SUPERHERO OF THE YEAR: Ross Radke's X-23

Votes are tallied and totaled. 12 winners went head-to-head and, clawing her way to the top of the pile, Ross Radke's X-23 has claimed the title of Superhero of the Year. Check out the winner and our comments below. Before the jump, we've got info on your judges and our judging criteria, and after the jump are our scores for all twelve entries!

Ross Radke's X-23 - 88/100

Alex (9) - I love this design. Typically, when I see X-23, I think of her as being around 15 (which may be highly erroneous), but here I see her as 19-22 -- a little bit older, with some smart changes made. The style of the top and ripped tights still tie her to youth, but the brown skit/jacket/boots visually tie her to her genetic template in Wolverine, and seem like a smart, forward-thinking decision.

Chantaal (9) - I'm in love with this. I love the extra rough and tumble look to her, especially the cowboy boot sand jacket. Keeping the X-Men symbol in her belt is a nice touch for a character who doesn't necessarily have a constant look to her, but this really ties together well for a kick-@$$  civilian look.

Lina (10) - This X-23 looks like SUCH a bad@$$. Very much fitting with the Laura Kinney we know and love.  The skirt isn't something that I initially liked but, as a complete look, it works really well.

Angel (8) - There are a few things that I like about this one and a few things that sort of rub me the wrong way. I like how the coloring reminds me of Wolverine, and I like how her necklace looks like one she'd wear in some of her earlier comic appearances. I'm not a big fan of the bulkiness of the outfit as a whole, I think, but I do like this one.

Dee (10) - This is a design I just love. There are a lot of great and familiar elements in it, but it also seems very rugged and like street-wear. There's a roughness to it, like she's found pieces she's made work together. The boots are practical and the heavy leather would be well suited to her foot blades. It's very recognisable as X-23, but not similar to the original.

Dave (9) - The more "rough-and-tumble" look is nice. The claws are a little long, though.

BJ (7) - Maybe X-Men and mutants are easier to redesign because their abilities and mutations are so obvious, generally speaking.  I like the more tomboyish and earthy feel to this design.  Still clearly X-23, yet still quite different.

Tyson (9) - Really enjoyed this design and the incorporation of the Wolverine-esque elements incorporated into X-23's costume design here. I could easily imagine picking up a comic book and seeing her sporting this look. Nicely done!

Taylor (8) - This is what I would really expect to see from a character re-vamp 10 years down the road. She looks older and more bad@$$, and the short hair really helps with that. The outfit is practical and yet still shows off some skin. I particularly liked the jacket, as well as the wrist guards and gloves. Really good design, and I would defiantly have to pick this up if I saw it.

Mitch (9) - Great design to be sure. It calls so many elements that make up the ideas behind X-23 and bring them together in a stylish outfit. I still love the subtle Wolverine markings on the boots and, now that I look again, I find myself thinking the stripes on the jackets could maybe be a bit more like the boots. But that's a small, tiny thing compared to the fact the rest of this is just so great.

There you have it! Before we jump into the rest of the contest winners, I wanted to share with you the criteria for judging this time around, as well as your judges.

Since all of these entries won in their specific contests, it is inherently unfair to pit them against one another as, on those grounds, they can't compare to one another. So we took a different approach. We assumed we've not picked up a comic for 10 years. After a decade out of comics, we decide to check out our local comic shop, and these characters are the ones that great us. They've all been redesigned so, are they recognizable as the characters we knew last? Is enough of their visual identity retained?

The only exception was Aquaman, since his contest was an Elseworlds/What If? affair. For him, the criteria asked if he was still recognizable as some form of Aquaman in his alternate universe state.

Your judges include your Superhero of the Month staff, Alex and Mitch; the always fantastic Girls Read Comics crew, Dee, Lina, Angel and Chantaal (who, might I add, will be joining us again in March!); two of our sponsors, Dave of Dr. Volt's Comics, and Tyson of Big Shiny Robot! Unfortunately, Scott of Scott's Comics had to drop out of judging for personal reasons, and we still needed one other judge. Turning to Twitter, we got a couple of fans to help and provide a fans perspective through Taylor and BJ.

