WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Superman and the Authority #1, on sale now from DC.
Superman's iconic costume has remained largely the same over the years. The most notable departure from the simple red, blue and yellow with the over-underwear in recent years is the armored New 52 costume, which strayed from the classic design in a number of ways. Any changes to Superman's costume over the years, however large or small, always reveal something about the character and where they are, because of how timeless the original is. That's no different in DC's latest Superman series.
Superman and the Authority #1, by Grant Morrison, Mikel Janín, Jordie Bellaire and Steve Wands introduces a very different look for the Man of Tomorrow, and not just because he's sporting some silver hair. The series sees a few major changes to the character's costume, some of which will be familiar to fans, which reveals a lot about this version of Superman.
The first change that many will notice is the symbol. The "S" shield in this series is the same one seen in Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, in its striking black and red color scheme. The next most noticeable difference to the costume is the short-sleeves, a detail influenced by another past Superman outfit. The gloves also suggest a Man of Steel more willing to work for what he wants than before. Though, of course, the most important aspects of the costume are the symbol and the sleeves.
The symbol holds importance for two reasons: the specific design and the colors used. The Superman of Kingdom Come had a specific reason for adopting this new symbol. It was a mark of respect for those who died because of Magog's recklessness and a way of signaling his desire to make amends for the superhero community -- a sentiment this series' Superman may share. This new design was also meant to look more futuristic, suggesting Superman and the Authority wishes to look to the future too. However, the black of the Kingdom Come symbol wasn't just contained to that story. After the "Our Worlds at War" crossover event, Superman added black to his classic "S" logo as a way of moving forward while mourning those who lost their lives in that event.
The short sleeves hark back to the New 52 Action Comics run, also written by Grant Morrison with art by Rags Morales, which saw an entirely different costume to the armored look seen in other New 52 titles that featured Superman. This version of Superman focused on how he was a champion of the people and an everyman character -- an image enhanced even more by his wearing of jeans and worker boots too. This series clearly has the same idea, with Superman feeling the battles of the Justice League were too self-centered and ignoring the plight of the people.
With all of these things considered, the symbol and the sleeves on this new costume, therefore, reveal that Superman feels like he's failed the world that he swore to protect, something strongly backed up by what he tells Manchester Black in the series' opening issue.
Superman mentions two major figures who asked him to unite the world, JFK and King Arthur, the former being the main focus. He feels he was unable to do what they asked of him, which is what motivates his change in tactics as well as his change in costume. Assembling a new Authority, rather than a new Justice League, is a way of bringing renewed focus to that mission and correct what he now sees as his failings. The change in costume is a visual reminder of this throughout the series, a reminder of Superman's renewed quest for, as he tells Manchester, a "finer world."