SubscribeNote: Over the weekend at WonderCon, Marvel announced that long-time heroine Ms. Marvel was getting an upgrade to become the new Captain Marvel in an upcoming new series. P:R favorite Jamie McKelvie designed Carol Danvers’ new costume, and we’re ecstatic to highlight it here. I enjoy the more militaristic uniform Danvers is wearing now that she’s Captain, but keeping the Ms. Marvel sash really brings in some continuity to what she wore before. The pattern around the neckline reminds me vague of Greg Capullo-era Quasar, while the star emblem itself I’ll always associate with Longshot and the Australian-era X-Men. Good work, Jamie — and bold move with the hairdo! – Chris A.
Here’s what McKelvie said about the piece over at his blog:
So it was just announced at Wondercon that Kelly Sue DeConnick will be writing a new ongoing Captain Marvel (formerly Ms. Marvel) series, with Dexter Soy on interiors and Ed McGuinness on covers. I had the privilege of designing Carol’s new costume. Our idea was to give her a kind of swash-buckling costume that invoked a sense of her history as an Air Force officer. Her hair is slicked back at the sides when in costume – so her Kree-style helmet can form when she needs it.
Tom Brazelton
/ March 19, 2012I’ve read comments online from people who really dislike this costume, but I think it’s great! It actually makes me take Carol more seriously as a character. I sincerely hope Marvel sticks with the upgrade and doesn’t do so kind of bait-and-switch with Mar-Vell or The Protector down the line.
Shiner
/ March 19, 2012At least she’s wearing pants, a sensible outfit.
Furious - CJ - Williams
/ March 19, 2012Looks great! I like pretty much everything there, and I’m glad to see the sash made it too.
As cool as the design is, I think I like the hair even more.
I’m looking forward to seeing the new design in action.
sally jupiter
/ March 19, 2012Sorry but it’s far too masculine and pretty uninspired. Just because a woman takes on a high ranking position doesn’t mean she has to pretend to be a man. She can still be an authoritative figure while retaining a degree of femininity and no, femininity does not mean, “give her a boob window”.
Dedpool
/ March 19, 2012I like it, and it looks better here than in thepics I saw released. I liked the idea of the helmet/mask. I do think they should ger rid of the yellow lines and just have the starburst on the chest.
Daniel Heard
/ March 19, 2012I love it. The balance of color, the way the yellow bars form a double M when seen from the side, and the buttons down the gloves recalling victorian ladies fashion and Mr Marvel at the same time.
Extra points for including a zipper and raglan sleeve piping. Those two little touches give a “practicality” that informs her military past.
@sally jupiter: I am not sure I understand your critique. She is a voluptuous lady in a painted on body stocking, her femininity is on near naked display. I see the design as authoritative, but not masculine. Would opera length gloves and thigh high boots been enough say “I’m a Lady”, or would that throw her into the realm of cliche?
Gary C.
/ March 19, 2012I really like the costume its a strong look. Although I agree that the yellow lines are perhaps unnecessary or maybe have them go down the side of her body? The hair is well thought out but we’ve already seen that certain artists will make it look like her hair is short rather than slicked back. See how long it lasts…
Mr. Q
/ March 19, 2012I wish I could like this costume like everyone else, but I can’t. It feels like its trying too hard to please everyone and is failing. Her hair looks awful, the zipper line on her suit goes WAAAAAAAAY too far down for my tastes, the seams on the arms don’t work for me, the reversing of the Captain Marvel colors are a turn off, and the buttons on her boots and gloves feel tacked on. It’s like Jamie mistook Miraclewoman ( http://www.comicvine.com/miraclewoman/29-59587/ ) with Ms. Marvel and made a redesign for the former rather than the latter. By the time Marvel found out about his goof, it was at a point where the only saving grace was to stick on the Captain Marvel/Ms. Marvel symbols and see if they could fool us.
I believe there is potential for a great costume redesign somewhere but it got lost in translation imo. It’s like Jim Lee’s redesign for DC; straying too far from the source material without considering the notion that your character needs to be recognizable by readers right off the bat. There needs to be a consideration of simplicity when it comes to making a costume for superheroes and I honestly feel that is becoming a lost art in this day and age.
Mr. Q
Jay
/ March 19, 2012Either the starburst thing or the stripes should be a different color … white or silver. Otherwise, it’s very on point.