Now, there are prizes for this contest. Obviously, Ross wins, but we need to figure out how many tiers we go down after that. We'll let you know what the winner(s) obtained as soon as possible. Trying to stay on top of a whirlwind semester and run the site hasn't enabled me to run every aspect smoothly, but we'll keep you posted!

Check out the rest of the entries, their scores and comments after the jump!

Daniel Heard's Robin - 84/88

Alex (9) - Absolutely fun, Daniel's piece embodies everything I think should embody the Robin character. Although muted, all the classic colors are there in a way that helps to make sense of them. I really enjoy seeing the traditional red chest modified to become body armor. Brilliant move right there that works, in my opinion, like the yellow oval around the bat symbol would. The only thing I'm missing is some sort of insignia. Otherwise, I'd score this a perfect 10.

Chantaal (10) - I really, really love this. The colors are there identifying this as Robin, but it seems the way Robin would go when radically changed, but still keeping the spirit of the original design. The cloak is awesome, the pants work, and I love the red detailing of the torso.

Lina (10) - I really liked this. It still looked like Robin, but fresher. I can see this actually being worn without compromising the character or the person supposedly running around like that.

Angel (10) - This one is fantastic. I think my favorite details are how modern the body armor and boots look. And the color scheme is a SLIGHT twist on classic Robin, but but enough of a change that the character himself is unrecognizable. I feel like this very likely be a logical progression of the costume.

Dee (10) - I love this design on many levels. There's a youthfulness to the design that Robin sadly often lacks. The cape works as a cloak, and would help with blending into dark areas, but the gold is a great bit of colour and adds something to the outfit. The body armour is also great, and the boots are amazing practical.

Dave (7) - Good mix of types, with a new style coming out. Chest armor looks a little bulky, though.

BJ (3) - He looks very similar to established Robin designs, and I'm not sure I'm behind the minor changes. A lot depends on the type of Robin; not just which Robin, but which era of Robin you're referencing. None-the-less, he is recognizable, but not quite different.

Tyson (8) - I really enjoyed the look of this Robin when I first saw it a year ago, and I still like it today. It's a fun design that still has some grounding in reality and when you look at it it only takes about one-tenth of a second to realize who it is. My only gripe about this particular design is I'm not a fan of the exaggerated, circular cape collar - but for me everything else works.

Taylor (9) - I really do love this re-design, it is easily identifiable as Robins, yet the cape and body armour really stand out as something different. I’m a big fan on when a superhero costume is somewhat practical, and am really glad that can be seen here.  Picking up this comic in 10 years would really suck me in to see who Robin is this time around. Really well done.

Mitch (8) - This has everything a modern Robin needs. A hooded poncho, pads, armor to protect from those pesky crowbars, a simple yet elegant mask, and... glove spikes? Ok. Ditch the glove spikes and maybe a make the pants green and you'll have your perfect 10.

Sally Felton's Wonder Woman - 83/100

Alex (10) - I could only hope Wonder Woman's costume would end up going this direction is years to come. There seems to be a tendency to try and make Wonder Woman sexy by putting her in a more revealing costume. Maybe it's just me, but I've never seen Wonder Woman as sexy. Beautiful, sure, but sexy? No. She's supposed to be an ambassador, right? If ambassadors were cruising around in strapless tops and bikini bottoms, I'd be concerned. It's not that she's not built for it -- obviously -- but it just seems out of place. Sally's design takes the character much more seriously, while still retaining what makes her a superhero. She's covered, almost entirely; the bare arms are fine, and don't detract from what is a much more professional overall look that concurrently retains the elements we traditionally associate with Wonder Woman. To sum it up, I'd say this is near-perfect.

Chantaal (10) - I still love this Wonder Woman. She's very much Diana, but with all her identifiers. The W symbol on her belt is fantastic, and this is one of the few times anyone has made star spangled spandex pants work. The boots are a bit long, but the colors and styles really work well together. Her top is wonderful, as are the gauntlets, and it makes for an eye-catching redesign.

Lina (9) - I still enjoy this one and how it feels like the familiar Diana but refreshed for the modern era, with a familiar pattern and colour scheme. The shoes are still a little iffy for me, but it's good.

Angel (9) - I still really like this design. The shoes are a bit impractical, but the color scheme and all the subtle touches make up for it, for me. I especially like the stars on her tights.

