This is turning into a nerd rage sort of day, but I couldn’t let this go. Here’s Henry Cavill in the Superman costume from the forthcoming Man of Steel movie.

Suddenly, that Wonder Woman costume is looking pretty good.

I know that Superman’s traditional red panties-on-the-outside simply don’t work for today’s cultured superhero fashionistas, but there’s a better way.

This is George Perez’s redesign for next week’s relaunch of the entire DC Comics line. I’m not that thrilled with it; I take issue with giving a suit of armor to a hero whose second most-notable characteristic is his invulnerability. But at least the red belt that replaces the super-Speedos breaks up that big expanse of blue.

Back to the movie costume. What the hell is going on around the mid-torso? Is Superman ribbed for our pleasure? It’s not enough that the new suit has a scaly texture, but it’s got this weird musculature thing happening.

The biggest beef that I have with it is that it’s all muted tones. Superman isn’t dark. He’s a bright and colorful Boy Scout, a symbol of inspiration and hope. This here isn’t even grim ‘n gritty, it’s dour and sullen.

Oh, my gosh! I just realized what it reminds me of!

It’s evil, bar-hopping Superman from Superman III!

Is it too much to ask for Christopher Reeve to punch out Henry Cavill in a junkyard?

Dave Movies fugly, Superman