Editor’s Note: After a longer-than-expected delay, we have put together the honorable mentions to the Wolverine: Get Sharp contest. If you haven’t seen our winners yet, check here then come back for these honorable mentions. Congratulations for these 26! – Chris

Aitor Iñaki Eraña Basterra
Dean: 8. I love the character of this one. The uniform is action-ready and looks comfortable. The yellow strips recall Wolvie’s classic claw stripes, and the half-gloves make sense for frequent claw-popping. The most extreme element is the revised mask, with the presumably fake mouth, which looks both silly and scary. It’s a big departure from Wolverine’s iconic look, but it has a good scare-factor and the black shape recalls Wolvie’s familiar “ears.”

Chris: 6. This looks like something Wolvie would wear during his Team X days, but the Luchadore mask doesn’t work for me at all.

Rachel 5: Me neither, Chris. It’s too silly. And the rest of the design reminds me too much of a space suit; I think it’s the wide, layered collars and overabundance of patiches. I do like the idea of putting Wolverine in ninja boots, though.

Jon: 5. I wish the mask had been taken farther – I like the idea of a grafted-on sneer, like a WWII fighter plane. That being said, the mask otherwise removes the interesting lines inherent in Wolverine’s headpiece, and doing so – well, with the mask on and the claws retracted, there’s nothing about this costume that would identify him as Wolverine. It’s a good standard-issue uniform for the X-Teams, though.

Vito: 6. I actually like that mask, but I think that’s the only element I am overly fond of.  It looks very Team X, as Chris said, but not necessarily X-Men or Avengers-ish.  I could see it with X-Force, but it’s tough.  I think the one thing I’m confused about is the color scheme.  Are those blues or grays?

Joel: 5. I think the acid test for this challenge is “Would this look distinctively like Wolverine without the claws?” Take the claws out of this design, and it becomes any scruffy commando. A pretty cool looking character, but insufficiently Wolveriney.

Jason: 7. You had me at Luchadore mask.
Ron:  Hmm I like this design–just not sure about it for wolverine–feels a bit like a jogging outfit–or a more specialized outfit for him to train in or some other thing–not quite edgy enough for me–6

Alex Mitchell
Dean: 6.5. Goth punk Wolvie here is an odd choice, but the metal arm coverings recall the familiar shoulder pads. I like the black claw-shaped stripes on the jacket, and of course, the glove X’s note Mr. Howlett’s team affiliation.

Chris: 5. This looks more like an alternate reality version of Wolvie — and although I’d love to see a story behind this, I don’t see this working in the mainstream Marvel U the way this contest outlines it.

Jon: 5. I can’t quite make out what’s going on in certain parts, I’d love to see details of the neck and sleeves. I like the palette and I’m fond of the stripes on the jacket and the X’s on the back of the gloves.

Vito: 5. It could have been an early Quitely design for his New X-Men run, but it’s too dark to see details.  What’s on his nose?

Rachel 5: I’m. Huh. Yeah, that sure is Goth Club Kid Wolverine. I’m entertained by the juxtaposition of what looks for all the world like the straight-edge X on the gloves with the beer bottle. Speaking of Goth Club Kid Wolverine, can we do a sub-contest where we ask people to write story pitches for some of the more alternate-universe flavored designs–stuff like this, Jon’s Superman, that marvelous Cowgirl Wonder Woman…?

Joel: 5. Yeah, I wish I could see more of what’s going on here. But, the no-shirt-under-a-jacket look is very hard to pull off.

Vito: Don’t I know it!

Jason: 5
Ron: a bit goth for my tastes–reminds me of a generation x costume..6

Aman Chaudhary
Dean: 6. Haha, okay, so this one’s definitely a bit sillier than we usually see Wolvie, but I give it high marks for the facial hair and the use of Wolvie’s classic stripes on the headband.

Jon: 3. “I’m the best at what I do, and what I do is ballet, fusion funk, ballroom and tap, and I’ve been in three productions of Chicago and A Chorus Line.” Jazz Claws -SNIKT!

Rachel: What, no Cats?

Chris Arrant: 6 Aman’s showing some amazing work here, especially in the coloring, but I think the costume itself is a tad bit too cultured for what a brutish Wolverine would wear. But it does remind me more of the Ultimate Universe Wolverine than the Marvel 616.

Vito: 6. John Travolta is Logan in Staying Alive!  While as Dean said, it might be silly, I actually think it’s pretty cool (what does that say about me?).  That shirt/top is actually very strong, but one would have to assume that the back is bare, which, while Wolverine is a pretty tough character, doesn’t seem practical.

Rachel 5: I agree both that it doesn’t fit an existing version of Wolverine and that it’s a damn cool costume and I’d like to read more about this version of the character. I’m surprised by how much I’m digging the zippery halter top as a design element.

Joel: 4. Maybe Gambit in Wolverine drag. Everything about this costume is about flash and spectacle—the forearm bands, the Captain Kirk-effect zipper, the boy-band facial hair—and none of it is about practicality. And for me, Wolverine is high on the list of superheroes whose costume should look practical.

Rachel: Yes. That’s exactly what it is. If the contest were for Gambit in Wolverine drag, it’d be 10 all the way.

Jason: 5. That Hugh Jackman is so damn sexy.
Ron: Reminds me of something Hercules might wear ..5

Arthur Valentim
Dean: 7.5. This design goes in the opposite direction of nearly all of our entries, fully embracing the bizarrely bright supertights of the superhero. It has a Wolverine of the future vibe to it, with the strange blue band across the shoulders (a possible recall of Wolvie’s blue shoulder pads?), and the wide, low-riding belt. I really want to read these crazy future Wolverine stories!

Joel: 3. I’m not sure what effect Arthur is going for, here. The design decisions seem a little arbitrary, and don’t communicate anything new, or, for that matter, old about Wolverine.