Dee (9) - The only thing I don't love about this design are the boots. Those heels are impractical and for that reason this loses a point. I love how all the traditional aspects of Wonder Woman's are reinterpreted and included. The stars on the pants, the gold W over the chest. The top is much more practical than a bodice and the waist sash is still reminiscent of the skirt and belt.

Dave (10) - Nice new look that borrows just enough from the original.

BJ (3) - It's hard for me to believe this woman is a warrior princess goddess.  Granted, most designs push her femininity, but I think the point of redesigning is to do some of that.  Also, the origin does play a lot in a characters design and redesign.  I feel like this one may not have been pushed enough, and I'm not seeing much of a foundation either.  Recognizable, but not very different.

Tyson (8) - There's a lot I like about this design, but a few things I don't think quite work. I really like gold top/collar to Wonder Woman's costume here and how the "W" is incorporated into it and it flows nicely with her belt - which I also really like. My only "dislikes" about this piece are the starred pants, and the boots. As separate elements I quite enjoy them, but put together as they are just clash for me. I wouldn't mind seeing a version perhaps with the starred pants and a more simple boot design, or vice versa. I like the ideas Sally is going with here with the overall design of Wonder Woman's costume.

Taylor (7) - It's good to see Wonder Woman in practical pants for a change, and that was a nice little bonus in my book. The stripes on the boots were a bit odd and I didn’t really see why they needed to be there but I really enjoyed the upper body, including the logo on the waist.

Mitch (8) - It's really hard to nitpick with winners, you know. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't try!Yes. This is a great Wonder Woman. But eventually everyone will stop caring about pants and go to the real issue here. Her heels! It's hard to kick someone in the face if you have to balance on a ridiculous boot. And while I'm at it, That red swirl on the boots may be a bit much. Ok. Phew. Got the complaints out of the way.This is still a great design. Love the star pants, the top is great. The belt sash is fantastic. A very solid design.

Ross Radke's War Machine - 80/100

Alex (8) - This was the only design I reversed a position on after seeing some of the other scores and comments. I expected War Machine to be Iron Man-esque, and what Ross did here turned him into less of an iron man, and into a literal war machine. With that in mind, there's plenty here to keep him identifiable as War Machine, while properly updating him.This is one time I'm glad to say I was initially wrong. This is a fantastic redesign.

Chantaal (8) - There's no question at all this is War Machine. While at first the additional gear seems a little overdone, it kinda makes sense. My favorite is the claw-hand with repulsor, and the incredibly intimidating giant gun on his other arm.

Lina (7) - I like it, but I cannot help but think it might be overkill. There's a fine line between looking an refreshing take on a character and being a bit of a mess and this one is more the latter than the former.

Angel (8) - I'm a fan, not only of the art of this one (which is fantastic, by the way), but just the subtle differences to War Machine here. There's no question who it is, and I could see this as an upgrade to the current suit.

Dee (10) - Amazing, just amazing. Very recognizable as War Machine, and with all sorts of extra bits that I could very much see being added on. More firepower is totally up War Machine's alley. They design is still compact and sleek and sexy. Everything it should be.

Dave (4) - Looks dangerous, but it's too busy and overbalanced.

BJ (8) - This is the type of redesign I think we're looking for.  Completely recognizable with colors and helmet design, completely different suit design and feel.  The legs bothered me at first, but then I thought about it, "war" and "machine" were definitely kept in mind and that's what was designed.  He's definitely less of an "Iron Man".

Tyson (8) - Very cool design. I could easily picture this as War Machine. You can still see the Iron Man base used for this design (only in this case it looks as if they decided to only use the torso and replace everything else!), but this model has clearly been upgraded for military use. When I first viewed this my first thought was that his two arms don't seem to be terribly functional beyond aggressive use, but then I saw the two smaller arms attached to the torso and thought they were a very nice touch.

Taylor (10) - This was by far my favourite of these re-designs. I loved the sleek, bad@$ design. The sheer look of this design makes War Machine look gigantic. Seeing this in a comic shop would immediately grab my attention. The colour scheme shows that it is still War Machine, whilst the new upgrades and suit structure really hook me on what this new suit can do.