Ziggy
/ March 19, 2012The first thing I think after looking it was “Miracle Woman”. I would liked a darker shade of blue.
Dan H
/ March 19, 2012For some reason this costume makes me think of the other Captain Marvel. Maybe it’s the sash.
Renee B.
/ March 19, 2012@sallyjupiter: Uhh how is this design “too masculine” and how does this outfit exude “pretending to be male”. I full heatedly disagree. You can clearly still see that she is female, and still retains just enough femininity. Her hair is cut down to a more sensible style for fighting and flight and her outfit is perfect for the job.
BobDobolina
/ March 19, 2012As near as I can tell, “pretend to be a man” is Universal Fan Code for “ZOMG she’s wearing pants! This Will Not Do!” But maybe sally jupiter means something else.
I think it’s a perfectly good design.
MP
/ March 19, 2012This is a great-looking costume, but I think they didn’t keep enough of the previous incarnation to make it look like the same person. I’m glad the sash made it, but with the mask and hair both different, it would have been nice at least to include the lightning bolt logo somehow.
Itlas
/ March 19, 2012MMMM….It reminds a lot the original Captain Marvel,but it looks like too much military for my taste,it’s too much masculine and the band doesn’t match with the uniform,I would use something more similar to her original costume http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/1/14859/820411-ms_marvel_39__dizzy_megan__pg13_super.jpg to remind her connection with the original Captain Marvel.
But I have to say i prefer the costume I saw here long time ago http://www.tencentticker.com/projectrooftop/2006/07/17/ms-marvel-by-travel-foreman/
I think it’s more epic for her as costume
Graypilgrim
/ March 19, 2012I really like the costume. The lines, the emblem, the sash, etc.
The hair — I liked it at first, but I’ve seen some pics that makes it verge on mullethood.
DannyIndeed
/ March 19, 2012Not loving it, sad to say. I get what he’s going for, but I’m on the bandwagon of “The hair looks awful.” Like it’s been gelled back into a horse’s mane. I’d rather see it go even shorter if they’re going to move forward with the “military/functional” look.
Speaking of which, the sash looks ridiculous. I understand, it’s iconic to the old design of the character, which I love. But here, it’s totally tacked on, and it’s just godawful. And the…well, at least I like the…
Nope, that’s all I’ve got. That sash ruins everything.
Costa
/ March 19, 2012Love it. Practical-looking, emblematic, nice color combinations, and isn’t a glorified bathing suit.
Bink
/ March 19, 2012That’s the cockateel hairdo suburban housewives around Philly were wearing in the late ’80s. Hot! Add her sensible beach coverup (over pants, for extra protection), and it’s a certified end-over-end trainwreck.
ericthetolle
/ March 19, 2012Very functional outfit- unlike 90% of other female superhero wear, this looks like something she can actually fight and other physical activities. I like the seams and the collar- they give the outfit a sense of actual mass and thickness as a costume, and not something just painted on. I do agree the sash looks a bit odd and doesn’t quite fit the practicality of the rest of the outfit- more it looks like it would fall off at the earliest opportunity. Still, as a signature piece of flash, it’s nowhere near as silly as most.
lighthousepilot
/ March 19, 2012It’s gorgeous.
dnwilliams
/ March 19, 2012I love this design. Not a fan of the zip (if we’re going for realistic it’d be hidden behind a fold for aesthetic reasons, surely) but otherwise love love love. ESPECIALLY the hair, it gives the character…character. Comments about her looking masculine anger me quite bit – if her hair wasn’t back and her zip was undone to her navel it’d be cool? Idiocy.
I wish McKelvie were doing the book itself.
Andrew Kilian
/ March 19, 2012Although it’s always nice to see someone getting work, the redesign is very static and I’d actually assign it to a throwaway character or make it a costume for the regiment, not for the title character. It’s too much of a departure from the long hair and domino mask. I respect covering up the extremities which is very progressive, but I would have been happier if he took the original red and blue costume and updated that (put pants on her) rather than do a color reverse of Wonder Woman’s costume from the Justice Lords. The symmetry rather than giving it a regal quality makes it uninteresting. The double yellow bars along with the starburst is redundant from a color standpoint and also creates a tangent. I would have liked to see an amalgam of the lightning bolt and the starburst to show a fusion of the two costumes. Identify and improve on the establish costumes, don’t chuck it all in favor for something that doesn’t really work. I’d like to see a progression of the red scarf into a headscarf or hijab. Rather than chopping her hair off braid and put it under with one lock coming out while wrapping up the rest and doubling as a cape proxy. No offense, but it’s just unimaginative especially for a cosmic character. It doesn’t even remind me of Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon.
