You're going out wearing THAT?? (Bad comicbook costume design)

[marhawkman]

cheap labor?

[GrizzlyBearTalon]

markhawkman, find some links, post some examples!  I wanna see the trainwrecks! 

Moving on...

He's a chicken, I tell ya'... A GIANT CHICKEN!

At first, I thought this character was designed as a joke.  After reading his entry, I'm not so sure as it sounds pretty dark and serious - adept of Necromacy and voodoo, human sacrafice, zombies, deals with death and all.  Heck, they even used him in Marvel Zombies so I hear.

Too bad he dresses like a giant chicken.

Okay..."rooster", but still.

Behold the Mighty Black Talon

I think Deadpool sums it up really well here
(note, the above was from my first comic exposure to the Black Talon, hence why I thought he was 100% gag based. )

Chicken man got a new suit... that never stopped Deadpool from harassing him though...

Spoiler

If that is what he looks like now, I like it honestly.

However since this is about goofy costumes!

[Gremlin]

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/7192/liefeld42pg.jpg
That is a PERFECT example of what I was talking about earlier.

*lols at the many insane comments*

*reads the 40 picture Liefield suckitude*

It is SO much fun to hate him. I mean really.... I don't get how he became a professional artist.

Yeah, it boggles the mind that the man got a job in the first place...but what really can make you crazy is trying to figure out how he managed to work SO FREAKING MUCH.

I don't care about the visual aspect myself, since I view comics for the stories and characters more than anything else (shut up, Scott McCloud). But that's no excuse.

Also, I love how this thread is rapidly turning from "crappy costumes ahoy" to "Rob Liefeld sucks pouches."

[thanoson]

No, he just happens to make horrible costumes as well

[thanoson]

Umm... what is wrong with Charlie up above? That is, uh, hmmm.... uh.... wow.

[Glitch Girl]

Well, the fact is, Liefeld is responsible for a whole lotta crappy costumes, including the whole "Big shoulderpads, pouches, 'n guns" movement.    It some ways it's too easy to find Liefeld stuff to pick on.  

Griz: Who the heck is that in the middle?  The Might Barrlel?

[GrizzlyBearTalon]

Well, the fact is, Liefeld is responsible for a whole lotta crappy costumes, including the whole "Big shoulderpads, pouches, 'n guns" movement.    It some ways it's too easy to find Liefeld stuff to pick on.  

Griz: Who the heck is that in the middle?  The Might Barrlel?

Those are apparently the earliest appearances of the Guardians of the Galaxy. So that would make the barrel man Charlie-27.

So from left to right:
Major Victory
Charlie-27
Martinex
Yondu

[daglob]

As I remember, Charlie didn't look quite like that inside (and Vance didn't have blue arms, either).

[Panther_Gunn]

As I remember, Charlie didn't look quite like that inside (and Vance didn't have blue arms, either).

That's actually from the cover of Astonishing Tales #29 (Apr 75), which was a reprint of the Marvel Super-Heroes! Presents: #18 (Jan 69) seen here.  The Astonishing Tales cover was recolored to fix obvious errors (such as Yondu), but apparently introduced errors of it's own.  The next appearance I can find for them is Defenders #26 (Aug 75), by which time, they mostly all look like they did for quite a while after that (at least until getting their own title in the 90's).

[daglob]

The original cover makes it look more like Charlie is wearing a space helmet, but neither colorist was exactly sure what he was doing.

[Glitch Girl]

Not a comic but comic related, and probably the CLASSIC example of how NOT to do a superhero costume
Too Icky

[BentonGrey]

Ohh the humanity!

I've got one for you:  The Human Flying Fish!

http://www.comictreadmill.com/CTMBlogarchives/2009images/HumanFlyingFish-thumb.jpg

Definitely not one of Aquaman's best villains, although the redesign a year back wasn't too bad.  He still needed a name change.

[marhawkman]

Yeesh, both of those are horrible. The robin is good, though.

[BentonGrey]

Yeesh, both of those are horrible. The robin is good, though.

Two words: Nipples.  Codpiece.

[Glitch Girl]

Yes, the Bat cod-pieces are disturningly pronounced.  The only reason the Robin costume is slightly better is it's based on Nightwing's costume at the time, which was simple but pretty cool.  The silver spattered all over the place (legs, groin, arms) make it so busy and non-stealthy, and the molded nipples do not help.

[JeyNyce]

Yes, the Bat cod-pieces are disturningly pronounced.  The only reason the Robin costume is slightly better is it's based on Nightwing's costume at the time, which was simple but pretty cool.  The silver spattered all over the place (legs, groin, arms) make it so busy and non-stealthy, and the molded nipples do not help.

I'll 1 up ya GG

http://filmonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/halle_berry_catwoman_hq_001.jpg

[thanoson]

eww...

[Glitch Girl]

Oh gads, Jey...

I SO hate that costume.  It reminds me of a hairless sphynx. 

You can't see it in that picture Jey posted, but she's got open-toed heels on.  Opened-toed, as in "stub your toe when you kick someone" opened-toed.  I look at this thing and go "oh COME ON!!!" 

[thalaw2]

That Catwoman costume ain't all that bad considering who's wearing it....

[Gremlin]

That Catwoman costume ain't all that bad considering who's wearing it....

Okay, Halle Berry is a fox but that costume just looks slutty.

