Batman 2.0: The Dynamic Do-Over Winners!
Thursday March 26th 2009, 2:29 am
Editor’s Note: The following entries are the winners and finalists from our Batman 2.0: The Dynamic Do-Over contest, with prizes provided by Rogues Gallery. We received well over a hundred entries! Our guest reviewers this week are Batman: Club of Heroes artist, J.H. Williams III and Detective Comics artist, Dustin Nguyen. - Dean
GRAND PRIZE WINNER!
Anjin Anhut
Jon: 8. Terrifically fond of the mask on this design, evocatively bat-like in a way that the current costume isn’t, but still expresses the same, er, streamlined bat-ness. I like that it allows enough room for his expressions, particularly the smart-ass grin on display here. Interesting color palette, I’m surprised more folks didn’t touch on a “Batman Beyond” scheme, great replacement of the cape with the batons across the back, adds a lot to the silhouette, and I love the practical look of the outfit. Certainly not the only design that employed Nightwing’s chest-and-arms logo motif, but I like the placement and the actual line, using it across a jacket rather than a skintight outfit.
Joel: 9.5. Having lost my ability to read Dan Didio’s mind since he started lining his hats with tinfoil, I can’t say if this is a design DC would ever go for, but I’m pretty sure this is my favorite out of a very strong collection. This really reads as a second generation Bat—a younger man trying to shoulder a mantle in his own way. I love that it looks so practical without looking mundane, so batty without just repeating Bruce Wayne’s admittedly uber-iconic image, and so Grayson without simply cramming Batman and Nightwing into one costume (there’s an image to set the slash community atwitter). I dropped half a point for the sleeve designs, which strike me as needing some more consideration, but would like to add about twenty points for glow-in-the-dark bat-nostrils. Make it fifty if Anjin has specific ideas as to what the nostrils do.
Vito: 8. This is drastic enough to make me notice. It’s a bit of Nightwing, Red Robin and Batman, and that’s not even getting at the actual costume. It’s functional, it’s stylish…it’s nouveau pulp hero. And say what you will for the mask, I think it’s killer. Part motorcycle helmet, part mask. It fits with Dick Grayson. It’s a great looking set of pieces, but the whole is almost all there. My only minus is that it’s an outfit, not a costume. I still like it a lot.
Chris: 9. I absolutely love the mask on this — it’s shade of the wonderful design that Gene Ha did in Batman: Black & White, but I don’t know if Anjin was inspired with that. The decision to go with a red color scheme is bold, but it definitely steps out of the Bruce Wayne Batman into a whole new Batman. I would have given this a 10 but I had to shave off a point for not liking the glider he has below. But amazing design!
Joel: You don’t like the glider? That’s crazy talk. Love the glider!
Dean: 9.5. This design gets me totally psyched for Batman 2! The color choice is perfect given the red-and-black fixation of Batman R.I.P., as well as a nod to Dick’s background as Robin. The mask is fun, and Dick’s expression is character-perfect. I’m really impressed by the scalloped red batwing shapes following down the arms, and the armor plating looks wicked. Easily one of my favorite entries.
JHW3: 6.5. An interesting idea, very street, but Batman isn’t Batman with out some sort of wing/cape aspect to the design.
Dustin: 5. Agreed, though a nice idea, batman shouldn’t fall with trend and jump on the urbanized apparel. also needs the cloaking element.
FIRST PRIZE WINNER!
Daniel Heard
Vito: 8. This is more like it. It’s clearly Batman, but not Bruce. That’s the kind of bold fashion statement that Dick would make (remember the disco collar?). It also looks functional, which is what Dick, an acrobat, would want and need.
Jon: 9. Love this - elegant, agile, acrobatic, great pose and setting too. Batman as a daring young man on the flying trapeze, fearsome because he’s fearless. The cape is terrific, great lines to it - I also really like the solution to the eyes, rather than giving him Batman’s white eyes, he’s got these supernaturally piercing blue ones. Nice military overtones to the costume gives it an air of authority Nightwing might otherwise lack, picking up for his mentor. Really well done.