Daniel Heard
/ March 19, 2012I just saw a hipster-ish girl on the bus rocking this same hairstyle. Jamie is riding the zeitgeist with this design.
Barking Alien
/ March 19, 2012I don’t hate, I don’t love it. It’s OK.
I feel like they redesigned her outfit and look because it was a slow week and they felt like redesigning something. What I mean is, sometimes it feels like they redesign suits for the sake of redesigning them. I liked her previous costume. I found nothing wrong with it. How is it they change that to this when so many other heroes and heroines in desperate need of a makeover remain in the same old duds (pun intended).
I really like Carol/Ms. Marvel and I think making her Capt. Marvel is cool but I’ll be checking out the book for the story. This costume design is definitely not the draw. Oh and definitely not the haircut or helmet, those are terrible. And the interior art. Not my favorite.
If slightly modified, I prefer this fan made design…
http://rollindeepwith3cheeses.tumblr.com/post/1376989596/the-bendis-board-superhero-redesign-thread-is
Johnny
/ March 19, 2012This just looks…boring.
Mike Lunsford
/ March 19, 2012I do like it for the most part, but I feel like the bright yellow zipper up the middle throws off the entire thing. the zipper runs right through what could have been a bold insignia and draws too much attention to itself among the dark blue. I’m also all for short hair, and we definitely need more unique hairstyles in comic characters, but that hairdo is just awful in my opinion.
James W
/ March 20, 2012Well, sort of. She’s actually wearing a crotch-hugging, PVC(?) onesie, which… McKelvie makes it work, but in that one McGuinness piece, it’s a little gross in a “not much better than the bare arse” sort of way. Lose the sash (I understand wanting to have a Ms. Marvel reference, but honestly, that whole persona’s fairly toxic) and give her actual trousers and I think this would be perfect. Love every other aspect of the design, especially the hair.
Tom Crielly
/ March 20, 2012I really wanted to like this (totally approve of Carol taking over the mantle and getting an ongoing series again) but neither the new hairdo or costume appeal to me at all. I get where the design is coming from and the military aspect etc. but i would rather the costume ‘honoured’ Mar-Vell more rather than her past career. A shame as Carol has previously had two of the best superhero costumes ever (IMHO) – still hopefully the new book will be good.
Freelancer
/ March 20, 2012I’m all for this, except for the sash. It’s not that it’s there, it’s the way it looks. It doesn’t blend with the costume, it’s just a glued-on accessory. The rest, I like a lot.
Mark
/ March 20, 2012I like this costume. I particularly like this rendering of it. Still, despite the obvious problems, I liked her previous Ms. Marvel costume and am sorry to see it go.
Mario Silva
/ March 20, 2012Less is more but also less is a bore…
It has all the modern IN trappings pipping, seams, zipper, collar, full couture construction showing… how very movie ready!
But what of the design, regular red gloves, regular red boots, regular red shoulders, regular blue suit, regular yellow 8 point star icon… oh they added stripes… no mask…
Its a good solid bland design, the kind of stock character you see too often in RPGs .
Jiggeh
/ March 20, 2012Love this design SO MUCH. I can agree that it’s not necessarily instantly recognizable as Carol Danvers, but it looks so snazzy I’m having a hard time letting that bother me. The hair is super cool, too!
Fluffy
/ March 20, 2012This rendering does the suit much more justice than other renderings I’ve seen. The hair worries me a bit, but it seems like it’s supposed to just be pulled back from all of the renderings but Ed McGuinness’, which looks awful. I absolutely hate the mask that goes with this suit and hope they just leave her face exposed. I mean, it’s not like she really has a secret identity anymore anyway.
Mario Silva
/ March 20, 2012And in defense of Sally Jupiter i would say, that sure Carol is female with a very feminine body like 99% of super ladies anyways, but the costume itself could be on a guy without any difference. The only thing that would clash are the buttons on the boots and gloves, and the badly positioned sash which ironically are the only interesting things to a non-geek female eye (i asked).
The feminine touch in the costume is much more about, different fabric hold color and texture, patterns and detailed decorations, layers… and accessories. Even women practicality is full of sophistication.
