Reign of the Supermen #224: Iron Munro's New Costume

Source: Young All-Stars #12 (1988)
Type: Replacement/AnalogIron Munro's handful of appearances in recent DC Comics have sent me back to Young All-Stars where he acted as the Golden Age Superman's post-Crisis replacement, and look what I found. The sensible dark t-shirt and Labour Day-defying white pants worked fine (and may or may not have been an inspiration in the design of the current Superboy's outfit), but they weren't very "Golden Age". Roy and Dann Thomas rectified that in #12, but given how long it took to reduce it to shreds in battle, I'd have to say they knowingly created a fashion nightmare for comic effect.

It's the cape, isn't it? The high collar makes him look like a camp vampire or a sorcerer, and the loose chain holding it in place would be murder on the Adam's apple. But it doesn't stop there. Too many colors (red, blue, black, silver, and a horrendous white belt). A camisole that threatens nipple slips from panel to panel. Pirate boots. A logo that goes far too low. FASHION FAIL! Except yeah, it does look more like something from the Golden Age than his usual number. Reminds me of... the Black Terror?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I loathe Iron Munro with an irrational passion. He simply doesn't cut it as a Kal-L stand-in.
i hope this isn't too politically incorrect of me to say on this blog but this outfit really looks like something that belonged in the Village People line up. can't you just see him singing "YMCA" or "In the Navy". or maybe dancing to the tune of "It's Raining Men"? although as someone who lives across the Bay from San Francisco that outfit Iron Munroe is sporting is still pretty tame compared to what i've seen in S.F. on Halloween.
Howard said…
Hi, Howard Simpson here.I am the artist who designed that costume and Roy briefly explained it the letters pages why that costume exists.

It does bear repeating here from my point of view. I was excited when Roy asked me to designs costume for Iron Munroe. Until he said he wanted me to design a BAD costume. The storytelling purpose was to show not everyone can design a costume and it wasn't a good idea for him to have one. Roy told me it was not going to survive long. I was grateful for that.

I knew I would take the hit for being a bad costume designer (which I'm not). Being the professional I am, I dug deep and chose some Golden Age elements that would make it a very, very bad costume.

I destroyed it with much glee and a big smile on my face while drawing it being shredded.

No Black Terror influence.
Siskoid said…
Great story! Thanks for letting us peek behind the curtain. I don't think I ever thought it was meant to be a good costume, but you did succeed in making a bad costume that was period-appropriate. I research a lot of Golden Age material, and can say with some certainty that you really got it!
Howard said…
Thanks, Siskoid. It helps that I’m a big golden age fan. I’m working on a project that’s set in the Golden Age. About a year away from it being released if things go well.
Siskoid said…
You've got my attention and my dollar!