Chris: 7. Definitely Dick Grayson. I see this Batman jumping deftly through Gotham more akin to Spider-man than Batman. The idea of changing the batcape to a batponcho is hiliarious to me though. But not bad.
Joel: 6.5. While agreeing with all the above kudos, I can’t quite buy the Bat-poncho. Not only would it get in the way of your basic acrobatic hand-to-hand combat, just think how undignified Batman would look having to scrunch it up every time he needed to access his utility belt.
Vito: I don’t know if it would scrunch up so much. It looks like it’s made to move with him.
Dean: 6. Good drawing, but I don’t care for the cape-poncho. That kinda thing could work for a Robin, but it looks childish on Batman.
JHW3: 9. This has a nice feel to it for sure but I think the poncho/cape thing is a little off. The basic design shape of the poncho aspect would be better if it was much longer like a real cape but kept to the specific design sense that is already here.
Dustin: 8 i dig the flaps
SECOND PRIZE WINNER!
Christian Nauck
Vito: 7. At first glance, I don’t think you would see anything more than military Batman, but looking at how this costume is accessorized, it’s totally Dick. I’d like to see at least one bright color on it though, because, to me, Dick is about being the light in darkness…he’s not one to fully give in to the night.
Jon: 6. It’s a costume that makes sense, it’s protective, evocative of the character, certainly feels like a new Batman, if not Dick Grayson specifically, but it doesn’t excite me. Could serve as a totally functional riot-squad Bat-Costume, but for just about any Batman.
Chris: 7. A military Dark Knight for a modern age? Perhaps. This strikes me as very similar to what John Paul Leon might do on Batman. I really enjoy getting rid of the bland compartmentalized utility belt in favor for recognizable items on the belt. While it does complicate the design when simplicity is key in sequential art, I do think it gives this a more down-to-earth approach to Batman.
Joel: 7. This design seems very sympatico with the Nolanverse Batman. If part of the mandate with a Dick Grayson Batman was to bring the comic’s sensibilities in line with the movies, than this would be a very good way to go. In the established DCverse, however, it looks a little heavy for Grayson.
Dean: 9. I’d play this videogame. All of this seems incredibly practical. I’d like to see more of Dick Grayson’s personality, though.
JHW3: 8. This has got practicality all over, nice touch. However, the look of it isn’t giving us anything new. I want to see the classic elements remixed in a way that feels fresh.
Dustin: 8: very well drawn
INELIGIBLE P:R STAFF ENTRY!
Dean Trippe
Vito: It’s a safe bet that when/if Dick takes over, he wont change the costume much if at all, but Dean’s change is on the logo, and I like that new logo something fierce. It’s a mixture of both, and the color of it is bright and stands out against that maudlin gray. But I would have killed to see Dean take this further.
Jon: An excellent, straightforward take, loving the Thrillkiller palette in the costume. I’m a little confused by the cape, though, is it a two-piece cape-like Batwings, or a scalloped cape with a red interior lining?
Chris: I really enjoy it that Dean dramatically changed the Bat emblem not only in color but in shape. It makes me think — would they change the batsignal too? For a new person stepping into the Bat-mantle, part of me would think they would want to change things up– and changing the logo would do that.
Joel: A beautiful drawing, and many nice features, here: split cape, great utility belt modules, and an oh-so-now chest emblem. This looks like a younger, fresher Bat. But I’m not sure I’m getting a coherent vision that ties all those nice new details together. I’m dead certain that Dean has such a vision in mind—the guy likes to think about Batman—but I’m not quite getting it.