Mitch (9) - Look at this. We've got War. And it's clearly a Machine. Even if you had no idea who the character is, you cans see he's a War Machine. I really liked this one. It kept the bits of the character that were important and plain ol' upgraded the whole idea. More weapons, more bulk, more sci-fi looking. There's a lot of nice details here (again, those vestigial arms!) and it certainly looks like something we could see in a comic or coming to a theater near you.

Ally Cat's Atom Eve - 74/100

Alex: (9) - This was one of my favorite designs in the Atom Eve contest, and so deserving of the win. The addition of white into her palate adds some serious kick to her visually, and based on this design, I think Atom Eve is one of a few characters that could pull white off well. I'd have no problem seeing this as Atom Eve's new look if I saw this on the book stand.

Chantaal (8) - I honestly don't know much about Atom Eve at all, so I took a few moments to look her up and familiarize myself with her original design. She looks entirely recognizeable, and I love the introduction of the white coloring to chang things up.

Lina (9) - I really like this take on Atom Eve. The slight variance in the colour scheme works and the shoes are a lot of fun.

Angel (8) - I'm not familiar at all with Atom Eve, but from what I can tell, the costume changes here to her costume are super subtle, but she's still very recognizable. My favorite touches are the peeks of skin on the elbows and feet.

Dee (7) - Stylistically this still has a lot of the elements of Atom Eve's original outfit. The colour, the symbol and the overall shape and styling of it.  I'm not a fan of the collar, I think it would be uncomfortable and the elbow cutouts confuse me, as do the ones over the feet. Overall a good outfit.

Dave (5) - Good design, but too similar to the standard look.

BJ (6) - I wish I was familiar with the character, I had to do a quick Wikipedia and Google search.  From what I can see, it's still her, using the atom symbol keeps her tied in.  Splitting up the deep pink into white and a darker pink was a good move.  I like the strong feminine feel without the focus on the lady parts and exploitation.

Tyson (8) - A very fun, throwback look for Atom Eve that reminds me of a look she may have had should she have lived through the 70's - great work with the colors as well!

Taylor (7) - Being new to this character, I had to do some research into the original outfit, along the getting totally addicted to Invincible. I really like this costume, the way it flows and works with the pink and white reminds me of some kind of funky 70’s look. The symbol rework is nice, although a little more relation to the atomic stuff would have been good too. Not a big fan of the turtle neck or the holes in the elbows of feet but apart from that this new costume would most defiantly inspire a flip through.

Mitch (7) - Elbow holes. So many great elements. The curves on the lines, the boots. The funky 60s feel I get from it. But those elbow holes. Why not just repeat what you did for the knees? I'd also like to see more of that cape. Is it just a stripe down the back? Does it have a stylized atom symbol? Is the other side a different design? Maybe just pink? If they didn't add that strap, I'm not sure I'd be wondering as much as I am.

Robert Schilling's Archangel - 72/100

Alex (8) - The creepy vibe is off-the-charts here, and I love it. I wish I could really see his face and the anguish that I assume is on there. The redesign is great, though, hearkening back to the classic Archangel costume by utilizing the same colors, while not looking ridiculous. The new wings are phenomenal, in my opinion.

Chantaal (7) - Wow. I'm really impressed with this at first glance. The redesign of the wings very much feels like Archangel. The only problem is that the coloring and basic style is so radically different that without reading the caption, I wouldn't have known it was same Archangel I know and love. Knowing who the character is supposed to be, it's a great redesign, sleek and dangerous.

Lina (7) - While a really cool design, I was initially trying to remember a villain. Sure Archangel is kind of a bad guy, but this had a much darker take on it than I was expecting. It isn't bad, it just isn't my taste.

Angel (8) - I really like the twist on the wings in this one. It feels kind of post-apocalyptic to me (which is super appropriate). I feel like it'd fit right in as maybe an alternate version of Archangel, even right now.

Dee (6) - The sleekness of the design is great, but there's something about it that feels a bit overdone and over-processed. The wings are great design-wise and I love the articulated joints, but the practicality of them worries me.

Dave (5) - I like the Gothic look, but the body looks overly complex.

BJ (7) - The color and structure/build of the character have been kept, and even the feel is definitely a dark, lost, almost confused, being.  He's recognizable, but different with the right ascetics enough to make you double take and make sure this is X-Men.

