Abe Sapian by Caanan Grall


Aquaman by Louie Joyce


Otto and Victoria by Brian Kesinger

Heroes for Hire by Khary Randolph and Emilio J.Lopez



Strangers in Paradise/Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy mashup by Terry Moore

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Buster Moody



Daenerys Targaryen by Craig Drake


The Rocketeer by Mahmud Asrar from the collection of Jean-Michel Anneau


Animaniacs horror film mashup by RIPT Apparel


Abe Sapien by Dylan Rose


Art by Mark Shultz



Art by Moebius


Astro Boy by Bruce Yan



David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth by Phil Noto



Art by Barry Windsor-Smith



Spider-Woman by Bruce Timm


X-Men by Alex Ross

Wolverine by Arthur Adams



Final Fantasy XIV art by Akihiko Yoshida



Space Ghost vs. Aliens by Dan McDaid



The Crow by Admira Wijaya



Ghost World by Daniel Clowes



Blade Runner's Pris by Bastien Lecouffe Deharme



Spider-Man by Alex Maleev


Hawkeye by Andy Suriano



Chamber by Chris Bachalo



JoJo, Berserk and Northstar by Jason Chan Park Land

Frank Ocean by Ramon Villalobos

Gamora by Adi Granov



"1980" by Asaf Hanuka


Bioshock Infinite by doubleleaf


She-Ra by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson



Art by Cameron Stewart



Black Cat by Gary Martin



Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Ross Campbell



Dan DeCarlo's Jetta by Bill Pressing



BPRD's Roger the Homunculus by Max Fiumara


Bettie Page by Travis Charest



Superman by Jerry Ordway



Catwoman by Caanan Grall

Black Canary by Adam Hughes

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Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

(click image to enlarge)

On Black's history with the franchise and its principals:

Shane Black: I can only imagine that having worked previously [with Robert Downey, Jr. on Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang] contributed to him calling me and asking me aboard this somewhat more ambitious production. I had worked briefly with him and and [director Jon] Favreau during in the inception of the first Iron Man, in those early phases. I was impressed with the project, I was impressed with both of them. The chance to have a green-lit picture and to work again with Robert Downey and also spend time with Jon Favreau -- who gave me endless tips and advice -- that was too attractive to pass up.

On Black's creative goals for Iron Man 3:

Shane Black: My ambition was to have a movie that felt like a worthy successor to the two previous Favreau films. To Marvel's credit they said, "We've done The Avengers, we've made a lot of money, but let's not do that again right now. Let's do something different." They allowed for a different, sort of standalone film where we got to be more character-centric. It's a back to basics, "What would Tony Stark do next? What was left to tell of his story?" [film]. That was very appealing to me. To make it more of a thriller, to make it more about Tony, and less otherworldly. Just to ground it more. That was our intention. I hope we succeeded.

On Black's tradition of setting films during Christmas:

Shane Black: It just sort of evolved, oddly enough, in Iron Man 3. I actually resisted it, but it was Drew who talked me into it.

Drew Pearce: If i was going to see a Shane Black Iron Man movie, it had to be at Christmas. But there's always a reason for it as well.

Shane Black: I think if you're doing something on an interesting scale that involves an entire universe of characters, one way to unite them is to have them undergo a common experience and there's something about Christmas that unites everybody. It already sets a stage within the stage. Wherever you are, you're experiencing this world together. There's also something just pleasing about it to me. I did Lethal Weapon back in 1987 and we set it at Christmas and [producer] Joel [Silver] liked it so much he put Die Hard at Christmas. We don't have to do every film that way!

Drew Pearce: When you're telling a story where you're taking characters apart, it almost has more resonance if you put it at Christmas. And if you're also telling the stories of kind of lonelier characters as well, that loneliness is heightened at Christmas.

Shane Black: It's a time of reckoning for some people, where you take stock of where you've been and how you got to where you are now. Lonely people are lonelier at Christmas. You tend to notice things more keenly and more acutely, I think.

Drew Pearce: Plus there's a kind of A Christmas Carol thing that we're bringing to Tony.

Shane Black: Meeting the Ghost of Christmas Past in the sense that Harley [played by Ty Simpkins] is kind of [Tony] as a young boy. He's just encountering all these things like in a fever dream, when he's at his lowest point. That was the idea as well.

(click image to enlarge)

On acting in superhero movies, and the Iron Man franchise specifically:

Rebecca Hall: It sounds like a slightly flippant response but it was a combination of "don't knock it till you try it," and this one seemed like one that would be very fun to try. I remember going to see the first Iron Man film and thinking, "What an unusual framework. They're not casting action heroes, they're casting Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, this must be interesting." I remember watching it and thinking it's not just about the action sequences and the thrill ride, it's also about the repartee and the wit and the dialogue. There's something of a screwball battle of the sexes comedy going on, which I loved. I thought that this would be a great thing to be a part of.

Guy Pearce: I don't know that I really got a sense of what "Marvel Moviemaking" is like, necessarily. Shane and Robert are obviously leading the charge. I guess in the end, lots of films feel the same in that you're standing in front of the camera and trying to be convincing. I think the interesting thing about doing this was that there were two previous films that were successful. Rebecca and I had seen both of those films and admired them, so it's interesting to step into something that already existed. Obviously working with Robert is something quite specific because he's the genius that he is; he likes to have a lot of fun, he likes to improvise, you've really got to be on your toes. But I think every film you do feels different from the last film you've done. So I didn't think "Oh wow, this whole Marvel Universe feels extremely different to anything else that I've done." Obviously we're very aware of the visual effects that were going on behind the scenes. There were literally people sitting behind us with laptop computers mocking up versions of what things are going to look like, which typically doesn't happen on a two-million-dollar Australian movie. So that was kind of different. You're aware of the visual effects world that will be incorporated later.

