Off THEIR Minds: What's a More Practical Costume?

Comic book creators are asked to choose between spandex, leather or jeans & a t-shirt.

By Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero | April 13, 2011

The superhero costume is a big deal for new characters. Besides the superhero name, it's the costume everyone will remember. It fast becomes a major part of defining who the hero is or will be.

Design and color are important factors to consider but there's something that might be more important in terms of having a costume you'll be comfortable living with and fighting crime in. What type of material should the costume be made from? Superhero costumes started out mainly being made from spandex. Soon the move to leather costumes was made (probably partly due to durability and partly due to looking cool). Recently there's been a trend of just wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

At C2E2, several comic book creators were asked what was the more practical costume. Here are their answers.

Off THEIR Minds: What is the More Practical Costume?

Comic book creators are asked to choose between spandex, leather or jeans & a t-shirt.

86 Comments

matthulizon April 13, 2011 at 12:09 a.m.

The Incredibles costume!!!

http://matthuliz.multiply.com/

Iron_Turtleon April 13, 2011 at 12:26 a.m.

Can a giant mecha be considered a costume?

Grimon April 13, 2011 at 12:31 a.m.

Superboy MADE the Jeans and T-shirt cool again. I know one of the Starmen and a couple of others dabbled in the Tee&J's for a while, but Conner did it back in 03 or so, and since then its been all over the place.
Just one more reason why Con deserves more recognition than that farce on Young Justice.

Backflipon April 13, 2011 at 12:33 a.m.

Yeah, realistically, the Kevlar suit that the X-Men wore during Grant Morrison's tenor were the most practical for their line of work.

isaac_clarkeon April 13, 2011 at 12:41 a.m.

Jeans and a T shirt are fine depending on the power set. Without Super Human Durability or at least a healing factor it's absolute insanity for someone to play hero without some durable better attire.

Pokeysteveon April 13, 2011 at 12:55 a.m.

I don't think you can generalize. Depends on what kind of hero you are. Superman can wear whatever the hell he wants because odds are it's not getting damaged and the stretchiness doesn't matter. Some one like Black Canary or Huntress or even Batman, who rely heavily on martial arts are going to need something flexible enough to perform some of the moves. One of the things about Wonder Woman's new costume I hate. People say it's more practical. Well no it isn't. She's a fighter and if she kicks her leg up high enough those pants are going to split right up the crotch. Which is fine but I still hate the costume.

This is what they need

Soldier zeroon April 13, 2011 at 12:59 a.m.

In my mind a costume to be practical must comply to several requisites:

Comfortable: nobody want to wear something that itch or in any other way create problems
Washable: Stains and battle dirt are among the most common problems a superhero might face and not every hero has a dependable English butler to help him
Easy to manufacture/repair: superhero costumes tends to get ruined a lot, so being easy to repair of replace is a paramount consideration. This is partially counteracted by the next point
Durable: a costume must be able to endure tons of stress and damage, without tearing or ripping (especially in embarassing places)
Unhindered: especially for high mobility heroes a costume must not hinder their mobility in any possible way

Aside from that there are considerations about how iconic the design is etc.

Of all the choices mentioned above leather is probably the worst being durable but not much else. Under many conditions lather is as comfortable as a straight-jacket and even under the mobilty angle it doesn't work well. And good luck repairing it or removing the stains.
Spandex is a bit more forgiving, but it has other problems in terms of being subtle, spandex tend to come in very bright colors and is generally very light reflecting, making a character dressed in it a very easy target.
Jeans and t-shirt are a good choice from several point of view, but they lack the toughness of a proper costume.

Harlekinon April 13, 2011 at 1:12 a.m.

Superboy went from looking like a superhero to looking like Superman's biggest fan.

tonison April 13, 2011 at 1:30 a.m.

interesting thought all comic lovers have had to have pondered no doubt.

Practical is a double edged sword. My guess is the artist has controlled a lot of that in what works best for them, as the writer isn't likely to care as much what the suits made of.

That's gotten a lot more complicated as we've introduced TV and movies into the mix as now you've got prop designers and budgets rearing their heads in and all of it influences a look for a character be it good or bad.

In animation I think the sky is the limit on suit design. Anything can be made believable with the right creativity behind it. For live action, it's going to take the SUPER creative to translate what we've grown up with for many years reading into something as exciting seeing 'realistically'.

darkcloakxon April 13, 2011 at 1:59 a.m.

wear a symbiote suit. that work right it can change clothes for you. that will work right guys?