Dean: Thanks guys. I basically wanted to take Batman 2.0 a half step towards Batman Beyond. I made new glove and boot compartments to Dick here, and yeah, that’s a double cape. I imagined him using it as an airfoil rather than forming full batwings out of it. And yeah, the Thrillkiller color scheme came from my love of all things Halloween.
JHW3: I think the best thing about this is the yellow/orange chest emblem. The rest is too similar to things we’ve seen before.
Dustin: nicely drawn though looks a lot like batman now.
RUNNERS UP!
Héctor Barros
Jon: 8. I love the streamlining on this one, and the batwings with a different color on the interior and exterior. Also, a terrific looking mask. There’s something about the cut of the mask which seems to evoke a silent movie character, very lean, elegant and Nineteen-twenties-ish. I think I like this one because it looks, to me, like it could’ve been Batman’s costume since day one, it has a classic urban crimefighter look to it, and still something distinctly iconic.
Vito: 8. But, Jon, it says Nightwing with a Batman cowl. I love the colors, and the streamlining is fantastic, but why not utilize the utility belt more? I’m not sure what the reasons are for having the blue piping on the costume other than to break up the dark colors, but that’s minor. The logo is fantastic and I, too, love the cowl. Make all the fingers blue, and I’m there with you.
Chris: 8. Was Nightwing watching GATCHAMAN when designing this new Batman costume? That’s what I thought when I saw this entry come into the Project: Rooftop headquarters. Initially I was against the blue piping, but it works so well on the head portion of the costume. Great job, Hector.
Joel: 6. I think this is a case of losing the Bat. The chest emblem looks more like a manta ray. Combine that with the general… uh, wetsuitness of the costume, and I just end up in very different territory on this one.
Dean: 4. This one’s just a too complicated for me to enjoy the simplified bits. The chest logo is almost there, but the arm and leg piping seems useless, and the triangles on the feet are distracting. I also think he’s wearing his belt a little too high. I like the double-sided wings, though.
JHW3: 10. This is by far my favorite. It has all of the right elements but remixed with a freshness to it. It’s very smooth and very sleek. I agree with the Gatchaman reference but it really works for me. The designer really stretched things here without losing what makes for a cool Batman. Love the drawing style too.
Dustin: 8. this works great, batman beyond meets nightwing.
Joe Quinones
Jon: 7. Great illustration, great lines and colors, it puts me in mind of the 1960’s Batman TV show. Part of it because the cut of the cape, the bright lining and the size of the bat-belt remind me of Yvonne Craig’s Batgirl costume, and part of it is because this looks like Batman dressed as the Batmobile!
Joel: 6. Campy in the best possible way, this piece has me wanting to read a Joe Quinones comic full of fun superheroes. But, this should be making me want to read a Batman comic, not a Joe Q comic. I think this design in the hands of a lesser artist would suddenly look pretty flat. There’s just an awful lot of piping going on there.
Vito: 8. Not crazy about the cowl, but this is one of the costumes that uses the piping that I’m ok with. It streamlines the costume as a whole, and the color choice is bold. Anyone notice that Joe used Nightwing’s gauntlets in this design? That, to me, makes this work because it’s not Batman with a Nightwing logo or Nightwing with a Bat logo/cowl. It’s a great melding of both.
Chris: 7. This has got a lot of personality, but I can’t see Nightwing or Robin underneath the cowl. I’d like to see Joe go back and work this up some more and it’d be great.
Dean. 9. Dudes, this has so much class. I simply can’t say no to a Bat costume with this much love in it. Joe’s got the 60’s Batmobile and utility belt, Nightwing’s gloves and arm-stripes, and a simple double sided cape. It’s just so clean. Hopeful and simultaneously badass. I’m not totally sold on the old school duo-tone mask, but otherwise, this entry is a home run.
JHW3: 7. Has a nice retro adventure hero aspect to it. It would work best for a story that fits a pulpy period piece. Something about it reminds me of an action figure design I’ve seen though.
Dustin: 6. [No Comments.]
