Today I want to talk about Super Heroes, particularly one aspect that makes a hero so, well, heroic. Almost as crucial to the actual Super Hero as its powers, is the hero’s costume. The Super Hero costume is the visual indication of the status of this vigilante. As Alan Moore proved with his legendary Watchmen series, super heroes need little more than tights to be super.

Super Tights!

Given the importance of the costume, we as consumers of the Hero genre, whether through comics, movies or television, understand that times change as so much the costume. Still, regardless of the many suits Tony Stark, Clark Kent, or Bruce Wayne actually wear through the years, we can still recognize them as Iron Man, Superman and Batman respectively. There is a degree of imagery that is accepted and helps build the identity of the hero.

Iron Man is always Iron Man

For some reason, the Smart Guys over at DC comics don’t understand branding or iconic imagery. At the end of June, it was announced that Wonder Woman, the iconic super heroin of the Justice League, would be receiving a completely new look. With the exception of Peter Parker’s symbiotic black suit, I believe this is the most drastic costume change of a comic icon in the history of Modern Comics. EVER.

Left, New Costume. Right, Old Costume

Left, New Costume. Right, Old Costume

Regardless on your personal opinions of feminism and Wonder Woman’s support or destruction of said movement, there are two important things you have to agree with: this suit neither 1. Remotely resemble the historic costume of old or 2. Look heroic. This “new characterization” of Wonder Woman would better be suited as an Indiana Jones sidekick than a member of the Justice League. Princess Diana literally looks like a teenager on her way to the Twilight premiere who has a fetish for whips. She no longer looks like she belongs among the ranks of Batman, Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter or the rest of the Justice League. Heck, Marvel’s Avenger’s Academy look like they kick more ass than this new Wonder Woman. Where is the iconic color scheme, where are the boots and the star spangled pants?

Justice League

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