Welcome to this week's 'Top 5 Friday'. Why in quotes? Well, that's because today's list isn't really a Top 5, but seven number ones. With Halloween in only three days, I watch my friends and family rush around to complete their costumes for the big day. It also made me realize that I realize that I hadn't made a 'Halloween' themed Top 5 this year. So today, I decided to rectify that by covering my favorite 'Costumes' of the Justice League. Yes, they can be considered uniforms but as the President of the United States stated in Volume 1 of Justice League, "In our darkest hour, these people donned their colorful costumes and went into action." With that in mind, this list will cover my favorite looks of each hero, in no particular order. I will be focusing on the seven members of the Justice League (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Cyborg), but characters who carry the Heroes name (Like Wally West or Alan Scott) could also be considered for this list. As always, this is an opinion-based list, so if you don't see anyone/thing you like, I apologize. Enough chit chat! Let's open up the Wardrobe and dive on in.
Superman- Classic
I’ll admit it. The red underwear on the outside of the suit is still silly after all these years, but it’s strangely iconic. When I returned to comics, it felt weird to see the New 52’s armor-like suit. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but when most people think of the Man of Steel, their minds tend to go back to the classic suit. Why? 1: It's colorful, using primary colors to have him pop off the page. 2: It's homey, capturing a homemade feel, rather than the more alien look that we've seen in more modern adaptations. 3: Despite the whole 'underwear' thing, the finished product of the suit looks amazing, and instantly recognizable. Combine all three reasons, and you have one of the most iconic outfits in all of comic-dom. It's survived over 75 years, and I expect it to survive for many more.
Batman- Beyond
This is a little bit of bias, as I grew up with the protector of Neo-Gotham, but over the years I actually began to think of the design and how risky it was in design. How can one make a futuristic Batman suit that was fresh but still captured the badass feel of the Dark Knight? I think this outfit works because of that line of thinking. It's become more stylized and compact, with the color scheme making him look quicker and a whole lot scarier. Let's be honest here; I think more people would be more afraid of a man ENTIRELY dressed in black, over a guy wearing a cowl. It's like seeing a shadow move across the sky. Even the logo on his chest fits, ditching the yellow and black to go with an unsettling red bat. This bat of the future has taken his place amongst the Bat-Family, and this outfit is one of the reasons why.
Wonder Woman- Divine Armor
Do you want to know what took me a while to believe? Wonder Woman is a Warrior. I was young and impressionable, and really her outfit doesn’t proclaim warrior. Then Cliff Chang drew the ‘Divine Armor,' and I found it to be one of the most amazing outfits in Wonder Woman’s Wardrobe. THIS is what I expect Diana to wear on a near daily basis. It screams warrior while maintaining the feel of Wonder Woman. My only real complaint is that I don't like how the left arm doesn't have armor like the right. I understand that she doesn't need it, as that is her shield bearing arm, but it feels like it throws off the whole armor, with missing it. Now I think this armor is being a little bit more incorporated in her armor for the DC Movies and more specifically Rebirth, as those looks ditch the hotpants and cloth-like look and trade them in for the armored look. This armor is a WONDERful addition to her wardrobe.
Green Lantern- Kingdom Come
Fun fact about me: I love fantasy stories. I love the stories of knights slaying dragons and fighting evil. Always have. So when there’s a superhero outfit that matches one of my favorite archetypes, I have to check it out. Now when I first saw this version, I was a little confused. The only Green Lanterns I knew at the time were space themed, so how one of them was a knight, confused me. That's when I learned that this was Alan Scott, the 'magical' Lantern. Learning more of the 'magic' side of his powers made me realize and appreciate this design more. The armor looks great, and I love how the lantern itself was incorporated into the armor, both in a practical and design sense (Since his source is called the Starheart, it's right to keep it where his heart is). I love this armor, and if Alan Scott would wear it on Earth 2 once the world is reborn (because I guess it's still not considered a Rebirth), I might fangirl a little.
Aquaman- Flashpoint
Aquaman’s uniform over the years hasn’t changed much. They either end up looking like the orange tunic, green pants look that he was originally rocking since he first stepped onto the comic scene(Revamped in art, of course), or the grizzled undersea warrior that was made popular in the 90’s, with spear hook hand included. There couldn’t possibly be a way to combine the iconic look and the brutal 90’s look into one package, right? Well, Flashpoint does it fantastically. It looks like the classic look, but with a few small details as a color change from green to black, and a buzz cut, Aquaman goes from hero of the seas to a conquering general. It looks amazing for the world it's from, though if I saw Aquaman wear this outfit in the main timeline, I would panic for the world's safety.
Flash-Blue Lantern
Ever since I could remember, The Flash has been the resident 'red' hero. What I mean by that is that when I think of the color that signifies The Flash, it's always been red. Not that it's a bad thing(or a communist thing by the way it sounds), it's because when people think of red, its hotrod red. Red just FEELS like a fast color. Blue feels calmer, slower. So to my surprise, blue REALLY looks good on our favorite speedster. For some reason, the color also makes me feel more hopeful of the Flash to save me. The red, while a fast color, could make him look a little bit like a devil. The Blue Lantern outfit, on the other hand, makes him look like a hero due to the color scheme looking a little similar to the Man of Steel's. The only detail that I prefer to see less of is the lightning bolt across the chest. It always depends on the artist, but the logo feels cluttered when trying to combine the Blue Lantern logo and the lightning bolt. This outfit fills me with hope every time I see it, and I hope to see it again real soon.
Cyborg-New 52
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I liked the Pre-Forever Evil look of Cyborg over the Teen Titans and Post-Forever Evil one. In my eyes, Cyborg was always supposed to be 'the tank' of any team he was on. To those who don't play video games, a 'Tank' is a guy who can take all the damage due to his size and strength. The armor he had received when Apokolips first attacked achieved that look, while still feeling fresh and new. One minor detail that I like, that was made a bit more prominent with the new suit was the logo on his chest. Most superheroes are often identified by a single logo, and for a while Cyborg really didn't have one. When the New 52 came out, I looked at this hero, and it took me a second to realize that it was Cyborg. Now I can't imagine him looking any other way.
That's it for this week's Top 5 Friday! What's your favorite Justice League 'Costume'? Leave a comment and I'll see you next time!
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