Aquaman's Costume: An In-Depth Look

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder has released the first look at Warner Bros.' big-screen Aquaman, as played by Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa.

And while he isn't a direct adaptation of any look from the comics, there are a lot of identifiable elements, both from the comics and from outside culture.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane to see where some of this stuff has come from.

The armor

The armor on Aquaman's shoulder and the bracelets he's wearing are interesting.

Certainly one of the big questions -- especially as some interpret the "unite the seven" tagline on the poster to be teasing The Others -- is whether his wrist ornamentation might be the Manacles of Force, wielded by Prisoner-Of-War.

That's arguably not all that likely, especially becuase there are no chains attached to the bracelets in the Aquaman image as near as we can tell, but you never know what might happen.

The other element from the comics that we can see here is the shoulder armor, which to me feels reminiscent of the short-lived by acclaimed Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis run, which tried and failed to reimagine the comic as a more fantasy-heavy series featuring a younger, less-experienced protagonist.

There's an argument to be made that, in general, the Sword of Atlantis aesthetic inspire da lot of the Aquaman movie look.

And, of course, the strap running across his chest to fasten that shoulder armor. That's a common design element not just when Aquaman is armored but just in general. The infamous '90s Aquaman look with the hook hand featured one whole arm that was plated in metal and fastened with a similar strap across his chest.

In the films, it looks like some kind of leather, although it probably isn't, considering that most wouldn't do well undersea.

The Insignia and the Pants

Here, we get an Aquaman "A" that feels a lot more contemporary than the blocky A often seen on the character. It's the one currently appearing in the comics, or at least a version of it.

While the one on the character in the New 52 is a bit more chunky, it's sitll got the streamlined look. Arguably the detailing on the pants that we can see coupled with the sleek, almost fishhook-like "A" are more reminiscent of the "waterbearer" look seen at right, which the character used when he first came back from the dead.

The Tattoos and Armor Design

Over at Screen Rant, they've got a look at the historical and cultural significance of the tattoos and the "scales' on his armor designs.

The basics?

Those tattoos on his hands likely are the mouths of Tiki gods, indicating Arthur's role as a provider for his people.

The shoulders -- both his tattoos and the armor design, feature stylized spearhead imagery common to Polynesian culture. Elsewhere on his torso and wrists, there's similar recurring shark's teeth imagery. In both cases, it ties to previous remarks by the actor that they hoped to make Aquaman an embodiment of island culture.