Tyson (7) - I think often times comic book fans forget how dark of a character Archangel is, and I think this piece does a good job depicting that - and I really like the wings! As far as a redesign goes though I would like to be able to see a little more of what's going on with the costume. It definitely harkens back to classic Archangel, but I'd just like to be able to see a bit more.

Taylor (7) - Just plain scary! If I saw this image on the cover of a new Marvel book id have to go pick it up. Clearly identifiable as Archangel from the blue skin and those massive metallic wings, this Horseman of Apocalypse looks absolutely terrifying. The somewhat cybernetic look of the chest and arms really draw me in, but it’s those awesome wings that would just force me to go find out what is going on with Angel now.

Mitch (8) - Creepy, scary, and beautiful. He just looks like his body was overrun with technology and forcibly changed. It looks dangerous for more reasons than just having sharp points. This is an improvement in every way for ol' blue face.

Felipe Fialho's Batman - 71/100

Alex (8) - Considering the direction the Batman films have taken since Christopher Nolan took the helm, I can imagine picking up a book with this Batman on the cover. Batman's become so much darker than when he hit the big and small screens in the '60's, and I really think adopting an all-black costume is the next logical step for the character in the comics. I miss the gold belt, but I think red is a great color to draw from, and it's well utilized in outlining the bat symbol on the chest. While it worked great in our Batman redesign contest, however, I can't really see the full Tengu mask popping up in comics any time soon, much less in the next decade. I can see other factors being adopted, but I think we'll be seeing Batman's mouth exposed for a long, long time to come.

Chantaal (8) - It's always hard to think up Batman redesigns, and while the red accents at first seem a little like blasphemy, the more I look at this, the more I like it. There's still very much to it that screams Batman, but he looks so much tougher and much more serious. (As if that was possible.) I'm not sure how I feel about the cowl and mask designs (it brings demons to mind, rather than bats), but as a whole, this really works.

Lina (8) - Very edgy and dark in a way that Batman is. I initially missed the bat symbol, but I see it now. It's sort of fitting for a darker spin on the character.

Angel (10) - The red reminds me a lot of Batman Beyond, which is the last time I can remember any version of Batman having red in his costume, though I could be wrong. The cowl itself is more reminiscent of a bat than any other version of Batman I've seen, which gives it a really awesomely scary quality.

Dee (8) - This is a redesign I like on one level and dislike on another. I again love the combination of black and red, but the thing I dislike about this is the menacing nature of the face mask. It seems cruel and skull like and doesn't read Batman to me. I do love the bat in red and the molded sleekness of the bodysuit.

Dave (6) - It has a good, eerie look. Should scare criminals!

BJ (2) - The main noticeable change is the mask design.  Other than that, this is obviously Batman, even an action figure I had in the 90's.  A good design, but not completely redesigned.  Recognizable but barely different.

Tyson (5) - The design of this Batman isn't bad at all, I just think it looks too familiar. The overall body design looks similar to what we've seen in recent Batman films with some red incorporated into it and an all black color scheme, and of course with a more animistic mask. With the mask being taken in such a different direction, I would have liked to see some of that same direction incorporated into the rest of the suit.

Taylor (7) - I really liked how this new take on Batman, nothing much has changed from the current suit but it has still changed enough to keep Batman fresh. I wasn’t a big fan of the face mask, as it kind of takes away from the entire ‘man with a vengeance’ idea that Batman inspires. I enjoyed the red lighting around the logo as well as the eyes, and the red belt was a nice touch. All in all, a nice solid design.

Mitch (8) - I've said it before and I'll say it again. There's a lot of great bits of this and even I'm having  a hard time picking a nit on this one. But if I have to (and I do) it's the face. The samurai face mask is great. Scary, effective. But I like my Bats with a human face. I think it fits the character a bit better.

Canaan Grall's Aquaman - 69/100

Alex (6) - Is there anyone who doesn't think Aquaman would be more interesting as a sea monkey? Clearly, this is an Elseworlds take on the character (as dictated by the contest rules at the time), but Aquaman's iconography is intact. The colors are there and helps make him recognizable, even outside of his element. This is a great, fun piece.

