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

[mrbrklyn]

Trunks

[Ascended]

"Timeless" yes.

"Modern" no.

And the idea that an opinion on one small element of the character accurately reflects opinions on other aspects of the character is a terrible fallacy.

[JAK]

Trunks

Maybe trunks are just a HUGE fashion staple in most of the universe, and *Earth* is the backward mudball?

I'm cool with that.

[Killerbee911]

But it is also true. The design is very modern, and Superman will outlast the Sentry. It is your idea of modern that is the fault here.

Tell that to comic book industry.Just an example what stuff in era look like

60-70s Domino mask,Capes and trunks
80s Spandex and Leather
90s Extreme era
2000s Hoodies and Kevlar

Superman design isn't modern it has elements that modern comic design doesn't use like Capes and Trunks. Words have meaning a 60 Dodge charger looks cool as hell still to day and you can say the design was ahead of its time but a 60s Dodge Charger is not "Modern". Superman basic design and color scheme timeless you can set it down in any era(after some small tweaks) and it will look good because his costume is very good design. My idea of modern isn't at fault I mean literally definition is

"relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past"

So no strongman based design is not related to the present,Present era comics have a different design philosophy and many heroes have been redesign with current philosophy like a Green arrow. Many elements of Superman's suit and his general design is timeless I can agree but once it has trunks and cape it certain isn't modern those thing point back to specific era. I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this point.

FWI: What ? Trunks were literally phased out until Superman was the last hero from the big 2 wearing them I don't get why mentioning heroes who never wore trunks is relevant .I can do a role call of some heroes who use to wear them like Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Batman, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Robin ,Bucky,Thor,Vision,hawkeye, MarVell, Antman, Captain America, Fantastic four and X-men. I will just stop there how many of those guys are wearing trunk now? Hell even the old iron man design had trunks.

[mrbrklyn]

Tell that to comic book industry.Just an example what stuff in era look like

60-70s Domino mask,Capes and trunks
80s Spandex and Leather
90s Extreme era
2000s Hoodies and Kevlar

Superman design isn't modern

Yes it is, and it is really not debatable. Modern fashion began in the 1920's along with off the shelf clothing. It is driven by frequent marketing, design changes, pushed by marketing, and shows much of the human form, rather than covering it as was the case before modern fashion. It is shear, because it is easily replaceable, and can be cleaned by machines. As a result, it uses what is referred to as modern fabrics that aren't washed once a month by hand. It is driven by today's modern fashion industry. That is fashion history and the fashion industry. Nw it might change in the near future if we get closer to individualized clothing, clothing that doesn't need washing, etc. But we have been stuck with modern clothing since CoCo Channel and nothing has changed in this regard other than the sweat shop where the garments workers are abused.

As a fact, Superman's uniform is not just modern, but it is ultramodern!! to the extreme.

[mrbrklyn]

Because the version hailed as the "iconic" isn't the only which exists, and that one of the many versions happens to be the one which managed to make this character not only sufferable, but loveable to me. The version from 2011 up to 2016, if it helps you... And because I also take aimes at the idea that Superman is iconic, because I find that if the Reborn story is indicative of what it entails for the rest of the DCU, it's a very bad thing to have him hailed as its core.

So, yeah, the so-called "iconic" version, despite hat its fans may proclaim is just that : so-called.

Gee Gad. What would have done if Superman had long hair. He would be declared a seconded rate bit character and relegated to Dark Horse.

[Osiris-Rex]

Gee Gad. What would have done if Superman had long hair. He would be declared a seconded rate bit character and relegated to Dark Horse.

[mrbrklyn]

[mrbrklyn]

Tell that to comic book industry.Just an example what stuff in era look like

60-70s Domino mask,Capes and trunks
80s Spandex and Leather
90s Extreme era
2000s Hoodies and Kevlar

Superman design isn't modern it has elements that modern comic design doesn't use like Capes and Trunks. Words have meaning a 60 Dodge charger looks cool as hell still to day and you can say the design was ahead of its time but a 60s Dodge Charger is not "Modern". Superman basic design and color scheme timeless you can set it down in any era(after some small tweaks) and it will look good because his costume is very good design. My idea of modern isn't at fault I mean literally definition is

"relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past"

So no strongman based design is not related to the present,Present era comics have a different design philosophy and many heroes have been redesign with current philosophy like a Green arrow. Many elements of Superman's suit and his general design is timeless I can agree but once it has trunks and cape it certain isn't modern those thing point back to specific era. I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this point.

