esteicy-blog:

kelseyeng:

Gotham Girls RPG redesign for fun 🙂 They actually make a very well-balanced team! I was originally going to do them all as knights but then saw Mindy Lee’s Poison Ivy Druid and got inspired. www.instagram.com/kelseyeng32

I love seeing women in fantasy worlds with practical and pretty outfits that fit their personalities

@bikiniarmorbattledamage I suppose you would be interested in this

Oh, we are very interested. ? I love how every gal has her own distinct style, and their armor/clothes are actually… appropriatefor their roles???? There are so many subtle details on each of the ladies, and y’all know how much I love those. I particularly like the fresh take on Harley, because just the “jester” look, separate from Harley, has kind of become boring and same-y over the years, but this version is different and fun and cool. That hat + pigtails idea is Gold. 

I would play the crap out of this RPG if it existed, though there’s no healer… Would Ivy begrudgingly hand out healing potions?

-Icy

On Batgirl costume redesign and the validity of “batkevlar”

bikiniarmorbattledamage:

captain-marvelous:

katthekonqueror:

luanna255:

Okay, see now what I don’t get is people who say they love Babs’ redesign because “finally a practical female costume in comics!!”

Because it’s absolutely true that impractical costumes are a problem that plague superheroines, but this is what Babs’ New 52 costume looked like before they redesigned it:

image

I’m purposefully using a picture that has her next to Batman – her costume was just as “practical” as his. Full body suit, sturdy-looking flat-heeled boots, no unnecessary details beyond the Bat symbol and cape (both of which Batman has too) – what exactly was so “impractical” about this?

For that matter, this is what Babs’ original Batgirl costume looked like:

image

That’s from the 1970’s, and her costume looks as practical as can be. Actually, I’d argue that Dick’s the one with the impractical costume, here.

So why are we acting like this is such a big deal that Babs “finally” has a practical costume?! She’s had one since practically the very beginning (once they stopped drawing her original costume with high heels, anyway).

Superheroine costumes are certainly lacking practicality on the whole, but Babs was never really an issue there. So giving her a practical redesign doesn’t really do anything to change the status quo – it just “fixes” what wasn’t broken to start with. Why not give Starfire a redesign where I don’t have to wonder how her top stays on, instead? 

Also they made a huge deal about her new costume not being spandex, but I thought the whole batfam wore kevlar.

It’s not, it was never identified by name, but it’s apparently some sort of next gen bulletproof material, even BETTER than kevlar.

image

why they would choose to replace that with a cheap $20 leather jacket is beyond me

I don’t think anyone argued Barbara’s current costume was specifically one in a desperate need of redesign (let’s face it, she’s always been the one DC superheroine with consistently full body-covering suit: no cleavage, no 5-inch heels, not even bared midriff).

Her new costume is a breath of fresh air compared to the DC/Marvel female design STANDARDS, not compared to what she wore before.

But as far as the kevlar (or rather “batkevlar”) argument goes, it doesn’t really hold ground when the artist’s attempts at conveying her suit to be armor are so half-assed and inconsistent that the chest piece looks either painted on or too small to wear, let alone breathe in (see: middle images here).

image

We have a writeup on real-life kevlar armors queued  for sometime later, but, briefly, the point in this context is: you can’t just name it “batkevlar” and expect that no rules of reality should apply to how it looks and works.

Also, what Batgirl’s new outfit is praised for is how it’s not sexualized and how it actually resembles the materials it’s supposed to be made of, not how objectively good in combat those customized boutique clothes will be compared to Wayne Industry’s patented armor.

As for the practicality/protection issue in-story, the creators themselves addressed it best already: the only way she gets stabbed through leather jacket or trips on her laces is if they write her that way, and they won’t.

Does it make sense that after losing her old costume she assembles a new, cheap one, instead of asking Bruce to give her another armor? Yeah, probably not. Especially since she’s a regular human, not a superpowered alien or an Amazon or a magic user that can wear even a skimpy costume without caring for consequences.
But that’s the issue of pulling it off with writing, no different than pulling of the existence of miraculous better-than-kevlar material.

For what it’s supposed to be, the new costume is designed awesomely.

~Ozzie

Since by now it’s confirmed that we are all trapped in Keanu fever, including his John Wick title – it’s probably a good time talk about super-fabrics like batkevlar and how they tend to be presented differently on men and women.  Above we have how it tends to be presented for women: an excuse to always have them in sexy spandex that is vacuum sealed for freshness.

In John Wick 2, the titular character stops to obtain an outfit made entirely out of a remarkably similar fabric – bulletproof beyond anything real technology can do but not enough to stop bruising damage from the impact.  How does his outfit look when he’s fully protected?

image

And yes, there are male characters who are known for wearing spandex type outfits, but you know what all of them get without a fuss?  Alternative costumes.

Batman has gone through more designs than one can count, the Snake family from Metal Gear get everything from standard BDUs to tuxedos, Sam Fisher’s gear was always tailored to be not too body clingy and got to do a whole game in civvies with a bullet vest.

My point is: If your fictional world is developing wonder technology to prevent battle damage – the first and foremost application of it should not be for women to wear body hugging outfits (that then get torn and don’t stop all the damage anyway) – but probably to augment existing combat outfits.

