Dress for Success

We all know how important a superhero's costume is for brand recognition and marketing, but does it have a deeper meaning? Does a hero's suit play a part in society? For that matter, just how are a character's togs formed by our culture?

Michael Chabon (of "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay" and "McSweeney's" fame) has quite an essay in The New Yorker discussing the role of a superhero's costume. I would imagine this is the most in depth an author has ever gotten in discussing the subject - but then again, when has the discourse ever risen above, "Why does Superman wear his red underpants on the outside?"

Here's a taste of the essay:

We can start by throwing away our masks. Superman, arguably the first and the greatest of all costumed heroes, has never bothered with one, nor have Captain Marvel, Luke Cage, Wonder Woman, Valkyrie, and Supergirl. All those individuals, like many of their peers (Hawkman, Giant-Man), also go around barehanded, which suggests that we can safely dispense with our gauntlets (whether finned, rolled, or worn with a jaunty slash at the cuff). Capes have been an object of scorn among discerning superheroes at least since 1974, when Captain America, having abandoned his old career in protest over Watergate, briefly took on the nom de guerre Nomad, dressed himself in a piratical ensemble of midnight blue and gold, and brought his first exploit as a stateless hero to an inglorious end by tripping over his own flowing cloak.

It's a fascinating and in-depth look at the role costumes play in superhero books. Anyone who knows Chabon's writing knows it can get a wee bit dense at times, but it's usually worth it when you get to the end.

Head over to The New Yorker to read the whole thing.