Rebecca Hall: There's trepidation when you get involved with any job. But I think it would be tremendously egotistical of me to suggest that I was in some way carrying the weight of the franchise. There wasn't that kind of fear. It was more the feeling you get going to an amusement park and getting on a scary ride. You know that it's exciting and it might be a bit scary, but you know that it's going to be fun. Any job is scary but you tackle the challenges.

Guy Pearce: You feel nervous about any film you take on. I think if I feel inspired by a job enough to want to take it on, then any kind of concerns that you have, you're prepared to face. I didn't have any concerns that would stop me from doing it. I'm certainly aware that there are fans behind comic strip films and obviously these Iron Man films, but you know you're in good hands with these guys. I think you just want to make sure you can bring a truth to the character you're playing.

Guy Pearce: As far as challenges, there's quite a lot of green screen. I know for [Rebecca Hall] that was probably the first time [she had] really worked with it. I've done a bit of green screen stuff before. On some level it's actually kind of fun because you're really relying on your imagination, and it wasn't so extreme that you were trying to imagine a person in front of you that actually wasn't there. But as I said you've got a special effects team working away constantly and they're showing you a [pre-visualization] of what the scene and what you're meant to be doing and how it's supposed to look. In the end you're in really good hands in a visual sense as well.

(click image to enlarge)

On the Chinese version of Iron Man 3:

Drew Pearce: I think Marvel would like that to be a surprise for now. When that version of it inevitably feeds back to us, you'll see what was involved.

Shane Black: There was a sort of idea for the Chinese version where it would entail additional footage that I was asked to look at and approve. I was basically doing the American version while we were simultaneously obtaining footage for the Chinese version. I got a sense of what was going on and I was asked to look at it and had a chance later to approve the footage. Now we've got these two versions and I'm thrilled that we have the opportunity to work with one of the single fastest emerging box office markets in the world, which is China where they build theaters so quickly now.

On working within the confines of the PG-13 rating:

Shane Black: It was pretty easy [to give up the f-word]. I had done a film for kids previously called Monster Squad. That was ages ago. So coming into this I had to say, "I remember what it was like when I went to the matinee to stand in line for The Empire Strikes Back or Star Wars or those types of films and get excited all over again for that type of adventure, where you can appeal to a family but it's still edgy. We didn't want to pander, we didn't want to make a kiddie film, but we couldn't go beyond the boundaries of PG-13.

Drew Pearce: Although we did push it in the first few drafts.

Shane Black: Right. Tony only said "f***" five times in the first draft.

Drew Pearce: That is technically true and we had to sit down and have a conversation about that draft, about how you couldn't say "f***" in a PG-13 movie.

Shane Black: When you would write for television, when I was coming up in this business, you would just say "f***" anyway and you would know that they would just take it out later.

Drew Pearce: Now it's like, "But everyone's going to see this..."

Shane Black: So basically, there was no problem with that. I have no problem with tailoring material to the audience it's intended for as long as you keep the edge, as long as you don't condescend to that audience I think that it's absolutely spot on.

Drew Pearce: There's also a bunch of brilliant actors, which helps so much. They give it the swing and feel of grown-up conversation without necessarily having to hit the f-button.

Shane Black: Although Rebecca was pretty bad, actually.

Drew Pearce: Truly profane.

For more from the cast of Iron Man 3, check out this report from the press conference with Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Ben Kingsley. Iron Man 3 opens May 3 in the U.S.

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Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

(click image to enlarge)

Gwyneth Paltrow: I feel really, really lucky that I got to play Pepper for that reason, because very rarely do you start at such a distinctive place and end up somewhere else. I really loved their relationship in the first movie when she was a supplicant and cleaning up his messes. To get to where she is all the way at the end of the trilogy, it was a big transformation. I think one of the things that I loved the most was that she really stepped into her power in all areas. You do see her as a very intelligent and articulate CEO; an equal in her relationship with Tony, where she wants her needs met as well, while still remaining a very supportive woman in his life; and of course she turns into... a superhero! Or sort of. It was a great transformation and I felt very lucky to be a part of it.

Gwyneth Paltrow: I have to say, one of the most thrilling things about going all over the place and talking about this movie is people really love to see Pepper in the suit and kicking ass. So I would come back. In the comics she becomes Rescue, her own person.

Robert Downey, Jr.: And she marries Happy Hogan.

Ben Kingsley: It's all in the script. [Screenwriters] Drew [Pearce] and Shane [Black] presented us with a wonderful document and there's very little straying off the written word. Whenever we do improvise, it's minimal, just to really sharpen one or two ideas we were playing with on the set. But it's really all there [in the script]. And I do respond to the written word and I do love to see it down on the page. It was all there.

I tried to give the Mandarin, in his political broadcasts, a rather unnerving sense of righteousness. Make him almost paternalistic, patriarchal. That's where the style of his delivery comes from, and his weird iconography was there to disconcert and completely scatter any expectations about where he might be coming from. The line "You will never see me coming" voices that unpredictability that he has. It was a great script, it was a wonderful read, and we stuck very closely to it.

