It took a long time for Aquaman to become relevant and respected in the DC Universe. Once a joke to readers and pop culture, the King of the Seven Seas regained his throne after some well-done storylines and a live-action film.
Costume redesigns also helped him regain his stature. Though not in the realm of Black Canary or Marvel's Storm, Arthur has had his share of good and bad outfit changes over the years. As proof, here are 5 costumes that made Aquaman look cool and 5 that were lame.
10 COOL: New 52
Aquaman fans sighed in relief when the first issue of his series premiered in the New 52 universe. Instead of a massive change, artist Ivan Reis kept Arthur's costume unchanged. If anything, the artist made the outfit more regal to reflect Aquaman's royal standing.
The main shift was in his tunic. Following other heroes like Superman, Aquaman had a high, open-v collar. He still had green gloves; however, the fins were now part of its opening instead of an add-on. It made the costume more than something he'd put on when fighting villains. It became an outfit a warrior wore.
9 LAME: Superfriends
One could argue that the design of Aquaman's costume on Superfriends wasn't much different from the comics. That's true -- it had the same color scheme. Yet, that was about it. When drawn most of the time, it looked like someone who wore an orange t-shirt and a pair of green laboratory gloves.
Compare it to the one Filmation artists drew when Aquaman had his own series in the late 60s, and you can see the difference. That version's costume was without the chainmail, but Arthur wore it much better. The Hanna-Barbera artists seemed to feel if the colors matched, it was Aquaman's costume.
8 COOL: Batman: Brave And The Bold
On the other hand, the way the Sea King's costume was drawn on Batman: Brave & the Bold hit the target. It's because the artists had two advantages. They had seen various incarnations of his costume ahead of time. Also, they took into consideration how strong he would be.
Aquaman spends most of his time swimming in the deepest parts of the ocean. The number of strokes combined with the increasing pressure of the water could cause his shoulders to be broad. Thus, the large width of his tunic. Add on a larger than average belt with an A logo, and the costume is as brash as Aquaman was on the show.
7 LAME: Smallville
For the most part, the "No tights" rule on Smallville worked out okay for Clark and some of the other heroes that joined him. However, it didn't work for the show's version of Aquaman.
Where Superfriends' artists drew Arthur's costume like a long-sleeve tee, Smallville's version wore a long-sleeve tee. Actually, it was a hoodie. This version didn't look like a hero. Rather, he looked like a lifeguard who was cold.
6 COOL: Classic
Though some tweaks were made, the original version of Aquaman's costume remained the same from the hero's introduction in 1941 until the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths. It's the one other artists have used for their designs through the decades. It's also the one people recognize the most.
The design is simplistic. An orange chain-mail tunic with an oval collar is tucked into a pair of green tights. The gloves and boots, both green, feature little fins on them. What readers might forget is Aquaman was part of the Outside Trunks club at that time with people like Superman and Batman.
5 LAME: 80s Blue Camouflage
Among Aquaman's costumes, this one strays far from the original concept. It was created in the post-Crisis universe by Craig Hamilton for the four-issue Aquaman mini-series.
In that story, both Arthur and Atlantis were connected to the mystical kingdom that the wizard Arion lived in during ancient times. This changed Aquaman's origin and the history of his capabilities. As a result, he shifted away from the orange and green to a blue leotard that would better camouflage him while in the water. The suit only lasted for as long as the mini-series did.
4 COOL: Young Justice
The outfit Aquaman wears in the first two seasons of Young Justice is similar yet a pleasant change. The tunic is the same color, yet it's almost form-fitting to reveal the shape of a swimmer's body. The tights he wears are a green so dark they're black.
What makes the outfit cool is the gauntlets that replace the ever-present green gloves. Together, the whole suit reveals him as both regal and a warrior.
3 LAME: Flashpoint
Whether in the comic or the animated Flashpoint Paradox, the suit Aquaman wears in the changed universe does not fit him. In the comics, he dons a tunic with heavy chainmail. In the movie, the armor is implied.
Either way, the orange changes to dark red in some situations. In fact, with the gold trim around the collar, it resembles something Shazam would wear. Gold-trimmed gloves and tights don't do much to change things.
2 COOL: 90's Outfit
When Peter David took over the writing duties for the fifth volume of Aquaman, he gave Arthur an attitude. At first, it was because he was ticked off at the world. Then, it was because he lost his left hand and had to replace it with a hook.
Along with these changes came a costume transformation. The orange and green disappeared. Instead, Arthur went shirtless, save for armor that covered his right shoulder and arm. While the green tights remained, they were trimmed with black and coated with chain mail. Needless to say, he was no longer the guy who used to ride a large pink seahorse.
1 LAME: Live-Action Movies
When it was announced there would be a live-action Aquaman movie, fans were intrigued by how close the costume designers would get to the comic book version. The answer is ... not quite there. Yes, the color schemes were correct, but the person wearing the outfit was not.
Jason Momoa isn't known for wearing full costumes. If you watch him on Stargate: Atlantis or Game of Thrones, he barely wears anything on his torso. Having him garbed in Aquaman's orange tunic feels wrong. It would've been better if they gave Jason the outfit Arthur wore in the 1990s or what the actor had on in the Justice League film.