When I was a kid, superhero costumes were pretty basic. Remember those sweat-out-your-face-pores plastic masks with those flimsy elastic string thingies and capes that felt like they’d fall apart after a fart or two?
Of course, I’ll never forget some of the work my Mum put into making my candy-crusading nights pretty awesome, with crazy make up, whatever that fake blood stuff was, holes in pillow cases, stealing some of my dad’s dud’s (yeah, VESTS were big back then LOL) to whip up some nasty pirate costumes…and honestly, they were all decent enough to get the job done:
Trick or Treating as a kid in the 70’s & early 80’s meant PUTTING IN THE WORK. No costume? No. Candy.
But these days? HOLY SPANDEX, BATMAN, costumes have leveled up in a way I could never have imagined, and I’m Jealous As F…ried Rice.
For shizz & giggles, I took to the web to search up what the cool kids might be aiming towards this year. After all, we’ve just come out of some ABSOLUTELY AWESOME Marvel experiences, with Deadpool 3 & X-Men ’97 of course, which my hunch were going to heat up the costume store shelves this year.
What I quickly found out though, was that some of my digital & physical comic collecting budget this month was going to be RE-ALLOCATED. Who knows…maybe one of our neighbours will whip up a quick adult Halloween Party, or maybe even better, I could gear up to drop my kids off at their evenings festivities. I’m sure they wouldn’t be embarrassed IN THE SLIGHTEST muahaha!!!
Before I get into a few examples I just loved, do know - I’m not really focusing on those off-the-shelf spandex costumes we typically find at Spirit Halloween or WaI-Mart, but more towards some rather affordable custom made or more serious outfits. Further, I am not a cosplayer, I am no longer young enough to trick or treat, and I almost can’t remember the last time I suited up for what was once my favourite night of the year. But it might be once again…
I’ll just name a few examples below to keep this blog on a key point: you’re never too young to be goofy.
If I can get back into comic book buying after taking a 20-year break, well hell, LET’S GO HALLOWEEN this year!
What first caught my eye is the apparent quality with these new full-on jumpsuits like Deadpool or Gwen Stacy (Spider-Gwen) from sellers such as MonroeCostumes, on Etsy. These aren’t just for kids anymore — they’re for anyone who’s serious about bringing their favorite characters to life. The Deadpool suit? It’s like Reynolds himself just stepped out of a theater for just $69.95, delivered from California. Spider-Gwen’s sleek, stylish suit is great for fans who want to rock that modern Marvel flair with character sure to be our next MCU focus.
For a little more adventurous fun, check out the detail on this ALIEN costume from HalloweenCostumes.ca! Yeah, it’s higher at around $175 CDN, but for you Yankees or Brits, do know pretty much ALL CANADA IS ON SALE with your dollar ranging from 25-35% to the good. And I know a certain YouTuber who might just parade around town for weeks in this! (Right Ozman?)
DAREDEVIL, You Say?
Oh HELLSKITCHENYA. This one is going to be tough for me to pass up…I loved Disney+ homaging the OG black ski mask in the series, but then the HELMET…the SUIT…the STICKS. My favourite street-level comic hero, could be...ME???
And for CRYING OUT LOUD, check Wolverine's Full Cosplay Armored Costume, Brown & Tan Variant, from Jim's Armor on Etsy. OK, so this one ain’t any cheap toss-out costume, it’s fully armored, intricately designed, and is as close to stepping into Logan's character as you can get without being an actual mutant. The craftsmanship is seriously impressive—details like the textured, battle-ready armor make it appear as if it was pulled straight out of the comics. The brown and tan suit, which is an iconic variant of Wolverine’s (I stacked a whack of these digital collectibles on VeVe too, by the way), gives it a rugged look that longtime fans will appreciate.
What’s wild is that these costumes aren’t as out of reach as you might think. With options to customize your own unique suit, the serious Halloween-meets-Marvel fan can dive deep into these elaborate designs without breaking the bank, leaving a few bucks left over to ensure the kids receive something half decent at your door. When compared to the thin, plastic get-ups of my spook-night days, today’s costumes are nothing short of UNCANNY. I mean, just LOOK at the stuff these things come with - I used to carve ninja swords out of tree branches for crying out loud!
If you do decide to suit up this Halloween, know the options are going to make your decision a lot harder. And who am I kidding, I'll be adding a few MARVEL ZOMBIES titles to the required reading list this October...I still need to pick up a copy of Black, White & Blood for that DAMNED WOLVERINE COVER, but did just grab a copy of WHAT IF...Wolverine Was Lord of the Vampires #24!
Really though...it’s never been a better time to be a fan so please enjoy yourselves & have a safe, spooky Halloween!
Thanks for Trick-or-Reading!
(PS - these were just opinions after spending some time checking out costumes. There are no affiliate links in this article, nor am I associated with any of these costume brands. I just felt it might be a fun article to stir up thought before Halloween 2024 - Enjoy!)