(click image to enlarge)

On acting in Iron Man movies:

Robert Downey, Jr.: Once we let him off the chain, we found that [Ben Kingsley] was a glorious improvisor. And the ideas, without giving away his character arc, were just flowing out of him. Drew and Shane had a good document; the story is really good, the twist is really good. But I'll leave it to my costars to describe what working with me on most of our other scenes is like. And they've gotten used to it and they're great at it. Don?

Don Cheadle: You want me to say what you paid me to say?It's great to come back this time around. Shane almost coined and put the stamp on buddy action movies. It was great to see the whole movie put together at the end because [the actors are] on such different tracks. I didn't know what Gwyneth was doing for half the movie. It was great to see it. "Oh, that's what you guys were doing over there." I saw Sir Ben twice on the set. So it'd be great to have another bite of the apple, for me personally, [to work with these people]. We have a ball. And Robert is a prince, as you all know.

Gwenyth Paltrow: These movies work because Robert plays Tony Stark. Not only because of the similarities in their own lives and his specific brand of vulnerability and strength and humor and all of those things, but because Robert has a really big picture creative mind about what these movies should feel like. Marvel are amazing at the stunts and the CGI and the action and everything, but I think one particular strength of Robert's that we don't see on screen is the fact he's always asking, what is the big picture here? How can we make it feel real? How can we make it feel like something we care about and want to watch? I think that's why the movies keep working and why they're not a weaker carbon copy of the one before.

Ben Kingsley: It does come from Robert. Whatever the context, whatever the scene, there's always a quest for sincerity, a quest for the genuine, a quest for putting the human dance on the screen. All generations will respond to that. Children respond to sincerity. Robert is a guiding actor who will always debate, where is the sincerity in the film, where is its heart? That will appeal to children of all ages, to use a rather hackneyed phrase.

Robert Downey, Jr.: Sir Ben is correct in that in some way I try to be some kind of guiding light. But every bit as often I would go to Gwyneth and be like, "Oh my god, what are we doing? What is this scene?" She always points true north. Jon said it the first time, she's the heart of the movie.

(click to enlarge)

On Tony Stark's partnership with Harley, a young boy played by Ty Simpkins:

Robert Downey, Jr.: Shane Black had this idea of a kind of Capra-esque departure. I think we all knew that we were taking risks and we were kind of out of what would have been familiar territory. His idea of a superhero running into a little kid in the heartland of America I think wound up being a wise choice. A calculated risk.

On Tony Stark and James Rhodes' friendship:

Don Cheadle: Something Robert and I talked about was, let's really kick this relationship off. Let's see who these guys are. A lot of fun for me on this movie was getting to do a lot of action outside of the suit. Getting to work with the stunt team and getting to do a lot of the cable work. It's like being a kid playing with the best toys. But I think you see the relationship strengthened in this movie and it answers the promise that I think was made at the end of Iron Man 2, in the Japanese garden where these guys are busting each other's chops. They're friends but they really help balance one another and I think that came to fruition in this movie.

On writer-director Shane Black:

Robert Downey, Jr.: I think it would be nice to go down the row here and use some describing words or anecdotes [about Shane]. When we were night-shooting, they'd yell "Cut!" and then he would run somewhere because it's the only time someone couldn't ask him a question, when he was in a full run. He ran across the street and the next thing I knew he was sitting down on the sidewalk... there was a cable and he hit it at such a clip that it had thrown him on a side, dislocated his shoulder --

Gwyneth Paltrow: This is not a funny story!

Robert Downey, Jr: He's fiiiiine.

Gwyneth Paltrow: He had cracked ribs and he's all bloody and --

Don Cheadle: It just gets better!

Gwyneth Paltrow: I can only speak for myself, but when I started Iron Man 3 I was very uncomfortable with the fact that [Iron Man and Iron Man 2 director] Jon [Favreau] wasn't there directing. Jon cast the movies, he's responsible in part for The Avengers. It was just weird that he wasn't there directing. But as we went on I really warmed to Shane and his terrible outfits. He is so sharp, he is so smart and his dialogue is incredible. What we started with on this movie that we didn't start with on the first two films was a really excellent, finished screenplay. It really shows in the film. Shane is really super-talented. He took it up a notch, which was really difficult to do. I ended up having a really incredible amount of respect for him.

Ben Kingsley: I only remember one terrible outfit, I don't remember plural terrible outfits. He has a great attribute as a director -- one of many great attributes -- is that the director will give you the role and then he will let go. This is a wonderful quality that he has. There are directors, lesser in confidence or skill, who make the actor feel very uncomfortable because you feel you're auditioning for them every day. And that is a terrible feeling on the set. Shane has this wonderful ability with his own confidence to say to the cast, "There's your role, I'm just going to film it." That's a really good energy to have on the set.

(click image to enlarge)

On Iron Man 3 as a sequel to both Iron Man 2 and The Avengers:

Robert Downey, Jr.: It's weird when one movie that's connected to another doesn't reference that movie at all, you know? I think it would [show a lack of confidence] if it didn't. So, I just liked the idea of this kid getting under [Tony's] skin. I like the idea of kids bringing their parents to the verge of an anxiety attack and then saying "What's wrong with you?" after they put you there. But we needed a reason so we looked at the bigger picture of this continuance of stories, and you just kind of plug things in like an operator. "You know what, that fits here." Again, we're always aware [of the audience]. They're going to ask you that question, "In a post-Avengers world, what's it like for Tony..." so you have to have thought about it and addressed it.

