Superman's Red Trunks Return in Action #1000

[Frontier]

I guess Tyler Hoechlin and Henry Cavill should get ready for a makeover .

(Though Hoechlin is probably more likely to make a re-appearance then Cavill at this point).

[Thor2014]

It was good seeing the red trunks back. Seeing Jim Lee's pic kinda made me think of a modern day Curt Swan Superman. I am not one to say Superman's gotta have trunks, but it is good to see them back on the Superman outfit.

The one thing I will say in favor of the trunks is that they provided a whole splotsch of red that along with the yellow belt broke up what would pretty much be a sea of monotonous blue.

[Osiris-Rex]

I guess Tyler Hoechlin and Henry Cavill should get ready for a makeover .

(Though Hoechlin is probably more likely to make a re-appearance then Cavill at this point).

At least on Supergirl they acknowledged that at one time Superman wore the red underpants over his costume.
There was a scene in the episode "Midvale" where young Kara was in the serving line at the high school cafeteria
and two jocks behind her were laughing about them. Kara looked like she was about to heat vision them when
Alex stepped in and shooed them off.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

People have expressed dislike at Captain America's Boy Scout persona as well.

Uh, not really. The same "boy scout" personality is present in his comics and his movies, and he's more popular than ever.

Clark not doing anything about President Luthor for most of that story arc also might contribute to the government stooge reputation.

Not deposing a democratically elected President immediately after he was elected just because you don’t like him doesn't make anyone a government stooge. It means they actually, you know, respect democracy.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

I dunno, I think most artists (particularly in his solo) draw it pretty streamlined or seamless.


And I think that worked really well.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

I think the Reborn look is 10x better then these redesigns in capturing Superman.

I pulled those examples because I think DC would never use those (nor would the fans support them). But, unlike the costumes post-Flashpoint, they at least accounted for the lack of trunks by incorporating more red elsewhere or, in the Electric Blue case, found another way to break up the blue.

[SuperCrab]

Being born in the 1980 something won't somehow make it make sense that he's okay with wearing a giant blue suit and a cape because he's still operating in 2018. Regardless what he wears is ridiculous in 2018.

There's an inherent ridiculousness to the superhero concept that we just kind of go along with because its fun. However, there are degrees. Why would a Clark who was born in 1980 or 1990 makes sense to me wearing the blue suit and the cape, but not the trunks?

Well, if you're in the military, you have a uniform. Police officers and firefighters have uniforms. If Clark grew up watching television, he may have seen Star Trek: The Next Generation, where the science and medical officiers essentially wore one piece blue suits. Its not necessarily even 100% clear that Superman doesn't have a separate shirt and pants with his belt covering up the seam between them. Granted, Clark isn't in some group that requires a uniform, but a uniform for one guy makes sense in his case as it serves to both distinguish his appearance from his reporter persona (Which he doesn't want discovered), and makes him identifiable to good guys and bad guys alike the second he arrives on a battlefield or a crime scene so that no unfortunate accidents occur and people can rally to him. The "S" crest is the family crest of the House of El, adopted from his ancesters, and is a bit like how someone in the army has their country's flag somewhere on their uniform.

The cape is a bit less normal for this day and age, but one could see it adding flair in a way that doesn't seem at odds with the character. In the New52, the cape was also a shield that he could hide people behind to protect them from flames, bullets, etc.. It also might help him be identifiable as it flutters in the wind on his way in.

The problem with the trunks from a modern Clark is that a modern guy would just see it as underwear on the outside. Now, I could actually see a superhero character using that in his costume even having been born in the last 20-40 years, but it'd be a character who was trying to call attention to one of his secondary sexual characteristics. A guy who's a bit flamboyant and wants to show off (I don't necessary mean gay, it could be a heterosexual guy also). Does Clark Kent as a character seem like the type who'd design a costume to call attention to his *ahem* manhood? I think the reporter side of him would blush at something like that, and the superhero side would view it as out of step with the image he was trying to project.

