soapbox, you can tell me how nuts I am or how much you agree. So let's get to it!

THIS WEEK'S SUCKDOM Focus:

Stupid Costumes

I know I'm not the first to blog about this, but it's such a major concern with DC that it is worth repeating. DC continues to have the mentality of an old man still clutching his DOS computer to play solitaire. The Justice League, by and large, haven't had a costume update in 40 years and many of their rouges gallery can go back further than that. Lets do a quick comparison:

THEN:

NOW:

Almost identical right? DC has been doing the painted on tights with outside underwear with belt accessory for far too long. Fashion made for a 60's comic strip is no longer viable in the robust modern superhero zeitgeist. Evolve or die, I say!

OK, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, so let's hit on the 3 rebuttals that are the most obvious:

1. THE COSTUMES ARE ICONIC. I disagree. The character 'brand' is iconic, not necessarily their threads. DC does Batman very well (most of the time) and his costumes have evolved quite inventively over the years. And every reincarnation carries the same theme but is often dramatically different in appearance. But as long as certain mainstays are present (pointed ears, bat insignia, cape, cowl, etc) the audience is bound to gasp when the Caped Crusader jumps onto the frame. No need for letters on our belt buckles kids....

2. ALL COMICS DO THAT. Again I disagree. Marvel (especially over the last ten years) has been updating costumes like madd and the fans are loving it. Spiderman in Iron Spider armor? hellz yeah Captain America in grey trimmed jump suit fatigues? Right on! The X-Men in all black leather?? Err... ok maybe not every change was for the best... but I think overall the risks Marvel has taken have really paid off. It's just another example of how DC is too timid to stir the pot a little. The Fantastic 4 is as old as some of the Justice League staples... look at how Invisible Woman evolved...

3. WHAT ABOUT THE NEW 52 DCNU UPDATE?? Yes, it's true, we did finally see Superman stop wearing the red diaper. And I do like the new Supes costume quite a bit. I'm glad it was done. I'm not as happy with Wonder Woman's changes however. I mean they did get Jim Lee to update her costume... but of all designers to choose, Lee is VERY 1991, and her update shows up. I mean she is wearing a black leather jacket! We haven't seen a bad ass in a leather jacket since Terminator 2! So we are still a couple decades behind. Wonder Woman is likely the MOST concerning because her character has such strong connections to sexual equality and has been unfortunately stuck in an arguably degrading swimsuit for decades. Losing battle armor and gaining tight leather may not have been the best move... But that is a separate issue. (Also am I the only one that notices the move from stars and stripes has now given her a red star soviet look instead?)

Still DC's revamp was not drastic. There have been some costume design trends developing (largely at marvel) that DC adopted simply because they are obviously popular and preferable and were very 'safe' and proven fashion evolutions. Again, they did not want to stir the pot. What edits am I talking about? Diagonal lines to enhance visual flow. no more straight boot cuts on the heroes calves. They all have curved pointed designs. Diagonals also replace the bulky belts at the waist. You see pointed gloves as well. And of course Marvel's popular Captain America jumpsuit costume with flowing trim lines that give less of a painted over muscle look was adopted.

These changes have been present for many years in other books. That includes Dark Horse, Top Cow, etc. DC was last on the swing on this one, and it's a shame, because they should be trend-setters! I guess what I'm saying is, "DC, it's OK to take some risks with our beloved characters, the fans will still love you. We give you permission!" So next time you feel like you're watching watching an episode of Mad Men when you're reading a JLA book, tell DC: YOU SUCK!

I disagree with the point of saying DC sucks because there are so many factors and ways to judge and the fact that it's COMPLETEly opinion but I do agree that Marvel's costumes are better the majority of the time . One reason I've just never been as big of a fan of DC is because most of the heroes have 1950's hair styles and the costumes are just too bland looking to me. P.S. I think cowboy boots are just as bad as pirate boots on comic characters. They'd be terrible trying to run and fight in. Makes no practical sense to have them. Also Wonder Woman was actually created by a man who was kinda a sexist perv so her character just has never actually match the true intent of her design.

Wow... you give Invisible Woman as an example, while disregarding many others.

What about Spiderman, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Daredevil, etc.? They still look mostly the same from their classic versions to current times.

Furthermore, by your logic, I could put Catwoman as an example and purely by that fact, I could say that DC has better costume evolution than Marvel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catwoman-ninelives-tpb.jpg

(Putting it as a link because I can't post pictures right now)

Oh, it's you again.

Hulk.... Really? He actually has changed his pants a few times plus had armor a few times now. The guy just doesn't have a costume to change but for gods sake his entire look constantly changes .

At least DC has interesting costumes unlike Marvel -.-

Disagree with OP, agree with ImmortalOne. You focus only on one character from Marvel in particular, and by extent the rest of the FF, but you fail to mention a lot of characters who have remained the same in all of the years of their creation. Hulk, Captain America, Spidey, they've all remained pretty much the same. Granted some of them, Spider-Man in particular, have changed but they always end up changing back. Spidey had the black costume, Iron Spider, the Future Foundation, and the Big Time suits, but he always goes back to the same design. So he essentially is doing what DC do with characters, Batman in particular.

