Okay ... I will try not to ramble or be ridiculous here. But get ready for me to gush.
I had planned to post today about the Supergirl show and even a little blurb about Gotham but it became clear yesterday at 4PM that that post would need to be delayed until Monday.
At about 4PM yesterday, the costume for the upcoming Supergirl show was finally revealed! We got two great shots of the suit designed by Colleen Atwood, two great shots of Melissa Benoist in costume, and one very very happy Anj. The news was everywhere but here is the article from Variety: http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/supergirl-costume-revealed-photos-melissa-benoist-cbs-1201447987/
And when the news broke, my Twitter feed almost collapsed as friends We're tweeting me links and wondered what I thought. I will say that people who know me well knew that I would absolutely love this costume. It is basically a variation of the Helen Slater movie costume (done in the comics as the Matrix costume). It is my favorite Supergirl costume.
Let's see:
Red skirt? Check!
Pointy yellow belt? Check!
Full shirt? Check!
Classic S-shield? Check!
I like the yellow piping on the S-shield with the blue background. It isn't the comic version with the full yellow background but that's okay. This will be her S-shield. It is still the El crest. but it's hers not Superman's.
And then the brilliant addition of tights under the skirt, a simple way to avoid the bike shorts controversy!
And with Slater on the show, the whole look of the costume is a nice nod to the movie and Slater's legacy!
It does look a little muted here but this is a dark shot. My guess is it will be a bit lighter in real life.
Seriously though. This is brilliant. I love it. LOVE IT!
But wait there's more!
And look! She's smiling!!!
This looks just how Supergirl should look!
This isn't the dark grim Snyder universe! This is a brighter place with a smiling hero!
Seriously, producers Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler have the Midas touch. Everything seems right.
I said it yesterday and I'll say it again here.
I live in a world where there is a Supergirl show in production and it looks and sounds like it will be great!
Unreal!
Shocked and pleased with the costume's "classical line", they reconfigured the s-icon but stayed far away from the quasi fascistic design currently in the comics. Dunno about the hosiery ("classic Supergirl" is a bare legs and flat heels sort of a heroine) but that is a minor quibble from me, it may well "photograph better" under full production conditions.
ReplyDeleteWow...this is it, The Missiles Are Flying...Alleluia.
JF
I love it too, bar the tights. Still, it's hardly a deal breaker when Melissa - who sounded so excited and respectful on Twitter - looks so smashing. She reminds me a bit of Molly Quinn, who's voiced Kara in cartoons.
ReplyDeleteI really disapprove of people watching TV shows illegally, but given we won't get to see this in the UK until likely a few weeks after you, and it'll be on a channel I've not got, I may have to commit a crime (making charity donations to ease my conscience)...
Unless you have a spare room in the Fortress of Anjitude?
Great overview of the costume, Anj! :) Love how it blends both old and new eras! :)
ReplyDeleteOne leaves the internet for 24 hours and...geez.-
ReplyDeleteok. Geek/nerd in...-
first: THIS I love (& coincide with others in SuperHeroHype forum) that the Super-costume is zero none zilch SEX-Y...It is a costume designed BY a woman (Ms. Atwood) FOR a woman (Ms. Benoist). Given dear ol´USA extreme sexual ...er...problems at hand...
it is better that way. I don´t need the Tea Party crying "Porn!" or "pedophilia!" or stupidities...
this, like KET said, disarms the idiot nazis.
(biting his cohones)
can´t believe I wrote that...
NOW for what I really think (or rather feel, as a noral male)
It was established in DC in better times (1972 if I recall good) that our girl, being after all, a girl (with all stereothypes attached) she should be vain & change opinions every 5 secs or so, so it was normal for her to try a great deal of new, different Super-costumes every 5 iss.- What other super heroine
has got so many already???
sooo...
SEASON 3! our girl wears a mini-micro skirt half the size of this one. Then tries the hot-pant outfit and hospitals all across have a heart problem pandemia.
THEN: Ame comi SG! etc.-
so I don´t worry one bit.
JFeer is right on the money with the NAZI insignia which was designed to infuriate us fans.
DAVID (god bless Ms. Atwood!)