In 1938, it made perfect sense because strongmen wore trunks like that. A Clark Kent born in 1900 might come up with something like that. A Clark Kent born in 1988 would find it embarassing- either because it looks like he's wearing his underwear on the outside, or because it seems like an over the top attempt to draw attention to that region of his body. Realistically, it'd also be commented on a lot within the fictional DC Comics universe- some people would make fun of it or have trouble taking it seriously, others would ask just what he's trying to say by putting those on. It also has the real life effect of making the character seem a bit more hokey than necsssary, and difficult to present as a badass.

[16andCanadian]

If you hate the trunks you hate superman period. Seriously the only people complaining about this change aren't actual superman fans.

These are the fans that thought superman was lame and him removing the trunks and going edgy in new 52 was a step in the right direction.

Even then they never bought his comics. Superman fans themselves stopped buying his comics because DC was chasing an audience that had already decided they thought superman was uncool. I mean does anyone remember DCYou trying to ground superman more by mostly depowering him?

Now that DC is catering the actual superman fans back the entitled "fans" are complaining about superman looking old school and lame again.

Yeah no, I don't understand why every hero has to be "taken seriously". Superman had a look that worked for decades.

[GreatKungLao]

Meh, I liked this design well enough



It was a perfect combo between Man of Steel and classic look merged into one.

Even though I grew up on Superman The Animated Series, 80s comic book stories, JL Animated Series and Superman movies with Christopher Reeves, I still can't understand what is the big deal about red trunks. Why people can't embrace costume changes, epsecially when they are so minor? It's like people have really weird obsession about moving backwards almost everytime when it comes to Superman. When Man of Steel happened, people wanted to go back to 1978. When red trunks disappeared, they wanted to go back to the past century again. I mean, past happened and nobody can it take from history now, you can rewatch Superman 1978 and read stories where red trunks are featured, but how about allowing people to keep moving forward and try touch different grounds with same character?

It's not like anything is permanent in comic books anyway. One way or another something will be taken away in current continuity from people who enjoyed that or another...

[Netherman14]

I guess Tyler Hoechlin and Henry Cavill should get ready for a makeover .

(Though Hoechlin is probably more likely to make a re-appearance then Cavill at this point).

Not that likely actually, at best Cavill will start wearing the Reborn costume for the movies from now. but he won't be wearing the underoos.

Superman_Vol_4_20_Textless.jpg

[Korath]

With the increasingly-obvious necessity of rebooting the movie-verse, this seems like an opportune moment to show the audience that the Superman they've always wanted to see is here again, with nothing more than a movie poster.

As if casual peoples would go and watch a film with Superman in his underwear... The only way it could happen was if it was titled The Lame of Steel...

[titansupes]

The trunks worked for 75 years. Same with his happy, "boy scout" disposition. All the most popular and iconic versions of him carry these features. The various redesigns and gritty re-imaginings in both comics and film have all but collapsed over the last 7 years. DC have finally given into gravity and just made Superman look and act like Superman again, which is all the public have ever wanted.

[adrikito]

WOW... This is now a discussion between people who say..

I WANT THE RED TRUNKS..and another people: RED TRUNKS AGAIN? WHY?

But we know that if someone makes a POLL.. I WANT TRUNKS(90-95%) win against NO TRUNKS(5-10%) in this forum...

[Agent Z]

Uh, not really. The same "boy scout" personality is present in his comics and his movies, and he's more popular than ever.



Not deposing a democratically elected President immediately after he was elected doesn't make anyone a government stooge.

I said people have expressed dislike over it. I never said he wasn't popular.

[The Learner]

As if casual peoples would go and watch a film with Superman in his underwear... The only way it could happen was if it was titled The Lame of Steel...

Why wouldn't they? It is not like the whole world knows Superman's costume has changed and he no longer wears trunks. Vast majority of people on the planet (from countries where western comics aren't available at all) still don't know Superman changed his costume. I am from one of those countries, and the population of my country alone is much higher than the combined population of the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. The image that comes to the mind of those "casual people" when the name Superman is mentioned is of post crisis Superman who wore the trunks. That is by faaaarrr the most popular and recognized look of the character. As another user said above, it worked for 75 years and there is nothing saying it wouldn't work anymore. If the movie is good, people would come and watch it regardless of the costume the protagonist wears in it.

[Barbatos666]

I favor the trunks completely now. Was hesitant at first but its true that Superman costumes from New 52 and onward have barely lasted. Might as well go with something that endured.