ComicsAlliance’s Best Of 2016: The Best Character Redesign of 2016
Our writers and editors have made their picks of the best character redesigns of the past year, and you, the readers of ComicsAlliance, have voted for your favorites. Check out the best redesigns of 2016, including our critics’ picks, listed in alphabetical order, and your picks of the runner up and winner in this category! This is the very best of 2016!
Critics' Pick: Extrano
Midnighter and ApolloExtraño was a joke. There's plenty to celebrate in being a femme gay man, but Extraño was the type of fictional gay man that only straight people would create. Then, to everyone’s surprise, DC's first gay superhero reemerged in Midnighter and Apollo with a whole new look. His aesthetic is still recognizably gay, but Fernando Blanco's redesign replaces his puffy shirt and billowing cape with a tasteful scarf, and his Vincent Price mustache with a well-trimmed beard. For the first time, Extraño looks like a real gay man of the present. [Elle Collins]
Critics' Pick: Mi-Tor
Future QuestThe original Mightor was the star of Hanna-Barbera's Moby Dick and Mighty Mightor, a caveman spin on the Captain Marvel concept designed by legendary artist Alex Toth. It only makes sense that the new version of the character was designed by one of Toth's most notable modern heirs, who is also closely associated with Captain Marvel; Evan "Doc" Shaner. Shaner's redesign incorporates the iconic elements of the original while making it look modern and new; it respects the simplicity of the Toth design while clearly making Future Quest's Ty a distinct incarnation of the hero. [Benito Cereno]
Critics' Pick: The Stingers
Jem and the HologramsIt's no surprise that Sophie Campbell brought the same level of incredible design sense and body types to the Stingers that she brought to the Holograms and Misfits when Jem launched. The fact that she and Kelly Thompson added Raya to the band, though? That not only introduced a fan-favorite character in a whole new way, it changed the entire dynamic of that book going forward. That's everything a redesign should do. [Chris Sims]
Critics' Pick: Superwoman (Lana Lang)
SuperwomanThe hook of writer/artist Phil Jimenez's take on Superwoman is that the mantle and powers of what's probably the Super-family's most confusing concept (outside of Comet the Super-Horse) were shared by both Lois Lane and Lana Lang, with new costumes to go with it. Both are impressive, but Lana's takes the cake by virtue of being sleek, unobjectifying, reflective of Lana's brash personality of recent years, and a great way to show off her energy-based superpowers. It's a great look for a great book, and I hope they both stick around! [Tom Speelman]
Third Place: Hulk (Amadeus Cho)
Totally Awesome HulkWithout a doubt, the best thing Frank Cho did this year was the design for the new, and totally awesome, Hulk. The costume mixes classic elements we known from The Hulk, such as the purple pants, and updates them for a new modern, pro-active Hulk. Asian-American representation has been a big theme of Greg Pak’s run on the title this year, and having a Korean-American artist like Frank Cho put his mark on the new Hulk design no doubt helped create a memorable new hero for people to look up to. [Kieran Shiach]
Runner-up: Green Arrow
Green ArrowThe Rebirth redesign of Green Arrow is not just about how great he looks — though designer Otto Schmidt seemingly came out of nowhere to be one of the breakout artists of 2016 — but about the tone that goes with it. Schmidt and writer Ben Percy have pulled off that rare trick of a run that feels classic and fresh at the same time. The idea of Green Arrow taking on fat cats and corruption has been around for a while, but it's rarely been this good, or delivered with such style. [Chris Sims]
Winner: Batman
Detective ComicsRedesigning Batman has to be one of the most daunting tasks in comics; it means lending a new look to a character so iconic that a child with crayons could draw him. But the 2016 redesign — landing just prior to DC Rebirth — hits the spot, with its standout feature being the yellow trim around the bat-insignia, harkening back to the days of the oval without replicating it purely for nostalgic appeal. The costume works, and it’s one of the best redesigns the character has ever had. [Charlotte Finn]