DC Comics institutes strict NO Underwear Policy

by Howie Decker @HowardTheDeck on July 1, 2011

in Comics

Last month, DC Comics unveiled plans for a line-wide relaunch of all of its comic book characters. All current running titles will end this summer and 52 new books will debut later this year starting with Justice League in late August. DC feared that some of their flagship characters were outdated, and wanted to take the opportunity to re-boot some origins, storylines, and most of all…costumes. This image, courtesy of Comic Book Resources, shows the new and improved Justice League:

No more underwear outside our pants! Take that, supervillains!

Yes, it seems DC has jumped on the opportunity to erase something that had been plaguing it’s main characters for decades, the underwear outside the pants look. For Batman the change is subtle, the mainstream popularity of the movies had given him a new image outside of the comic world, that of an all-black clad Gotham protector. For the comics they kept him in a gray and black combo, but ditched the black briefs. DC has been tinkering with Wonder Woman’s look for a while. Exit bikini bottom, enter pants. Much more believable for crime fighting, though the star-spangled bottom with red knee boots will be missed by many of us. Superman’s look is the most altered, as almost all incarnations of the hero have sported the bright red boy briefs since the 1940s. The yellow belt that so diligently held up said briefs for so long has morphed to red, now tasked with holding up solid blue pants for the foreseeable future. I dig it. It’s also good to see Aquaman and Cyborg flanking “the big five” in this preview of the new Justice League comic. The group will expand to include the extra members you see in the sidebars, all great additions. The most notable absence is Martian Manhunter.

No word yet on if the new No Underwear Policy applies to the DC Corporate offices as well. That could get dicey.

online portfolio July 2, 2011 at 5:46 am

Wonderful, keep it up thanks.

Ford July 8, 2011 at 8:34 am

First of all, what a bunch of baloney. This is potentially the stupidest idea I’ve ever seen. It almost makes me glad I stopped buying comics when I did… That said, your point about Martian Manhunter gives cause to pause and wonder whether a big green dude wearing what would effectively end up looking like Borat’s bathing suit would be in the best interest of…well, anyone.

HowardtheDeck July 8, 2011 at 9:22 am

I’m kinda looking forward to some of it, especially the Justice League reboot. For some reason they had gotten away from the big seven and the current JLA title features characters like Guy Smiley and Chipmunk Man. Also, Geoff Johns on Aquaman should be pretty badass

Ford July 8, 2011 at 11:18 am

Justice League reboots are always cause for celebration. And, yes, the core of the League inevitably begins wobbling out of control and envelopes ever more inadequate members… And I’m not averse to revisiting what makes the big names the big names. But to try and hippify characters that defined the genre and have existed for as long as they have… I don’t know. I know it worked for Supes with “Whatever happened…”, but that was Alan Moore, dude. I guess I’ll reserve judgment. Of course, I don’t buy comics anymore, so I’m not sure what I’ll actually be judging, but you know what I mean.

Ford July 8, 2011 at 8:35 am

Oh, and by “stupidest idea” I mean the total reboot, not the removal of superbriefs.

HowardtheDeck July 8, 2011 at 9:23 am

true. superbriefs be damned.

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