Robert Downey, Jr.: It's a complex thing. Kevin and Shane are the ones who really have to hammer out where all these strings go and how everything moves something when you pull [one].

On Marvel Studios' post-credits scenes:

Robert Downey, Jr.: Let me explain this to my costars. We shoot those easter eggs, which are after the credits, which gets everyone real excited --

Don Cheadle: Huh. I've never sat through the whole thing. When Rhodey's off the screen I just walk out.

On Iron Patriot vs. War Machine and general "suit envy":

Don Cheadle: Well Iron Patriot is about three kilos heavier, so I prefer War Machine.

Don Cheadle: I know in the second one, Robert was putting his suit on and I was putting mine on and he said, "Yeah, I told them from 1 to 2 that they really had to make these changes. This is a lot more lightweight!" And I was like, "Mine weighs... seven... thousand... pounds!"

Gwyneth Paltrow: These guys are wimps, okay? The suit is not that bad.

Robert Downey, Jr.: She wore the suit maybe twice. It's an accumulative effect!

(click to enlarge)

Don Cheadle: Especially in light of the events of the last week, we've been asked if there are any allusions between what's happening in the real world and what's happening in the film. Are we trying to make a statement? Clearly this movie was in the can before anything transpired in the last week. But as Robert mentioned earlier, the job of this film is to entertain. If we're lucky enough to, outside of that, have someone's mind changed about something that's happening in the real world or [feel] a sensitivity that wasn't there before or a deeper understanding, that's an ancillary byproduct that we couldn't anticipate. I couldn't have, anyway. We're really trying to give people the ability to go into a darkened room and have a couple of hours of pure enjoyment. If anything else affects them outside of that, it's an unintended consequence.

Robert Downey, Jr.: I think Sir Ben will find it very interesting to have an entire generation of moviegoing folk, also kids, identifying him with this [terrorist] character. I think once you have that kind of feedback, it's not like you don't figure that into what you're doing. Disney acquired Marvel but Marvel was already mindful of this stuff. These aren't those kind of PG-13 bordering on "how did this ever get past the ratings commission?" movies. We're really thoughtful about this stuff. I think even in [Sir Ben's] character's transition, there's something that allows for the air to be taken out of the darkness of it.

Gwyneth Paltrow: We do live in an unsafe world. That's a true thing. I'm dealing with this now with my seven-year-old. He's learning that the world is unsafe and there are people who do harmful things. I don't think there's anything wrong with presenting that idea. We can't lie to our children and pretend that the world is perfect and everybody's happy and everybody's out there to do good. It's part of a bigger conversation. I know that after my children saw the movie, I had a conversation with my son about it. It's a good, contained place to have a conversation.

Robert Downey, Jr.: It's funny, these things tend to come out of creative discussions. You always say when you're shooting, "Oh wouldn't it be great..." but a lot of those things have kind of come true already. I was always saying, "I want to see Pepper in the suit, I want to see her experience what Tony gets from it. I want her to help him transcend it." Wish fulfillment happens pretty quickly in the Marvel Universe. I don't have any particular goals right now.

Robert Downey, Jr: The future, as usual, is uncertain. I think the great thing is that we never could have known what and who was going to come together for the third Iron Man and usually the third of anything struggles to meet the second one, let alone the first one, in all earnestness things are very much in flux right now. Marvel has their plans and we're all living and growing. We'll see what happens.

Iron Man 3 opens May 3 in the U.S.

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Due to the unfortunate events that have transpired here in Boston, a lock down has been put into effect until further notice, causing the Hynes Convention Center to suspend all events. As such, The Boston Comic Con will be rescheduled to a date in the not too distant future.

All people who purchased advanced tickets on line will have their tickets honored at the rescheduled show. If for some reason, you can not come to the show on that date, we will refund your ticket.

Please, we ask for your patience, understanding, and cooperation. We appreciate your loyalty, and continued support for the Boston Comic Con. Unfortunately, this situation is beyond our control.

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Superman by Joe Shuster


Superman by Bruce Timm

World's Finest by Steve RudeSuperman by Tom Fowler

Superman by Alex Ross


Superman by Curt Swan and Stan Kaye


Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen by Tim Sale


Supergirl by Bruce Timm





Superman by Eduardo Risso

Supergirl by Ryan Kelly

Jon Hamm as Superman by Phil Noto


Steel by Samax Amen


Superman by Dave Bullock


Supergirl by Kit


Superman by JH Williams III


Superman by Kerry Gammill


Supergirl by Adam Hughes


Bizarro by Kevin Nowlan


Lois Lane and Superman by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding



Sperman and Batman by Guy Davis


Bizarro's World by Eric Powell


Superman and Lois Lane by Neal Adams


"Funeral for a Friend" by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding



