Superman's seen his fair share of costume redesigns over the years, and his latest is coming this summer as part of DC's Rebirth initiative. Images of the new costume have hit the Web in the past few days, but now, artist Tom Derenick has released his official turnaround art for Rebirth Superman, based on a redesign by Jim Lee, for all the world to see.
It definitely still looks like Superman. Certain elements from the pre-52 era make a comeback in the form of the lower collar, while other elements from the New 52 look make the jump. Superman's red trunks are still MIA, but now, so are his red boots. They've been replaced by two red stripes on each leg that seem to represent where the boots would have been. The belt is still around, though it looks much different from its New 52 counterpart.
Then, there are the overall colors of the costume. All of the various elements from over the years are there, the red, blue and yellow. However, fans will notice that Superman's mostly-blue costume is of a much darker shade than previously seen, looking almost black.
Overall, it's a far cry from the armored-looking New 52 costume. The colors are darker, the armored look is gone, the high neck of the costume has been lowered and the boots removed. Some fans seem to find it a vast improvement over Superman's last costume, while others are still upset that there are no red trunks. Not everybody is going to be pleased, naturally, but it looks like Lee (who also designed the New 52 Superman costume) took to heart many of the criticisms fans had of his last design.
DC Comics Rebirth is all about returning to a more classic feel for the DC universe, rather than trying to forge new paths. Superman's new costume reflects that perfectly. It's a nice blend of old and new, with a classic look that features just enough new elements to keep things fresh.
DC Comics Rebirth kicks off in June. You can read about all the changes coming to DC's Superman books here.