Note: More Runners Up after the jump! - D.T.
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Vampirella ReVamp Winners!
Friday September 26th 2008, 1:51 am
Editor’s Note: The following entries are the winners and finalists from the Vampirella ReVamp contest, with prizes provided by Harris Comics. We received more than 100 entries! Our special guests this week are writer and Herstorian, Trina Robbins, creator of the original costume design of Vampirella; artist Joe Jusko, creator some of the most memorable art in Vampirella’s history, most notably his distinctive cover art and work in the fully painted book, Blood Lust; and Dan Brereton, cartoonist & creator of The Nocturnals, who is working on a 2008 Vampirella Quarterly Halloween Special. - Dean Trippe
GRAND PRIZE WINNER!
Ralph Niese
Composite Score: 93
Dean: Okay, I realize this is kinda of a departure for the character, but there really is nothing more fun in this contest than race-car driving Vampirella and her night-creature alter ego (demonstration illo here!). Holy smack, I’d buy this comic two times a week. Ralph has ditched a single uniform in favor of a red/white style theme and a scary/sexy (scary-sexy?) demon-bat alter ego. Extra points for the Vampimobile. Wow.
Joel: Wow, we have, what? three designs to choose from, here? I love the bat-form, which is appropriately creepy. Vampires seem to work best if there’s some element of revulsion there to balance out the predatory sexiness. Or is that just me? The first human design looks a little too much like 80’s Michael Jackson. I like the spirit of it, and think that just changing out the jacket would go a long way to bringing it up to speed. But the winner here is “Racecar Vampy!” I can hear the theme music!
Jon: Ten ten ten ten ten. Ten.
Rachel: Can someone please explain to me why Ralph Niese is not ridiculously famous?
Dan: So easy to give this a 10. This is my pick for winner.
Trina: 10. For both ideas!
Vito: There’s a lot going on here and while I love all of them, my eye just goes straight to Racecar Vampy. I mentioned it in Maris’ design, and I’ve said it a few times in the past, but this image, alone and without the other two, immediately gives me story ideas. Immediately! The design is Speed Racer meets Toth drag racing comics or Vampirella meets Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! The heart on the side is a great touch.
Chris: Man, this really works - it’d be a restyling of Vampirella to some degree but it really works as a modern-retro kind of thing. Could you get Christina Ricci to play Vampirella?
Jusko: I really like the red costume, but not the “Bratz” clothing or the demon-bat thingy. Vampi’s NOT a monster.
Jess: Racecar Vampy has won my heart completely, especially if she can change into the feral form from that outfit.
SECOND PRIZE WINNER!
Joe Quinones
Composite Score: 87.5
Dean: Well, you know, WOW. Joe’s work as usual, is so clean and sensible. This outfit is functional, cute, and clearly says Vampirella. The dress is an elegant solution to this challenge. I love the collar, the peek-a-boo opening (the diamond shape recalls her earlier costume), and the surprisingly sexy placement of the bat-emblem. This is crazy good work.
Rachel: This is a less dramatic restyling than many of the others, but those subtle changes make a surprisingly big difference. Joe manages to combine the sexy edginess of the original costume with a more updated, polished aesthetic, and the result is gorgeous. It also plays up the sci-fi nature of Vampirella’s origins, which I dig.
Joel: It’s hard to judge Joe’s designs, sometimes, because he draws so danged beautifully that he could sell me on anything. If Joe had drawn the IronSpidey suit, I’m pretty sure I would have cheered it. Trying to filter the design away from the drawing, I think it’s pretty good—spunky in a fun, retro, roller-derby kind of way—but I can’t really see it being adopted as Vampirella’s new look.
Rachel: Neither can I, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be!