Krypto by Alex Ross


Superboy and Wonder Girl by Francis Manapul



Supergirl by Ricken


"Wind is Warm in Smallville" by Riza Turker


Muhammed Ali vs. Superman by Neal Adams



Supergirl by Cliff Chiang


Superman by Daniela Volpari


Superman by Sebastian Ciaffaglione


Supergirl by Yeso


Superman and Batman by Steve Rude


Superman by Adam Hughes


Supergirl by Phil Noto


Power Girl by Ryan Sook


Lois Lane by Jaime Hernandez


Mister Mxyzptlk by Jon Bogdanove & Dennis Janke with Tom McCraw

Superman and Lois Lane by Daniel Irizarri


Superman by Ramon Pla


Superman by Geof Darrow

Superboy by Tom Grummett & Doug Hazelwood


Supergirl by Santi Casas


Superman and Batman by Steve Rude


Supergirl by Keron Grant


Supergirl & Streaky by Jöelle Jones


Superwoman by Dennis Culver


Superman by Tim Sale



Steel by Alex Garner


Supergirl by Leandro Franci


Supergirl by Steve Rude


Superman by Francis Manapul


Superman by George Pérez


Superman by Darwyn Cooke from the collection of PJ Wahlquist


Supergirl by Cary Nord


Superman by Vincent Carrozza


Superman by Stanley Chow


Supergirl by Müller Pereira


Brainiac 5 and Supergirl by Ricken



Superman by Dustin Nguyen


Superman by Mike Wieringo and Jose Marzan, Jr.




Supergirl and Bat-Mite by Colleen Coover


Superman by Gary Frank and Jon Sibal


Bizarro by Sebastian Ciaffaglione


Krypto by Carlos Pacheco


Superman by Dimitris Kasdaglis



Supergirl by Stephanie Buscema


Superman by Keron Grant


Supergirl by Amanda Conner


Power Girl by Elen Rump


Lois Lane and Superman by Des Taylor


Lois Lane by Darwyn Cooke


Supergirl by Marcus To and Ian Herring


Power Girl by Emily Mayo


Supergirl by Katie Shanahan


Power Girl and Supergirl by Kit

Superman by Tom Neely


Superman and Lois Lane by Stuart Immonen



Superman and Lois Lane by Alex Ross


Superboy by Michael Cho


Steel by John Bogdanove and Dennis Janke


Power Girl by Amanda Conner



Superman by Tim Sale


Superman by José Luis García-López


Lex Luthor by Eduardo Barreto and Tom McCraw (and Roger Stern)



Power Girl by Chris Samnee


Power Girl by Jesse Munoz


Superman by Dan McDaid


Supergirl by Hanie Mohd


Superman by José-Luis García-Lopéz


Superman and Lois Lane by Frank Quitely


Superman by Ming Doyle


Superman and Lois Lane by Des Taylor


Superman by Daniel Kano


Supergirl by Darwyn Cooke


Cyborg Superman by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding

Supergirl by Kit


Superman by Bill Sienkiewicz


Superman by Juan Doe


Superboy by Francis Manapul



Lois Lane by Des Taylor


Power Girl by Bruce Timm


Superman by Dave Bardin


Power Girl and Supergirl by Bengal


Supergirl by Jim Mooney and Jim Tournas


Supergirl by Joel Carroll


Superman by Mike Wieringo and Evan "Doc" Shaner



Superman by Steve Ditko


Power Guy by Alex Garcia


Supergirl and Batgirl by Agustinus Kwa Hong Yen


Superman #63 cover by Al Plastino


Superman and Lex Luthor by Curt Swan


Superman by Ed McGuinness





Bizarro by Bill Sienkiewicz


Supergirl by karioks


Supergirl by Dean Trippe


Supergirl by Matteo Scalera


Batgirl and Supergirl by Mike Maihack


Superman by John Byrne and Dick Giordano


Lois Lane by Ramon Villalobos


Superman by Kevin Nowlan


Superman and the DC Universe by Bill Sienkiewicz


Bizarro by Eric Spitler


Supergirl by Carlos D'Anda


Power Girl by Bruce Timm


Superman by Alex Ross


The Cyborg Superman by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding


Superboy by Mike Wieringo


Superman by Chris Faccone


Lois Lane and Clark Kent's wedding by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway


Superman and Lois Lane by Lucy Knisley


Superman by Jerry Ordway


Superman by Darwyn Cooke


Supergirl by Tom Bancroft


Superman by Paul Pope


Power Girl by Paolo Rivera


Superman by Moebius



Joanne Siegel by Joe Shuster

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• Jerry Siegel awoke in the middle of the night with the basic tenants of Superman and Clark Kent fully formed.

• Clark Kent was inspired by silent film star Harold Lloyd, who wore glasses and portrayed seemingly weak men who would turn the tables on their enemies.

• Superman's physique, poses and presence was based on silent film star Douglas Fairbanks, who played adventure heroes in films like Robin Hood and The Mark of Zorro.

• The model for Lois Lane, Joanne Carter posed for Joe Shuster in her late teens. She later married Jerry Siegel.

• Siegel and Shuster sold Superman to DC Comics for $130, later earning $25,000 each per year for the rest of their lives -- as of 1981. The legacy of this event would continue to play out all the way into 2013.

• The film documents some of the comic book production techniques of the time, including coloring by hand, lettering and logo placement, printing, and of course drawing.

• Interestingly, the BBC interviewer asks then-DC Comics President Sol Harrison whether Superman's rocket could have landed anywhere but America and still produced the same man. One has to wonder if a little light bulb appeared over young Mark Millar's head when he saw this documentary, and if it influenced the creation of his and Dave Johnson and Killian Plunkett's graphic novel Superman: Red Son.

