Batman
Batman’s costumes can look pretty plain. They usually are gray, blue, and black, with yellow around the Batman symbol. He once had purple in it, but he rarely used that one. While it may appear dull, Batman’s costume could be the best because it’s functional.
Edna from The Incredibles was right when she said, “No capes!” A lot of the time there’s no reason for them. Not with the Dark Knight. Everything Batman wears has a purpose. His cape helps him float. The ears on his mask have blades. Even his Batman symbol has a reason. It protects him from bullets. Very few comic book characters have functional costumes. Batman is among them.
Comic book costume grade: A
Iron Man
Speaking of functional costumes, we have Tony Stark. Stark doesn’t have a costume per se. He wears actual armor. It allows him to fly (even in outer space) and fight people who are way above his power level (he’s a normal human after all). The color scheme leaves something to be desired, but that’s branding, and Tony Stark is a businessman. Plus, when you have a suit of armor for every scenario, who cares about the color?
Iron Man has armor to fight everyone. His most famous may be the Hulkbuster armor. A suit designed to take the attacks of the Hulk. In the Brian Michael Bendis run of Iron Man, his armor could shift into whatever he needed. A personal favorite was the one he used to fight ninjas.
Comic book costume grade: A