The Dark Knight Rises The TDKR Batsuit Discussion Thread VI

[JAK®]

This is my quick representation of the "trunks as a harness" concept;

 

[regwec]

The trunks are old fashioned- they should be replaced with a C-string.

 

[Blue_Scholar]

This is my quick representation of the "trunks as a harness" concept;

t:

 

[Infinity9999x]

THat was actually my point. It's like those who prefer Spider-Man's black costume over his red an dblues. Even though the black suit's come back a couple of times, the red and blues have about 50 years of tradition on their side.

I wish we could have gotten the original design for the black suit. With the red spider instead of white, that's actually my favorite version of the design.

On the side of the whole trunks argument, if you're going to take them away, you need to do what Wolverine's costume did when they reinvented it. They took away the trunks, but added blue to the sides of his hips/thighs so it still broke up the body. You need to do something to visually splice up the look so it's not a gray blob as many have been saying.

 

[Marx]

Take away the harness-trunks in the picture above and that would be a pretty good batsuit to see on film.

 

[JAK®]

Take away the harness-trunks in the picture above and that would be a pretty good batsuit to see on film.

Here's the original;

 

[Marx]

It's just amazing to me that almost every single version of a batsuit posted in these threads is better than tha TDK puzzle suit.

 

[TheZink]

Spoiler

My god, adjust a few items (the Cowl needs work) and that is beautiful.

 

[Godzilla2014]

Any number of things, I imagine. The real question is how far you're willing to go away from the classic look to ditch the trunks--and since I think the trunks look good, it's much ado about nothing. There's no need.

That said, the obvious option is to make the whole costume black. That's not better than the traditional look, but it solves the problem. Slap the oval and a gold belt on there (and in my opinion, gold lenses instead of white), and you're done. Put some subtle seams on it for visual depth.

The other thing you can do is make the torso grey and the legs black--but I think to make that work, the grey has to look like a separate layer, differentiated by texture or something.

A while back I made this to illustrate a possible movie costume, and it's an example of what that might look like (though certainly not the only way it could look, and not necessarily a costume I'd want in the comics):

The issue though, is that if you're going to change it, you have to make it better. Because if it's not better than the costume with trunks, why go through all this trouble to remove the trunks at all? And honestly, I've never seen a costume that I could wholeheartedly say I liked more the classic Batman.

Interesting ideas. Do you think a black utility belt (perhaps with a harness) could also replace the trunks or is it still too blob-like?

What about adding black to the sides of the bodysuit? Or a black portion on the inside of legs?
The thing that's the most frustrating for me is the resistance to new ideas like the ones we're talking about here

 

[BatScot]

Well, even if they come back, I am not going to lie and say that I prefer the trunks.

What you will say is “that a’hole said they would come back and damned if the SOB wasn’t right.”

Being Canadian has nothing to do with it.

Tell that to Bob and Doug… or Saint.

This works. Wolverine works without his trunks, and so does Batman.

Spoiler

Geez, couldn’t you find a bigger pic? Or at least one that illustrated the, ahem, area in question? Not that it matters mind you because whether or not this works (it does) cannot be taken to mean the Wolverine costume with trunks did not work (it did). The same holds for Batman. You may not prefer trunks, you might even think they are artifact, but if you think for a moment you can prove Batman’s costume as it has been drawn for essentially it’s entire history doesn’t “work” well that’s evidence I’d be interested to see.

It's time for Batman to evolve.

Sometimes there is a reason to stick with ******* tradition: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It ******* worked for seventy odd years and odds are pretty ******* good it’ll work for seventy more.

I pray to God that the trunkless look sticks.

They say all prayers are answered but that the answer is not always the one prayed for—best be prepared for a let down… or at least atheism.

 

[BatScot]

The issue though, is that if you're going to change it, you have to make it better. Because if it's not better than the costume with trunks, why go through all this trouble to remove the trunks at all? And honestly, I've never seen a costume that I could wholeheartedly say I liked more the classic Batman.

That's why it's classic.

 

[BatScot]

The thing that's the most frustrating for me is the resistance to new ideas like the ones we're talking about here

Not all new ideas are good; not all old ideas are bad. Anyway, there's nothing new about putting Batman in a unitard. Been there, done that; didn't really go over that well and this go round doesn't look any better than the last one.

 

[Spidermatrix53]

Can we get a manip of this without the shorts?

 

[JAK®]

Can we get a manip of this without the shorts?

The way I made the manip meant that I needed to give him shorts even if I didn't want to, so someone with better photoshop skills than me needs to do it.

 

[Godzilla2014]

What you will say is “that a’hole said they would come back and damned if the SOB wasn’t right.”

More than likely, I will have long forgotten that said you such things. It seems to be clear that DC wants to get rid of trunks on their superhero costumes, so I think it will a cycle.

1. Costume is designed with trunks.
2. Trunks are removed because they no longer have the same meaning they once did.
3. Someone who prefers the trunks puts them back.
4. Trunks are removed again because they are considered ridiculous.

=BatScot;20848677Tell that to Bob and Doug… or Saint.

I'm not sure what you mean.

Geez, couldn’t you find a bigger pic? Or at least one that illustrated the, ahem, area in question? Not that it matters mind you because whether or not this works (it does) cannot be taken to mean the Wolverine costume with trunks did not work (it did). The same holds for Batman. You may not prefer trunks, you might even think they are artifact, but if you think for a moment you can prove Batman’s costume as it has been drawn for essentially it’s entire history doesn’t “work” well that’s evidence I’d be interested to see.

