As we enter the seventh year of the Arrowverse's existence, we should probably admit how lucky we are to have it. Sure, it isn't great. Hell, Arrow has received quite a bit of contention the farther it strays from its grounded roots and ventures into the territory of superheroics. Throughout the lifespan of the various shows, a number of DC Comics characters have received live action treatments, including many that fans thought could never make an appearance on live action television. While the likes of Green Arrow and The Flash seem obvious, it seemed unlikely for some time that characters like Vibe or Killer Frost could generate enough interest for an appearance, let alone a featured one.
Many of these characters feature interesting designs, either because of how close they are to their original comic book designs or how smartly they update and adapt these designs. With the shows finally returning from their long, winter hiatus, we decided to take a look at these classic characters from The Flash, Arrow, Black Lightning and more to see which of these designs hold up in the long tradition of superhero costumes. Suit up, fans. CBR is counting down the 25 greatest costumes of The CW's Arrowverse.
25 BLACK CANARY II
Character-wise, Dinah Drake is an excellent Black Canary. While Sara and Laurel had their own arcs coping with their relationships to Oliver and family, Dinah had none of that. She hit the ground running, getting her life back on track. She managed to avoid the trope of a costume for the first season, going to the John Diggle school of costuming: street clothes, leather jacket, domino mask.
But for Season 6, Dinah got her own costume at long last: a stylized domino mask, coupled with a suit with a slight scale pattern and elbow length gloves. Dinah's costume suits her, being no frills and effective, but it ranks so low here because it feels like it's missing something. Is it the jacket? Is it the platinum wig? We'll likely never find out for sure unless Dinah undergoes another costume change in the upcoming episodes.
24 KILLER FROST
With the introduction of Firestorm, Killer Frost wasn't far behind. After all, she came from similar origins. But a number of changes had to be made to the character. The typical comic design of the character wasn't going to fly on weekly television. How could you render someone's entire body in solid ice and stay within your special effects budget?
Going the route of Vibe, the Killer Frost costume was given a smart update by not making it a costume, but rather just attire. With a black outfit and a pale blue leather jacket, the suit perfectly meshes with Frost's pale skin and platinum hair. The character has been one to play both sides of any scenario in her appearances so far, finally evolving into a split personality within Caitlin Snow, but may be one of the Arrowverse's best modern updates.
23 VIBE
Cisco's journey from scientist to metahuman was an exciting one. Originally just an awkward employee of STAR Labs, he quickly became a steadfast and necessary ally. The updated take on the mostly forgotten Detroit-era Justice League character was well received and proved to be a fan favorite thanks to his quirky nature and earnest charm.
The Vibe suit also proved a smart upgrade. While the comic book iteration had worn some fairly garish attire, The Flash modernized the appearance to replace the suit with a stylish jacket and justified the existence of his goggles by tying them to his powers. Vibe went from being someone nobody knew about to a fan favorite character, a popularity that even led to a resurgence in the comic books as well, with a stint on the New 52's first iteration of the Justice League of America.
22 THE ATOM
Ray Palmer joining the cast of Arrow was something that garnered a lot of interest, especially when it was confirmed he'd be suiting up as The Atom. The surprise came when Ray's suit was first revealed. Ray Palmer didn't suit up as The Atom; instead, he built The A.T.O.M. and aspired to become a superhero, despite Oliver's very real and very justified objections.
Ray's suit really came across as something of an Iron Man rip-off at first. It didn't resemble anything Ray had worn in the comics, instead intended to justify a variety of technological advancements. The suit's come around for many fans, with Ray's upbeat nature being one of the highlights of Legends of Tomorrow for many fans, where the character finally had room to grow and breath.
21 BLACK SIREN
Arrow was presented a unique opportunity with the rise of Zoom on The Flash. Bringing villains from Earth 2 to Earth 1, it was revealed that the Laurel Lance of that Earth was not only alive and well, but a feared metahuman criminal! Black Siren appeared as one of Zoom's many legions of villains, putting everyone in Central City, if not on Earth at risk.