Wonderful piece on the Supergirl costume! Melissa Benoist wears the costume so well- she looks natural in the outfit and gives a heroic, hopeful attitude.
ReplyDeleteI like that your piece points out the tights. When I saw the costume yesterday I thought Melissa's legs were darker due to the lighting the photographer used. LOL! I like that the show is giving thought to what someone who flies would wear (much like Renato Guedes, Jamal Igle, and Eric Jones).
One aspect of the costume I would critique is the knee pads on the boots. It's just an odd look to me, and I don't understand why someone with super powers would need them. Still, this is only a minor issue.
Yay! COSTUME REVEALED!
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree, I LOVE the 1984 movie / Matrix version of the costume. Looking closer at the picture, they're definately
taking cues from the Man Of Steel movie and the "textured" feel of the fabric. Call me oldfashioned, but I MUCH
preferred the Donner-verse spandex fabric. And they kept the cape! THANK YOU!
Based on the pics so far, a) Benoist looks like she could kick your butt without trying, and b) she embodies the
happiness and joy associated with what we want in a Supergirl!
To TPTB : KEEP IT UP! I can't wait to see this on TV!
Regards
I'm not a big fan of the costume, not enough gold/ yellow, although I'm in shock that they have her in a skirt and a cape at all. It's sad that so many comments on the Internet are trashing it because it lacks sex appeal and trashing Benoist for not being pretty/ sexy enough. If you go to supergirl.tv they have a better look at the costume so you can see the textures of it. Anyway, it's growing on me. Helen Slater approves, so how can I not, lol. Overall, I just wish she were more blonde. Oh yeah, Vanity Fair gave a glowing review of the costume, so when a top fashion mag covers a super hero costume ... It's pretty surreal this is happening, and again, I think it's pretty awesome that 30 years ago, Kara and Barry were killed off big time in comics but now they're rocking TV together! While Im still a Laura Vandervoort fan over Benoist, I'm excited that she's so excited about everything, and it is refreshing that we see Supergirl as she should be, strong, hopeful, and happy - and, of course, Kara Zor-El. :P
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments!
ReplyDeleteI had gone to other sites and read the comments.
NEVER READ THE COMMENTS!
It is weird for me to see the complaint of a lack of sexiness being brought up in regards to the suit or Benoist. Creepy in many places.
She looks beautiful, heroic, healthy, happy. That's perfect!
Can't wait for the show!
Ah, I hate to say it, but I'm a little bit disapointed.. For me, pictures and suit are too much dark, and I don't think it does neither Kara nor Melissa justice. The whole suit and the pics would have deserved more light and brighter colors. Even Melissa doesn't look like enough blonde to me. I would have picked for a near platinum if I had been her. Or at least a light blonde. And maybe more life in the hair too. This apart, Melissa has the perfect figure to portray the part, and the perfect eyes too. What eyes, my God ! Physically, she is Supergirl, without any doubt.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the costume, I like the high boots and the tights very much, and the full shirt as you wrote Anj, is perfect. But I'm not mad about the way the skirt is cut, even if it respects the classic material, thing I usually appreciate. But, here, the whole gives me an impression of.... a little bit out of date. I think a more modern design would have been better. Or maybe the biker short, after all, why not ? With tights it might have matched as well. But don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about something "sexier", more cleavage, or I dunno what. The spirit is perfect. Just a question of style, in my opinion. Some have qualified this suit with "boring" and I would not go till there, but I find it from another time. It sounds wrong to me. I know it sounds good to you, Anj ! When I saw the pics, I told to myself "ha ha, I know one who'll be happy with that !"
Will this retro look fit to the show ? In fact, it depends the whole artistic direction of this show, I guess... It depends of the decorum. All is a question of balance in the treatment, and I suppose these people know what they do. So I will watch it willingly, and I'm already eager to see more, and to see the character in action !
The unique thing I really regret once again, is this dark tone. It has become common that "creators" put it in everything they do, even when the character is positive and lightened. Where is the sense of wonder, guys ? They just do that because seemingly it sells, okay, but it's just the easy way. The 80's are gone, guys... maybe you should do something else to renew the genre, no ? And find the sense of wonder back, by the same occasion..
So, for me, it's a B ++ or a A - or something like 8/10 :)
Yay!
