Why can't characters keep their classic look?

[Dabrikishaw]

New looks aren't a bad thing to have.

[Personamanx]

Because designers like to design. Most comic book artists have if not an aptitude for design, the drive to do so. They look at a character's costume whether it be well designed and memorable or Liefeldian and say "Let's see if I can make this a bit more interesting" if not for the audience or editors then for themselves (Drawing the same design over and over again for an extended period of time drives one to madness). Sometimes these designs stick around for a while and are beloved, sometimes they disappear without warning, sometimes they are drastic departures from what came before, and sometimes they are just a variation on the themes already present.

[Kuwagaton]

For sure. Not that people associated with design can't go without redesigning something, though.

Because someone in The Tracey Ullman Show's staff saw the concept sketches and thought that the ugly sketch was what Homer was actually supposed to look like, so they didn't bother cleaning his design up.

Yeah, that's an example. You get what I mean!

Or you should.

[Black Angel]

because stagnation is a bad thing.

[Coin Biter]

Well, sometimes a redesign works, for the character, or for the story the writer wants to tell. I really like Cyclops' new look, for example. It's a little preposterous in some ways, but so what - it's striking and individual and suits Bendis' current run. It helps that Cyclops hasn't had that many great looks over the years. I'm sure that many would disagree.

On the other hand, it mystifies me somewhat why artists would choose to alter, even to the most minor degree, one smidgeon of Neal Adams' classic Havok costume, which IMO is a fantastic, striking costume.

Clearly it's all subjective

[captchuck]

Only cartoon characters maintain their same look for decades. It is natural to change ones clothes once in a while.

[Sirzechs]

I don't think i need any words

[AJBopp]

You can't really expect new/young readers to have a good appreciation for the costumes that defined their dad's - or granddad's - eras. When they get older they may develop a respect for earlier eras, but every generation wants their own look. Sometimes the changes are good (Adam Warlock in the 60s and 70s), sometimes they are horrible (black Spider-man suit or bulgy-eyed McFarlane Spider-man classic suit), and sometimes just needless and disappointing (new52 Superman and Batman). But they define a new generation's view, and give each generation their own hero identity.

[Electricmastro]

Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Nightcrawler still have their classic looks.

Not quite with Daredevil, as shortly after the Bart Hill-esque multi-colored Daredevil costume debuted, it was completely changed to red.

[Citizen Kane]

Because change is good? Because it is, you know... Having a character wear the same thing for 30+ years would definitely get boring and tiresome.

Spider-Man has been wearing the same costume since his inception (The black suit could have easily never reached print if it wasn't for the efforts of one lucky fan), with minor details being changed artist to artist. I don't see anyone getting tired of the look.

Change doesn't mean it's good, especially when it's bad.

[Digifiend]

Most of them do keep their classic look, just like they keep their classic status quo, but sometimes the editors and writers change things up. Characters almost always wind up going back to something resembling their classic look, and any attempts to change it radically - like giving Wonder Woman pants - doesn't last. The purpose of changing the costume is to shake things up and get readers talking about the new look, but eventually they go back to the classic look, sometimes leaving out the most impractical stuff (though I wouldn't rule out Cap getting his booties back someday). Think of it as sort of a vacation from the status quo.

And yes, "underwear on the outside" will come back, because it always comes back. It's such an iconic part of the Superman/Batman image that it will come back someday.

You're right, it did. Thanks, Bendis...

[SuperiorIronman]

It's worth noting that as art changes so does the fashion. Art is not something that sits in a void, it's something that changes rapidly and unexpectedly. So the costume a character debuts in isn't necessarily going to be something that sticks around. It's also worth noting that other people come into the industry at different times who come from different art backgrounds and possess different biases as it comes to the art. So your artist might view an outfit as outdated and either update it or redesign it in its entirety. It's just something that happens. It also helps the writer as getting into a character's head can actually be a bit easier if something is a bit more personal to that run. It can also occur for story reasons like Iron man's numerous changes in armor sometimes reflecting the necessity of the story and for one reason or another it just stuck around.

But as it comes to existing alternate costumes, writers and artists don't share tastes in the outfits since they can find these stories and art pieces in different ways at different times. Somebody who likes the 90's Wolverine outfit might've come in at Death of Wolverine and happen to like the outfit so much that they reuse it or it inspires another costume. People just don't really share the same biases as to what if the classic appearance for some characters.

[JudicatorPrime]

I would just like to state that my first exposure to Luke Cage was that particular version, in an issue of X-Men where he teamed up with Storm (in her original costume, which is arguably one of the most awesome costume designs ever), fending off drug addicts in New York, and I thought those two were the epitome of bad@$$. So I understand the desire for characters to keep their old looks.

But it just doesn't resonate with new readers. It would be suicide for Marvel to do it. I mean, can you imagine if all the X-Men wore the original 60s outfit? There never would have been that 90s Wolverine costume.

Actually, the appeal of Xavier recruiting the then "new" X-Men members of Storm, Thunderbird, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, et al., was that they were very much adults with established individual identities. Sure, he could have psionically coerced them into wearing a team uniform, but eventually the stronger willed in the group like Wolverine and Storm would have found out about it and fried Xavier's behind for treating them like kids.

[Gaastra]

, but they were present(often in detail you did not notice at first glance). Example how it is exactly the patern of the wep on Spiderman costume? And the Spider on his chest, how big it is, and the size of his "eyes", and the waist line, and the space between his gloves and the blue part of the arm, web shooters insider or outside? Is red and blue or red and blakc, and what type of red and blue then?

Don't forget he had webbing in his armpits also!

[danielsan52]

I don't think i need any words

To me that looks awesome.