Karl Savage
/ March 20, 2012As a thumbnail I like this a lot. The color placement is very agreeable. Up close, I’m not fully onboard. My eyes want to see some flourishes of yellow on the lower half of the costume or just at the waist to move the eye around a bit more (a la Superman’s belt and the negative space of his S-shield), and at a glance/as a thumbnail none of the buttons, zipper and clasps are doing that job.
I like the red of the sash as color placement, but I’m not a big fan of the sash itself. It worked great on her previous high-hipped bathing suit cut with thigh-high boots, but here, with the full-body suit, it seems out of place. It’s also not nearly as long and billowing as it was previously, which I think would maybe help in making that nod to her previous costume.
I’ve always gotten a swashbuckling vibe from Ms. Marvel, and looking at her old costume I realized why that is— she looks like Zorro. She’s got the mask. She’s got a big zig-zagging S on her black torso. She’s got that sash. This new costume is not Zorro. It’s got a modern day, snugly-fitting flight suit type of vibe, and is more in line with Captain Marvel’s color placement (but reversed) and a Captain Mar-Vell ridged helmet with piped/padded-Midnighter sides and a hair mohawk. It bares no resemblance to her 70′s “Captain Marvel but with hot pants, an exposed belly and a scarf” (which is good because that’s just impractical as all get out), nor does it bare any resemblance to Ms. Marvel’s one piece with opera gloves and thigh highs. So since it is in no way married to the Ms. Marvel design, I am inclined to say just scrap the sash entirely and figure something else out.
Most importantly— and people have mentioned it in this thread already— I keep free-associating this new costume with Superman and Miracleman simultaneously, whereas when I looked at Ms. Marvel’s costume I unmistakably saw Ms. Marvel.
McKelvie’s art is stellar as always, and I really love the pin-up. I also may be biased, as I have always liked Ms. Marvel’s costume (and even found myself thinking recently how successfully it has lasted AND aged). If I had to change anything of that old costume I’d just cover her butt more and get rid of that huge thong wedgie fan service nonsense.
Binaryan
/ March 21, 2012I agree with the concerns that many have raised. It’s a good enough design for the Captain Marvel Corps… but not a standout design for a solo hero.
There are too many drastic changes from Carol’s current look for it to “read” as Carol Danvers. Keeping the hair and the mask the same would have helped. I love McElvie’s art and he makes it work because his lines are so clean… but the sample interior art with that helmet muddies the already busy costume with even more problems. As they’d say on Project Runway… the helmet looks “tortured”. Too much going on with a costume with too many extraneous details already (seams, military pips, stripes, chest emblem, zipper, buttons, sash).
Here’s my take on simplifying this look just a bit to help even out the imbalance and make the character a bit more recognizeable… (I’d also keep the long hair and possibly the mask)
http://www.uncannyxmen.net/images/news/cm-remixed.jpg
Marie Brennan
/ March 21, 2012I dig the military look (and the name change), but I do agree the zipper line runs *way* too low. It should stop below the navel, with the end hidden behind the sash. (Which I’m neutral on; it breaks up what might otherwise look monotonous, but it does seem like a bit of an afterthought.)
James W
/ March 21, 2012Oh man, I love how McGuinness did the hair.
I agree that the mask looks pretty bad in those interior pages, but I’d be interested to see McKelvie’s take, if he did one for the model sheet.
pdkas
/ March 21, 2012i think its kinda of ….bland… it’s not as iconic as the previous one, which, granted, was not very pratical, but it was very iconic and classic. you just add to put some pants in it, and do some variation of the logo, and it would be fine. this….. i like the touch with the hair, gives her some personality, otherwise, it just looks another regular super-heroine. She gets lost in the background easily, the logo, colors and the whole genreal outfit its too bland, sorry.
Bob Prodor
/ March 21, 2012Holy smokes what a tight drawing!
Hanie
/ March 21, 2012I love it. When I see it it reminds me of that 80s show Saber Riders where the characters all have this cool Star Sheriff outfits? So it definitely has that cool, militaristic look.
kirk
/ March 22, 2012It looks awfully bland. The pants and emblem should have more design to it. Google “Justice Lord” Wonder Woman to see a better, similar design.
jamie silaban
/ March 22, 2012maybe someone has brought this up, but this looks too reminiscent of steve rogers’ temporary look. it’s just me though…
Tim
/ March 26, 2012I find the yellow stripes at the shoulders make her seem broader there and more masculine looking.