Spider-Woman Costume Redesign?

[Cauda]

Spider-Woman #2 just arrived in Australia (for some reason we're behind when it comes to this particular title), and I have to say I absolutely love. Alex Maleev's art style compliments a story that is essentially the Marvel version of sci-fi noir classic, "Bladerunner".

Being the bleak, low-key story that it is so far, we haven't seen much need for Jessica Drew to change out of her civilian clothes and into the Spider-Woman costume. When she does though, as we see in Issue #1, I have to ask myself if the three-eyed red-and-yellow costume isn't starting to show its age. Unlike more iconic superhero costumes, like Spider-Man, Captain America or Ms. Marvel the costume lacks a distinctive symbol to focus on, has very little to do with her origins (either in SHIELD or Hydra) and clashes pretty hard with the colour of Drew's energy blasts.

Traditionally, updating costumes has been a bold move that seems to please and alienate fans in equal doses. Iron Man frequently updates his suit, but has a reason for it. Blood is spilled whenever Spider-Man even thinks of visiting the tailor, but Ms. Marvel's new costume is arguably more iconic than her old one.

With the 'relaunch' of Spider-Woman, if there was a time to update the costume it'd be now. Therefore, I put it to the fans: is it time for the Spider-Woman's costume to be re-vamped? If so, what could be done in this regard?

[Alex(sadly)Maleev]

I agree, I suggested we change the costume, but I didn't hear a lot of cheering across the room.

[intercept789]

Originally Posted by Alex(sadly)Maleev

I agree, I suggested we change the costume, but I didn't hear a lot of cheering across the room.

The tricky thing is that Spiderwoman is sort of a second-tier character, and you don't want to lose the recognition that her costume now brings (since it's been around for a couple decades now).

I have sort of gotten use to it, I guess. A costume that makes me wonder more is how Captain America's will fly when he enters the live action movie arena. Anytime you run around in stars and stripes in real life, it is hard not to be gaudy. That alone practically derailed the Wonder Woman movie, when Whedon pretty much said he couldn't have her in her iconic costume except for maybe one scene, and then wanted to do away with it.

[Hoggie]

I liked her old costume (Venomish) but the Spider connection never made sense. Actually the Spider connection still doesn't make sense. I think an update could be a good idea.

[hamgravy]

This one is definitely an uphill battle.

There are certain factions, Brian too I believe, who consider her costume to be one of the greatest of all time.

It works for me as the garish but iconic 70s-sploitation primary color cherry bomb. Especially the way Alex makes it seem painted on, natch.

I like my superheroes colorful even in "realistic" stories. The one exception is Wolverine. He shouldn't be wearing yellow and blue, even if John Cassaday and co. were able to make it look the best it's ever looked.

[Cauda]

Greatest of all time? To me it looks a completely random assembly of geometric shapes. There's no design to it, nothing that's even distinctive. Bright colours are fine, being a staple of the genre, but at least a configuration that looks like it had some thought to it. "Yellow-belly" doesn't really work.

You raise a good point about it being very 70s. I hadn't considered that at all when I was looking over it.

[Tom Burgos]

No need to change. Not broke, no need to fix it.

Moving on.

[Arion]

I'd love to see Maleev's new design for it .

[James UK]

Noooooooooooooooooooooo leave it be!

[marvelboi77]

I don't see any point in chaning it just to be changing it. I love the costume, the bright red and the glider wings. I think that much like Daredevil we are seeing the stories not using the costume most of the time. But when the costume is used go with the classic.

Bringing up Ms. Marvel is not a good argument by the way. She was in the red one for 19 issues and the Black one for 30 years.