Eyzon April 13, 2011 at 2:04 a.m.

Usually, you won't have a costume that is practical and that would look good/iconic enough. And vis-versa.

EnSabahNurXon April 13, 2011 at 2:12 a.m.

I say a very flexible nanofiber with leather accents(used like padding) and maybe segment the nanofiber around joints and add spandex for flexibility but spandex should blend with nanofiber XD lmao

Oh and head to toe leather is way too heavy and constricting, you're gonna end up breathing heavy and die after a short jog

But i say if u can rock the jeans and a tee then do it I would XD

Radreadon April 13, 2011 at 3:14 a.m.

I get how the costumes reflected the times and work. I,however have hoped that Superboy would go back to a regular costume again of some type and ditch the black shirt and jeans.

NightFang is online on April 13, 2011 at 4:50 a.m.

I like Gail Simone's and Nick Spencer's answers.

ltbrdon April 13, 2011 at 4:52 a.m.

@Pokeysteve:
So wait, Wonder Woman having pants isn't practical because they could split when she kicks but wearing a leotard is? There is a reason why gymnasts use a resin spray to keep their leotard in place......because it wouldn't stay in place otherwise.

Under that logic Bruce, Dick (as Nightwing and Batman) and Tim (as Robin and Red Robin) should have been ripping their pants all the time, especially Dick as he's more of an acrobatic fighter than both Bruce and TIm. Yet they don't and they wear pants.

dorsk188on April 13, 2011 at 5:02 a.m.

I have to say the X-Men during Morrison's run were pretty well done. Bold broad colors, iconic, but clearly made from practical materials (except Emma). The protection usually came from overcoats and jackets, while the shirts were clearly more comfortable (except Emma). Basically it was biker gear with bright accents (except Emma).

It was an impressive accomplishment considering that most X-Men had a unique, realistic look, but everyone still seemed to be part of the team (except Emma).

ltbrdon April 13, 2011 at 5:02 a.m.

The "unstable molecule" costumes of the Fantastic Four are the best idea for a costume because even though it looks like spandex its far more durable.

But I think the costume of the hero (or villain for that matter) has to be based around the idea of a secret identity. The X-Men and Fantastic Four don't have secret identities so they have no need to wear a costume underneath normal clothing and can fight without a costume. This could apply to some members of the Justice Society too because you never see the majority of them working normal jobs anymore.

So if you don't care about having a dual life I'd say go with something a bit more durable like kevlar and/or leather in the same vein as Grant Morrison's X-Men run.

If you want to keep a secret identity and job than you almost need to go with spandex to wear under normal clothing....such as Superman and Spider-Man. I wouldn't put Batman into this category because he generally only goes out at night or at least a planned time so he could go back to the cave or keep a spare at Wayne Enterprises (more along the lines of the Nolan films).

DC characters just need to convince Hal Jordan to let Bruce, Steel, Mr. Terrific and the other genius heroes get some specs on his power ring in order to duplicate the energy costume creation the Green Lanterns get to have. Than they can costumize the devices to belt buckles and such for guys like Superman. Batman would still need to go back to the cave to get his utility belt and gadgets though.

-Eclipse-on April 13, 2011 at 5:15 a.m.

Think is, I don't see most superhero costumes as actually being made of spandex. Just looking at the art, it doesn't make sense to me that it's spandex. Like, when you see a hero get beat up, usually their costume gets ripped. When that happens, you can see quite clearly that it is made out of some kind of fabric, not stretch, super-tight rubber. Spider-man is an example, his costume is clearly not made out of spandex.

NickyFingazon April 13, 2011 at 5:21 a.m.

underpants...or no underpants?

oldgumon April 13, 2011 at 5:27 a.m.

Modrox's

X-Factor # 216

Recent Reviews

Review
The magazine returns with a second volume. There's a lot of Millar movies updates plus comics that you may or may not have seen as well as articles and interviews.
Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison -- Part 1
Review
An all-new story told from the perspective of an Imperial Cadet that might even leave you rooting for Darth Vader.
Review
The Voodoo Queen discovers the secrets of her history, the Voodoo Court and more in the latest issue of this Vertigo series.
Shock to the System, Part Two
Review
Get ready for some suspense, heavy duty action and not one, but two crazy twists. This is Captain America on a mission. Brubaker and Zircher are unleashing the Captain America action here.

