Flash’s DARK KNIGHT RETURNS Costume Would Be His Best with Just 1 Change

In the gritty future of DC Comics’ The Dark Knight Returns universe, Batman is a grizzled rebel hero fighting against a corrupt establishment looking to stifle and control, with The Flash tapped to help his crusade in a way that no other hero could. When finally jumping into the fray alongside Batman, Barry Allen aka The Flash, received a new costume that could have been the best he’s ever worn if it wasn’t for one specific design choice.

Not one to change his superhero look very often, the Flash has subtly honed his iconic red and yellow set of spandex over the years, with an updated version of his signature New 52 suit, complete with lightning-filled grooved accents, being the current design for this Scarlet Speedster.

But in The Dark Knight Strikes Again, the sequel to the seminal Batman story that is The Dark Knight Returns, The Flash reveals a badass new blacked-out outfit, made slightly worse by an odd design choice that sees Barry wearing short sleeves and short shorts.

The Flash Needs a Full Bodysuit Version of His Dark Knight Returns Design

The Dark Knight Strikes Again – 2002 (Written and Illustrated by Frank Miller)

Forced to perpetually run to provide power for “a third of the country,” this dark future version of Flash gets his new look after he’s rescued by Batman’s protégé, Caroline Keene Kelly, from his cardio prison. Handed his signature Flash ring containing his suit, Barry quickly puts it on, revealing a new superhero suit that gives him a black short-sleeved Flash-branded top, black runner shorts, yellow lighting bolt accents, and yellow sneakers. Noticing the change, Barry is told by Carrie that “The old design was really…old,” giving Flash a cool new look that almost succeeds in its unique design.

A look that’s pretty solid at a base level, it’s the incredibly short shorts, sleeves, and hairy arms of Barry that elicit a chuckle when first seeing this design, elements that keep this set of spandex from being one of Flash’s best superhero outfits. By extending the sleeves and legs into a more traditional Flash bodysuit (and maybe even adding in some of those stylish lightning grooves), an updated Dark Knight Returns costume could maintain the superhero simplicity of Flash’s iconic design already presented here, while eschewing closer to what has always worked for the character practically from his inception.

Short Sleeves and Shorts Don’t Do Flash’s Black Dark Knight Returns Costume Justice

To be fair Flash’s shorter sleeves and short shorts are closer to what real runners, marathoners, and gym cardio enthusiasts wear while sweating through another mile, but in the context of the superhero genre, it simply looks a little too silly and under-designed, almost as if Flash himself were going out for a quick jog for pleasure rather than heading into the heat of a battle. Regardless, this design begs to be revisited in DC Comics simply because, as it stands, The Flash’s Dark Knight Returns costume falls just short of greatness.

The Flash

The Flash is the superhero name given to the DC Comics character who utilizes unparalleled speed tied to a dimensional power known as the “speed force” to overwhelm their opposition. Premiering in 1939, the original Flash arrived as Jay Garrick. Still, it would be superseded by Barry Allen in popularity and featured status, but the Flash is one character that has met many of their alternate selves. The character is typically seen as a part of the Justice League in nearly all incarnations.

Created By

Gardner Fox , Harry Lampert , Carmine Infantino

First Appearance

Flash Comics

Alias

Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West, Bart Allen, Avery Ho

Alliance

Justice Society of America, Justice League, Teen Titans

Race

Human

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