Jon: 5. I think that the blue strip along the chest interrupts the organic line of the cutouts, and it confuses the look of the upper body. If it were a little more tailored to the shape of the muscles, I think it’d work, but I’m not really won over by it.

Chris Arrant: 3. Are those yellow chaps with blue boots on top of it?

Vito: 4.  Take that blue stripe out and my opinion goes higher.  It seems very cumbersome, and that’s just the one piece of the costume.  Not too crazy about the stripes (what Chris is calling the chaps).

Rachel: 2. No, I’m pretty sure those are chaps. And I’m really not okay with that weird band around the arms.

Jason: 4

Ron : 4 like a space age aerobics instructor, trying to be a bit too clever in the design. Remember, form follows function. So think about what the elements are doing first.

B. Sabo
Dean: 6.5. Magic-battling Wolverine is pretty rad! The buttoned-up sleeves are cool, and the custom vest must’ve cost a pretty penny. This Wolvie seems like a reluctant performer, challenging beasts and baddies for pay in an old town for pay. Also, it’s an excellent drawing. Another Wolvie I wanna see more of.

Jon: 7 I love this one, it’s a very strange and evocative costume. I’d love to see the belt and the hem of the vest, I think that’d be pretty important to this outfit, given how weighty it is up top with the flared collar, shoulders, buttoned-up-sleeves and scarf. The one change I would have liked to see would be the gloves – I don’t think the outfit needs them, there’s enough going on that bare hands would have been more than sufficient.

Joel: 6. This is probably my favorite drawing of the bunch. Really lovely. If this is an Edwardian adventurer Wolverine from another dimension, I’d love to see his adventures. I think this is a bit too dandy for the 616 Wolvie, though.

Chris: 5.  Project: Rooftop often has artists go wild with ideas, venturing sometimes outside what would fit into the Marvel U and into alternate realities — although I scored it low for this contest, this is an interesting design that could work for some alternate take ala Snikt that Tihei did some time back.

Rachel: 7. I’m totally buying this, although I agree that it wouldn’t work in current continuity. The shift from the set stuff we’re used to reminds me of Wolverine’s years running around in a suit and eyepatch in Madripoor doing a cross between James Bond and the self-narrating rumpled P.I.: I think the undercover gentleman adventurer side of the character gets way too little play.

Vito: 5. I like it, but I’m not sure how it would play in Marvel 616.  I’m tempted to ask…what are the other X-Men costumes like?  This is really imaginative, and it’s got me thinking of the possibilities, but I don’t know that, as a reader, I would pick this comic up if it didn’t say “What If?” on the cover.

Jason 6: Gorgeous drawing. Just hard to see this as Wolverine.
Ron: 5–like Wolverine of the 1800s

Eric Camara

Dean: 8. I’m not entirely convinced Logan’s healing factor would allow for tattoos, but danged if they don’t look flipping rad. The haircut and beard are what landed this one in the finalists, though. So. Awesome.

Rachel: 7. Yeah, the healing factor gets rid of scars, so tattoos would be right out. I like the idea of him getting them as a temporary statement (I’m imagining a gag in which he gets a tattoo of his latest flame’s name to impress her without mentioning that it’ll be gone by morning, although that doesn’t particularly fit the character) or as a component of some significant ritual, at which point their disappearance would be a powerful metaphor for the transience of life as a relative immortal among mortals and…I’m reading way too deeply into this, aren’t I?
Anyway, it’s a gorgeous design, and aside from the logistics, I think it fits the character pretty well. Love the facial hair.

Chris: 6. I’m scoring this lower than I normally would because I don’t see Marvel U ever taking this up… but man, I’d love to see Old Tattooed Man Logan.

Vito: 6.5.  I’m with Chris.  Love the incorporation of the mask into the facial hair.  The “Jean” on his left hand is…kind of ominous, kind of creepy. Thankfully, he’s not pierced.  I’m thrown for a loop with that “Montreal, Fall 1992″ on the bottom though!

Rachel: Yeah. I really want to hear the story behind this design. Eric? You out there?

Jon: 8. I love the Sailor Jerry-style tattoos, and he’s captured a lot of Wolverine’s persona in the pose; it looks like he’s about to get up and hand somebody their ass, but he considers it to be a big hassle. My favorite part is the woman on his left arm and the X’s above his knuckles, where the claws come out. I think what it’s missing is body hair, though – Wolverine’s body is covered like a dog’s hairbrush.

Joel: 6. This is a fun idea, but I wish the tattoos seemed more relevant to the character. The three X’s on the back of the hands and the “JEAN” across his fingers are the only Wolvie-specific images I’m reading. And, as Rachael alluded, Logan probably isn’t the kind of guy to a tattoo without it meaning something to him.

Jason: 6. Old Man Daken, maybe?
Ron: 5–cool drawing–not a real costume though

Estêvão Pacheco Borges
Dean: 7. Wolverine Beyond! The streamlined black outfit is great (the arm-stripes flow to his claws!), but I would rather have seen a more classic take on the mask shapes. Can’t fault Eric for innovating, though. Good stuff.

Chris Arrant: 5. When I see this, I can’t get Shadowhawk out of my mind.

Vito: 4. Chris, you stole the words out of my mouth.  It’s just not enough for me.  It’s too streamlined.  I can’t see anything but one of two other characters, and neither of them is Wolverine.

Rachel: 4. What they said. This isn’t Logan, although I could see it as a far-future homage character, except for the mask, which is pure Shadowhawk. It’s a sharp design, though.

Jon: 4. Shadowhawk. Sorry, I can’t think of much else to add, except that the full-face mask on Wolverine is always going to be a hard sell.

Joel: 4. Oddly enough, it’s the one call-back to previous Wolverine costumes—the pointy eye-mask—that prevents this one from working. Without it, I could believe this was some occasional super-stealth outfit for when Wolvie was in his Ninja modality. With it, he’s… well, I believe someone mentioned Shadowhawk?