Jon: This is such a fun design, it’s very reminiscent of her horror host origins - you could see her introducing some quirky old horror stories. There’s something about those boots and the collar in combination with the dress and hairstyle that gives her kind of a retro sci-fi feel, as well. Vampirella, Atom Age Vampiress…
Rachel: Jon, I think you’re thinking of Vampira, not Vampirella…
Jon: Vampirella originally served the capacity of “horror host” in the first eight issues of her eponymous book, before becoming the central character in the lead feature … I ALSO like Vampira, though!
Rachel: I fail at Vampire Horror Host Trivia.
Vito: Like Zacherly and Ghoulardi?
Dan: Great drawing, good design. Too much white leather and the hair- again, I suspect its short only to make her look different and to push the dragon lady motif, but the dragon lady motif doesn’t need to have short hair to work. Confounds me. It’s so close. There were several other similar designs, but they weren’t drawn half as well, but their costumes were stronger.
Trina: Sort of Vampi meets Mary Marvel, or Vampi meets Power Girl.
Vito: I love it. I don’t mind all that white in the costume, or rather, I don’t mind it with this costume. Some of the other designs in the contest used white, but they didn’t pop out at me like this one does (or rather, they popped out in the wrong way). To me, it’s a radical update and it’s fantastic. The less said the better…the design says it all! But can she hunt vamps in it?
Chris: 8. Joe’s art style really works for me throughout all these contests, and this one again doesn’t fail to impress me. I really like this but it feels like it needs something to make it right.
Jusko: 8. I like this a lot. I like that the gloves and boots are close to her skin color so that they don’t overwhelm the dress. While impractical, I would bring the heels back to elongate her legs and sleeken the design. I miss the identifiable split bangs, too.
Jess: Love it, love it, love it. I look at this design, and I just know she’s a vampire from space!
THIRD PRIZE WINNER!
Jemma Salume
Composite Score: 81
Joel: This is the Vampirella I’d like to read about. She looks ready for adventure! The short-legged body suit looks practical enough for, say, acrobatic werewolf hunting. The mini-jacket adds a nice note of elegance. The proportions of covered arms, torso, bare legs, and boots all balance each other out very nicely. And the yellow bat emblems at the shoulders and heels make for some bright little accents. The classic suit is paid homage to, but without any of its, uhm, excesses.
Jon: At first glance, I thought this was Hogwarts Vampirella. In a good way. This certainly makes Vampirella look younger, maybe more approachable as an adventure character. I love the flipped collar on the jacket, the cut of the boots, and - oh, I just noticed a little bat wing motif to the back of the jacket - nice! Really beautiful lines throughout the whole thing.
Dean: I think this is the first entry from Salume that just doesn’t work for me. It’s the shorts. They look like bicycle shorts or a wrestling singlet. The rest is solid. I like the micro-jacket, and the bat emblem on the shoulder. The boots are slick, and I like the seams. But I’d way rather have seen boyshorts or pants. Bike shorts just…I dunno…I can’t take the bike shorts.
Rachel: Solid design, and definitely a different spin on the character. My one concern is that it loses some of the self-conscious sexiness that I think is kinda essential to Vampirella.
Dan: I agree-this is great. This is evocative. As Joel said, you’d pick this book up. She looks ready for adventure and fun. If Vampi were to take a less adult direction, I could see this as the girl. The shorts are funky and the dagger is, too, but those are small considerations. I’d give her some kind of black utility belt with a bat symbol.
Trina: At last, something a human or vampire woman could really wear and move around in, without the costume falling off! Yes, I love it!
Vito: Jemma strikes again. I have to be honest, I didn’t think she’d be able to pull this off because it seems like so far out of her comfort zone, but God bless Jemma Salume! She is a force to be reckoned with! Jemma gets design and style and she understands the concept of functionality too. Dean is right…the shorts look a little odd, but it’s still a great design. I have to say though…this isn’t the Vampirella I’m used to and that’s great! This is a new direction!
Chris: Man o man. Or wo-man o wo-man. The costume, the jacket, the boots. I think Jemma could easily make this a 10 with some more thought put in into the bat placement… and more accessories.
