Watching again some action from Arrow, I got reminded how sh***y the costume design for the heroes is, on virtually all the shows (non-superhero shows like Lucifer are the exception, but instead is coated with Jerry Bruckheimer's usual all-glossy-surface-no-depth production.)
Oliver Queen is a possible exception; he's got greater detail on his outfit and isn't trying to be a walking comic book. But I can't stand to look at TV Superman's outfit (that cape just bugs me), and virtually all the rest on Arrow, Legends Of Tomorrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and anyone who cameos on Powerless. And this has been going on since the days of Smallville (look back at those costumes and try not to wince at the cheesiness.)
But it's TV, they don't have the movie budget you say (And I think the costume design for DC movies is just fine, BTW.) But contrast them with the Marvel shows. The more real approach at Marvel is much better, and if it's not important that a character has a costume, Marvel gets around it.
It's like the DC TV universe is trying to be a live action cartoon - like Bruce Timm's shared universe brought to life - rather than just being live action.
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"I'm not smart so much as I am not dumb." - Harlan Ellison
DC shows are inferior across the board to Marvel's.
Also if you want a laugh look at Supergirls bargain bin costume of Cyborg Superman and Arrows Deadshot. They look like ****ing shit
__________________ "Happiness is a lie. Life is horror. The light is always dying all across the universe. The last star will flicker out someday, when it does, all that remains is shadow. And I will be its king!"'-Amahl Farouk
The costume for Deathstroke (Arrow S2) was pretty spot on, and Katana in Arrow S3 looked very much like the one in the Suicide Squad film to a T. Those are about the only exceptional examples I can think of though for the CWverse. Mostly everything else is cheap leather in some form, but if the episodes of said shows are otherwise enjoyable, it doesn't usually take away from the experience for me that much.
Both can be bad. Yeah, I'm looking RIGHT AT YOU Luke Cages brother wearing ridiculous looking power armor.
__________________ Chicken Boo, what's the matter with you? You don't act like the other chickens do. You wear a disguise to look like human guys, but you're not a man you're a Chicken Boo.
I just choose to believe whoever made the armor personally hated Diamondback and thus chose to make him wear that.
__________________ Chicken Boo, what's the matter with you? You don't act like the other chickens do. You wear a disguise to look like human guys, but you're not a man you're a Chicken Boo.