Jason: 6. Yeah, it’s a bit too evocative of Shadowhawk and Batman Beyond, but still nice work. I like the balance between the mask and the claws.
Ron: 5 good if it were called ‘kid wolverine:2099′

Ferddy Fred
Dean: 6. I like the short sleeves, and this definitely looks like a Wolverine costume, but it feels a little generic.

Chris: 6. A solid illustration and definitely a redesign, but it doesn’t have a real unifying element.

Vito: 8. I think this is a great piece, actually.  Very contemporary, and I can see this being incorporated into the comics tomorrow.  Chris, do you think that X on the chest should have been extended down?

Rachel: 4. I’d like to think that the knees are hydraulic. Nah, I jest. It’s a solid if somewhat awkward design; I like the way it moves more of the detail and color down onto the pants, which is difficult to manage without looking overdone; even in this case, the lines clash somewhat and give the impression that Wolverine is mixing and matching tops and pants that belong in two separate outfits. In particular, the X doesn’t fit visually with the other elements–maybe if it were narrower, with pointed lower legs.

Jon: 6. The chest piece/X-insignia is too timid for my tastes, it isn’t interacting with any other element in the costume, and it’s too evenly balanced with all the other elements. As Chris said, it needs something to unify it.

Joel: 3. I like the color scheme, and the implication of materials, but there are too many little details in this design. Like the little chin-tabs. And the proportional relationships between elements need to be considered more—that is, the negative space between the elements as well as the positive space of the elements themselves. I think that is responsible for the lack of unity that others are noting.

Jason: 4
Ron: S’ok–but more of the same–a bit altering of the original 5

Ferdinand Tang
Dean: 7. Ditch the glasses and add some more stubble, and I’m sold.

Chris: 6. A very professorial Logan here — one still seemingly able for battle, but a more studied and measured approach to Wolverine.

Rachel: 5. The fantastically Wesley Wyndham-Price look on his face keeps distracting me from the costume design (right now, I have the window scrolled so I can’t see his head). Otherwise, it’s a solid design–utilitarian, so I think it’d work better for a single mission than as an ongoing look, and there’s nothing particularly visually distinctive about it–but generally strong.

Vito: 5. It’s another one I really dig, but I can’t see as a true Logan costume.  This could be another Adventurer Wolverine.  Those glasses are very left field and out of character.

Jon: 5

Joel: 5. I like the general tone of this one, but I think it could be pared down quite a bit. What’s strapped to his thigh? A gun? What does he keep in those little Liefeld-sized pouches that are strapped over his jacket? Could we lose those? Then, really focus on the interaction of the blue on his jacket with the construction of his vest, and I think Ferdinand would start to get some of the distinctiveness that Rachael is asking for.

Jason: 5
Ron: 4–looks like it’d be John Lennon’s interpretation of a Halloween Wolvie costume

Jim Kettner
Dean: 5. Points for originality, but I’m not sure ugly Wolverine sells well these days. I dig the hooded mask deal, though.

Chris: 4. A very feral and unorthodox Wolverine, reminiscent in some ways of Nosferatu meets Wildchild.

Vito: 6.  If not for the weird ears, which he doesn’t have, and the lack of the…uh, whatchamacallit…extended mask, this is my winner.  I love that not only is Logan proud to be from Canada, but also a mutant.  One of the things I noticed in a lot of these designs is a uniformity to the designs that could be extended to any and all of the X-Men.  But what we forget is that Wolverine is a loner, despite the fact that he’s on 700 teams.  What I like here, and in some of the other designs, is that it’s individually suited to the character…the rips in the knees, the cut off sleeves, the Canadian flag…this is what Wolverine would do to “customize” his costume.

Jon: 6. In this illustration, are Wolverine’s claws contracting over his gloves, or is that a cutaway view? Anyway, the pointed ears to replace the mask flares isn’t enough, plus he looks like a cab driving down the street with the doors open. I like the shape of the mask in general, although I think the Michael Jackson eyes are overkill. I really do like this costume, and some of the elements like the sleeves having been torn away (I like it in the backview better than the frontal view, the cut needs to either reveal the whole shoulder or come down a little over it). The color and line are great; I might’ve liked to see this both as a torn-up costume and in its current condition.

Joel: 5. I appreciate the way Golem-Wolverine here goes against the Hugh Jackman grain. The design of the mask works well for this take on the character, as do the modifications on the X-uniform. The uniform itself, however, strikes me as needing to be developed. The jacket is very high-waisted, which, in combination with the belt, creates a strong horizontal element that sucks the dynamism right out of this character, no matter how energetic the pose.

Rachel: 5. Interesting, but more appropriate for Puck or Wild Child than Wolverine.

Jason: 4

Ron: 4 Don’t like the ears.

Joe Quinones
Dean: 9. Oh my gosh, yes. Give into your Canadian superheroing heritage, Logan, and become the new Captain Canuck! Honestly, Wolvie’s the most famous Canadian superhero ever, he should be proud of it. Aside from how fun this is, it’s also just a good costume. The shapes and textures work great, and it still retains its Wolverineness despite the O Canada color scheme.

Chris: 6. Captain Canuck meets Wolverine. I feel Marvel always downplayed Logan’s Canadian heritage in any serious way, and this does alot to amend that … but I can’t see Marvel emblazoning one of their most popular heroes in a flag — unless it’s Captain America.

Rachel: 4. It’s not Captain Canuck–it’s Vindicator. Or a figure skating costume. Either way, the white expanse in the middle strikes me as both visually weak and impractical for a hero whose powers involve blades.

Vito: 5. Rachel’s right.  All that white would be red before too long, knowing this guy.  I love the mask though.  Great, solid piece, but a little too out of character, in my opinion.

