2012 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives

May 21, 2012: Superman's 21st Century Redesigns

Superman Newsarama.com has published an article looking at the changes in the design of Superman's costume in recent years.

    Superman's suit has become iconic. Originally, it was simply a costume based loosely on that of a circus strongman of the same era, a suit to emphasize the character's strength and resiliency, with a cape that added dramatic motion when he leapt and flew. The S-shield was just that, a symbol with his monogram. Later on, the suit was said to be made of indestructible Kryptonian fabrics, constructed from fabrics placed in the rocket that brought baby Kal-El from Krypton to Earth. It was also shown that the Superman costume design was inspired by similar fashion on Krypton, so Superman was basically paying tribute to his heritage. The live-action film, Superman: The Movie, introduced the idea that the S-shield was an alien glyph, a seal of the House of El and Clark's family legacy. In the wonderful story Superman: Birthright, writer Mark Waid added another layer by saying that the S-shield was also an ancient Kryptonian symbol that meant "hope."

    Despite his longevity, Superman (like any longtime character) has had to evolve to appeal to new audiences and times. Many times in the past decade, people have also applied this to his uniform, seeking to update it for the 21st century. So without further ado, let's examine the past few years of modern takes on Superman's classic suit and where they came from.

Check out the entire article at Newsarama.com.



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