ReplyDeleteI would have liked a little more yellow/gold on the boots and as trim for the cape, but I'm happy overall as well :)
Definitely not going to read through comments from scary people wanting it to look "sexier" or "more revealing", ugh.
Those are impressively bulky arms she has there!
Or the smallville era where the cousins are known to wear bright primary colors haha.
ReplyDeleteorverall I am ok with the suit, maybe fix the boot lower below the knee abit.
This kara is conservative and a nerd kara (based on the bts frm yesterday). Smallville kara is more proud of her sexuality, more out there, very alpha and a beauty queen 'ms. Sweetcorn' pagent winner afterall. I like both interpetation. Perhaps it has to do that this kara came here at age 12 and raised by humans. As oppose to smallville she came to earth at aged 18-19 yrs old
I think a lot of the complaints about the darkness of the costume will be negated when the suit is shown in better and/or natural light. Capturing a really popping bright red can be difficult to photograph sometimes, but I think the red of her cape, boots, and skirt will look more vibrant in the context of the show.
ReplyDeleteAs for the style, I'm blown away because this is pretty much exactly what I thought the character should look like...but never expected to see it! I love the skirt, and I have no problem with the leggings.
Ultimately, though, I look at that picture and I see SUPERGIRL. I had never heard of Melissa Benoist when CBS cast her, so I had no idea what to expect. But looking at her in the costume--yeah, I'm sold! When this show airs, I think the world is going to fall for Supergirl just like you, Anj!
A few comments:
ReplyDelete1. Let me just say that the publicity photos make for an excellent slide show on my computer's desktop. :)
2. The photos do seem a bit too dark overall, as it's a bit difficult to figure out the heels on her boots. Certainly, the real test of SG's new threads will be when we see them in action; stills often don't explain the whole picture, as it did with The Flash's current TV costume.
Otherwise, no complaints at all; I'm a bit awestruck at the attention to classic detail and practical functionality Oscar-winning designer Colleen Atwood has put into Supergirl's outfit. Her accompanying statement mentioned "street-style action hero of today" (which, to those who've been paying attention to the advance production announcements, is a pretty obvious hint about the serious treatment of the heroine we're about to get). An outline of yellow around the S-shield avoids making it look merely like a cheesy target (and more reminiscent of the legendary Max Fleischer Superman cartoons of the early 40s).
3. Everyone involved with the promotion and presentation of the costume should be commended. Who would have thought a superhero TV show would be getting this much world-wide buzz so far in advance of its actual air dates?
It has been a lot of fun roaming around the 'net reading all the different commentary on merely two photos of Supergirl's new costume. Since when have Elle and Vanity Fair ever expressed so much interest in a superheroine outfit before?
And one does have to take the internet negativity on some sites with a laugh, as it either betrays a poster's ignorance of a cultural objectification mindset, or an inferiority complex that's already set in from the growing fear that this female-led series is already a hit in the making.
4. The clincher is the photo with Melissa smiling, as if to say, "Relax...I've got this." That sells the whole concept for me right there.
Carry on.
KET
When Grant Gustin's Flash costume was revealed, the same complaints were there about it being too dark. It actually turned out to look pretty good. I have faith that this costume will look great, and that Berlanti & co. will hit this series out of the park; they have proven themselves with Arrow and The Flash.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, these shows work well because they answer to a need from the audience, who wants to see these kinds of shows. But they often transform the nature of the characters to add this darkness ingredient that is not necessary in their original nature. And I can't believe it's the only way to make them accepted by this audience, for me it's just an secure way to work based on the rates of the previous movies. You can do something lighter and more joyful without turning naive or childish, or old, or I dunno. Since Miller's Dark Knight and Moore/ Gibbons's Watchem, or since the rising up of Wolverine in the comics, a lot of people in the industry consider that darkness is the right treatment and put it everywhre, even in Star Trek lol... As a result, we've been seeing nearly the same thing for... something like 30 years. I don't understand why they apply the recipes so systematically.