Jon: 9. I love this one – it’s worth remembering that Wolverine was, according to his backstory, originally slated to be the leader of Alpha Flight, and it was his running away from Department H that encouraged James MacDonald Hudson to develop and don his Guardian/Vindicator duds. I like this as a “What If” or, better yet, a costume for a story down the line where, for whatever reason, Wolverine is convinced to return to Canada and lead up its national superhero team. Rachel’s got a good point about the white, but I think that would make for a compelling story point – Wolverine essentially trying to play Captain America, and his heightened profile makes his savage nature all the more evident and shocking. Some great design inspirations in there, like the sharp edges of the maple leaf motif recalling Wolverine’s stripes. The boots are possibly the only thing holding me back – I think they’re too flared, I can’t see how he walks without tripping over them. Other than that, I like the cut and the lines.

Joel: 6. Not much to add to the above comments. A lovely drawing, and I’d probably pick a “What If… Logan was Guardian?” comic.

Jason: 5
Ron: 4 looks like I’m going to see “wolverine on ice” at the Shubert theatre or something

Jonathon Dalton
Chris: 4. While I couldn’t see Marvel taking this up full-time, it does seem fit for a little side adventure — a field trip with Jubilee — taking the city girl out in the country.

Rachel: 4 The matching shirt and knee-patch (on new-looking jeans, no less) are just a little too precious. I don’t buy Wolverine this neat and starched, but the basic structure of the outfit isn’t bad, and I dig the jacket. Actually, it occurs to me that this might be pretty charming on Albert and Elsie-Dee.

Vito: 4. It doesn’t look like anything we haven’t seen before, but if anyone can tell me where to find that jacket, I will totally buy it.

Rachel: It wouldn’t be too hard to sew, I think. Ooh, and you could make matching mittens with claws!

Jon: 4. I don’t really see this as a redesign, it’s more that Wolverine got a cool jacket at REI. Love the illustration, though.

Dean: 8. Sigh, I am sad you don’t all see the brilliance of this design. How many times do we get entries where a simple superhero “flights & tights” uniform has been marred by an awful “cool” jacket thrown over it? It was cool when Superboy did it in the 90′s. This design throws that trend in mediocre redesign back on its ass, giving Wolverine a more character-believable plainclothes vibe, along with a fanboy’s dream jacket, designed to match his classic costume. It’s retro, it’s fresh, it’s awesome. Also, this illustration is killer, and I want to read these Wolverine comics right now.

Jon: 6. Dean, I dig what you’re saying, but I also agree with Rachel. Back off the preciousness just a scootch, and this becomes more than a one-time outfit for a cute back-up story.

Jason: 5. “The love that could never be.  Or could it…”

Ron: nice drawing–not much costume 5

JSM
Dean: 5. Not bad, but pretty generic.

Chris Arrant: 5. I see this as the Frank Quitely NEW X-MEN Design pushed further out. While I loved Quitely’s design, I think JSM’s here goes overboard with it.

Jon: 5. The jacket rides pretty short, but I love how the yellow stripes reverse to blue above the sleeves. Very X-Centric, it does have a Frank Quitely feel to it.

Vito: 5.5.  This is one of the better mask designs, at least, among the masks that are short enough to show sideburns.  I just think that, as Quitely/Morrison as it is, it seems a little busy at the shoulders.  The lines on the pants seem superfluous, but if they matched up to the lines in the center of the jacket, we might have something.  I can’t tell if those are knee pads or extended boots.  Either way, it seems a little cumbersome for a short guy that gets thrown around by big dudes.

Joel: 6. This is a nice design, but half as much stuff going on would make it twice as nice.

Rachel: 5. Generic X-Men togs. If I can imagine Cyclops in it with no stretch, it’s not particularly suited to Wolverine.

Jason: 5

Ron: Hmmm ill give this a 6–it looks handsome –but a bit too much

Juann Cabal

Dean: 8. More fun than function, but I love it. It’d require an Ultimate license or for Daken to take it up, but it’s just too fun to ignore.

Joel: 6. Does he have lotus blossoms on his shoes? And a Luchadore mask? Sweet! I can’t, in a million years buy this as Logan, but if one of the less stable students at Xavier’s school developed an obsession with Wolverine, this would be a great copycat costume.

Rachel 8: Yeah, this is either Elseworlds or homage, but either way, I’m totally infatuated with it, and I’m really curious about the intentions behind the design–I’d love to hear Juann explain why he picked the elements he did. Are those shoes supposed to be bedroom slippers?

Chris: 5. Joel’s got it right on the head — if Wolverine was a legacy hero with different people behind the mask, then I could see someone becoming an Asian street Wolverine.

Vito: 5. That mask is a 10.  The rest is just…there.  The jacket needs just a little bit more and there’s no way he’d ever wear those shoes out with the Avengers…Spidey would rib him until Wolvie snapped and clawed him into a salad.

Rachel: Actually, I like the jacket a lot. The frontplate would be too big a blank expanse, but the zipper breaks it up nicely, and the side detailing evokes Wolverine’s traditional uniforms.

Jon: 5. The full face mask is always going to be a hard sell, but I like it for the reasons Joel, Rachel and Chris extrapolated upon.

Jason: 9. I love it. I wanna write this Wolverine.

Ron: 8–I like this –as a different character–looks like Rorschach and wolverine got caught together in a star trek transporter.

Lana Van Reenen

Dean: 4. Not bad, but not there yet.

Chris Arrant: 4. Wolverine’s got a distinctive look — mess with one element the wrong way and you’re thrown off. This costume reminds me of Batroc the Leaper more than Logan… but I could see Demolition Man wearing this.

Vito: 6. Take Juann’s mask and put it on here, tone down the boots, and I think we’ve got something.  The tunic is a great piece.

Jon: 4. The boots should probably capture some of the lines of the torso, and we’re running into the belt problem again, that it doesn’t have much to do with the costume – and on a one-piece, you have to wonder why you’d have a belt, unless it was holding stuff. As it is, mostly all it does is to point to the fact that Wolverine has a brobdignagian bulge going on. Good lord, does he have a mutant power we don’t know about? SNIKT!

