Superman's New Costume Is Destined to Be His Most Hated Yet

DC has a Superman problem… actually, to be more accurate, they have a SUPERMEN problem, with much of the issue stemming from the fact that Clark Kent is missing and has now been replaced by two different heroes. And now one of the heroes currently filling in for Superman has just debuted a new costume that is destined to go down as one of the Man of Steel’s most hated looks yet.

If you haven’t been keeping up with DC Comics, then you might not know that Clark “Superman” Kent is currently missing following the events of DC’s recently concluded crisis event, DC K.O.. This crisis saw the Man of Steel rise up as Earth’s singular champion to face off against the more powerful-than-ever Darkseid in his King Omega form. Yet, there was a severe cost to this victory, with Superman disappearing without a trace.

As a result, different heroes have now taken over DC’s ongoing mainstream Superman titles. In Dan Slott’s Superman Unlimited, Jon Kent has taken over the narrative, notably ditching the shared Superman title and instead taking up the newly created mantle of Tomorrow Man. Likewise, Superboy-Prime has essentially become the new Man of Steel in Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora’s ongoing Superman title.

Up until DC’s most recently released issue, Prime had been wearing his typical Superman-Prime attire while serving as Metropolis’ new Superman. However, Superman #38 sees this new Man of Steel debut a bold look that is guaranteed to go down in history as one of Superman’s worst costumes.

Superman’s New Goth Look, Explained

Comic Page Comes from Joshua Williamson’s Superman #38 (2026) – Art by Dan Mora

Williamson and Mora’s Superman #38 sees Prime team up with DC’s Rebecca “Witchfire” Carstairs after an initial misunderstanding between the two. Prime offers to help the historically designated supernatural villain, now a self-proclaimed do-gooder, apprehend a demon threatening the safety of Metropolis. However, this team-up also comes with a major makeover for the hero.

With their destination being the “Hell Hole” nightclub, stealth and blending in are necessary, something that isn’t easily accomplished with Prime’s typical look. This results in the hero receiving a goth makeover as part of the mission, one that even has Prime himself breaking the fourth wall and asking why he’s dressed like he’s “in a Vertigo comic.”

This reference is aimed at DC’s Vertigo imprint, which is known for housing the publisher’s darker and more edgy stories. As a result, Prime is essentially poking fun at the exaggerated edginess that has long defined the imprint’s reputation.

Prime’s Vertigo-approved makeover sees him stripped of his Supersuit and dripping in leather and studded accessories. Additionally, he sports a moodier hairstyle while also donning smudged eyeliner. While the look certainly had potential, it unfortunately doesn’t quite land. Instead of Prime convincingly pulling off a goth aesthetic, he ends up looking oddly out of place, which is especially disappointing given that a Superman with eyeliner has SO much potential.

However, rather than the eyeliner enhancing Prime’s features, it actually softens them. In some panels, it even looks like he is wearing a full face of makeup instead of just eyeliner. The makeup ultimately clashes with Prime’s typically striking bone structure and features, softening his appearance in a way that detracts from the character’s good looks rather than enhancing them.

This look obviously isn’t permanent for Prime, but it will still likely go down as an eyesore of a costume change for a character currently carrying the Superman mantle. Given Dan Mora’s incredible artistic talent, it would have been great to see Prime truly wear this goth look rather than the goth look wearing him. Still, with Prime openly calling out the ridiculousness of the makeover himself, it seems likely that the intentionally unflattering nature of the design was exactly what Mora was going for in this Superman issue.

Superman #38 from DC Comics is now available to read!