• The first actor to portray Superman on film, Kirk Alyn discusses the need to play Superman straight, as opposed to self-aware. "I didn't dare lampoon him," Alyn says in the film, for fear of disappointing the fans as well as his bosses. Indeed, so concerned was DC Comics with the image of Superman that Alyn was credited only for his role as Clark Kent. Superman was credited as himself.

• Lauded science fiction author Larry Niven nerds the f*** out so hard with hilariously oblivious and protracted discussions of what damage Superman would do to the real world if he really existed: sonic booms would destroy all our windows, dangerous shockwaves would be commonplace, and human-Kryptonian mating would be nearly impossible, with Kryptonian sperm vaporizing human eggs as they blast through a human female at the speed of light.

• The Adventures of Superman actor George Reeves became so identified with the television series, he was sometimes attacked by unruly viewers who wished to test whether he was the real thing. Reeves later committed suicide, presumably because of his inability to get work after the series ended.

• Definitive Superman actor Christopher Reeve discusses the dichotomy of Superman and Clark Kent, and praises Siegel and Shuster for giving the world's most powerful man enough of the Average Joe's problems and pratfalls to make him relatable. Reeve also discusses the character's transition from a '50s macho man to a more non-threatening and generous superhero for the 1980s.

• Feminist comics icon Trina Robbins shares her disdain for Superman and the concept of the superhero itself, specifically calling out Supergirl as "dull" and representing conformity. "Maus" author Art Spiegelmen shares similar sentiments, and suggests that America's fascination with the superhero is connected to aggressive military action around the world.

• Known as Britain's Strongest Man, David Prowse betrays a high level of bitterness towards Richard Donner for not casting him in the title role in Superman: The Movie. Prowse claims that Donner told him he was perfect for the part, but that Superman had to be played by an American. Prowse was later aghast when he was hired to train Christopher Reeve, who at the time was 6'5" and weighed just 180 pounds.

• Notorious "Seduction of the Innocent" author Frederic Wertham makes plain his view of Superman, which is as a man who through his own will has risen above all community, lawful and moral considerations and represents only power, force and violence. One gets the impression that the filmmakers are somewhat sympathetic to Wertham's view, and they actually open the film with "Ride of Valkyries" by Wagner, who was one of Hitler's favorite composers.

• The film includes a commercial George Reeves-starring commercial wherein George Reeves encourages children to invest their allowance money in U.S. savings bonds. Also included is an overtly cynical demonstration of the power of Superman merchandising on children.

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From Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures comes "Man of Steel," starring Henry Cavill ("Immortals," TV's "The Tudors") in the role of Clark Kent/Superman, under the direction of Zack Snyder ("300," "Watchmen").

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

The film also stars four-time Oscar(R) nominee Amy Adams ("The Master") as Daily Planet journalist Lois Lane, and Oscar(R) nominee Laurence Fishburne ("What's Love Got to Do with It") as her editor-in-chief, Perry White. Starring as Clark Kent's adoptive parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, are Oscar(R) nominee Diane Lane ("Unfaithful") and Academy Award(R) winner Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves").

Squaring off against the superhero are two other surviving Kryptonians, the villainous General Zod, played by Oscar(R) nominee Michael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road"), and Faora, Zod's evil partner, played by Antje Traue (upcoming "The Seventh Son"). Also from Superman's native Krypton are Lara Lor-Van, Superman's mother, played by Ayelet Zurer ("Angels and Demons"), and Superman's father, Jor-El, portrayed by Academy Award(R) winner Russell Crowe ("Gladiator").

Rounding out the cast are Christopher Meloni (upcoming "42") as U.S. military man Colonel Hardy, Harry Lennix ("State of Play") as General Swanwick, Michael Kelly ("The Adjustment Bureau") as Steve Lombard, and Richard Schiff (TV's "The West Wing") as Dr. Emil Hamilton.

"Man of Steel" is being produced by Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder. The screenplay was written by David S. Goyer from a story by Goyer & Nolan, based upon Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster and published by DC Entertainment. Thomas Tull, Lloyd Phillips and Jon Peters are serving as executive producers.

Zack Snyder's behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Amir Mokri ("Transformers: Dark of the Moon"); production designer Alex McDowell ("Watchmen"); editor David Brenner ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"); and multiple Academy Award(R)-winning costume designer James Acheson ("Restoration," the "Spider-Man" films) and costume designer Michael Wilkinson ("The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 and 2," "Watchmen," "300"). The music is by Academy Award(R)-winning composer Hans Zimmer ("The Lion King," "Inception").

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Zack Snyder Film, "Man of Steel." The film will be released in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX(R), and is slated for release on June 14, 2013. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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All seven issues of Deadpool are available now in finer comics shops and digitally from the Marvel digital store. Mike Hawthorne's run begins in Deadpool #8, on sale April 24.

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1) Backers-only serialization of the book digitally via ComiXololgy. ACHIEVED!

2) A 1,000-copy hardback edition of the book. IN PROGRESS! Downside: Late (coming September 2013 rather than December 2012). Upsides: Twice the book! Better print quality (cased)! I'm signing all of them!

3) The hardback, with signatures of most/all the artists. Limited to 200 books. IN PROGRESS! Setback: F***ING ROYAL MAIL LOST THE BOOKPLATES. Action: I'm reprinting them bigger and re-sending via FedEx. Also, crying myself to sleep.