I tried to find a smaller pic that showed the "trunk area". Anyway, to me, the original Wolverine costume (blue and yellow with trunks) doesn't work for Wolverine, so I am glad they updated it. I'm not necessarily saying that the trunks don't work, but they're not the only thing that can be done. Trunks worked back in the 1940s when people got their meaning as an allusion to circus strongmen. They don't really get that anymore. So trunks are vestigial, and I think that we will see their decline in the coming years.

Sometimes there is a reason to stick with ******* tradition: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It ******* worked for seventy odd years and odds are pretty ******* good it’ll work for seventy more.

I'm not saying that tradition has no value, but is it really a good idea to do something only because it's tradition when there are plenty of reasons to not do so? I'm not going to compare trunks to racism, because that would be unfair. Would you continue to do something in an inefficient way merely because it was a family tradition? Trunks are a vestigial cosmetic detail.

They say all prayers are answered but that the answer is not always the one prayed for—best be prepared for a let down… or at least atheism.

Wait, you're saying that I would become an atheist if the trunks came back?

Not all new ideas are good; not all old ideas are bad. Anyway, there's nothing new about putting Batman in a unitard. Been there, done that; didn't really go over that well and this go round doesn't look any better than the last one.

No, not all new ideas are good, nor are all old ideas bad. But that doesn't mean that all new ideas are bad and all old ideas are good. The point is DC seems to want to remove the trunks, so I think that they should explore those new ideas and find what works. Tradition sometimes just becomes inertia. Trunks were a product of their time, and that time has passed.

 

[mcallima]

Sometimes there is a reason to stick with ******* tradition: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It ******* worked for seventy odd years and odds are pretty ******* good it’ll work for seventy more.
.

Amen.

 

[Alex_Spider]

Can we get a manip of this without the shorts?

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Original manip by JAK

 

[Godzilla2014]

This is my quick representation of the "trunks as a harness" concept;

I like it!

 

[mrbrownie]

No, not all new ideas are good, nor are all old ideas bad.

Lies, new IS always better.

 

[Saint]

Interesting ideas. Do you think a black utility belt (perhaps with a harness) could also replace the trunks or is it still too blob-like?

Fine for live action (where superior texture and light create visual depth), but still too much grey for comics, in my opinion.

What about adding black to the sides of the bodysuit? Or a black portion on the inside of legs?

Possible, but somewhat tired and predictable--and there's a distinct possibility of just not looking as good as trunks, such as that Ultimate Superman design that was the red panels on the hips. I hate that design.

That said, a similar (though distinct) approach worked for Robin in Young Justice.

 

[Godzilla2014]

Fine for live action (where superior texture and light create visual depth), but still too much grey for comics, in my opinion.

Good point. I guess it's similar to how the all-black doesn't work as well in the comics as in the movies. Am I just weird for liking the mostly gray look in the comics?

Possible, but somewhat tired and predictable--and there's a distinct possibility of just not looking as good as trunks, such as that Ultimate Superman design that was the red panels on the hips. I hate that design.

That said, a similar (though distinct) approach worked for Robin in Young Justice.

I liked the Ultimate Superman design, except for the fascist-invoking look with the Kingdom Come and the high collar.
Actually, thinking about it now, I think I'd be fine with the trunks returning if they kept the dark gray. I think I'd have more of a problem if they went back to blue and gray or the oval.

 

[spider_rob]

This is my quick representation of the "trunks as a harness" concept;

You lost the argument there, bud.

 

[JAK®]

You lost the argument there, bud.

Heh, I really bothered you didn't I?

 

[spider_rob]

Heh, I really bothered you didn't I?

Nah, but what you did to that manip did. It looks really stupid. Did he sew a harness into a pair of black trunks? What's the point in that?

 

[BatScot]

More than likely, I will have long forgotten that said you such things.

When those trunks come back—and it is more than likely that they will—you will look upon them and think of nothing else :evil laughter:

It seems to be clear that DC wants to get rid of trunks on their superhero costumes, so I think it will a cycle.

A cycle? More of a blip from time to time. But you got part of the “cycle” idea right; the trunks will return.

I'm not sure what you mean.

Alan Thicke knows.

I'm not saying that tradition has no value, but is it really a good idea to do something only because it's tradition when there are plenty of reasons to not do so? I'm not going to compare trunks to racism, because that would be unfair. Would you continue to do something in an inefficient way merely because it was a family tradition? Trunks are a vestigial cosmetic detail.

You’re getting carried away here… at the end of the day trunks are just ink on paper. It is no more difficult to color them than it is to shade the unitard properly. In fact, it is quite probably easier.

Wait, you're saying that I would become an atheist if the trunks came back?

Maybe; agnostic for sure.

The point is DC seems to want to remove the trunks, so I think that they should explore those new ideas and find what works.

Sorry to break it to ya fella, but it ain’t no new idea. They’ve been exploring these ‘modern sensibilities’ since the ‘90’s. We’ve seen them all before in one variation or another. They’ve come and they’ve gone away.

Tradition sometimes just becomes inertia. Trunks were a product of their time, and that time has passed.

Perhaps, but here tradition has become archetype.