10 Amazing Comic Book Redesigns That Didn't Last

Think Aquaman wasn't cool before the film? Think again.

by Ewan Paterson
Aquaman Peter David
DC Comics

Redesigns are part and parcel of the superhero genre. If there's a hero, you can be certain that, at some stage, they're going to start to look a little outdated, and that's when comic book artists get to have their fun.

Either born out of frustration with a tired design or simply inspiration to try something different, comic book redesigns are as divisive as they are exciting, and sometimes (not all of the time), they can work tremendously.

For some characters, changes can be as big as scrapping an old costume from the ground up, whereas with others, the design is so timeless to begin with only minor alterations are called for. Either approach can yield a major impact, and though superhero comics have a habit of reverting to the status quo, some designs manage to leave a lasting impact.

Sadly, that cyclical return to the norm means that some of the best redesigns come and go in a flash. One day you're enjoying a Batsuit with a brilliant purple trim - the next, he's back to the usual black and grey. It's the case with dozens of characters, but here are those redesigns readers have ended up missing the most...

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Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.