Carbon Costume

Eddie Blake is not what you would call a nice man. He’s done his fair share of hero work as The Comedian and the press loves his patriotic public persona. But behind closed doors he’s not what most people would call a hero. Jeffrey Dean Morgan manages to bring a certain charm to the character in Zack Snyder’s 2009 adaptation. But it’s up to the audience how long that charm holds out.

Blake is a military man and a good portion of his costume is inspired by the military. Black combat boots, black tactical pants, and his thigh holster with a (costume) pistol all stem from his interest in the military. His chest piece is pretty easy to recreate with a paintball vest and leather belts can be repurposed as the straps over his shoulders. His belt buckle can also be recreated using black foam painted with the same silver spray paint you’ll need to modify pre-made shoulder protectors so they have the red, blue, and silver colors Blake wears.

Add a mustache, mask, and smiley button as your finishing touches and you’re good to go. Just don’t forget the cosmetics glue to keep your mask in place!

The Invisible Man is the name given to the protagonists of H.G. Wells’s sci-fi novel of the same name and the classic Universal Studios horror movie franchise that spawned from it. Besides that, similar characters have appeared in numerous other media, such as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comics and a stage play. Since there have been many people to take up the mantle, designs vary. Feel free to mix and match different articles of clothing. Personally, I like to use Solar Shields when I dress as him as opposed to Victorian sunglasses, because they look like goggles worn in more contemporary depictions, have side lenses like the 19th century sunglasses worn in the classic films, and are large enough to cover my eyeglasses.

Based on Alan Moore’s Hellblazer comics, John Constantine (Matt Ryan) can see the supernatural in our everyday world. He must do all he can, including the morally questionable, in the fight against the evil paranormal. You can simply substitute a black tie to dress up as Keanu Reeves’s Constantine. Whoa.

In V for Vendetta, an activist going by the name V starts a violent campaign to bring down a totalitarian government and free the people to rule for themselves. The mask he wears of the real-life Guy Fawkes has been adopted, in turn, by the real-life Anonymous and the Occupy movements.

In Watchmen, Walter Joseph Kovacs assumes the identity of Rorschach, wearing a mask with constantly morphing ink blots. He’s a ruthless vigilante that sees the world as good and evil with no shades of gray, and will punish the evil at all costs.