Chantaal (7) - It took me a moment to realize what the artist was doing with this redesign, but I love it. The visual details that identify Aquaman (AquaSeaMonkey? SeaMonkeyMan?) are there, though I'm not sure it sells the Aquaman I know. It's still a fantastic idea for a What If?/Elseworlds redesign of Aquaman.

Lina (6) - Yeah. It amuses me and I think I like it for What If?  possibilities, but I am sort of confused by most of it. Is Aquaman now actually one of the creatures of the deep? I seriously thought the girl was the redesigned character at first and that didn't help.

Angel (7) - I think this is super cute. I could see Aquaman going this direction for a one-shot What If? sort of comic, and while it's not what I'd immediately think of when I think of where Aquaman might go in the future, I love how creative it is.

Dee (6) - Aquaman meets sea monkey. The tail, the green skin, I like them. The size confuses me, how would Aquaman be functional at that size. The outfit is a bit retro-70s jumpsuit for my taste. It is a great way to take the character though, and I'm intrigued to see more.

Dave (8) - Fun take on the character.

BJ (4) - He's clearly a sea-monkey, is he the king of Atlantis?  Nothing about this makes me think Aquaman.  I think a re-specie-ing of the character could work better with an outfit that points back to Aquaman some how.  Not recognizable, but definitely different.

Tyson (9) - Again, really liked this piece when I first saw it back in March. I think the idea of making Aquaman into a sea monkey is a stroke of genius. I really appreciate the scene the artist set up here as well; as opposed to just giving us a view of what "sea monkey Aquaman" would look like (which is a nice, simple design), an overall lighthearted feel for the character is established with this scene which I think would fit this elseworld Aquaman perfectly.

Taylor (7) - I liked this idea of a tiny Aquaman in a What If? scenario. The colours kept to the original, which made this idea fairly recognizable. This design would defiantly suck me in to having a look. I liked it.

Mitch (9) - The world needs more Aquaman. Sea monkey Aquaman is A-OK in my book. And this costume for him is great. The fin/wave shapes on the legs, the belt that's a bit wider in the back so the tail doesn't look out of place, the gloves. This is so simple and so perfect. It reminds me of something an art teacher once told me: "A great design is one you can't take anything from or add anything to." And that's exactly what this is. I don't think Sea Monkey Aquaman will ever replace our bearded protector of the sea, but I'd still read a comic series based on him.

Yifan Jiang's Green Lantern - 69/100

Alex (6) - I like it. Considering the breadth of Lanterns to choose from, this could be any Green Lantern, but the intent was Guy. With that in mind, I don't see the entire design going over. I love the general punk aesthetic, but the bleached-blond mohawk just doesn't say "Guy Garder" to me. Still though, I think it's a killer design and a Lantern I'd love to read about.

Chantaal (9) - If anyone told me I'd ever see Green Lantern as a hardcore biker type, I wouldn't have believed it. This really does work for me, even if I have a bit of an aversion to mohawks. I love that the Lantern symbol is kept on the shirt (and the shoe buckles! AWESOME), and adding the leather and white accents really makes a radical difference without losing what makes him Green Lantern.

Lina (8) - So much better than the spandex original. Admittedly I don't know much about the Green Lantern, but this one looks much more like a savior of the universe that I am pretty certain he is supposed to be.

Angel (9) - I like this one a lot. I'd never think of Green Lantern as a biker guy, but this really works. He's immediately recognizable as Green Lantern, and if they ever reinvented Hal Jordan, I really think it would work. Maybe as a tough guy who has to learn that he can't use his own muscle to protect the planet? Maybe I'm over-thinking this, but I like it a lot.

Dee (6) - My main issue with this is how much Green Lantern looks like a brawler. I don't respond well to the roughness of it. Objectively I can see that it's a practical and good design with many elements that indicate Green Lantern, but it feels off to me.

Dave (3) - Too much of a generic "tough guy" look.

BJ (7) - Definitely a tough dude, which is all Guy.  The style of clothes makes me curious as to the era and background of this Guy, but I can still say "Hey, that must be Guy!" if I know going into the comic that it's a redesign of characters previously known.  Recognizable as Green Lantern, different Gardner.