[DrMike2000]

That Gene Colan Guardians of the Galaxy is pretty classy. I love the way Yondu appears to be wearing just a pair of red shoes and a strategically placed bow and arrow. What a noble savage!

And yeah, it took a couple of views to realise that Charlie-27 wasn't wearing a helmet.

[BWPS]

That Catwoman costume ain't all that bad considering who's wearing it....

Okay, Halle Berry is a fox but that costume just looks slutty.

Well, she IS a comic book character and that goes with the territory. All of these are pretty slutty/manslutty:

Here are some bad designs
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Superman.jpg
What is that cape attached to?
Not so much a costume as it is just paint n' undies. Seriously, I think people will be able to tell you're muscular by the planet-moving without you having a magic shirt that is skintight, but also somehow surrounds every single muscle. It's paint, I know it is! The outside undies might seem silly at first, but I am glad he has them after seeing:

http://loknar54.com/images/NewFlash-Allen1.JPG
Fantastic genitals, there. Thank you so much for sharing. I hope he isn't vulnerable to yeast infection. I'm sure that being able to move faster than the speed of light is helped by those ears making him aerodynamic. But the real question is how does he put that thing on? The face-hole certainly isn't big enough for him to fit through and that lightning bolt certainly isn't a belt. I assume that he has to rely on his ability to vibrate his molecules to go through solid objects to put on his costume every time he wears it. Now that seems like such a hassle (and is just so impossible), So maybe just carry a bucket of paint. Or go naked since we can see everything anyway.

http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/wonder-woman.jpg
Making Catwoman look like a nun is Wonder Woman. She's from the Amazon or ancient Greece or something, but wears an American flag so she'll fit in with all the fourth of July-themed strippers. She also wears Armor to protect her wrists and she can put those over her face. Meanwhile someone shoots her in her giant legs. Her job is to fight super-villains.

http://people.ucsc.edu/~jkli/Batman-color.jpg
Why is the utility belt yellow? The whole costume is designed to NOT be seen at night and he somehow manages to have a yellow utility belt. I've never even seen a store sell a utility belt in that color. I'm pretty sure most of them are black or brown to begin with. He went out of his way to get the worst possible color for a utility belt. And unlike Supes or The Flash, he can't use his super speed to squeeze into his costume, so he's just wasting time he could be spending fighting crime, in the lab, or sleeping. Just kidding, he doesn't sleep.

http://xrayvision.today.com/files/2009/01/martian-manhunter.gif
The straps and underwear and boots all just scream colorful S&M. Which is cool if that's what he's into, I personally WOULDN'T wear it to work. He's normally a naked Martian, then he comes to earth and to fit in, he shapeshifts into this?! Was the first place he landed the tour bus after a Queen concert and thought that's how humans dressed? It really makes one react to the name Manhunter with less of a "run, he's a tough superhero!" into "run, he thinks we have purty mouths!"

[marhawkman]

Bats HAS worn grey colored belts in the past. :p

WW's outfit is apparently some sort of magic armor forged by Hephaestus. too bad she didn't get to choose the style. but yes, the whole my-costume-is-a-one-peice-bathing-suit idea is lightyears beyond tired.

[Gremlin]

BWPS you straddle the line between comedian and troll...

[GrizzlyBearTalon]

Bats HAS worn grey colored belts in the past. :p

WW's outfit is apparently some sort of magic armor forged by Hephaestus. too bad she didn't get to choose the style. but yes, the whole my-costume-is-a-one-peice-bathing-suit idea is lightyears beyond tired.

True somewhat but Wonder Woman did it first, and if she didn't she at least popularized it... so meh. I've still not been able to figure out why someone who is bulletproof needs bullet reflecting bracers? I guess she just wants to practice for when someone actually shoots something dangerous at her?

BWPS you straddle the line between comedian and troll...

Gotta admit BWPS post had me rollin'. Still though the only reason I've been able to uncover for underwear on the outside is simply to break up the color scheme on Superman, Batman, Aquaman, etc. My question is... what is it? Panties? A kevlar "junk" protector? Or is it just a different colored part of the tights and not really a seperate piece?

I guess Batman with all the women he's punched over the years decided "No one kicks Batman in the jimmies! That won't be my Bat-Weakness."

[daglob]

Supposedly, the whole undies on the outside thing is becasue the original costumes were based on the costumes of curcus acrobats. I don't recall acrobats wearing their undies on the outside, but...

And it too awhile of reading old GA Wonder Woman stories to realize that she isn't wearing a swim suit; she is wearing a corset, spike-heel boots, short pants (or a girdle), and slave bracelets. Fredric Wertham wasn't completly wrong (just 99.999999999999999...%), although William Moulton Marston probably knew EXACTLY what he was doing.

[GrizzlyBearTalon]

HAHA! I KNEW IT!

[BentonGrey]

I've always hated WW's costume.  It's completely ridiculous.  I HAVE seen versions that make it look like actual Greek armor, with the bloomers replaced with a "skirt" of leather strips, a-la such armor.  Ohh, and originally she wasn't exactly bullet-proof.

Anyway, I unabashedly love most of those costumes...can't say much.  I DO hate the Aquaman costume with the black underoos...only person who could make that look natural was Aparo.

[ink]

I am love this thread, this makes me want to do a contest where you redesign some of this stuff.

[daglob]

Where is the challenge in that? Now, you really want a CHALLENGE, make 'em worse.