I have a question regarding Superman and the red trunks...

[TheSupernaut]

For those that like them? I ask why? There's no malice behind this question and I'm not looking to start a heated debate or anything I'm just genuinely curious. I know my perspective is a little different from most Superman fans. I've been reading comic books since 2003 but I didn't really become a Superman fan until 2013. During that era there seemed to be a real emphasis on making his costume alien in origin and I really dug that. Nowadays it's shifted back to what I assume him wearing a suit from earthly materials which is fine, I know there's an appeal there, there's probably a much larger subset of fans that prefer him with the trunks than without, but still I ask...what's the fuss? Why does such a small detail seemingly make or break a Superman costume for many people? Discuss.

[KC]

The red trunks make the costume look more balanced (the red belt helped a bit but I don't think it was enough), they have been a part of his look for so long that I just think he looks right with them, they are like the spit curl and the red cape to me.

[Kuwagaton]

Honestly, even though I have always loved the "classic" costume it's not because I like the design elements. I just think it's way too important to extensively alter. I don't really mind if you change the shape of his shield or the cut of his boots or give him cuffs at the wrists, but for the very most part I think you have to present him as he's always been.

[RepHope]

The common excuse is “they help break up the blue”. Of course the Reborn suit showed they’re not necessary for that purpose. I think the “real reason” is nostalgia. That’s how Supes has always been so that’s how people want him to look. It was weird seeing him without them at first, but once I adapted to it I didn’t really notice. Now it’s weird that he has them on again, but I’m already adjusting to their return.

[Jon Clark]

First, the costume survived almost 75 years without a major alteration. The trunks were part of the suit in 1938 and never came off outside of periods where a suit everyone knew was temporary was worn. It gives that look a sort of nostalgia and iconicness. Losing the trunks doesn't feel as much like updating the suit as much as someone trying to put their own stamp of the character. It's like doing a total redesign on the "S" where it feels more like someone trying to separate their "new take" from the character's history.

Second as stated above the costume just looks too generic as a solid blue outfit with just the insignia and a belt. I could see losing the trunks if they did something like Kon-El's first costume where the lower half was a different color (maybe not red if we're keeping the cape). I still would have preferred keeping the trunks, but if it had to change I'd still have preferred something be added to offset the loss of color there.

Third as for the alien-ness, the costume has gone back and forth over the years. Originally it was assumed to just be a regular outfit. Then it was said to be made of some super-fabric that Superman created. For much of the Silver/Bronze Age it was said to be made from the fabric from blankets he was wrapped in when leaving Krypton with the belt and the boots also being made from materials in the rocket. Byrne had the suit designed by the Kents and made from Earthly materials made more durable by a skintight field. Secret Origin added in that Martha based the costume design on images she had of how Kryptonians dressed. So the New52 suit might have removed the trunks but nothing about that change was unique in making it alien.

[Jim Kelly]

Since this subject keeps coming up and always generates a lot of discussion, it should probably be a sticky.

[ERON]

You could just as easily flip the question around and ask those who want to get rid of the trunks "Why the fuss?" If the trunks are such a "small detail," why are so many people so passionate about getting rid of them? If they've been there from the beginning, why not just leave them alone? If you're going to get rid of the trunks, why stop there? Why not get rid of the cape, the shield, the boots, the hair, and so on?

[Vakanai]

You could just as easily flip the question around and ask those who want to get rid of the trunks "Why the fuss?" If the trunks are such a "small detail," why are so many people so passionate about getting rid of them? If they've been there from the beginning, why not just leave them alone? If you're going to get rid of the trunks, why stop there? Why not get rid of the cape, the shield, the boots, the hair, and so on?

Because none of those things resemble wearing underwear outside your pants.

[TheSupernaut]

You could just as easily flip the question around and ask those who want to get rid of the trunks "Why the fuss?" If the trunks are such a "small detail," why are so many people so passionate about getting rid of them? If they've been there from the beginning, why not just leave them alone? If you're going to get rid of the trunks, why stop there? Why not get rid of the cape, the shield, the boots, the hair, and so on?

Well I can only speak for myself, but the trunks seem dated to me. And I don't see what this whole argument of "needing the red trunks to break up the blue"is about. I mean both of the present Flashes suits are red and no one is complaining about any color separation. I guess it's a pointless argument really. Classic Superman fans seem to be getting what they want at the end of the day.

[RepHope]

First, the costume survived almost 75 years without a major alteration. The trunks were part of the suit in 1938 and never came off outside of periods where a suit everyone knew was temporary was worn. It gives that look a sort of nostalgia and iconicness. Losing the trunks doesn't feel as much like updating the suit as much as someone trying to put their own stamp of the character. It's like doing a total redesign on the "S" where it feels more like someone trying to separate their "new take" from the character's history.

Second as stated above the costume just looks too generic as a solid blue outfit with just the insignia and a belt. I could see losing the trunks if they did something like Kon-El's first costume where the lower half was a different color (maybe not red if we're keeping the cape). I still would have preferred keeping the trunks, but if it had to change I'd still have preferred something be added to offset the loss of color there.

Third as for the alien-ness, the costume has gone back and forth over the years. Originally it was assumed to just be a regular outfit. Then it was said to be made of some super-fabric that Superman created. For much of the Silver/Bronze Age it was said to be made from the fabric from blankets he was wrapped in when leaving Krypton with the belt and the boots also being made from materials in the rocket. Byrne had the suit designed by the Kents and made from Earthly materials made more durable by a skintight field. Secret Origin added in that Martha based the costume design on images she had of how Kryptonians dressed. So the New52 suit might have removed the trunks but nothing about that change was unique in making it alien.

They’ve done that many, many times. The “iconic” S-shield he has right now is a redesign.

[DrNewGod]

I like the classic look, but that's mainly a matter of appreciating the unique status that Superman enjoys as the first and longest running character of the superhero genre. That said, I didn't greatly object to Lee's redesign of the costume, except he made most of the JL look like they were wearing variants of the same costume.

Aside from the artistic effects mentioned elsewhere, Superman's design was originally intended to elicit images of circus acrobats and strongmen, who often wore trunks over skin-tight bodysuits for modesty's sake (as an aside, there's a hilarious bit in the pilot episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman dealing with that). So the trunks made sense given the 1938 origins of the character.

The trunks made less sense when writers retconned Superboy's costume as being made from the invulnerable fabric blankets in which Laura had swaddled Kal-el before shooting him off to Earth, but they just stayed with them. It made sense to forgo the trunks given the story that Morrison and Lee wrote in the Nu52 relaunch, as the costumes were originally just the clothes you'd expect a poor reporter to have access to, and then an alien body armor.

So I like the trunks, but I can see why we might ditch them.

[KC]

The common excuse is “they help break up the blue”. Of course the Reborn suit showed they’re not necessary for that purpose.

In my opinion, the red belt helped break-up the blue a bit, but it did not work that well and the trunks break up the blue better.

[Jon Clark]

They’ve done that many, many times. The “iconic” S-shield he has right now is a redesign.

That's why I said a total redesign. Something closer to the "energy Superman" symbol or the original "S in a yellow badge" rather than the slight refinements and artistic adjustments made to the "S" over the years.

[Minerboh]

I do not mind if he keeps the red trunks or they remove it in the future.
What i really despised was that crappy armor he was wearing during the New 52.

[TheSupernaut]

I do not mind if he keeps the red trunks or they remove it in the future.
What i realy despised was that crappy armor he was wearing during the New 52.

I feel like his Reborn suit was DC finally figuring out how to make a trunksless Superman suit work. That said, how do you guys feel about Henry Cavills suit?