Jusko: I don’t know. Looks very “schoolgirl” to me. Great for an alternate, more youth oriented approach, though. Lacks the sex appeal that’s inherent in Vampi.
Jess: I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but yeah, it’s not sexy enough. And it’s the bike shorts, which are among the least erotic of garments. They need to be either much longer or much shorter. I’d also like to see how the neck area is working - is it a halter top and a jacket? On the other hand, the jacket and boots are fantastic. If those shorts were pants, I’d be all over this.
Joel: Man, so much hate for the shorts! But look at the proportions of this costume: the arms to the torso to the upper legs to the lower legs. Those bottoms of those shorts are in perfect harmony with the rest of the design! It sometimes takes awhile to get used to innovative fashion—you guys will come around.
Vito: I’m already there with you, Joel.
RUNNERS UP!
Daniel Heard
Composite Score: 76.5
Dean: I’m totally sold on the main body of the suit. The peek-a-boo zipper with the bat-emblem pull is stellar. I can’t tell if the wings and extended arms are supposed to be physical or costume, but it looks super cool. The only big drawback in my book are the gold anklets. I think this look would be better served with some red and black boots.
Joel: My inner ten-year-old is always bugged by characters where the line between costume-design and body-design are blurred. Does the costume stretch over her wing-membranes, or are her wings red and black? My outer adult, oddly, is much more willing to overlook petty logic if the results are sufficiently cool, and this is a pretty cool look. The reversed coloring on the wings and collar is a really dynamic visual effect that adds a lot of motion to the character. And I like the bare feet and bangles. They give her a lightness, like this character is more at home in the air than on the ground. Speaking of which, does she some sort of adhesive sole stuck to the bottoms of her feet? Odd. I bet Daniel has something interesting in mind, there. I wish I knew what it was.
Rachel: I love it when designs take something that was originally purely visual and make it practical–the zipper-pull bat is a really, really cool idea. And I love the interplay of the red and black elements. Skip the anklets, though–they just don’t fit the rest of the look.
Dan: Very cool. The anklets seem a bit incongruous, but the rest of it is really cool. I’ve actually been toying with the idea of having her bikini top close over her chest like that- the bat zipper is perfect. I can see this design working- I wouldn’t crop her hair ( dont know why thats so often the first thing to go in these) and I’d give her boots, but the rest is spot on.
Vito: I initially had an 8 and had to change it to a 9. This is wonderful! The zipper is what changed my mind. The fact that the costume is versatile is a big big plus. There’s an edginess to this that is kind of deceptive…you don’t see it at first. But yeah, I’m a big fan of this one.
Trina: Yeah, the wings are definitely cool!
Chris: Definitely cool to add the wings to the wardrobe, and the pull-down zipper is an interesting concept but not practical… but was Vampirella ever practical?
Jon: I almost think this one could have been one of those choice Vampirella costumes which could have worked without the open panel in the front - I wish we had gotten a full frontal shot (think clean thoughts, folks) with the zipper closed and the collar raised. Also, there’s something simultaneously feral and controlled about having a full-sleeve top with high collar and gloves, and then bare feet. That’s possibly my actual favorite part of the design.
Jusko: Not a big fan of the anthropomorphic look. Not crazy about the hot pants and bare feet, either.
Jess: Oh man, I love this. I dig the bangles, the zipper (everyone loves the zipper!), and the color scheme. I only took a point off because I can’t tell if the wings are real wings or arms, because in the zipping inset it looks like she has regular hands. With a bit of clarification there this would be getting full marks from me.
Evan Bryce
Composite Score: 72.5
Dean: For me, this is the best update of the classic V-suit. It’s edgy, it’s rock, it’s wicked. The extended bat emblem is SO good. I love the way the red connects up with the leggings. This is immediately recognizable as Vampirella and the modifications are clever and stylish.