FWI: What ? Trunks were literally phased out until Superman was the last hero from the big 2 wearing them I don't get why mentioning heroes who never wore trunks is relevant .I can do a role call of some heroes who use to wear them like Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, Batman, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Robin ,Bucky,Thor,Vision,hawkeye, MarVell, Antman, Captain America, Fantastic four and X-men. I will just stop there how many of those guys are wearing trunk now? Hell even the old iron man design had trunks.

Maybe it would be more modern if he ran around without socks and flip flops

[Vakanai]

Yes it is, and it is really not debatable. Modern fashion began in the 1920's along with off the shelf clothing. It is driven by frequent marketing, design changes, pushed by marketing, and shows much of the human form, rather than covering it as was the case before modern fashion. It is shear, because it is easily replaceable, and can be cleaned by machines. As a result, it uses what is referred to as modern fabrics that aren't washed once a month by hand. It is driven by today's modern fashion industry. That is fashion history and the fashion industry. Nw it might change in the near future if we get closer to individualized clothing, clothing that doesn't need washing, etc. But we have been stuck with modern clothing since CoCo Channel and nothing has changed in this regard other than the sweat shop where the garments workers are abused.

As a fact, Superman's uniform is not just modern, but it is ultramodern!! to the extreme.

Fashion history is, well, history. No one considers the 1920s modern. Modern for most people refers to at the very least this millennium (and preferably, you know, the current decade). And the trunks don't fit with that definition of modern. Also it's a drawing, so the whole modern material so it can go through the wash doesn't matter.

[Osiris-Rex]

Fashion history is, well, history. No one considers the 1920s modern. Modern for most people refers to at the very least this millennium (and preferably, you know, the current decade). And the trunks don't fit with that definition of modern. Also it's a drawing, so the whole modern material so it can go through the wash doesn't matter.

Most men don't wear capes either. Most men don't wear spandex out in public. If we want to modernize Superman, put him in blue jeans, a T-shirt and athletic shoes. Otherwise we are just finding excuses to ditch the classic costume.

[Ascended]

Maybe it would be more modern if he ran around without socks and flip flops

.....that's not really a "modern" fashion either.

I mean, we know flip flops existed as early as 1500 BC, and the basic design hasn't actually changed very much at all. And I'm pretty sure wearing socks with your flip flops was never actually fashionable. Though I'm not a fashion guy so I could definitely be wrong about that.

[Jim Kelly]

Culturally speaking, the modern period was the period between 1860 and 1970. After that comes post-modernism. Whether we're still in the post-modern period is debatable.

In terms of fashion in western clothing, all the designs and cuts are essentially the same as in the 1920s. Fashion just mixes up those diffrent cuts--recycling the same ideas. New fabrics make it possible to do more with the designs, but it's hard for me to think of any new trend that is completely original and hadn't already existed.

Of course, this has nothing to do with comic books, as they are two dimensional and use colours in ways that we would never use them in the real world. Comic books are not supposed to be reality--that would be impossible--they are a figurative art form, meaning they are metaphorical not literal, using symbolic images to represent an impressionistic viewpoint.

To insist that comic books have to accord with some objective representation of the real world is like putting a boot on your Ferrari. Why would you want to limit comic books and prevent them from doing the one thing they do so well?

[Osiris-Rex]

And if we are trying to make Superman look modern, why does he still have a cape? Almost every superhero no longer has a cape. Even Catwoman discarded her cape back in the 1980s.
I don't buy it aids in aerodynamics because Iron Man and lots of other characters fly just fine without a cape.

[mrbrklyn]

Fashion history is, well, history. No one considers the 1920s modern.

Excuse me but your opinion is contradicted by historical facts. The modern era started in the 1920's more or less. You really need to understand the scope of history and your relationship to it. The ever changing fashions that you mark decades by is a hallmark of the modern era, post-industrial revolution western society which is STILL in full bloom despite repeated warnings over the decades that tre West and Modern culture is dying and coming to an end. Superman's uniform or outfit is very very modern, very Western, and squarely fits into the current context of our living culture.