Joel: 4. Citizen Steele Wolverine! The belt and boot-tops are both issues that need to be resolved. But I like how the costume references Logan’s sleeveless-T look.

Rachel: 6. Not super distinctive, and no elements we haven’t seen before, but a good, clean design. And yeah, hello, penis. Which raises the somewhat surreal question of whether or not Wolverine would wear a cup.

Jason: 4

Ron: 4 not for me–don’t think the boots work at all–overall a bit too clean–more like a Hawkeye costume

Mat Major
Dean: 5. I like the inclusion of the team buckles, but the rest needs some work, I think.

Chris Arrant: 5. I would have given this a higher score but the choice of color here really throws me off. This would be a great design for a gang of Wolverines, ala the current storyline in Wolverine: Weapon X.

Rachel: 5 The palette reminds me a bit of Ming Doyle’s. But I really can’t get past the fact that Mat dressed Wolverine in a denim leisure suit.

Jon: 5. I’ve got a soft spot for close-shaved or clean-cut Wolverine, so this one appeals to me – I don’t know about the Curly stubble, but with a thicker head of hair, that mask would work nicely. The belt emblems are what throws me – two more and he’ll be wearing one of those pressed-tin and turquoise numbers you see in country-western bars. My problem with it is, besides the clutter, I’m not sure why he’d have them on …

Vito: 7.  I am literally torn in half on this one.  The top is spectacular while the bottom is mundane.  I appreciate the fact that comfort plays a role in the design, but with a top (is that a jacket or a shirt?) like that, I’d call this a costume.  Jeans and boots don’t make a costume.  They can accent a look sometimes, but other than the fact that it is color coordinated, it just seems too plain to me.  Maybe some tiger stripes on the legs?  Exposed boots?  Not sure of the fix other than to go full hero tights, but man, I really like that top.

Joel: 4. He looks like he’s wearing denim armor, which is unfortunate. But I love the simple brilliance of the multiple team badges on his belt. Wake up and realize you’re an Avenger today? Just slide the belt over one.

Jason: 6. Dig the costume but not the mask.

Ron: Ditto with Jason here–lose the mask–if you do then a solid 7

Matthew Warlick
Dean: 5. Good drawing, but too plain for Wolverine.
Rachel: 4. Again, I can see this working as a team costume, but not an individual one. Either way, it wouldn’t last long–it’s not very interesting, and it looks a little too much like a jogging suit. Incidentally, what’s up with everyone putting the guy with unbreakable bones in steel-toed boots?

Chris Arrant 3: If I took away the face and the claws, there’s no way I could tell this is a Wolverine costume. It has no personality intrinsic to Wolverine.

Jon: 4. I hate to make such a brief summation, because it sounds disrespectful and these folks all put a lot of work into these entries, but frankly it looks like if Nightwing became an X-Man. Also, Rachel, I assume it’s because the adamantium’s on the inside, and smooshing your toe between a bad guy’s face and a solid metal toe bone probably stubs like crazy.

Vito: 6.  I wouldn’t go that far, Jon.  That’s just a result of a color scheme which, I disagree with you, works.  The only…it’s not a problem, but speed bump to me is that Wolverine looks to be sponsored by Adidas.  Rachel’s right…it’s too generic to be Wolverine’s costume, but works as an X-Men uniform.  Wolverine is a pretty unique individual, and as such, should dress so.  Maybe some rips in the costume…this is Logan, not Scott.  He doesn’t have to have a “dress code.”

Jon: Vito, with all due respect, what put me in the mind of Nightwing was not just the color scheme, but the color scheme, the cut of the top of the X across the shoulders, the neckline (in the bottom two illustrations, anyway, it’s wider in the top illo), the hairstyle and the lines along the sleeves.

Joel: 4. Coach Wolverine! This looks like what he’d wear when trying to whip the recruits into shape. But not distinctive enough for his regular duds.

Jason: 4.

Ron: 5

Mike Dimayuga
Dean: 5. Great drawing, not much of a Logan-specific costume.

Chris Arrant: 3. There is a lot of design elements going on here, but I don’t see anything tying them together. And the belt buckle looks more like a bomb.

Jon: 3. I’m sorry, I have to do the “Looks like X joined the X” again: It looks like Wolverine joined the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Joel: 4. Wow, Jon. Now all I can see when I look at this are Ninja Turtles. Wow.

Vito: 5.  I like it.  I don’t love it, but I like it.  The boots don’t seem to match the rest of the costume, and the mask is kind of…there.  But I like the reds and how they pop against the neutral colors.

Rachel: 4. This is what Wolverine wears in Madripoor when he loses bets with Viper.

Jason: 4

Ron: 4 the mask is completely unnecessary

Nuno Plati
Dean: 8. A little plain, but it works well. The strong shoulder X’s are cool, and the bronzed color scheme suits the character well.

Chris Arrant: 6. I’ve always been a fan of the the Brown & Tan wolverine, and Nuno gets points for bringing that color scheme into play here. I’m a bit thrown off here by the cut of the shoulders, and the top going up his neck.

Vito: 7.  Please Marvel…put Nuno Plati on a Marvel Adventures comic.  It’s not uniquely Wolverine, but I love the colors and the cut of the mask.  This seems like another X uniform, but those browns and oranges seem, to me, to be a real signature of Wolverine.

Jon: 7. Not sure about the cut of the sleeves, and I’m thrown by how lean and tall the character is … I think a lot of this would work well on a stocky Wolverine, with the exception of the boots.

Rachel: 7. Not terribly distinctive, but I like the basic design and the palette. Jon, tall thin Wolverine throws me, too–if he’s not short and stocky and covered in thick, rug-like hair, something has gone terribly wrong.