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Dark Horse's collection of Smoke/Ashes goes on sale this July.

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BS: Titus is my idea of the perfect soldier. He's probably the oldest vampire in the series, but he has no interest in power. I wanted to give him a face hardened by battle but calmed by immortality. This guy probably knew Sun Tzu personally. The ritual scarring on his arms and back are there to mark great battles, and this guy has seen a lot of them. I was thinking this practice may have led to what military stripes come from.

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BS: David went through the most changes, and got better and better every time. I think Matt threw out the idea of him having red hair and that really started things going. Not to come down too hard on the gingers, but it really gave him a slightly otherworldly feeling. This series is about the struggle for power in changing times. There are enormous forces at work and a world of power hangs in the balance, and our unassuming David stands in the middle of all of it. He needed to look like a guy who's competent but still a little unsure of himself. Much like the reader, he doesn't quite know how much of this he can handle. The streak in his hair is a natural occurrence which happens to day men when they are bonded to a vampire family. Next time you see someone on the streets with a lock of silver hair you have to ask yourself if they might be a Day Man.

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CA: Your artwork is obviously really detail-oriented and I just assume that is not something that can be created especially quickly. Have you begun drawing the Day Men scripts? Is it going to be a challenge to get Day Men out every month and meet your plainly high standards? I assume your not coloring it is part of the strategy.

BS: The detail of my art depends entirely on the project itself. I tend to be a little more detail oriented with covers than I am with interior pages, and I try to reduce the detail on action sequences as opposed to suspense passages.

Day Men has a rhythmic quality which I will try to match with the art, but overall it shouldn't be too excessively detailed. I want people to move through the story and not get hung up so much on the beauty of the art. My ego won't allow me to completely let go of things, but I'm seeking a balance. Yes, the monthly schedule is a bit terrifying, but in a strange way I'm looking forward to that challenge as well.

Coloring is definitely off the table for me on this one. There is no way I could hold a monthly schedule, or any significant schedule for that matter, while coloring the book. I'm not too concerned in this area because the BOOM! guys gave me my choice of colorist.

CA: Finally, because I just have to know... is it true that you drew a whole issue of DC Comics' Solo that's sitting on a shelf somewhere?

BS: I cannot confirm or deny the truth of those rumors, and I also cannot confirm or deny those short stories were with some of the top writers in the business.

Day Men #1 goes on sale in July.

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To our customers -

In the last 24 hours there has been a lot of chatter about Apple banning Saga #12 from our Comics App on the Apple App Store due to depictions of gay sex. This is simply not true, and we'd like to clarify.

As a partner of Apple, we have an obligation to respect its policies for apps and the books offered in apps. Based on our understanding of those policies, we believed that Saga #12 could not be made available in our app, and so we did not release it today.

We did not interpret the content in question as involving any particular sexual orientation, and frankly that would have been a completely irrelevant consideration under any circumstance.

Given this, it should be clear that Apple did not reject Saga #12.

After hearing from Apple this morning, we can say that our interpretation of its policies was mistaken. You'll be glad to know that Saga #12 will be available on our App Store app soon.

We apologize to Saga creator Brian K. Vaughan and Image Comics for any confusion this may have caused.

For his part, Vaughan released a second statement that said:

Yesterday, I was mistakenly led to believe that this issue was solely with Apple, but it's now clear that it was only ever Comixology too conservatively interpreting Apple's rules. I'm truly sorry. I never thought either company was being homophobic, only weirdly inconsistent about what kind of adult material was permissible.

(one of the not-so-offending images, which we had to censor per our content guidelines)

More will be written about this in the coming days, and basically everywhere, for the implications are wide-reaching. On the surface there's the obvious question of how Vaughan came to understand that his and Staples' comic was "banned" or "rejected" or otherwise disapproved of by Apple, and for depictions of "gay sex" specifically.

That ComiXology allowed Apple to take the blame -- and to be branded by many as a homophobic entity -- for 24 hours of passionate blog posts, news articles and high profile tweets (and retweets) before Apple had to step in to defend itself is problematic on a number of levels. By remaining largely silent (and occasionally tweeting with language like "concerned citizens"), ComiXology branded itself as the liberal, sex-positive David to Apple's oppressive, prejudicial Goliath. I've spoken to industry insiders today who wonder what potential harm this bogus narrative may have done to ComiXology's lucrative relationship with Apple, a company with a gay CEO and an extremely high rating by the Human Rights Campaign, a company that offered the offending Saga issue in its own iBooks store without any fuss, and a company that seems to have had to approach ComiXology directly to correct the record.

Staples put it bluntly in a tweet:

Comixology never stopped us from blaming Apple until this morning's statement.

(Apple never reviewed this image, which we pixelated, of several men ejaculating on another man's face)

Beneath the surface of the Saga fiasco lies the more important questions for the digital comics scene going forward: who are the gatekeepers, and what do they care about? In my experience in digital media, guidelines with respect to sexual content are extremely strict not so much because of morality but because of liability. Retailers, television networks, websites and application developers care less about sex or anything having to do with human anatomy (except for violence, of course) than they do about somebody's parents flipping out and suing them, so consequently anything "flagged" on sites like Facebook or apps like Instagram or content websites or products in digital marketplaces like Apple's App Store is zapped just as a matter of course -- often without even inspecting the offending material to make sure it's in violation of anything! C.Y.A. is the order of the day.

