While far from a perfect design, imagine trying to pull off a "kewl" dark pose like this with the classic costume. J'Onn would look like he was "makin' Choco." A few tweaks and a round head later, this might have worked. Do note how Coneheadhunter is all "pfft-- fire." Click the pic to enlarge, or check out Oliver Nome's gallery.
See, I think that's my problem with it, ultimately. J'onn doesn't do "Dark" He fit's into many scenario's, but Goth/Matrix/whathave you isn't really it. He's too straight laced for that. It's like that Superman Birthright costume... It's turning a character into something they're not.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for evolving to keep with the times, the trick is to find the modern interpretations of the original and latch onto that. John Jones: CSI or J'onn J'ones: Denver Legal...heck, Mad Menhunter would even fit after a fashion. I can't think of anything clever for 24.
Manhunter: Revolutions just doesn't do it for me.
While I don't thing the original (or the JLI and JLA) takes are completely outmoded, I think there are more intelligent ways to make him "hip and edgy" if you really must...
My two hang-ups with the OYL suit:
ReplyDelete1) It's too restrictive. It overcompensates for years of near-nudity with stiff prudery. I shouldn't associate J'Onn J'Onzz with leather nuns.
2) It might as well have come from the back of the Vision's closet. Aren't there enough parallels already without adding fashion sense?
Honestly? I just plain like him in a nicely tailored suit. Ron Garney tried that in an issue of JLA, and I think it turned out well. Heck, Joe Certa even did it once, and I dug it.
In addition to the suit (which I could go on forever about how much I loathe it), it's the conehead. I can't look at the conehead without thinking of Dan Akroyd. Plus it looks awkward. How many door jambs would J'onn hit with that thing? Argh!
ReplyDelete"he trick is to find the modern interpretations of the original and latch onto that." Darn straight. Find the essence of the character and stay true to it, and evolve the superfluous stuff to be timely.
Frank, Joe Certa drawing J'onn in a suit? Are you referring to the issue with the sharks in it? (Tec #229) or another one?
On the nose, Liss. Sharp shark suit. Try to say it without a third "h."
ReplyDeleteI don't count the conehead with the get-up. I recall artists, specifically Ryan Sook, who were already essentially drawing a normal Manhunter head in the Ladronn uniform not long after the mini-series wrapped. Nobody thought the conehead was going to last, nor should it, but the threads could have. I don't love it, but it's bearable.
I've been playing Justice League Heroes for PS2 lately, and their interpretation of the modern suit is pretty good. I team him up with Birthright Superman for a shitty costume revamp party!
ReplyDeleteWhere can I find this Birthright Superman costume you've spoken of? I'm unfamiliar with it. I tossed through that book, and only two things stuck: Crispy Luthor temporarily with hair, and how poorly the artist was matched to the material.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm. You know, I never read it, because it stunk of 0-fun reboot. I think that Geoff Johns has shown that reboots shouldn't mess with core concepts and hope to be successful. Byrne's Superman run just kind of picked up where the silver age went wrong, and so has Johns done for the chromium age in my humble opinion. Let me try and find a picture...
ReplyDeleteSorry, it was Godfall, not birthright. Wrong mid 2000's story I didn't read. Regardless, it's Michael Turner's take on Kryptonian garb...It' pretty much a direct analogue to OYL MM, except it thankfully didn't stick.
ReplyDeleteM.C., I accidentally replied about Godfall in the World War III #2 thread.
ReplyDeleteI liked Man of Steel as a kid, but most any Byrne I read as an adult does not hold up at all (although Next Men is still pretty good.) Also, I came to realize I just plain didn't "get" Superman beyond the Christopher Reeve incarnation. Having read more about the Weisinger era, I now feel the baby went out with the bathwater Post-Crisis. Johns and company seem to be rectifying that somewhat, but I'm waiting on the trade for Secret Origins.
Speaking of trades, I finally got Run, and my first impression after scanning through it is that you're right about the Human Flame. Sturges' Millar riff on Miller suits me fine at a glance.
I haven't bought/read anything Final Crisis beyond the trade which I borrowed from the library. But I'll be interested to see your writeup of Run, especially considering that I won't put out a dime for anything with the words "Final Crisis" in the title.
ReplyDeleteSo many people seem to be down on Superman when they reach adulthood. But I'm really only familiar with the Christopher Reeves incarnation, and haven't read much because I don't find him all that interesting on paper, so maybe I'm missing something.
@lissbirds: You've probably heard this before, but All-Star Superman is phenomenal. Also, Geoff Johns recent runs are nice, in particular the Legion and Braniac story arcs.
ReplyDelete@Frank- the Silver Age Superman is low on my to do list, but I've been following the Chronicles reprints, and I am heartened by JMS's (at least I think) call back to that kind of Superman. Keep the modern powers, but the social fascist was pretty kick ass back in the day.