Bold Fashion Changes--That Damned New Costume!!

I think that I've finally put my finger on why I so dislike the new costume for modern-day Superman.

And it comes courtesy of this week's Swamp Thing #1.

Now, since the first two pages of the comic are entirely Clark Kent at the Daily Planet, it's not much of a spoiler that Superman turns up in this story. If I've somehow ruined the comic for you, sorry. Don't worry, there's nothing in the following scans that actually spoil any of the story.

And let's note that I'm not particularly picking on Yanick Paquette here, because the design he has to work with, is, well...let's look at how our first full non-Jim Lee drawings of the super-suit goes:

Yow! First thought: DAMN, that "S" is big. I mean, it covers his whole chest!! I mean, it's huge to Liefeldian levels!! It makes me think, "Ego much, Man Of Steel?" It's like Donald Trump were designing a Superman costume for himself...

Secondly, we can debate losing the "underwear" all day. But the old costume, with the yellow belt and red tights, nicely complemented the same color combo in the S symbol. Now, there's no such complement. We've got a red belt, which seems to serve no purpose (remember, this is supposedly battle armor!) and exists only because someone suddenly noticed, "Hey, if we get rid of the tights, it's just one big unbroken expanse of blue!! That would look awful! Quick, throw on a belt or something!!"

Next, note the back of his cape:

Gone is the all-yellow S symbol (or occasionally red & yellow)--now it's just a black outline on the red cape. And no, it's not a coloring error--the same thing is seen in this week's Action #1.

But the reason why I really hate the costume? Check out these next two panels, from facing pages. First is Kal-El landing. Note how you can't see the belt, and the neckline and where the cape attaches are obscured:
See, doesn't look as bad that way.

Next page, at rest--you can see everything in full glory:

Is it just me, but the belt, and the high collar, and the cape attaching on the chest...doesn't that look very military, something dress uniform, vaguely European..?

That's it--that's it!! Superman's new costume makes him look like that doofus Sonar:

Anything that makes you look like Sonar cannot be a good costume change...

But seriously, that's what's been nagging at me--the new costume is much too military, too formal looking, too...stuffy, I guess. He looks like a cop instead of a super-hero. It just seems to make Superman even more remote. Which may have been part of the point, I guess..

And, just to repeat...
...that S is FREAKIN' HUGE!!!!