But that's not a tenable position anymore; certainly not as Apple's app stores become the most populated and influential digital marketplaces on Earth, where adult consumers demand access to the same kinds of material they've been trusted to purchase in the analog world since ancient times. So guidelines have to become more flexible. We've seen it evidence of it. Previous issues of Saga, which have featured a woman giving birth, complete with umbilical cord biting and breastfeeding; aliens with televisions for heads going at it "doggy style"; and visible heterosexual penetration have passed through the halls of Apple's app store without incident. But we also know that some comics haven't, and that some of those were accepted eventually.

Content creators and consumers want to see explicit rules as to what is and is not permissible in the iOS marketplace, and the current language in Apple's Terms of Service is vague:

Apps containing pornographic material, defined by Webster's Dictionary as "explicit descriptions or displays of sexual organs or activities intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings", will be rejected

It should be noted that in-app purchases like comics are reviewed by Apple on a case by case basis.

ComiXology offers even less helpful guidelines for those seeking to sell their independently created comics via its Submit platform:

The approval process is a work in progress. First and foremost, we want to maintain a level of professional content that comiXology users have come to expect from our platform. What the definition of professional content is will certainly be something that we refine as we progress into this brave new world.

The situation inspired the Thrillbent digital comics publisher Mark Waid to reread the language in the agreement he signed with ComiXology:

Hey, look. There, under the qualifiers defining what material cannot be published through apps but only through the web, is this one: "Explicit pornographic depiction of sexual activity or genitalia." Okay, call me an old biddy, but I could make a reasonable case that an illustration of gang-bang bukkake could be interpreted as "explicitly pornographic."

I think most people would agree with Mark Waid with respect to space bukkake. And yet, Saga #12 was accepted by Apple when they finally got a look at it. As I said above, the standards applied to this kind of material are consistently inconsistent, and this will remain a problem for digital comics as long as the current curator-based system is in place.

But the Saga #12 situation complicates that gatekeeper question in a profound way, because it's confirmed that ComiXology has changed its position from that of a pure retailer to a kind of content curator. To wit, we can infer that someone at ComiXology judged that graphic heterosexual intercourse in an earlier issue of Saga would meet with Apple's approval, but that graphic oral sex between men would not. There are many possible implications built into that decision, but the ultimate result was that ComiXology was wrong and the company's second-guessing of Apple's admittedly oblique guidelines tipped the first domino in this embarrassing and painful story.

The questions raised in the discussion of this situation matter because of just how successful ComiXology has become. In the realm of digital comics -- the realm that many smart people believe is to be American comics' sales salvation -- ComiXology is the undeniable industry leader. ComiXology is the digital equivalent of Diamond Comic Distributors, the print wholesaler behind the vast majority of comic book store business around the world. And like Diamond, how ComiXology chooses to operate will define its increasingly important dimension of the comic book industry.

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As has hopefully been clear from the first page of our first issue, SAGA is a series for the proverbial "mature reader." Unfortunately, because of two postage stamp-sized images of gay sex, Apple is banning tomorrow's SAGA #12 from being sold through any iOS apps. This is a drag, especially because our book has featured what I would consider much more graphic imagery in the past, but there you go. Fiona and I could always edit the images in question, but everything we put into the book is there to advance our story, not (just) to shock or titillate, so we're not changing s***.

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1) Head over to you friendly neighborhood comics shop and pick up a physical copy of our issue that you can have and hold forever.

2) While you're at it, don't forget to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which helps protect retailers who are brave enough to carry work that some in their communities might consider offensive. You can find signed copies of Saga at the CBLDF site right now.

3) Download the issue directly through sites like http://comics.imagecomics.com or on your non-Apple smartphone or tablet.

4) If all else fails, you might be able to find SAGA #12 in Apple's iBookstore, which apparently sometimes allows more adult material to be sold than through its apps. Crazy, right?

Anyway, special thanks to Eric Stephenson and everyone at Image for supporting our decision, and for always being so supportive of creators. Sorry again to readers for the inconvenience, but I hope everyone will be able to find an issue that Fiona and I are particularly proud of. And after you do, please check out PanelSyndicate.com , the new digital comics site I own with artist Marcos Martin, which remains 100% uncensored by corporate overlords.

Your pal,

Brian

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As you can see in the extended preview below, Langridge delivers a reliably funny script that Bone brings to life in his typically vivacious and inescapably cute style -- quite a tonal shift from IDW's previous long-form Rocketeer effort, the very well regarded, straight-up adventure serial Cargo of Doom by the current Daredevil of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee. It all clicks, though, because of the great character dynamic at the heart of the Rocketeer mythos: the romance between the handsome, impertinent and ferociously jealous stunt pilot-turned-accidental-hero Cliff Seacord and his long-suffering, impossibly beautiful model/actress girlfriend Betty (designed after the iconic pin-up queen Bettie Page). With that and Stevens' beloved pre-war setting as a foundation, talented creators can craft all manner of Rocketeer stories, as IDW editor Scott Dunbier has done in two volumes of the Rocketeer Adventures anthology and the forthcoming Rocketeer/Spirit team-up book by Waid and Paul Smith.

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The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror issues #1-2 are still available in finer comics shops and digitally from ComiXology, where you can also find issue #3 this Wednesday.

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