Tyson (6) - I think the overall design of this is nicely done - I just have a hard time seeing a Green Lantern sport this type of look (even Guy Gardner). I do think the Lantern emblem boot buckles are a nice, subtle touch though!

Taylor (8) - Being a fan of the Green Lanterns, I really liked this re-design. The one thing I love about the Green Lantern series is that nearly anyone can be a ring slinger, and that appears to be the case here. I really liked the simplicity here; the costume clearly shows off the key aspects of a Green Lantern, be it the emblem and the overuse of green, but also manages to bring something fresh to the standard tights. I really liked this design, it's a nice re-working.

Mitch (7) - Yeah sure. It's a bit more plain clothes than the other contest entries. But that works for Guy Gardner.  It looks like they grabbed him right out of a bar and he slapped a GL symbol on his chest and flew into space. I miss the mop-top, but it was probably up there as one of DC's most mocked hairdos so I can begrudgingly see he could use a new 'do.

T.Branch's Darth Vader - 69/100

Alex (5) - My score pains me, because I love T.Branch's designs. His Women of DC are an example of how to do just about everything right. In this case, I've always liked this design. It's cool, but I don't think I'd inherently recognize it as the Darth Vader. A Sith Lord most definitely, but not Vader.

Chantaal (10) - I wasn't sure you could make Darth Vader any scarier than he already is, but this is terrifying! I love the new red accent and detailing on his arm and torso. It all somehow comes together to make a new Darth Vader, while still keeping his memorable silhouette and menace. I also just noticed that he lost the full face mask, which is just...wow. Fully impressed by this.

Lina (9) - Holy crap, this is terrifying in the best way. If you're going to revamp such an iconic character you better make it memorable and this really is.

Angel (8) - I didn't recognize this as Darth Vader at first, but after reading the caption, it makes a LOT of sense. To me, classic Vader always seemed kind of bulky. Considering how much technology they have, can't they come up with a sleeker solution for Anakin's injuries? I think the detail that really takes it home for me is the red artificial hand, a callback to the one he lost to Dooku.

Dee (9) - This is really interesting. The half face mask instead of the entire helmet is something I really like, as well as the hood. The black and red are a much more strident than a monochrome black palette and much more intimidating. Kudos.

Dave (2) - Looks like a generic Sith character.

BJ (9) - Another great redesign, maybe the best.  The entire Star Wars saga was taken into consideration, and all those on the dark side to make the ultimate Vader, the bad guy at the end of it all.  He's a bit of Darth Maul mixed with Palpatine.  He's completely evil, obviously the guy you don't want to fight.  Very different, but if I knew I'm reading a Star Wars redesign, I know that's Darth Vader, the baddest of them all.  Bravo.

Tyson (5) - I like what the artist did with Vader's mask essentially cutting it in half to reveal a bit of Anakin's face while still retaining the familiar portion over his nose and mouth. However, I'm not really liking what's going on with the overall red and black theme to his costume and feel there's a bit too much going on with his exposed arm with all the lights and screens.

Taylor (6) - I liked the idea of stripping back the armour, but I felt maybe too much had been removed, and thus a key part of Vader's character. I liked the face plate and how it still looks like the original, but the arms seemed a little too cluttered when considering that the original was fairly minimal.

Mitch (6) - Yeah, I have to agree with Alex here. I like the design. I's a great design. And in a Vader Contest it was clearly the best. But this time around, I've got to give it a lower score simply because without the other Vader's around, you have no idea this is Vader.

Brian Gubicza's Harley Quinn - 60/100

Alex (7) - Miles ahead of the national travesty that is Harley Quinn's DCnU outfit, Brian really does a great job here retaining key elements of Harley's character, while turning her into a creation of his own. My only thought is that maybe we go too far into creating something new here. But maybe that's just me?

Chantaal (7) - I almost didn't recognize this as Harley! Knowing who it is, though, I love this. The little details in the coloring and the diamond on her torso are great, and the change in her hat works. There's an overall playfulness to the costume, which is essential in selling a Harley everyone knows.

Lina (8) - There is a definite whimsy to this redesign that is very much Harley. I could recognise the character straightaway and it was different without being too different. It's fun.

