5 Reasons Daredevil's Red Suit Is The Worst

... and 5 reasons why the original one is a million times better, and, in fact, the best.

I adore Marvel's Daredevil. You can click here to read my review explaining exactly why I adore it. There is one thing though, that I didn't mention in the review, that I don't like about the otherwise downright amazing show; the red suit. The new red suit with the armor-fabric, that seems to have been designed specifically to be the complete opposite of everything I loved about the original, makeshift "black pajamas" (as Foggy called them -- he wasn't being endearing... I am).

So here are five reasons why the red one is just plain terrible, and the same five reasons for why the black one is just plain awesome.

Realism: 

One of the many great things about Daredevil was its realism. The fight scenes gave the impression of reality better than any superhero showdown I've seen. And the rest of the show is well-rooted in reality as well. And yes, it is the same universe, and in fact the same location as the Avengers' Battle of New York, but it is undeniable that this show keeps it realer than those Avenger guys have (I still love you guys!). And which suit goes better with this style? Which is more at home in a realistic reality? The red jumpsuit made out of nonexistent, super strong material with lot of panels and details and unnecessary complexity, or the one that's just black boots, black cargo pants, and a black muscle shirt?

Color:

This one's easy. The red is not just unnecessary, it's actually less conducive to sneaking around in the shadows than full-black, no matter how muted the red is. Plus, black is more awesome.

Originality:

Even more than realistic, Daredevil is an original show. Unconventional. It's a Netflix series; it's rated Mature; the hero is blind; it makes daring and different storytelling choices. Having Matt make the traditional switch from the simple makeshift to full-on superhero fanboy Comic-Con costume is totally contrary to the rest of the show's tradition-breaking awesomeness. And the innovative simplicity of the black costume and that brilliant eye-hole-less mask is just too amazing to explain.

Functionality:

The red suit, fitted with its strong, flexible armor is much more effective at protecting from excessive injuries. A pro, you think? No, actually -- the sense of danger that come when you know that your hero has no protection besides his fists and his brains is a fantastic suspense-builder, and one of the great, different things about this show. And I felt its loss when Daredevil dons the new suit and then takes a pummeling from Fisk, and barely even seems to feel it. Plus, the dysfunctional quality of the original black is what let my favorite episode, #2, happen in the first place.


The Mask:

Besides being one of the most awesome things I've ever seen costume-wise, the plain black cloth Daredevil wears over his eyes is particularly better than the red leather, horned hood for several reasons. The style of it and the horns are a little on the campy side. There also way too much detail, and the eyes and nose looks odd.

More importantly, the red hood restricts head movement, coming up high on the neck and around the side of the face, and squishing it weirdly (not to mention unattractively). It looks very stiff. This was most disappointing to me not just because it looks rather bad, but because it hides the acting. The black mask hid next to none of Charlie Cox's performance because he didn't use his eyes to emote usually anyway, with them being covered by dark glasses. The black mask leaves the entire bottom half of his face and his neck exposed, and a surprising amount of performance comes out of those areas. The red one leaves just his mouth, so all we can tell is if he's talking or not, and a few very base emotions. And for a show of this caliber, the details of the hero's performance should be more important than making him look like a typical superhero.

And thus, I declare this costume the winner!

I will be missing the old costume very much, and secretly hoping that it will make a comeback. I know it won't happen, but I'll hope anyway. I will also hope that before the second season comes (in 2016!) they'll redo the costume and at least make it a little better -- a bit more simplified and a bit less cumbersome would make a world of difference.

Which of Daredevil's suits do you like best, and why?