Remember the Pants
The New 52 DC Comics Pants Edict
"Put Wonder Woman in a pair of pants!" said DC Comics
The DC Comics "pants edict" is an important moment in 21st century comic book history, an event tied to the New 52 relaunch in 2011. During this time, DC wanted to modernize its superhero universe with redesigned costumes, new origin stories, and a fresh status quo. Plus, there was a desire to be on the "right side" of critical pressure building against the "skimpy costume" complaints that had been thrown at superhero comics for decades. The goal to make female characters' costumes more practical and less revealing directly led to superheroines wearing pants instead of skirts, leotards, or briefs.
The Origins of the "Pants Edict"
In 2011, DC Comics editorial initially pushed for more practical costume redesigns for their female superheroes with a theme of de-emphasizing the idealized body types typical of the four-color genre. The most prominent example of this effort was Wonder Woman, who was briefly redesigned to wear pants. This design was first introduced in 2010, before the official New 52 relaunch, in Wonder Woman #600 (written by J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Jim Lee). The restyled costume featured black pants, a darker jacket-like top, and toned-down accessories.
The New 52 and Costume Controversy
When the New 52 was announced, Wonder Woman was shown wearing pants in promotional materials. Other characters like Supergirl and Black Canary were also initially depicted with redesigned, more practical outfits. The intention was to prepare the market for the new direction of a more "realistic and practical supersuit."
However, the project got derailed as fan reaction (mostly negative), retailer reaction and worry over the sale implications began to arrive at the DC Comics' offices.
The "No More Pants" Edict
Once the negative reaction to the new designs became clear, an internal "no pants" rule was supposedly enforced within DC editorial. This meant that many of the originally intended redesigns were either scrapped or modified to bring back more traditional looks, with Wonder Woman going back into her briefs (or skirt) and Black Canary wearing black fishnet stockings again.
This decision was not officially acknowledged in a press release, but it was widely reported by comic book journalists and industry insiders. Former DC artists and writers have since commented on it, confirming that there was indeed editorial pressure to revert back to the more traditional costumes for their female characters.
Reactions from Fans and Creators
The reaction to "the reaction" of the "pants edict" was mixed. Some fans appreciated the return to classic designs, while others criticized it as a "step backward in terms of female representation and practical realism in superhero costumes."
The project stirred up arguments about how superheroes were depicted that long predated the "New 52" project by many years, and particularly in regards to the female characters of DC Comics. The arguments were not settled in 2011 nor is it settled today. The issue about costumes, what's appropriate or not, is ongoing within the DC Comics company (and in general in the comic book industry).
Later Costume Changes
The New 52 moved back toward the traditional costumes, but later DC initiatives saw a careful shift toward the idea of more practical and diverse costume choices for the female characters as newer books were published, such as:
- Rebirth (2016) introduced more modern redesigns that tried to split the difference between practicality and tradition.
- Wonder Woman’s movie look (2017), inspired by the star Gal Gadot's portrayal, influenced her comics costume, incorporating a warrior-like armored skirt.
- Characters like Batgirl, Supergirl, and Black Canary have since seen redesigns that offer more varied and practical options.
The Pants Edict denouement
The 2011 "pants edict" at DC Comics was short-lived. However, it was also a preview of what was ahead as the issues around who was going to control the depiction of female superheroes was just getting started: will it be fans and their buying preferences, editors at DC Comics, executives at Warner Bros, or completely external politically-oriented pressure groups.
Whether DC Comics leaped forward towards media-safe 21st century attitudes or retreated back into corporate-led decisions based on what sells, "tradition" and 21st century modernism took a confusing beating and emerged with concessions going in both directions at the same time.
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Original page February 3, 2025 | Updated November 17, 2025