Angel (8) - I absolutely love this one. I immediately recognized it as Harley Quinn, just from the colors (and let's face it, the bomb). For some reason, I feel like she just stepped off of a 1920's WWI-era biplane (maybe it's the changes to the mask that do it), either way, this one is one of my favorites of the bunch.

Dee (7) - What a great design. To me it's everything Harley should be, fun, mischievous and with a stylish flair. It's capricious and yet she could easily become dangerous.

Dave (2) - I’m not a big fan of the flat paper look.

BJ (3) - It's definitely redesigned, but to what, with what foundation?  My take on a redesign should at least point the reader/viewer back to the source material.  A reference to a jester, clown, harlequin, even the Joker himself would have been nice. Recognizable, sure, definitely different, but I not sure if it's the right kind of different.

Tyson (8) - I really like the design and style of this Harley Quinn. The style reminds me of Samurai Jack, and the costume design is simple - but still clearly Harley Quinn. If someone did an entire Bat-book in this style I could definitely see myself picking that title up.

Taylor (5) - I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t particularly like this redesign initially. In my mind the key parts of Harley's character is that she is kooky and slightly insane, but to me this image looks more like someone’s mum attempting to play super. But then it hit me, maybe it is. It is 10 years down the road, and who knows? Maybe Harley is a mother. So with that mindset, I had a look again and enjoyed the work a lot more. The stylized look is nice and the mask, along with the colour scheme really works to show it's still Harley in there.

Mitch (5) - Part of judging these things is separating the design from the art style.  And entries like this make it tough because I'm a big fan of it and it adds so much to the picture. But if you were to take it away and all of a sudden you start questioning a few design choices. Like the helmet. The lacy, see-through skirt. The old-school socks. I just don't see Harley Quinn here.

YestherDey's Black Cat - 48/100

Alex (3) - Oh, the Black Cat contest. That was the most brutal of the bunch because of the old poll voting system, which then had a Google Blogger-wide crash/glitch that essentially changed the face of how we decide contests here today. Reminiscing aside, the art style here definitely ups the "cute" factor, but there's nothing really here that we've not seen before in Felicia.

Chantaal (8) - It doesn't seem much has changed at first, but I really like the new details. The extra fur, the flat boots (I am SO EXCITED for her having sensible boots!), the cute ears and pouch. It's so very Black Cat.

Lina (9) - PRACTICAL FOOTWEAR! I cannot stress how much I like that. Plus there are a lot of fun elements that Cat would definitely be about which makes it a believable change.

Angel (6) - For all that I like about this one, I'm just not a fan of all the cleavage. I get that it's a part of her costume and her character, but there's just too much of it for my tastes, to the point where it's impractical.

Dee (5) - This is a costume that has a few great points. Practical footwear, that they've kept the touches of fur and incorporated them so well. The ears and mask are adorable, but my main issue is the sheer amount of cleavage. The front closure is so impractical and so deep, it loses quite a few points for me.

Dave (4) - Looks good, but the manga catgirl look is overdone.

BJ (1) - I'm not so sure this is a true redesign, it feels like the same Black Cat we know and love, but in a Manga book. Recognizable, but not quite different.

Tyson (3) - There's no denying this is a nice piece, but I just feel like I've seen this Black Cat before. The Spider-Man doll and the way the boots look like cat paws are nice touches, but overall this just looks too much like classic Black Cat to me as opposed to a redesign.

Taylor (6) - There is no doubt that seeing this image in 10 years you could easily recognize Black Cat. I enjoyed the boots the paw print, and thought that was a nice touch, as well as the new ‘cat pouch’ on her hip there. The fur on the boots and arms is a nice little homage to the original character, and I really liked that. Not sure about the ears though; they do add to the cat motif, but may slightly over do it.

Mitch (3) - This isn't so much a redesign as it is "Let's add an accessory or two." Now what that says about the costume is one thing but I can't help but want more of a change for the contest.

There you have it! This has been a great year, and it's been fun to look back at the contest winners and see how far the site's come. There's a lot more coming, and I'm really looking forward to January when we're 100% back on track with the site fully updated, and kicking into redesigns where the readers have a lot of say in who will be redesigned. 

Stay tuned for an update on what the winners pulled, and keep an eye on the site for a complete update of all the visual changes that will be made in the coming days.