I love both companies but for the past year or two, DC has been my go to company for comics. In fact, I wrote a blog on it months ago (not posting a link because it's old and boring) to explain the reasons for it. So don't say you speak for us all when clearly you speak for yourself, you sound like a tool.

Oh, and Spider-man example:

Then:

Now:

I think marvel has made way more small changes than DC has no matter if they kept them or not and even more Bruce Banner and Peter Parker look nothing like they did originally . Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent look exactly the same as they did in their first issue. The Hulk.? How many characters change skin color? Hulk doesn't have a costume but he has changed more than anyone .. Spiderman has had loads of little changes but nothing major that stuck. Cap wears a uniform not a costume . Changing him would be like taking the 'S' off superman's chest. It's just a big comic NO No for artist.. ...... Also Spider-man is very limited in what you can change. You can make him literally look like a spider but you can't toss combat boots and a trench coat on him because then he is no longer spiderman . Same goes for Batman and many others who have a very specific symbolism .

DC sucking based on the costumes of its primary characters??? That's a Very limited scope. This is someone who actually prefers Marvel comics, but DC has fantastic stories, you need to judge them by their writers, by the stories they tell and the overall art of the books. Basing it solely on their costumes is kind of ridiculous.

@http://www.comicvine.com/myvine/thevoiceofreason/.... Like who? Other than Batman. Most of them are one main color with secondary with cowboy boots on. Marvel has a lot of POUCHES!!! Pouches make EVERYTHINg cooler!

I second the Catwoman notion. I'm not even going to get into the Marvel vs. DC argument here, but DC has changed in the ways it should. I feel like the majority of characters costume changes have changed to be more realistic. High heels turning into boots, technology being embraced (which I'm not referring to the heroes that don't need technology), the whole "underwear over tights" thing isn't even prominent anymore.

Using Justice League Unlimited is a rather cheap shot considering the revamps in the individual costumes in their comics, regardless of the new 52. Hell, look at Wonder Woman. Although her new suit was under a lot of criticism, it is a hell of a lot more realistic.

None of the DC characters new looks render them unrecognizable (Minus Harley Quinn, shudder), which I feel like the drastic changes you seem to desire would do.

Once again, its all about opinions, doesnt mean dc sucks...

@Enosisik said:

Hulk.... Really? He actually has changed his pants a few times plus had armor a few times now. The guy just doesn't have a costume to change but for gods sake his entire look constantly changes .

Yes, and how have the changes affected him in the long run?

Take a look at classic Hulk. Take a look at current Hulk. Green skinned giant with torn purple pants.

....... Hulk looks nothing like the original Hulk other than being a muscle bound green monster... That's WHAT he IS! .. This topic was about costume changes and you're going on about things that are not supposed to or make no sense at all to be changed. Why don't you make Wonder Woman into an 8 foot tall black guy? ... Um cuz it wouldn't be Wonder Woman if you did that. It makes about as much sense to dress Hulk up in anything other than torn pants as it does to dress Superman in a mini skirt.

@Xtremesteve said:

I'm here to take a stand for us all!

Please don't.

@Xtremesteve: Did you not see the response of your last blog about this? No one cares about your rambling and you most definitely do not represent my views, let alone everyone else's.

@Lvenger said:

@Xtremesteve: Did you not see the response of your last blog about this? No one cares about your rambling and you most definitely do not represent my views, let alone everyone else's.

This came into my inbox and I was all like "oh man, this guy hates me."

lol

@inferiorego said:

@Lvenger said:

@Xtremesteve: Did you not see the response of your last blog about this? No one cares about your rambling and you most definitely do not represent my views, let alone everyone else's.

This came into my inbox and I was all like "oh man, this guy hates me."

lol

Really? That's odd. Sorry I almost came off as an angry fanboy!

@Lvenger said:

@inferiorego said:

@Lvenger said:

@Xtremesteve: Did you not see the response of your last blog about this? No one cares about your rambling and you most definitely do not represent my views, let alone everyone else's.

This came into my inbox and I was all like "oh man, this guy hates me."

lol

Really? That's odd. Sorry I almost came off as an angry fanboy!

People have said worse to me... much worse

I like the older costumes.

What...da...fuq? You're saying an ENTIRE comic company and their titles suck because of the lack of costume changes? That's it?

" and I should probably say I don't think DC sucks first and foremost"... yet, the thread title is, "Why DC Sucks!" ?????

There is zero merit or anything constructive being conveyed here at all. If you believe otherwise, that's a self-serving and delusional belief that can only be bred from the inter-webs.

I will predict Xtremesteve's next post:

"Why Archie Suxxx: The pages smell funny"

DC costumes> the way you dress.

