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Detectives, Batman, Femme Fatales: The 10 Best Noir-Inspired Cosplays

Batman and Noir Cosplay

Film Noir is such a celebrated and fun subculture from the classic fashion to the alluring lingo. There’s something menacing, mysterious and moody about the entire genre. Who doesn’t love a good detective film from the 1940s or a neo-noir flick like Brick.

As Avaaz prepares for the upcoming Shorts Film Fest Contest, I thought we would take a moment and investigate some of the best costumes and cosplays of film noir and brown geek culture.

The Dark Knight Detective

Batman is essentially noir. And the 90s Batman: The Animated Series leaned heaviest into it. The series was filled with tropes commonly found in the classic crime drama of the 1940s. This includes the dark visuals, classic femme fatale (Catwoman), crime bosses (Penguin) , and corrupts politicians (Two-Face). I mean the show has it all even has the rookie new to beat (Batgirl).

Let’s take a look at some new hot takes on the World’s Greatest Detective, who happens to dress as a bat.

Batman

The caped crusader is the world’s best detective. After all, the Dark Knight first swung into the zeitgeist in the pages of Detective Comics. Issue no. 27, 1939, to be precise. And he’s been solving crime ever since.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bie_OKGA3Ha/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Let’s not forget Thomas Wayne, who in Flashpoint watched Bruce and Martha Wayne get gunned down. A traumatized Thomas went on to put on the cowl and cape, taking his son’s place as The Batman.

Check out this dazzling Flashpoint Batman cosplay…

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-inApfDp83/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Femme Fatales

Poison Ivy

A popular cosplayer, Akanksha, created this costume that rivals Uma Thurman’s cinematic look for the thorny femme fatale.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zNTWkpBiq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Catwoman

How can one not include Catwoman? This iconic character is the embodiment of modern-day femme fatale. Panterona‘s take is just purr-fect.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BnrnximnsxY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Batgirl aka The Rookie

Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) is such an important and integral part of Team Bat. When Batgirl first dons her costume, she’s the bright-eyed classic rookie noir archetype. She’s our entry point in the world of Batman, much like the rookie in all those detective stories. Eventually, Batgirl forges her own path away from the Bat as Oracle, whom Batman uses as a crime-fighting resource.

It is why many dresses up as Batgirl and Maronne is no exception.

Maronne says she resonates with Batgirl because Oracle gets a behind the scenes look of what is really going in the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_1D-LwJ-lD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Constantine

Say what you will about Constantine the movie but you have to admit it was an awesome neo-noir film. This cosplayer nails the hellraiser.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-_XQ7Mj19j/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Spider-Man Noir Cosplay

Many of us are still talking about Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse. The film gave us a Brown Geek Spider-Man with Miles Morales. It also gave us a look at all different types of Spideys, including one that wouldn’t be out of place in a 1940s noir film.

These cosplayers left our spidey senses tingling in every universe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1hsy0ADoYp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/B6T73qPjStj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zQgk-DO6D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Jessica Rabbit

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a twist on the hardboiled detective and whodunit genre. But the most memorable part in the film has to be Jessica Rabbit, an ode to the femme fatale and unapologetic about it.

Nicole shares on her Instagram that she was just “drawn this way.’

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3YH-MaDlvn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Shorts for Shorts: A Film Noir Short Film Contest

I hope you enjoyed this ode to a classic film genre. Be on the lookout as we’ll be announcing our Short for Shorts: A Film Noir Short Film Contest and make sure to follow these amazing cosplayers.

Are you brown and geeky AND cosplay? Tag us on social media! We want to see how you rep brown geeks and are always looking for more cosplayers to feature!

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Lohanne is a professional Southern California fangirl who balances life as an event producer and moonlights as a podcaster. A fangirl for DC and Marvel — yes, they do exist — as well as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Stranger Things, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and many more that won’t fit in this space that was allotted. If she’s not putting together a filmmaking seminar for a non-profit, then she’s probably hosting The NerdMix, a podcast about her pop culture obsessions. At the end of the day, she loves a good story.

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