Ink Pen by Phil Dunlap for September 04, 2011

I often wondered…how DID superheroes end up with their undies on the OUTSIDE of their spandex?

It is sad how DC and Marvel are rebooting practically the whole comics industry to “hopefully” attract the younger generation while at the same time totally ticking off the older generations who have been loyal to their characters for decades…

And Wonder Woman originally had a skirt as well.

A short one.

It didn’t really cover any more than the trunks do, but it was a skirt.

Aquaman, Ironman, Thor, WonderWoman, Batman, Superman … (?)

To expand upon Coyoty’s point – acrobats and strongmen wore briefs over their tights, because tights at the time were rather simple in design, and tended to be basically an arch, which looked silly, and they wore the briefs to keep the tights gathered close, which looked less silly, and kept them out of the way.

The reboots are just business. They’ve got to keep their product friendly to new readers, and not just rely on an aging readership who can keep 20 years of encrusted continuity straight in their heads. When I started reading comics in the mid-1970’s, a large number of issues were still stand-alone stories. Sure, they’d make reference to past events, and maybe the last page would set up what would come next, but if you only saw a single issue you’d get a complete story. As an 11 year-old, I doubt I would have gotten into the medium if every issue was simply a chapter in an ongoing saga.

By the way, “Fallen Trunks” conjures up a visual that I don’t want to dwell on for too long.

Also in Drawing the Marvel way it is revealed most artists draw naked people and then colour them.

So Ziggy has a pair there somewhere?

I’ll go out on a limb,and say it’s barking up the wrong tree to worry about trunks.

Ah, good catch, dbethke. My first thought was Aquaman, but no, no “A”; then thought maybe Namor, but discarded that for various reasons. “Robin” fits the trunks and the dates!