ReplyDeleteA good example is Man of Steel. It's not the classic treatment of Superman, with the nuance that it is thought and assumed. Since the moment Clark accepts his own legacy and become Supes, there's a light that comes always from his direction to the side, enlighting the other characters, as a metaphoric concept for him being not really a savior, but someone who brings the light, id est giving the example to follow, to make people react, and act by themselves (he doesn't save Perry's collegue, Perry and Steve save her themselves, while the kryptonians "gods" fight and destroy everthing). This apart, the whole film is dark. In fact, the character brings the light in a full dark world. Okay, it's Zach's vision, and I respect it, even I liked the movie, but it's not really Superman !
I'm ok with this treatment when there is a real concept behind (the case of Snyder), or when darkness is inner to the character (Bats, Green Arrow maybe, or X-Men too which deals with social serious thematics like racism and so on), but I disagree when it's just to follow a fashion (like a lot of productions, Spiderman to start). But it's an opinion, nothing more :)
For me, Supergirl character should be treated the same glamorous, joyful, and lightened way like this pic of Melissa was :
http://www.teenvogue.com/images/entertainment/tv/2012-11/Melissa.jpg
This is Supergirl ! Or this one, with a darker background but the light on her :)
https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/benoist.jpg
Sorry but the official pics presented to us are sad, for me. Nothing more nothing less. I join you again when you say we must wait for the following, especcially when she'll be in action. But I don't want the show to look like Arrow, because both characters are different !
Don't know about the "not sexy / pretty enough" comments, nor do I care to see em.
ReplyDeleteAs one happy and proud Supergirl fan, I say "Screw em all, full speed ahead!" Just give us the
initial pilot and the confirmed broadcast date and time, and I'll be there!
> 4. The clincher is the photo with Melissa smiling, as if to say, "Relax...I've got this."
Amen to that KET! Amen to that!
Regards
Atwood's design is brilliant. I had a huge smile on my face when I saw the pictures. I really like how it balances the classic look with a more modern aesthetic so well - like you Anj I'm of the view that the movie/Matrix suit has yet to be bettered so to me this is perfect. Melissa Benoist looks amazing in this suit - in my mind there's no doubt that this is Supergirl and I can't wait to see the first episode!
ReplyDeleteI love what I see and I have no complaints. Due to the lighting of the photo, it looks like a subdued version of Helen Slater's movie costume (with a few minor tweeks.) I'm sure when we see it in action it will look brighter than what we see here.
ReplyDeleteAll those years of Supergirl being excluded from Super Friends, Batman The Brave and the Bold, and Young Justice are just a faint memory as Kara gets her own sincere live action show. Remember that empty pod in Man of Steel? Now I am not worried if Kara will appear in the DC Movieverse or not. Good times...
I am curious how they would introduce Kara in MOS universe. What was she been doing for the last 20,000 years. I am so curious
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for the continued conversation!
ReplyDeleteI love how much publicity the show is getting and it is predominantly positive!
As most have said, I wonder if this will look a little brighter in real life.
And Gene, you are so right! Yes, we wont see Kara on the big screen. But I prefer what I see here as opposed to worrying what Zachary Snyder would do to her!
I give Benoist credit, she has swiftly mastered that wistful "I Am Here to Help" smile first pioneered by George Reeves....
ReplyDeleteStill can't believe they went with a skirt...Somewhere in DC Valhalla, Jim Mooney & Kurt Schaffenberger are elbowing each other and chuckling.
:)
JF
another bonus point for me on this show is that the man of steel will appear on this show bout bad news is flash is prpeping for the crisis in 2024 so we all now what that could mean for supergirl
ReplyDelete"JFeer is right on the money with the NAZI insignia which was designed to infuriate us fans."
ReplyDeleteWhat? No. The Red Lanterns' symbol is NOT and looks NOT a Nazi or quasi-fascist insignia and it was NOT designed to infuriate us.
Geoff Johns created the Red Lanterns Corps created in 2008. Surely you aren't claming their symbol was specifically designed to infuriate the fans of a character completely unrelated to the Green Lantern mythos seven years later? A character who Johns appears to like and helped rehabilitate?
"I had gone to other sites and read the comments.
NEVER READ THE COMMENTS!"
Amen, Anj. It's always the same garbage, even two years later.
Anyway, I liked the costume when I first I saw it. Even if it's not so bright as Helen Slater's, and even if I like the yellow background, it's very good and screams "Superperson".