Superman Gets New Costume, Looks like Batman v. Superman suit

What seems like ages ago, but was probably only a few months, DC Comics teased "a new costume" and "new powers" coming to Superman with Superman #38 by Geoff Johns, John Romita Jr., and Klaus Janson. It's probably wise to accept the "new powers" as a temporary evolution as part of Johns and Romita's ongoing (and very good) Superman storyline, but the new costume bit was...intriguing.

There's been not a hint of a look at the new Superman costume in any of the solicitation info for Superman #38 (which comes out on February 4th), and we just figured that if it was any kind of drastic change, it would be as temporary as any new powers are likely to be. That doesn't seem to be the case, though. It looks like Superman is indeed getting some new duds, and if nothing else, they're an improvement over his current New 52 design.

First, here's a look at the current Superman suit, from the splash page of 2011's Superman #2 by Jesus Merino and George Perez. This was from the earliest days of the New 52, and it's really a shot of this Superman costume at its most awkward. Some artists have had better look making it look less clunky and angular, but this is still a good full body shot to give you an idea of the changes...

Just to get things out of the way, I'm not one of those "red underpants purists" and I think there are plenty of ways you can tweak Superman's look (I'm rather fond of the costume from Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, for example). That being said, the current New 52 suit (designed by Jim Lee) has always felt particularly unappealing, and there's been little consistency from artist to artist about how bulky it should be, how much it looks like armor, etc.

[related article: Everything You Need to Know About Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice]

The first look at the new Superman suit comes via a variant cover to Superman #39 (first revealed, along with other upcoming DC variant covers, by Comic Vine), by John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson.

Check it out:

There are some subtle, but appreciable differences, here. For one thing, there's less emphasis on the "segmented armor" look of the basic New 52 costume. The ridiculous military collar is gone, replaced by something a little more reasonable (although still relatively high), the "S" shield is smaller, and the boots now more closely resemble those from the "classic" costume. The ridiculously bulky belt and awkward shield buckle are gone, and the lines on this one look a little more like the current movie costume. The yellow buckle is a much needed visual distraction from the overall red and blue, too. Overall, it looks more lightweight, which is refreshing.

Check out this official image of Henry Cavill in the new Superman costume for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice for comparison. That one has a rectangular yellow "buckle" for the belt, the size of the "S" shield is roughly the same, and the piping seems to mimic the lines and seams on the new comic book suit, too. 

As far as New 52 Superman costumes go, I've been partial to the short-lived Earth 2 suit, which looks a little more regal than militaristic:

Mike Cecchini spends far too much time considering the intricacies of Kryptonian fashion. Ridicule him on Twitter.