Hey Batman? Your wardrobe seems a little... dangerous.
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All bacteria and virus, indeed all microscopic flora, prefer certain temperature, humidity and gaseous environments. It's why every operating room has to report the measured temperature and humidity every day.NightmareLuna said:
Germs also favor immunocompromised people. If you go sloshing around in the cold rain, you're probably going to get sick.
You most certainly can and do get sick from the cold weather. Maybe not directly, but there is an inextricable connection between the two.
Ha ha! I'm officially the nerdiest one here! Now everyone point and laugh.
So what HE said was and remains true. Why contradict it? And yes, cold places and damp/wet places have higher concentrations of, among other things: the common coldNightmareLuna said:
What you have to keep in mind with super heroes is, a lot of the time, their costumes aren't as flimsy as they look. Usually there's a contrivance, like it's bullet proof or it holds in their power, or something like that.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of these characters have the power to blow through whatever part of their costume is inconvenient at the time (superman's cape is NEVER going to tangle him up), or they've trained long and hard enough for it not to become an incumberance.
Another factor, if you want to get to the real world reason for the impracticallity, is that way back when super heroes were first starting to come out the impractical costumes were used to help identify which hero/villain was which. The pictures were drawn small, and back in the day when photoshop couldn't help with that, so they needed it. The reason capes are so popular is because it helps the viewer see movement, which is why a lot of female characters simply don't have them (long hair). Over time this turned into tradition and the ludicrous/iconic costumes you see super heroes in today are there because they are super hero costumes. They're supposed to be identifyable, iconic, something to look up to, and from the marketting side, something recognizable and sellable.
Marvel's done a pretty good job of updating their heroes looks to seem more like real clothes of time (the X-men all have seams in their clothes, the gloves are either metalic gauntlets or actual gloves), and DC's trying to with the new 52 (and failing. Giving superman armour was a stupid call, he doesn't need it, and most of them just look like the old costumes with new lines. THough I do like Wonder Woman's new look, even if they should have kept the pants.) But the iconic looks need to remain. We need to recognize our heroes at a glance.
Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of these characters have the power to blow through whatever part of their costume is inconvenient at the time (superman's cape is NEVER going to tangle him up), or they've trained long and hard enough for it not to become an incumberance.
Another factor, if you want to get to the real world reason for the impracticallity, is that way back when super heroes were first starting to come out the impractical costumes were used to help identify which hero/villain was which. The pictures were drawn small, and back in the day when photoshop couldn't help with that, so they needed it. The reason capes are so popular is because it helps the viewer see movement, which is why a lot of female characters simply don't have them (long hair). Over time this turned into tradition and the ludicrous/iconic costumes you see super heroes in today are there because they are super hero costumes. They're supposed to be identifyable, iconic, something to look up to, and from the marketting side, something recognizable and sellable.
Marvel's done a pretty good job of updating their heroes looks to seem more like real clothes of time (the X-men all have seams in their clothes, the gloves are either metalic gauntlets or actual gloves), and DC's trying to with the new 52 (and failing. Giving superman armour was a stupid call, he doesn't need it, and most of them just look like the old costumes with new lines. THough I do like Wonder Woman's new look, even if they should have kept the pants.) But the iconic looks need to remain. We need to recognize our heroes at a glance.
The body armour is supposedly made out of super light weight material, so that's not so bad, as for the cape and mask though.. yeah the only justification for that is "I'm batman" It's impractical as hell but it makes him look threatening (apparently) and badass, and that's all that matters when you're batman.
Really? Look up some tests some time. I'll repeat: cold, damp places harbor more germs. Most bacteria survive in the presence of sugar, salt, lower temperatures and, depending on the bacteria, gaseous atmosphere. Some can only survive with oxygen, whereas others, like HIV, cannot exist outside of the body for longer than 60 seconds because oxygen kills them. "Cold weather," as you put it, or rather areas affected by cold weather, most definitely does contain more bacteria. That's why cold season is the rainy, colder season.NightmareLuna said:
Was your central premise really that rainwater isn't itself bacteria? If so, thank you. Now we know. It just sounded really condescending the way that you told him that "Colds are caused by germs and not by bad weather." Infection is prevented by taking care of ones self, and that includes taking precautions during inclement weather.