You should probably also consider the “rules” of it – and whether someone would prioritize showing off their body over not being covered in bruises all day every day – because bruises are not fun and you probably want your characters to display at least vaguely relate able judgement.  Let them get hurt but, don’t make it an hourly thing they could easily avoid.

– wincenworks

Speaking of comics and nostalgia, the video game Arkham Knight recently confirmed it will feature Barbara Gordon as Batgirl (a curious decision given that Barbara featured as Oracle in Arkham Asylum) and this is how she’s being promoted.  Per perspective – this is how Batman looks:

image

That’s right, not only does he get an outfit he can physically move in – but he is portrayed as a tower of strength rather than beauty ideals.  See how majestically he looks over the city he guards…

While Batgirl rests awkwardly on one knee (seriously try that pose) in front of… industrial power lines?  From the look on her face she’s swearing revenge on whoever convinced her that loose hair was a good idea in that weather.

– wincenworks

As for less subtle differences than the problem with Batgirl’s posing, there’s (obviously) her boobplate. Seems like even though the comics recently got rid of the vacuum-sealed/painted on “batkevlar” in favor of something more believable, the games are glad to keep enforcing needlessly gendered costumes.

And before anyone jumps in to say that Batman has visible abs end pecs on his armor… first, they’re pretty streamlined compared to Barbara’s protruding breasts; second, his plate looks like it’s there for intimidation value, hers looks like your typical “if no boob how woman?”

~Ozzie

Revamped Batgirl Was Only Supposed to Last Six Issues – IGN

Revamped Batgirl Was Only Supposed to Last Six Issues – IGN

Revamped Batgirl Was Only Supposed to Last Six Issues – IGN

Revamped Batgirl Was Only Supposed to Last Six Issues – IGN

(If you are clicking the link at IGN to the original article at Bleedin Cool please be aware they are currently being sponsored by Crossed – an ultra violent comic and that the promotions contain gorey/disturbing material)

Batgirl artist Babs Tarr stated at a panel that the new look Batgirl we loved was originally not expected to be a long term re-design but…

image

How could anyone doubt this?

image

Oh yeah.

– wincenworks

More on Batgirl | More on Comic Books 

On Batgirl costume redesign and the validity of “batkevlar”

captain-marvelous:

katthekonqueror:

luanna255:

Okay, see now what I don’t get is people who say they love Babs’ redesign because “finally a practical female costume in comics!!”

Because it’s absolutely true that impractical costumes are a problem that plague superheroines, but this is what Babs’ New 52 costume looked like before they redesigned it:

image

I’m purposefully using a picture that has her next to Batman – her costume was just as “practical” as his. Full body suit, sturdy-looking flat-heeled boots, no unnecessary details beyond the Bat symbol and cape (both of which Batman has too) – what exactly was so “impractical” about this?

For that matter, this is what Babs’ original Batgirl costume looked like:

image

That’s from the 1970’s, and her costume looks as practical as can be. Actually, I’d argue that Dick’s the one with the impractical costume, here.

So why are we acting like this is such a big deal that Babs “finally” has a practical costume?! She’s had one since practically the very beginning (once they stopped drawing her original costume with high heels, anyway).

Superheroine costumes are certainly lacking practicality on the whole, but Babs was never really an issue there. So giving her a practical redesign doesn’t really do anything to change the status quo – it just “fixes” what wasn’t broken to start with. Why not give Starfire a redesign where I don’t have to wonder how her top stays on, instead? 

Also they made a huge deal about her new costume not being spandex, but I thought the whole batfam wore kevlar.

It’s not, it was never identified by name, but it’s apparently some sort of next gen bulletproof material, even BETTER than kevlar.

image

why they would choose to replace that with a cheap $20 leather jacket is beyond me

I don’t think anyone argued Barbara’s current costume was specifically one in a desperate need of redesign (let’s face it, she’s always been the one DC superheroine with consistently full body-covering suit: no cleavage, no 5-inch heels, not even bared midriff).

Her new costume is a breath of fresh air compared to the DC/Marvel female design STANDARDS, not compared to what she wore before.

But as far as the kevlar (or rather “batkevlar”) argument goes, it doesn’t really hold ground when the artist’s attempts at conveying her suit to be armor are so half-assed and inconsistent that the chest piece looks either painted on or too small to wear, let alone breathe in (see: middle images here).

image

We have a writeup on real-life kevlar armors queued  for sometime later, but, briefly, the point in this context is: you can’t just name it “batkevlar” and expect that no rules of reality should apply to how it looks and works.

Also, what Batgirl’s new outfit is praised for is how it’s not sexualized and how it actually resembles the materials it’s supposed to be made of, not how objectively good in combat those customized boutique clothes will be compared to Wayne Industry’s patented armor.

As for the practicality/protection issue in-story, the creators themselves addressed it best already: the only way she gets stabbed through leather jacket or trips on her laces is if they write her that way, and they won’t.

Does it make sense that after losing her old costume she assembles a new, cheap one, instead of asking Bruce to give her another armor? Yeah, probably not. Especially since she’s a regular human, not a superpowered alien or an Amazon or a magic user that can wear even a skimpy costume without caring for consequences.
But that’s the issue of pulling it off with writing, no different than pulling of the existence of miraculous better-than-kevlar material.

For what it’s supposed to be, the new costume is designed awesomely.

~Ozzie