Top 10 Best Dressed Comic Book Characters

I have often wondered how exactly a super hero character gets their outfit.  They often come out of nowhere just....dressed.  No nod to the tailor.  No credit given to the designer.  Nothing.  Oh, sure, you have your heroes like Iron Man who creates his own look and Spider-Man who designed his outfit initially and then had a symbiote design it for him.  But who designed Black Canary’s outfit or was it just that she only had fishnet stocking lying around along with a gymnastics outfit and she went with it?

There are some characters, though, that went to a designer.  They got decked out and really put things together to come up with a stylish look.  For men it’s a design that makes them look almost dapper and for women it’s one that doesn’t rely strictly on tight outfits and cleavage.

Here’s The Comic Whisperer’s Top 10 Best Dressed Comic Book Characters.  They are listed in no particular order.  They all look snappy.

10.)  Emma Frost:  Don’t get me wrong, I have seen some downright “Playboy-esque” drawings of Emma Frost, but I have also her drawn tastefully.  The all white look gives a VERY deceiving pure look, but I think it’s the cape that really pulls it together.  The suit allows her to run and be somewhat flexible, yet it’s airy and light for those times when it’s just too hot to fight bad guys.

9.)  Sebastian Shaw:  Another vaunted member of the Hellfire Club?  Yep, the Black King himself.  Sebastian always looks dapper, as do the other members of the Hellfire Club, with an outfit that commands respect.  As it turns out the white dangly thingy that hangs from his neck is also a great napkin for when Taco Bell forgets to put one in the bag.

8.)  The Phantom Stranger:  I’m not sure who dressed the Phantom Stranger but they did a bang-up job.  Where does one get an outfit in, well, wherever the Phantom Stranger goes?  The thing that sets him apart is that he is one of the few who wears such a stylish hat that matches the cape and outfit.  He also has the confidence to wear the white gloves and dookie rope necklace.  I think this leads to the age old question, “Does the Phantom Stranger suffer from hat head?”

7.)  The Joker:  Say what you will about his insanity and his need to kill any Robin that Batman can come up with, the guy can dress.  Check out the purple and green and red and how they tie together.  Stepping it up with a bowtie the Joker knows how to impress the ladies...or at least Harley Quinn.  My question was always, “Is he white all over?”.  Maybe he’s even hiding a tattoo.  If you really want to make a fortune you should look into being his cosmetics and hair dye salesperson.

6.)  Wonder Woman:  Say what you will about her outfit being revealing or tight but my focus is on the color combination and overall design.  The eagle, the blue with white stars, the yellow lasso, the red top, it’s all perfectly matched.  The boots are just high enough to guard against prickers and resist burrs, and yet they don’t cover the knees reducing flexibility.  She wears a beautiful tiara that pulls the outfit together and keeps her hair at a modest, yet playful, length.  When all the superheroes go to the pool after a hot day crimefighting all Diana needs to do is shed a couple of things and she’s ready for a swim!

5.)  Nick Fury:  Sporting all black, Nick Fury brings style to SHIELD.  Not only does he wear it well, but the black body-length leather jacket really give it that badass feel.  Not only does it give the look of a “cape” like a real superhero, but he could wear almost any accessory because anything goes with black.  The eyepatch adds a nice touch almost like a tiara that was too large and fell down his face crooked.  If he went to a formal affair I would suggest switching to a red eyepatch and adding a red cummerbund.

4.)  Zatanna:  Again, although I had seen many very revealing pictures of Zatanna, she is an extremely well dressed hero.  The fact that she is a stage performer probably accounts for the whole “tuxedo-esque” look.  Sporting the Black Canary fishnet stockings I would imagine this leaves her very flexible should a well placed kick be needed.  Also, if she should ever need to go to a formal occasion after banishing some demon to a nether realm all she needs to do is slip on black pants and she’s good to go.  My guess is that she doesn’t need a tailor, she just says the words, “ecin kool em ekaM”.  Wish I could do that.

3.)  Professor X:  9 times out of 10 Professor X is dressed very smart with a full suit and tie and sometimes even a vest that matches.  Even when he’s not wearing a suit he is still business casual.  I’m not sure how he does it every day.  Does someone dress him or does he do the old “Mental Dressing” trick when no one is looking.  One thing I can tell you is that men cannot pick their own ties so I’m thinking Moira did it for him.

2.)  Iron Man:  With armor for just about every occasion Iron Man is styling all the time.  This is a twofer as Tony Stark is also smiling and styling in every panel.  I’ve wondered how he cleans the inside of his armor after a sweaty battle or what happens if he vomits in his helmet after a high speed plunge.  Is there an “Armor Dry Cleaner” at Stark Industries?  I also have to ask how long his money will last.  Sure he’s rich, but 30 suits of armor, Jarvis constantly running, the huge tower,  Pepper’s constant shopping and his own bar bill has to put a dent in those billions.  I’ll never know.  I wonder if he has a missing son who looks like me?

1.)  Doctor Doom:  Could there be any doubt he’d make the list?  The Monarch of Latveria really knows how to dress.  I can’t help but think that Latveria has one heck of a tailor shop unless he just has the Doombots make stuff for him.  The silver of his armor and the maple leaf green cape with hood really go well together.  He really pulls off the large brown leather belt (which is strictly to hold his gun holster because it sure doesn’t hold his iron knickers up) with the enormous buckle.  It gives him a swashbuckler feel (no play on words intended) By the time you throw in the gold of the cape clip you have a Tryant dressed to the nines.  Who else wears a hood quite so majestically?   The only question I have is does he have a little trapdoor in the back for when he has to go potty?

Well, that ends the list.  Sure there are characters that probably could have made the list that didn’t.  It’s no surprise, however, that despite all of Hank Pym’s different outfits he still didn’t make the list.  He needs Janet to do his shopping for him.  However, seeing her outfits, she may need a persona shopper of her own.  Perhaps we will address the worst dressed characters in the future, I think that would be fun.

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