Superman’s costume is the most iconic superhero uniform ever created. From the bright red cape, to the blue cloth, to the inspirational S-symbol, Superman’s look set the standard that all other superheroes have to live up to with their costumes. His design has generally stayed the same since his introduction, which speaks to just how good it is, but Supes has changed up his look every now and again. He’s actually worn dozens of different suits over the years, which range from practically the same to radically different. Today, we’re going to take a look at the ten best costumes Superman has worn in the comics, and show exactly why his look has survived every fashion trend and fad of the past century.
10) Superman and the Authority
This suit is really weird, because it’s so radically different from the standard Superman suit, but at the same time it’s so familiar and works so well. Clark has nixed his cape, trunks, and even long sleeves in favor of this sleek redesign with gloves and the incredible black shield crest. It’s strange, but the almost militaristic design mixed with the older look for the Man of Steel gives this suit a presence that instills this sense of power and authority in whoever looks at it. It pays homage to more classic and beloved suits, like the Kingdom Come variant, while still feeling fresh and functional. An easy top tier suit, in my book.
9) New 52 Action Comics
When I first saw Grant Morison and Rags Morales’s redesign, I wasn’t that much of a fan, but it’s really grown on me over the years. This is Superman at the very start of his career, and taken back to the barebone basics of directly fighting against social injustices more than supervillains. To that end, I think this suit perfectly encapsulates the ideal this version of Superman embodied. Instead of an alien battlesuit or strongman spandex, this suit is made from a t-shirt, jeans, and a much shorter cape. This is a suit that anybody can make themselves, and that lets the reader see themselves in Superman’s shoes and connect with him more. It literally brings Superman closer to the reader visually, and that’s an awesome way to reimagine his look to match his purpose.
8) Absolute Superman
The Absolute Universe brought major modernization and redesigns for every character, and Absolute Superman is no different. His new look is much more alien, with glowing forearms and boots that are practically bursting with solar power and the half-belt that warps around his sides. This suit lacks the classic trunks, which is a major shame, but it more than makes up for that with the coolest cape ever designed. Absolute Kal’s cape is formed from the red dust of Krypton, and is able to retract or expand into a tornado-like storm to protect him. Not only does the cape have a wonderful, ethereal swish to it, but the thematics of Superman’s stance as the last survivor of Krypton are tied directly into it. Superman always carries a piece of Krypton with him, the red dust he grew up playing in. It’s beautiful in both theme and design, and just looks killer.
7) Superman Reborn
Coming off the tad overdesigned New 52 armor-suit, Superman’s Rebirth suit is a modern take on his most classic looks. It goes back to the blue spandex look and adds a yellow beltbuckle, which is the exact splash of color he needed if they wanted to keep the trunks gone. This isn’t the first suit Superman wore in the Rebirth era, only donning this version after merging with his New 52 self in the “Superman Reborn” storyline, but this is easily the best suit of that era. It’s a perfect modernization of the classic costume, keeping almost everything people love about it and just touching certain details here and there. If this suit had the trunks I have no doubt it would be one of his best suits, but unfortunately, Superman just doesn’t look complete without them. Still, this is a darn good Superman costume and deserves its props.
6) Original Suit
I said that Superman’s design was classic right out of the gate, and now I’m putting my money where my mouth is. Right from the cover of Action Comics #1, Superman’s iconic suit is on display in all of its glory. Now, this particular version of the suit didn’t last very long, as back in the day artists were way more loosey-goosey about superheroes’ designs. The majority of the time in Action Comics’ early issues Superman was drawn with blue-footsies instead of red shoes, and the yellow belt and symbol on the back of his cape wouldn’t be added until later. Still, this design has influenced the look Superman has had for nearly a century, and it’s no secret as to why. His silhouette is instantly recognizable, and the red trunks are both a necessary pop of color and help emphasize every movement of his limbs. The gold crest is completely underrated, and deserves all the love it can get. This suit is iconic for a reason.
5) Black Suit
Superman first donned this solar-recovery suit to speed up his restoration after his death at the hands of Doomsday. It was an instant fan-favorite with the sleek black look and silver highlights, but the Superman: Lois and Clark redesign elevated this suit somehow even higher. It removed the gloves and armbands and added a silver belt, which is so perfect in catching the eye and breaking up the flow of Superman’s torso. This suit is pure minimalist fashion, and does so much with so little. You wouldn’t think that such a simple and dark design would work with a character as bright as Superman, but everything about it just screams cool. I’ve always been an advocate that Superman should have a cape, but in this case I am more than willing to look past that because this suit is simply clean. A fantastic costume that fans always love to see make an appearance.
4) New Classic
This costume only appeared in the Gail Simone’s three-part story in Superman Superstars’s Action Comics #1067-1069, but it needs to come back. The story is set in Superman’s early years in Metropolis, and bathes Metropolis and everyone in it in this timeless, decades prior style. To capture that feeling with Superman they modeled his design after the Fleischer Superman cartoons that released back in the 1940s. The Fleischer costume is near universally beloved, and this adaptation of it is just as good. Changing the background of the crest to black and outlining it with yellow is such a small change, but it makes it pop out so much more. It easily competes with the top spot for best Superman symbol, and the addition of the yellow belt here helps meld this suit with the other comic suits of the era it is meant to take place in. This costume is an instant classic and needs to come back, hopefully soon.
3) Kingdom Come
It was mentioned earlier in this list, and no list of Superman’s greatest costumes would be complete without the Kingdom Come suit. To call this suit a classic would be an understatement and a half, as it is without a doubt the most influential alternate-universe take on Superman’s costume there has ever been, and likely ever will be. It keeps the majority of the design the same, only changing the belt to black and overhauling the crest, but what an overhaul it is. Not only does it change the background of the crest to black like the Fleischer cartoons, but it stylizes it with a very blocky and sharp cursive. The S looks far more alien and like a symbol over a letter, and that added to the color contrast against Superman’s rich blue costume means you have everything you need for the perfect redesign.
2) Silver Age
The Silver Age consolidated a true look for Superman that would last for its entire nearly forty year tenure. The bright blue and red that make it up catch the eye and perfectly encapsulate the larger-than-life motto that drove the Silver Age. The cape was much shorter than most incarnations, only coming down to about his knees, but that gives the costume a whimsical, childhood imagination feeling to it. This Superman is a dream come to life, and so his suit embodying that wonder children feel when they first learn about the Man of Tomorrow is perfect. It’s hard to say anything about this costume that hasn’t already been said, other than it deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest superhero costumes of all time. And yet, there is still one that sits just a little bit higher.
1) Post Crisis/Modern
This is the quintessential Superman costume, hands down. It’s the design that comes to everyone’s mind when they think of Superman, and for very good reason. It’s everything that the Silver Age costume is, but bigger. The cape is much longer and can either flow majestically behind him or wrap around him like a cloak. The crest is even larger and more prominent on his chest, proudly proclaiming that this is his symbol and he is Superman. The richer shades of red and blue highlight the yellow even more, and make the suit feel more real than the lighter colors of the previous suits. This suit is everything a Superman suit should be and is the most iconic costume of all time. What else can I say? This is Superman’s costume, and it’s incredible.
So there we have Superman’s ten best comic book costumes, but this is a very contentious competition. I had to leave off far too many great suits, from the New 52 armor look, to the pure white design in Superman: Lost, to the “Warworld Saga” chains that I know is one of Lois Lane’s favorites. There are so many fantastic costumes that Superman has worn over the years, but which one is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
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