@DarkKnightDetective said:

DC costumes> the way you dress.

Superman's Suit hasn't changed general color scheme that much but the actual design has changed many times, he currently looks nothing like his original design aside from the colors and cape

would it be considered trolling if i said "fail thread"?

I love DC, the only thing Marvel does better is movies and that's just now because Man of Steel will be great and the Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy was great! DC sucking because of their costumes, I personally think they are timeless and they have tweaked a little with the New 52 in a tasteful, subtle way. I guess I just have to disagree with OP.

this is by far the most asinine, ignorant and just plain untrue thing,ive heard today.

@ImmortalOne said:

Wow... you give Invisible Woman as an example, while disregarding many others.

What about Spiderman, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Daredevil, etc.? They still look mostly the same from their classic versions to current times.

Furthermore, by your logic, I could put Catwoman as an example and purely by that fact, I could say that DC has better costume evolution than Marvel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catwoman-ninelives-tpb.jpg

(Putting it as a link because I can't post pictures right now)

Hulk will look the same 1,000 years in the future xD

Change the title of this thread because you contradict yourself in the first few sentences. Furthermore Magnetos costume? talk about needing a redesign...

lol dc costums and comics are better than marvel's

@Enosisik said:

Hulk.... Really? He actually has changed his pants a few times plus had armor a few times now. The guy just doesn't have a costume to change but for gods sake his entire look constantly changes .

@TheVoiceOfReason said:

At least DC has interesting costumes unlike Marvel -.-

@ImmortalOne said:

Wow... you give Invisible Woman as an example, while disregarding many others.

What about Spiderman, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Daredevil, etc.? They still look mostly the same from their classic versions to current times.

Furthermore, by your logic, I could put Catwoman as an example and purely by that fact, I could say that DC has better costume evolution than Marvel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catwoman-ninelives-tpb.jpg

(Putting it as a link because I can't post pictures right now)

@TheCupcakeAvenger said:

Disagree with OP, agree with ImmortalOne. You focus only on one character from Marvel in particular, and by extent the rest of the FF, but you fail to mention a lot of characters who have remained the same in all of the years of their creation. Hulk, Captain America, Spidey, they've all remained pretty much the same. Granted some of them, Spider-Man in particular, have changed but they always end up changing back. Spidey had the black costume, Iron Spider, the Future Foundation, and the Big Time suits, but he always goes back to the same design. So he essentially is doing what DC do with characters, Batman in particular.

I love both companies but for the past year or two, DC has been my go to company for comics. In fact, I wrote a blog on it months ago (not posting a link because it's old and boring) to explain the reasons for it. So don't say you speak for us all when clearly you speak for yourself, you sound like a tool.

Oh, and Spider-man example:

Then:

Now:

Terrible

all of the main Leguers in the pictures you posted have either changed their looks several times or been replaced a character with a different costumes several times

I cay underwear on the outside is a good thing

streamline is just lipservice

Based on the costumes i say DC is miles ahead of Marvel. what i ahte about Marvel is that their costumes are useless. DC used tehnology and made the costumes have a reason but as Marvel is concernd the costume are purely a fasion statement. Lets look at spiderman daredevil, wolverine, captain america to some degree. they all have useless costumes. Daredevil in particular. Now lets look at batman (and Batman family) and most of the street lvl heroes. They all have armored costume BECOUSE you dont fight crime in your pijamas. and this was even before the new 52

This is the most bullshit post ive ever read, gg bumping it.

There's nothing wrong with dc the stuff that is wrong my delusional friend is you. Stop complaining dc is the best even marvel is copying the new 52. Frankly dc has been the best it has been a lot better than before. So go get a life stop complaining

@Illuminatus: I almost died reading this@Illuminatus said:

Oh, it's you again.

.

Wow, I haven't laughed so hard in ages, thank you kind sir.

Good troll, 7/10

In my opinion DC Comic Sucks badly. Superman, Batman, Wonder Women, Flash, And Aqua Man are the worst characters of all. Batman isnt even a real superhero. He many have more money then anyone but doesnt make him a superhero and just because he knows a few fighting doesnt make him a superhero. Wonder Women...LMAO she Uses Rope....Rope. Set it on fire and where done. Auqa Man....Worst Character even though of. U TALK TO FISH WTF. Enough said, Flash...Trip Him and see how "FAST' he gets back up. Superman...Oh God, Know what im going to paint a green rock and throw it at you, But seriously U can Die at Night Your not all that super and your weakness is what was made on your home planet...GET REAL.

This is adorable.

Who moves the"do not feed the trolls" sign again?

@knightrise: My Opinion, Not A Troll So Shh.

At least, DC never gave the bat mantle to the Joker, if you know what I mean...DC respects its heroes, that's why sometimes some people think (as a company) DC wasn't prone to changes (before New52).

I can agree on the costumes but that doesnt really mean that DC as a whole sucks

hahaha

Ha