Jon: I’m glad that someone took on the task of translating the original costume. The … I guess we ought to just call it “The Crotch Bat,” because that’s where it always ends up … I like how it’s integrated into the cut-outs on the front and side. The boots work really well as thigh-highs, and I like the wide-open back and sides (Apropros of nothing, I think I’ve seen ladies dressed like this down at the Swap Meet). I’m taking points away for losing the collar (on every design that does), though, I think that removes something iconic from the silhouette and palette.
Rachel: I think that “Crotch Bat” may be one of the least okay phrases in the English language.
Jon: How about “Swimsuit Area Fledermaus?”
Joel: “Cootchie Chiroptera”?
Rachel: Honestly, this one just doesn’t do much for me. The squared-off lines look really awkward and boxy, especially in the back. The other problem I see is that it’s a costume that depends on drawing style to work - it looks gorgeous in Evan’s angular style, and I could see Stuart Immonen pulling it off, but not many others.
Dan: I like it all except the squared-off bat.
Vito: I’m with Dean on this one. It LOOKS like Vampirella, and is a great update of the classic costume. This is easily recognizable and I could see this one taking the big prize.
Joel: I like the bat, and the connection between boot-tops and bikini-bottoms, but the open back and half-mast butt-cover make makes me think more of a sad stripper than a supernatural adventurer.
Jess: Yes! Where is her butt crack? I mean, I don’t need this to be a Coppertone ad, but the back shot is very confusing to me. You can’t change the anatomy of the body to allow you to push the boundaries of the skin you show. The boxiness doesn’t work for me either, although I like the boots.
Trina: Just how would this stay on?
Chris: This gets points for taking the style of the current Vampirella and unapologetically bringing it forward. It’s really close. I could see a 9 or a 10 if the artist really brainstormed on this for a couple weeks.
Vito: I think it’s funny that the ladies scored lower than the guys here.
Rachel: Ladies like Joel?
Joel: Oh, great. Now I’m gonna have to thumping my chest and cleaning my teeth with a roofing nail until I get my he-man cred back. Again.
Jusko: My fave so far. I’m a bit of a Vampi purest, and I think this comes really close to keeping the character recognizable while updating it a bit. I never liked the high boots because I thought they threw the costume off balance, but by bringing the red down her thighs the costume flows nicely into them. I kinda miss the collar and bat wing earrings, though.
Ming Doyle
Composite Score: 71
Dean: Ming is one of our best regulars, and once again, she’s brought her A game, which, to be honest, just makes most folks’ A games look like C games. Okay, I don’t know if that metaphor makes any sense, so let’s get back to the design. Ming’s multi-section body suit is cool and looks ready for far more action-battling than her classic suit. I see this as leather, ribbed plastic sections, and spandex. The cut-out sections are more interesting than most, implying a sense of alien culture not seen in most takes on the character. The vibe is vampire, retro, and badass. Great stuff, though I miss the gold bat emblem.
Jon: If costume design was a watch, you could set it by Ming Doyle. She’s nailed all the iconic elements of Vampirella, captured the lines of the original costume, given her maturity, kept her sexy. The only reasons I’m not giving this a straight ten is that I miss having the golden bat silhouette somewhere on the costume (the belly panel seems to be crying out for it) and I don’t quite ‘feel’ the cut-out patches on the back of the legs - seems like that would allow the fabric to gather awkwardly whenever she sat down …
Vito: The term “belly panel” makes me shudder.
Rachel: I can’t shake the vague sense that this is a riding costume. I think it’s got something to do with the paneling on the legs and crotch. Love the neckline and sleeves and the way the collar is worked in.
Dan: [Rated Without Comment]
Trina: And just what is the purpose of the cut-out thighs?
Vito: I think the cool thing about this is the details Ming included. First, the different shades of red are really cool…they streamline the costume and force the eye up and down, so I feel like you’re taking in the character as well as the costume. There’s a classic feel here, but not retro. It feels like I’m looking at Ingrid Pitt or Caroline Munro in a Hammer vampire flick. The other thing I like is…I can look at this and see a vampire.