Black Siren's costume is sleek, while still remaining intimidating. Reminiscent of her Black Canary costume while still being a unique design, the look ditched the domino mask and blonde wig for a long dress and killer heels. The evil Black Siren proved a fantastic addition to Arrow's repertoire of villains, allying with the evil Prometheus and even serving as a recurring villain in the show's sixth season.
20 THE FLASH (ORIGINAL)
The Flash made a wave when he landed on The CW in 2014. After a brief debut on Arrow, the series premiere introduced the modern interpretation of the classic Flash costume. Established as experimental firefighter uniform designed by Cisco Ramon, the suit was quickly modified to fit the motif of Barry's new powers. The suit was a far cry from the latex foam muscles of the ‘90s series, but still not perfect.
It featured a cumbersome and highly stylized helmet and a body cover that seemed more akin to a loose-fitting tracksuit than Arrow's leather gear by comparison. The suit underwent a number of small changes over time, most notably replacing the all red chest emblem with one that had a white circle in the beginning of season 2.
19 BLACK CANARY I
The death of Sara Lance sent Team Arrow spinning, but none were as radically shocked as Laurel Lance. Having become incredibly close to her sister following her surprising resurrection, Laurel was sent into a downward spiral as she tried to cope, hiding Sara's death from their father and growing distant from Oliver.
But Laurel took on Sara's mantle and became the series' first proper Black Canary. Donning a leather outfit that included Sara's jacket and a pair of police batons, Laurel perfectly encapsulated how far she'd come and the people who helped her get there. Still, the costume felt out of place as Arrow was already becoming more fantastical with the introduction of metahumans and tie-ins to The Flash. Laurel's tenure as Black Canary became punctuated by a tragic death, though her legacy lives on.
18 REVERSE FLASH
Doing justice to the design of the Reverse Flash was always going to be a troublesome affair. The comic book design is simple enough, swapping out The Flash's bright red costume for a luminous yellow one with red boots and lightning bolts. The character got a number of tweaks over the years, including a complete overhaul for The New 52, but Eobard Thawne keeps coming back.
To update the look for live-action, Reverse Flash's suit was changed to a duller yellow with a black lower torso. The suit notably takes cues from Barry's to create what appears to be a version of his costume from the future, including stiffer shoulders and a less rigid mask. Most impressive though was the costume ring, which made its debut in The Flash's first season finale. Though it was teased, it has yet to make a return.
17 JESSE QUICK
Jesse Chambers is a weird instance on The Flash. Gaining super speed in the show's third season, Jesse took to being a hero a little too quick (no pun intended). Jesse's comic counterpart had several costumes, running the gamut from her time as Jesse Quick to Liberty Belle, and even a snazzy Flash outfit in the ‘90s when she briefly was poised to be Wally's replacement.
For television, Jesse's costume loses a bit of personality. Rather than receiving her own unique look, she receives a uniform which plays off of Bary's, up to and including an identical insignia. Still, the suit held a special meaning, highlighting her rise as a hero into her own character, though it remains to be seen if Jesse Quick will be returning to the Arrowverse anytime soon.
16 SUPERMAN
It came as a surprise that Supergirl also featured the best live-action version of Superman to appear in the modern era. Portrayed by Teen Wolf alum Tyler Hoechlin, the pressure was absolutely on to make a killer live-action Superman. On television, the character hadn't been seen proper since Lois & Clark went off the air, as Smallville worked double time to obscure Welling in costume.
Hoechlin's Superman costume doesn't appear to take notes directly from the current Man of Steel design but instead learn from what fans didn't like about it. The suit was much brighter on screen, with blues and yellows that popped off-screen. And while the red trunks weren't present, the addition of a red belt did break up the suit nicely. Superman only made a handful of appearances so far, but definitely left a lasting impression on fans.