Jason: 6. Again, a gorgeous drawing, but nothing really grabs me.
Ron:   6 good without the mask–but a bit average

Patricio Oliver
Dean: 8. I don’t know what it is, but I dig these futurey Wolverines.

Rachel: 4. Neat, although I can’t shake the suspicion that somewhere, Sunfire’s running around naked. I’m surprised that we’re not seeing Japanese influence in more of these designs, actually.

Chris Arrant: 4. This very flowing design really goes for a more abstracted Logan, but it’s not something I can get behind.

Jon: 6. I like the Stealth X-Force version better than the regular, and I’m curious about what it might look like with yellow piping or highlights. Also, this is one of the few occasions when I think the full face mask really works.

Vito: 5.  I know those are the tiger stripes, but they seem so arbitrary when looked at from afar.  I like the mask a lot though.

Jason: 5

Ron: Better as a female costume 5

Paul Milligan
Dean: 9.5. This is one of my favorites. The large three-claw “W” chest element is the closest thing to a character symbol Wolverine’s ever seen, and the gray and orange color scheme is rad. I wish the pants weren’t connected to the shirt, but otherwise, I love it.

Rachel: 4. We’ve seen Vindicator Wolverine; this strikes me as Puck Wolverine. I’m not fond of the jester collar markings on the shirt, or of the weird semi-belt.

Chris Arrant: 5. Several artists have done boots, but I think Paul here has one of the best portrayals of some awesome Logan boots. The design on the top however is a bit too contrived, and the cut of the sleeves is off-putting as well. But I can say I love Paul’s style when it comes to the snub-nosed flat-topped Wolverine; Logan’s been prettied up over the years, but this version really recalls the original way he seemed to be portrayed in the 80s.

Jon: 5. The fact that it’s a one-piece makes the shirt not work as well for me. I’d also like to have seen the chest feature shaped more organically – there are a lot of straight lines in this piece. Love the broken nose and squat Wolverine though.

Vito: 7.  I really like this one.  The “jester markings” as Rachel put it are claws reaching/pointing up, but that’s the problem…it’s confusing looking.  Not sure how I would fix this.  These pants (I know its one piece) are what I was thinking of when I made my comments on Mat Major’s submission.  Paul’s pants have some personality.

Joel: 5. I think this is another example where less would have been more. There’s just a little too much yellow piping, a few too many weird details, like it being a one piece, that keep jarring my attention away from the design’s visual strengths.

Jason: 5

Ron:  a 6

Ramon Villalobos
Dean: 6. I think Logan’s psyche would gain a lot of peace from just wearing a cowboy hat and a cape. APPROVED.

Rachel: 7. This works surprisingly well. I like the way the front of the cape evokes a neckerchief.

Chris Arrant: 4. An apocalyptic Wolverine. While that’s an amazing idea, I don’t think this really works for Logan.

Rachel: Not even in a post-apocalyptic Wild West? Wolverine’s ubiquity makes it a lot easier for me to forgive costumes that initially seem setting-inappropriate: after all, the guy ends up EVERYWHERE. He’s like the syphilis of the Marvel Universe.

Jon. 4. I cannot get past the cape. Especially a cape with short sleeves, and then a cape with short sleeves and a cowboy hat, and a belt around his neck. I think complicates what is otherwise a nice enough costume – pants, boots, top all work basically well together, although the claw scratch emblem may be a bit much.

Vito: 6.  Wolverine doesn’t wear a cape.  I know it’s probably meant to be a pelt but it looks like a cape.  That collar can be a little smaller and achieve the same effect.  I think that if you lose the cape, you don’t need the brown in that triangle, so let’s say that goes to black.  Then I think we’re getting somewhere close.  Those gloves are killer, by the way.

Joel: 5. Well, I think what’s fun about this design is exactly that Wolverine doesn’t wear a cape. This is Wolverine as Superman, and, my, you know you’ve stumbled across a bad Universe when Wolverine is the local Superman analog. That said, Logan needs to take his belt from around his neck and put it back around his waist where it belongs.

Jason: 4

Ron: Never Wolvie in a cape 4

Rashad Doucet
Dean: 6. Fun for kids, new and improved Wolverine is available in all Marvel Adventures titles and at Universal Islands of Adventure!

Chris Arrant: 6. Rashad’s very exaggerated style throws me  (and probably others) off from the actual costume design here — but I like what I see. I’d like to see this design played with a bit more, and maybe in different styles.. After all, that’s the ultimate test of a good design — can a variety of artists pull it off well?

Jon: 6. We have here that rarest of designs, The One That Would Work With A Multitude of Artists. Simple, evocative design, perhaps nothing earth-shattering, but there’s not an artist working who couldn’t make this very simple arrangement look good.

Vito: 5.  The design (or rather, the artist’s talent) doesn’t throw me.  It’s easy to see this in, say, Terry Dodson’s style.  But it doesn’t look new enough to me.  I do find it interesting that a few of the contestants used bandages on the hands…is that a Wildcat reference since Wolvie is such a brawler?

Joel: 5. I guess I’m a little more skeptical than the rest of the crew as to how well this would translate into someone else’s style. The bright colors contrasting in large, rounded shapes works well in a cartoon, but I think it would look too Pop for Wolverine when drawn more realistically.

Rachel: 6. Waaaaitaminute. The bright colors, the pervasive cuteness… Guys, I think we’ve got an X-Baby on our hands. What’s the A for?

Jason: 4

Ron: a bit eighties 5

Scorpio Steele
Dean: 7. Pretty cool samurai Wolvie.

Rachel: 3. Too busy–those textures are gonna get in a fight, and then there’ll be no stopping them.

Chris Arrant: 4. I see alot of Simone Bianchi here, and while I love the Samurai-inspired top and armbands I don’t think it works as a total package.

Jon: 5. Great as a one-shot costume, for a Japan-specific storyline. Love the boots, but I think the designs on the leg and torso look more like lightning bolts, which is confusing.

