In the break between War Machine submissions and the announcement of the winner, Superhero of the Month is back with a new edition of Redesigned!
It was by happy coincidence that I came across the work of Paul Bonzulac. Here, he's sent us his thoughts on his Superman and Fantastic Four redesigns:
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| The Man of Steel |
"Here I tried to keep everything that makes Superman Superman, but get rid of the dumb stuff: the spit-curl from 1939, the underwear-on-the-outside. I linked the S and the mantle, and made the S, the belt and the crests of the boots gold. I see this as looking sort of like a regal riding outfit from another planet. It's actually embarrassing how carefully I considered every change I made, but here it is: my definitive vision of Superman for the 21st century. You're welcome."
Paul's Fantastic Four and more after the jump!
Next up, the Fantastic Four! The group shot can be seen at Paul's DevianArt page, but they debut here for the first time in their individual glory! Paul's thoughts follow the whole set:
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| The Invisible Woman |
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| The Thing |
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| The Human Torch |
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| The Amazing Spider-Man |
"If you follow the Fantastic Four you may know that the Human Torch was killed off recently (spoiler!) and the Fantastic Four became the Future Foundation, replacing their lost member with Spider-Man and donning new and different costumes. And since you follow superhero comics you definitely know that the Human Torch won't stay dead forever. He'll come back, the new FF will become the old FF and they'll probably return to some version of their original blue and black outfits.
"I figured I'd take a stab at designing a sleek, modern version of that old costume and I started with a version for the soon-to-be undeceased. Rather than design a version for Reed as well I decided to adapt it for Spider-Man just because I found it a more interesting challenge. I don't think these designs are as sharp as Marko Djurdjevic's Future Foundation supersuits, which I love, but I do think it's a nice shiny modern spin on the old (and inevitable) Kirby costumes."
You'll recall that our first contest here at Superhero of the Month was to redesign Robin. Fairly recently it was announced that the Tim Drake version of the Boy Wonder will appear in Batman: Arkham City; courtesy of IGN, you can see him here!
Richard J.P. Le Guen has been submitting to our monthly contests regularly, and a little while ago sent in some pieces for a Redesigned feature. Here is the Harley Quinn he passed on.
Considering Harley's upcoming makeover, Richard's design looks practically tame.
Warren Newsom has been contributing to SHotM since the beginning; he's contributed to every contest thus far! The upcoming Wonder Woman contest is no exception, and for it, Warren sent in two redesigns. Since only one is eligible for this month's contest, Warren agreed to let me post the other in a redesigned feature:
Cool stuff. Warren's contest-eligible redesign will be featured August 4 with the rest of the first-round Wonder Woman redesigns!
Finally, something that's not really a redesign, but I stumbled across it and loved it. Enjoy this beautiful illustration of Supergirl by none other than Bruce Timm!
Woah-- that Superman looks...pretty futuristic! Same for the 4. Nice stuff.
ReplyDeleteA lot of really cool redesigns here! I especially like the fantastic four ones, very elegant simplified look. I like that Robin too, fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the game.
ReplyDeleteHey Just here to say your blog is pretty cool. Im such a geek for all this stuff. Cant wait to read more.
ReplyDeletecan i just comment on that oh so super sexy invisible girl that you posted..You really did a good job keep it up!
ReplyDeleteI think the Fantastic Four (or Future Foundation?) costumes are solid. For the Superman, I think you have to have the spit curl. He looks weird without it. Perhaps it is outdated, as the artist argues, but it is a part of the character. I can't really argue for the red underwear on the outside. It does seem pretty silly. :)
ReplyDeleteSome nics pics. That Bruce Timm Supergirl is really a beaut.
ReplyDeletevery cool! Always good to see the underwear on the outside removed. Of all the trends I don't understand (wearing sweats outside, leg warmers, etc.) this one has to be the most baffling!
ReplyDeleteLisa
Awwwhh, it seems Jamal Igle (of Firestorm fame) does not like this Superman redesign! The weird thing is how his critique implies that this update removes what makes the outfit indelibly Superman. I'm pretty sure I've seen far more extreme redesigns in the comics themselves (Electric Superman Red/Blue, for example)!
ReplyDeleteIf the comic book industry is to expand and grow, I think purists like Mr. Igle need to let go of their stranglehold on this media. Right now, comics are basically feeding off the same limited demographic, over and over. This industry and its consumers are not very welcoming of newcomers, nor are they interested in relinquishing their franchises to a new generation of fans.
In the minds of purists, you either like the characters the way they remember them most fondly, or you need to stay away from comics. They don't care that the general public derides Superman's red briefs; they only care to preserve their childhood nostalgia at the expense of modern relevance. Their reasoning is that, "If I learned to love these characters with all their Silver Age retardation, then so should you!"
Ugh, I hate that mentality. The kids of today will likely prefer to read their comics on an iPad. They are decades removed from the comic book nerds who wax nostalgic over the halftone dot patterns of four-color press. If we are to successfully pass on these toys to a new fan base, it's probably best to let these characters look like modern constructs, not relics of yesteryear's pulp magazines.
Ack! I went on a rant. Sorry. I visit redesign sites 'cause I want to see modern takes on old franchises, and stumbling over Mr. Igle's comment struck a nerve. <_<
I really like that Superman. Wish they were using that design for the relaunch. I notice most "modern" redesigns seem to accent seams. Are seams the new edgy clothing option? I'm so bad, I got thirty seems on my suit.
ReplyDeleteWay cool!
Reverse-Dad: Seams do seem to be popular these days. I don't find anything wrong with them when properly executed (like with Paul Bonzulac's designs), and they're loads better than '90's-style excessive pouches!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the complement, Reverse-Dad! It looks like the new movie Superman does have some elements in common with my design - the pleated cape and belt-holding-up-nothing in particular. Too bad about the giant Pat Riley hair, though.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.badassdigest.com/2011/08/04/lets-over-analyze-the-first-picture-of-superman-from-the-man-of-steel
It's not JUST that this Superman costume is "more futuristic" -- it pulls it off while STILL capturing the timeless Pulp Era Sci Fi feel that the classic suit had when it first debuted.
ReplyDelete(The original suit LOST that Pulp Era Feel when it became iconic in its own right. In those early stories, that circus-strongman outfit looked like someone out of Raymond's Flash Gordon had been transplanted to a Depression-Era city street.)