Part is practice, part is just it's fiction, and part...frankly...is good engineering sense. In the case of Batman, as I recall his cape is actually designed to be almost breakaway. When it snags, it's designed to tear apart, taking as little of the actual cape as possible. It's also said to be weighted at the tips, reducing the cape-flutter and thus the chance that something might get snagged. Between that and the constant training (at least some of which I'm sure was learning to fight and move in such a suit), I'd imagine it's not totally out of the question for Bats' cape to work.
Also another thing to take into account, on the Real Life end, is Art Style. Many artists draw characters slightly differently. Look at how Batman looks in Arkham Asylum/Arkham City, then compare that to something like...Batman: Red Rain. Red Rain his cape looks like he might be a blue version of Spawn for chrissakes. The damn thing's all over the place. Whereas the Batman we see in the games...well, it's not quite as voluminous as the Red Rain version. Bats isn't the only person to have this issue, either. If you look at, say, Superman: Red Son, and compare it to something like Kingdom Come, you notice that in Red Son there's a few moments where Superman's cape is long enough to even cover his shoulders and bunch onto the ground a little. Kingdom Come? Not so much.
Ultimately I think the long capes were a style choice on the part of artists and creative teams. The original capes weren't all that long or unwieldy as I remember them drawn. Style, both art and societal, affects this stuff alot more than people might realize. I mean hell, look at some of the splashes for the New 52. Many of the designs are more armor-like. It's basically a response to topics like this one. It's a response to the cry for realism, I think.
Also another thing to take into account, on the Real Life end, is Art Style. Many artists draw characters slightly differently. Look at how Batman looks in Arkham Asylum/Arkham City, then compare that to something like...Batman: Red Rain. Red Rain his cape looks like he might be a blue version of Spawn for chrissakes. The damn thing's all over the place. Whereas the Batman we see in the games...well, it's not quite as voluminous as the Red Rain version. Bats isn't the only person to have this issue, either. If you look at, say, Superman: Red Son, and compare it to something like Kingdom Come, you notice that in Red Son there's a few moments where Superman's cape is long enough to even cover his shoulders and bunch onto the ground a little. Kingdom Come? Not so much.
Ultimately I think the long capes were a style choice on the part of artists and creative teams. The original capes weren't all that long or unwieldy as I remember them drawn. Style, both art and societal, affects this stuff alot more than people might realize. I mean hell, look at some of the splashes for the New 52. Many of the designs are more armor-like. It's basically a response to topics like this one. It's a response to the cry for realism, I think.
I think we could actually see some kind of improvement in this department if DC and Marvel gave out certain company benefits in the form of "weekly call-girl services" to it's writers and artists.zf6hellion said:
The reasoning here being that getting these comic book nerds laid a little more often than their usual intervals (which I suspect must be quite low at the moment), then their artistic abilities might cease being just another way for them to vent their sexual desire a little and we'd stop seeing female super heroes with ridiculously impratical and revealing costumes.
Let's face it, if you can have some more tits and ass on a more regular basis, the less of a need you'll have to draw tits and ass to satisfy yourself with.
I love me some Dick Greyson, but his original Nightwing costume was just butt-ugly, I mean, is that a golden feather boa you're wearing? Was everyone right thinking you and Bruce used to get it on? Then again, a lot of the Teen Titans around that time had fugly costumes.
Also, most of the various Robins' costumes would be all but useless for protecting their secret identities. All that the Robins have to cover their faces is a very small mask that only covers their eyes, and as far as I've seen know they never change their hairstyles when they go in and out of costume. I mean, how much imagination would it take to guess what someone looks like under such a mask? In particular, anyone that knows the Robins outside of their costumes would know who they were instantly.Magicmad5511 said:
At least the Robins are better than Static Shock, somehow he manages to keep his identity secret despite not changing his hairstyle and the mask he wears doesn't even cover his eyes.
Either way, if it weren't for the fact that the people in superhero comics are incredibly stupid, then most superheroes would never be able to hide their identities for long.
The most practical super hero costume I've ever seen would be Spider-Man's, (also my favorite Superhero BTW) it's pure spandex (actually I'm not sure what it's made of, but judging from the movies looks like it) which doesn't impede his agility or maneuverability in any way, and it hides every aspect of his identity, including his race, which is one thing most superheroes don't bother to hide. Except during winter, there have been countless Spider-Man comics where he's out during winter and get sick or even nearly dies because he has such a poorly insulated costume, he could at least put on a sweat jacket or something.