Vito: 8.5.  This is radical and when doing these competitions, I like to see one or two folks go all b**ls-out.  Sometimes they hit; sometimes they miss.  This is a hit.  I wish to Magneto that I could see a close-up of that mask, because that looks great.  The Japanese influence is a winner, as are those hard, jagged, lightning-like stripes.  Rachel’s 100% right; it’s too busy, and had Scorpio picked one of these motifs and followed through, this is the winner.  It’s a fantastic design despite this, though, and I just can’t score it any lower.

Joel: 5. Japanese Glam-Rock Wolverine! Who knew the human imagination would ever produce that particular hybrid? This design is admirable for going straight up and over the top, but I think its way too busy.

Jason: 6. Warning, this Wolverine may induce seizures.

Ron: Yikes! Scary but reminiscent of a Japanese energy drink commercial 6

Tamarind Coy

Dean: 7. I dig well-adjusted team-player Wolvie. Haha.

Joel: 7. This is how Scott Summers wishes Wolverine looked: happy, clean-cut, and in what appears to be a regulation X-uniform. More likely to follow orders, and less likely to steal your girlfriend. I like the basic design of this outfit a lot—nice proportions, good shapes—but it is too generically X-man. Without the claws this could as easily be Colossus.

Chris Arrant: 7. Joel’s got my opinion of this down pat. Instead of me trying to say something– just read Joel’s comments and think they’re mine.

Vito: 5. Me too, Chris.  Right down to Joel’s Colossus comment.  I have to say Tamarind made a great effort.  The classic shape (of the brown costume) is present and there are stripes.  The lack of a mask throws it though.  If you’re going to have short hair…best way I could put it is to call this James…but if you’re going to have short hair James, you need to give him an intimidating mask.  This is the equivalent of Silver-Age Batman before Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams.

Jon: 6. I’m still a sucker for the clean-shaven Wolverine. This is Wolvie trying to play nice for once with the rest of the team. It won’t last.

Vito: I appreciate that you like a clean Wolvie, Jon, but this costume needs to be dirtied up to be Wolverine.

Jon: Man, Vito, stop bellyaching at me alla time. It makes me want to ray-beam you with my mind.

Jason: 5

Ron: 6 simple and clean but not wolverine

Victor Newman

Dean: 6. Not bad, but who accessorizes with arrows anymore. Please.

Rachel [score to follow]: This one also looks like a spacesuit to me, or at least like the bodysuits astronauts wear under them. Government issue.

Chris Arrant: 6. Some designs really go a long way in telling a story — but that’s not the main goal of these contests. While Victor’s imagination on this is really innovative, one of the challenges of these contests is to be creative while still making something that Marvel would actually pick up on to replace the current costume.

Vito: 10.  It’s perfect to me…the second of two in the competition.  What I like about this design is the lines.  They don’t take away anything.  They exist to streamline the entire image of Wolverine.  I even like the way the lines on the sleeves parallel his claws!  I’d like to see the mask, but it doesn’t need it.  Victor even has that classic shape of the brown costume incorporated into the costume.  This says X-Force to me, but it could easily be the first of a line of costumes for the X-Men team.  Great job!

Jon: 6. It’s a nicely done costume, but there’s nothing to it that screams ‘Wolverine,” and “X-Men” for that matter once the belt buckle is removed. I find myself with a lot of questions about it – why the elbows, why the knees. Great belt, great lines, and the boots and both the piping and the cut of the legs are great, just not specifically Wolverine-y…

Joel: 6. The really Wolverine thing about this costume, of course, are the arrows sticking out of his back. Which, as fashion accessories go, is a very bold choice.

Jason: 6. What Jon said. Cool costume.  Just doesn’t say “Wolverine” to me.

Ron: nice drawing! Some adjustments could be real cool– maybe do something with the neckline, and maybe give him gloves to match the boots –8

Editor’s Note: The following entries are the winners and finalists from our Wolverine: Look Sharp contest, with prizes provided by DCBService.com. We received over 160 entries in this contest, and proved to be one of our biggest ones yet! Our guest reviewers for this contest are the creators of the new Marvel series Wolverine: Weapon X, writer Jason Aaron and artist Ron Garney. – Chris

GRAND PRIZE WINNER!


Lee Chen Fang
Total Score: 65

Dean: 10. I’m usually not that into retreading the familiar Wolverine-as-soldier motifs, but this is just too great a design. The chest armor, the light-up elements, and the partial mask are all brilliant and could be implemented in the actual comics immediately.

Rachel: 8. This Wolverine should be a video game character design. He’s got it all: flourescent highlights, too many straps, impractical and overcomplicated but visually stylish armor. It’s a sharp design, though.

Chris Arrant: 6. A very Metal Gear Wolverine. Like an earlier entry, this more looks like a side costume for something Logan would have done on Team X. I think the uses of the “X” is a bit overdone, but there’s a solid idea in here — just not finished. Sometimes less is more.

Rachel: Hah–exactly. Sneaking Suit.

Vito: 10. One of two absolute winners to me. I want to read this character’s adventures. There is nothing here that doesn’t say Wolverine to me. He even has a SHIELD logo on his belt! There’s an obvious Japanese influence, maybe in the vein of video games like Final Fantasy, but this just looks like Wolverine to me without being 100% traditional. I love it!

Jon: 8. This is utterly nuts, in a good way. I almost feel like its fatal flaw is that there isn’t quite enough stuff on him. At this stage, he’s got so much gear and so many competing lines, I’d recommend also giving him some kind of giant backpack, a few holsters, a bedroll, some pots and pans, and add enough lights that he looks like a major city from orbit. This really appeals to me – and I think it’s worth saying that, even with as much as is going on in the costume, it’s still very clean and the shapes complement rather than confuse.