First Impression: BEFORE WATCHMEN Limited Series We visited the DC Entertainment office to get an early look at all 7 BEFORE WATCHMEN limited series. That's right, we've read all the #1s (and some of the #2s)!
Comic Book Wallpapers for the New iPad Finding the best wallpapers isn't easy. Here's a bunch and what you need to know to make your own.
Off My Mind: Will the DC Universe Be Rebooted Again After Flashpoint? Is it really that crazy of an idea?
Off My Mind: Defeating Teen Heroes Through Their Hormones Why isn't this 'weakness' exploited more often?
Off My Mind: Should Mary Jane Gain Superpowers? Having powers could help them stay together.
San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Cosplay Gallery The official Comic Vine cosplay gallery, with 1100+ cosplay photos from San Diego Comic-Con 2011. Enjoy.
Off My Mind: Should Superheroes Keep Trophy Rooms? It's cool to keep villains' memorabilia but how safe is it?
Off My Mind: What if the Punisher Shot an Innocent? It's his job to punish the guilty but what if he became guilty himself?

Marvel Announces Landmark X-Men Marriage [Spoilers] The wedding you never thought you'd see is finally here.
First Look At Marvel's CAPTAIN MARVEL #1 Get a peak at Ms. Marvel as the new Captain Marvel in this four-page preview of the upcoming series.
10 Comics to Buy This Week: 5/23/2012 Our recommendations for this week in comics.
Best Comic Book Covers of the Week: 5/18/12 This week Spidey, FABLES, and CONAN THE BARBARIAN make our list; what's on yours?
'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Pushed Back to March 2013 to Add 3D Looks like COBRA will have a longer period to plan their attack against the Joes.
Even More 'The Dark Knight Rises' Movie Posters If the reveal of yesterday's latest Batman movie poster wasn't enough, here are six more for you to feast your eyes on.
Genesis: Mutantkind's Next Great Savior, Or The Next Apocalypse? Is the future of Genesis' character predetermined, or is there a chance he won't eventually become Apocalypse?
First Look at AMC's 'The Walking Dead' Season 3 The next season is said to be "harder, darker, faster, deeper."

Marvel Announces Landmark X-Men Marriage [Spoilers] The wedding you never thought you'd see is finally here.
First Look At Marvel's CAPTAIN MARVEL #1 Get a peak at Ms. Marvel as the new Captain Marvel in this four-page preview of the upcoming series.
Genesis: Mutantkind's Next Great Savior, Or The Next Apocalypse? Is the future of Genesis' character predetermined, or is there a chance he won't eventually become Apocalypse?
Even More 'The Dark Knight Rises' Movie Posters If the reveal of yesterday's latest Batman movie poster wasn't enough, here are six more for you to feast your eyes on.
'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Pushed Back to March 2013 to Add 3D Looks like COBRA will have a longer period to plan their attack against the Joes.
Are Videogame-Based Comics Worth Reading? It's a GameSpot-Comic Vine team-up as we get gamers and comic fans to assess titles based on Mass Effect, Gears of War, God of War, Halo, and the NES-era Nintendo lineup.
Off My Mind: Why Batman Incorporated is a Good Idea Batman taking his war to a global level has been questioned by readers but there are reasons why it has become necessary.
Awesome Art Picks: Avengers, Thanos, Hawkeye & More The coolest comic art you won't see in comic books.

Comic Vine News

Off THEIR Minds: What's a More Practical Costume?

Comic book creators are asked to choose between spandex, leather or jeans & a t-shirt.

Dig Deeper into Gail Simone

Quick Look: Joy Ride Turbo

Quick Look: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

Are Videogame-Based Comics Worth Reading?

Are Videogame-Based Comics Worth Reading?

Off My Mind: Using Imprisoned Villains for Dangerous Government Missions

Off My Mind: Using Imprisoned Villains for Dangerous Government Missions

First Impression: BEFORE WATCHMEN Limited Series

First Impression: BEFORE WATCHMEN Limited Series

Comic Vine Weekly News: 05/18/12

Comic Vine Weekly News: 05/18/12

Comic Vine News

Off THEIR Minds: What's a More Practical Costume?

Comic book creators are asked to choose between spandex, leather or jeans & a t-shirt.

Dig Deeper into Gail Simone