Superheroes and Secret identities made of WIN

If you've never seen BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN, you should. It's got an obvious twist at the end that is still great to watch. I've seen it more than a handful of times myself, mostly because of the Batwoman character, which I would elaborate on but I wouldn't want to spoil it.

It's an animated film and it shouldn't cause anyone to start waxing intellectual, but everytime I see it I wander just how brilliant a concept it is to have an alternate identity. Not for your average Joe or Jane per se, but for the crime fighter. 

We all know Batman is Bruce Wayne and vice versa, but do we every really consider that some of the Superheroes have a far better approach to masked identities than most. I am a huge Wonder Woman fan. Always have been. But if I were to become a Superhero tomorrow I wouldn't be a flashy showcase of patriotism. Instead I'd opt for the black out effects of the Batwoman costume. In a dark room you couldn't see me coming.

The Green Lantern is too bright. So is the Flash. But that is what endears them to us all. Captain Marvel has a huge, flashy thunderbolt cut across his chest. Superman is as obvious as Wonder Woman. Old school Wolverine's YELLOW was a giant LOOK AT ME sign. 

When it comes to costumes and comic books, the flashier the better because it draws the eye to the character. The appeal is just as much in the costume as it is in the powers. Sometimes the costume is the root of all powers. It's cool on the page, but on screen and in reality, if any one character had it aced, it'd be Batman and his ilk.

They roam in the dark, despite the fact that crime also happens in the day. The BATconglomerate blend in with the shadows. They are like ghosts almost. They are invisible until they want you to see them coming and most of the time, they don't.

While Robin is flashy in his yellow, green and red, it becomes obvious that Robin is a sidekick and young and colors play to that effect. Again... costumes as identifying the character is key here. When I imagine Superheroes I do think of a splash page drawn by George Perez or Alex Ross, where colors jump out at you--- crimson, gold, emerald green and flecks of sun yellow--- because Superheroes are meant to be seen.

When you are pinned under a car in a world inhabited by superhumans, you are looking out for the infamous colors that identify them. That is the brilliance of it all. Wonder Woman IS red, white, blue and gold. Superman IS red and blue. The flash IS red and gold.

It's no different than hearing sirens and spotting the Fire Department based on their colors. The same goes for the Police Department. The costume is the calling card.

Heroes (real or imagined) are identifiable in that familiar way by the obviousness of their identities, written across their chests. But in the real world where standing out and proclaiming your powers could be anything but awesome (because some people will always have a problem with authority), being invisible is the way to go. After all, if they can't see you... they can't see you coming.

You can watch BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN on Netflix.