Joel: 7. Paratrooper Wolverine? It’s hard for me to look past the gratuitous straps, which are a particular pet peeve, but I have to admit, this looks good. A lot of interesting details that come together harmoniously. It doesn’t make a lick of sense, but it’s sharp.

Jason: 9. Really busy for my tastes, but the cool little touches win me over, like the glowing stripes on the gloves and the X chest armor.

Ron: 7. good for a video game warrior design

FIRST PRIZE WINNER!

Gabriel Pinto
Total Score: 62.5

Dean: 8. This is very nice. Clean, utilitarian, superheroey, and definitely Wolverine. Lot of good, simple choices here, Gabriel. Nice work.

Chris: 8. Although I’d recommend altering the colors a bit, the design itself is one I really enjoy.

Rachel: 7.5. The seam at the jawline of the cowl really bugs me, I think the transition between the shirt and the cowl is too abrupt, and I agree with Chris about the colors, but otherwise, I like this one. It’s clean, fun, distinctive, not too fusty, and a good fit for the character.

Vito: 9. One of my favorites. I’m with Chris and Rachel that colors don’t really jive, but it looks great. Of all the designs presented, this seems to have elements that everyone included in their submissions, elements of all the Wolverine costumes, and still it really stands on it’s own as a new design. That’s gotta be tough to do.

Jon: 8. It’s one of the strongest. More red, less green, in the palette and I’d rate it even higher…

Joel: 8. I keep wanting to say that this is a fun design, because of the drawing style, but this would translate well into anyone’s style and still be a great Wolverine costume. The only thing that a, say, Brain Hitch would need more information on, I think, would be the boots, which are pretty radically minimalized.

Jason: 7. Not real daring. Again just seems more like a tweak. But very nice tweaks.

Ron: 7. but more of a batman theme there to me

SECOND PRIZE WINNER!

Ricardo Venâncio
Total Score: 62

Dean: 7.5. Very cool samurai Wolvie.

Joel: 9.5 Now this, I dig. This design builds on a lot of what we have seen from Wolverine before, but creates something new with it. You’ve got the brown costume, the Logan-as-Samurai look, the big ol’ X, and a general air of scruffy brawler. The Pacific Northwest motif on the back is a new addition, as far as I know, and a welcome one. The helmet looks like an actual piece of headgear that could physically exist. The open-legged pants with the tabi-feet create a distinct silhouette. And bonus points for both the cigar and the unfashionable hair. I have two quibbles, however. Where and how do the two ends of the belt/sash join? And this may be something that just existed in my reading of the character when I was 13, but didn’t the metal covers on the back of Wulvie’s gloves somehow aid in the popping of the claws through his flesh? I was under the impression that when wearing the gloves was the only time unsheathing didn’t hurt him. If that’s the case, then I’d like to see them brought back. Because we know Logan’s tough, but that doesn’t make him a masochist.

Rachel: It’s not hard to make a seamless looking sash, although I’d probably give it a fold or two to hint at tucked-in ends, since lycra or snap hooks seem out of place in this particular costume.

Chris Arrant: 6. All the elements are here, just as Joel said: The Brown & Tan, the Madipoor era wolverine, and the whole brawling nature that Logan brings to comics. But I think the X on the front is detrimental to this particular design, and the mask needs some work. Ricardo’s really onto something — I wish I could get him to play with it a bit more.

Rachel: 9. I love this a lot–I think it speaks to the eclecticism of Wolverine’s origins and influences in a way that few designs do.

Jon: 7. A lot of well-thought out designs here. I’m with Chris, I think the mask is almost there, just needs a little something to make it distinctly Wolverine’s. The only thing I don’t like is the open hand on the back of the gloves, it’s the one shape that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere else on the costume.

Vito: 9. Doggone it! I was hoping there was a wolverine design on the back! This is a great piece, but I just don’t dig a helmet over a mask. I think no mask, and it’s good to go. I’m not sure about the loose pants, but as an overall piece, it holds it all together. Absolutely wonderful!

Jason: 8. I really dig the front. Just think the back needs a stronger design.

Ron: 6. could be good with some adjustment but a bit like an indian meets a genie. work on the pants and the mask.

RUNNERS UP!

David Kennedy
Total Score: 59

Dean: 7. I love Feral Freeze Wolverine! Must…collect…him… Nice jeans, btw, totally-disconnected-from-humanity-guy.

Jon: 7 Finally, a Wolverine costume that looks like a wolverine! I like this as an alternate costume, something he might only wear for a single story arc for a very specific purpose, but I like it. There’s just enough of the familiar shape to the cowl that it evokes classic Wolverine, despite the fact that the colors and lines have otherwise been changed.

Joel: 7. I guess it’s not surprising that so few people have incorporated actual Wolverines into Logan’s look—for such vicious animals, they look like cuddly mountain-otters. David gets a lot of points from me for using the critter, and making it look menacing. This looks great for Logan’s wild-man-of-the-Yukon years. Although I had to deduct points because I don’t know what’s happening on the chest, or on the feet, and, well, yeah, the blue jeans.

Chris: 6. When I see this I think of the American Indian storyarc that Wolverine did in Marvel Comics Presents. I’m amazed that this works as well as it does — this could be a pin-up for the underrated Marvel Visions projects from years ago. I want to see the story behind this.

Vito: 8. I dig it. It’s very true to the character. I’d love to see a better pose to get a real feel for the piece, but it’s pretty good where I’m standing. I think that when Wolverine isn’t with one of the teams, this is what he SHOULD be wearing.

Rachel 7: I don’t get the waist–why is it in two strips? Would this be clearer if we could see it from the front? Also, the jeans-complete-with-belt throw off the feel of the piece a bit.

Jason: 9. I’m really digging this. That looks like a guy called “Wolverine.”

Ron: 8. I like this–but more if wolverine were doing a tribal, rite of passage story –but its cool as hell though.

Note: More Runners Up after the jump! – Dean
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