Chris: Ming comes in with a great piece of illustration, but I feel a little lost in terms of the costume. It doesn’t hit the ‘definitive’ mark that someone like Vampirella needs to keep going.
Joel: I’m always pleased to see a new submission by Ming, who brings the most wonderful and unexpected influences to her her designs. The palette of reds and the patterning of textures is working really well, here. The ribbed areas and the odd jodhpur-style thigh-and-crotch panel make this look a suit designed to move in—a real action-suit. But, like the others, I’m not sure I get the cut-outs. They seem a little arbitrary. I do love that weird snake/globe/driftwood thing, though.
Jusko: I like it a lot, with or without the cut out thighs, though the cut outs do help balance the suit. If a more action oriented Vampi is the desire then this works perfectly! I’d put the bat emblem back on her crotch. This would be a fun costume for me to paint.
Vito: High praise indeed, Joe!
Jess: For one I’m not feeling a Ming design - the cutouts just seem too random to me, and with the different shades and textures on the red the whole thing becomes too busy.
Fernando Alberto de Melo e Faro Lucas
Composite Score: 70.5
Dean: I love this clever revamp. Obviously, the cloth elements would have to be glued one to work like this, but again, I don’t think you can fault a Vampirella redesign on that count. I totally dig the jagged claw shapes, the emphasized bat-emblem, and the one full-panted left leg. Haha. Very cool.
Jon: I was hoping this one would make it to the finals. What a shocking design, incredibly innovative … practically alarming. I love the blood-red claw motifs - originally, I was bemoaning the absence of Vampirella’s signature flared collar, until I realized that the white tips on her hair evoke the same element. Smart! I do wish she had more of a distinctive silhouette, though - as it stands, if you saw her in the shadows, she’d just look like Victoria Beckham naked.
Dean: Oh man, Jon, I didn’t even catch the white tipped hair. That’s brilliant. This design deserves an anime action series.
Rachel: Damn, that’s sharp. I’d like to see how it works from more angles, though. Incidentally, I’m ordinarily a stickler about practicality, but I’m waiving that here, ’cause this is a character who has both sci-fi and mystical elements. As far as I’m concerned, normal limitations probably don’t apply.
Dan: Overall, very strong in concept. The short hair, again, eludes me, but the idea of her costume as an extention of her body, which exists in the book, is, um, well-suited to this concept. Glue isn’t needed, as Vampi can arrange it at will. The hint of an idea that the costume is arranged blood is fascinating as well. Solid and dramatic.
Vito: Too Witchblade looking for me. But it’s too strong of a piece to be scored lower. Dan’s right, it’s a strong concept, but looking at it, I didn’t see Vampirella; I saw a different character.
Trina: Sorry to keep being the practical one, but I want Vampi to wear something that stays on!
Dean: Considering the original costume’s practicality problems, I think most folks are willing to stretch believability a bit more than they would with another character, making the costume’s impracticality a feature rather than a hindrance. In this case, I don’t mind that at all.
Chris: This really pushes Vampirella to her more supernatural side and there’s nothing wrong with that. The white-tipped hair and the blood talons are really imaginative.
Joel: While the strong diagonal asymmetry of this costume works well with this pose, I don’t think it would translate well into others. Imagine this same costume in just a straight standing position—say, Vampirella waiting in line for a coffee. However, if, as Dan infers, the costume is magicked-up blood, then it could be constantly shifting around on her to create a similarly dynamic form for any pose.
Jusko: Nice, strong graphic design, but would need to be body paint or a “Venom” type of thing to work.
Jess: Very striking, but I would also like to see it from other angles and in other poses. It feels a little unbalanced to me right now.
Note: More Runners Up after the jump! - D.T.
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