A BIRTHDAY SPECIAL: Miller turns 69! It’s Frank Miller’s 69th birthday — he was born Jan. 27, 1957 — so how about we show off the variant covers for the upcoming Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 Facsimile Edition? Dig these, by Miller and Jim Lee, respectively: Naturally, there’s also a regular cover (and foil version)… … as well as a logo sketch cover that boasts a special Dark Knight Returns 40th anniversary emblem: A lot of people malign Miller’s modern work, but I’m of the mind that artists grow and mature, and their styles often evolve with them. It’s not only natural, it’s their right. In this particular case, I really vibe to the minimalist linework and use of negative space. It’s standout. The main issue runs $4.99, with the Miller, Lee and blank covers at $5.99. The foil is $7.99. The book is due Feb. 25. — MORE — DC to Republish THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS As Four Monthly FACSIMILE EDITIONS. Click here. — BATMAN: YEAR TWO to Be Re-Released As Four Monthly FACSIMILE EDITIONS. Click...
A MORRISON MONDAYS (belated) birthday tribute to JOHN ROMITA… By BILL MORRISON I think I would get very little pushback in asserting that John Romita Sr. is one of the greatest superhero artists the comics-loving world has ever known. But I contend that he is also at the very top of the heap when it comes to romance artists. The fantastic work he did for mushy DC titles such as Young Romance, Falling in Love, Girls’ Love Stories, and Heart Throbs, and his later covers for heart-breaking Marvel books like My Love and Our Love Story, hold a top spot among the things I love and collect. So, in celebration of Mr. Romita’s birthdate (it was Saturday), I present this image I drew a decade or so ago for a project titled “Chip Kidd Presents Batman Black and White: The Sketch Covers” which benefited the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. This drawing was inspired by Romita’s cover of Young Romance #134 from 1965. Romita romance may not be your thing, but just remember that it was John’s ability to draw stunningly beautiful women and ruggedly handsome men for DC’s love books that made Stan Lee sit up and take notice. Lee offered Romita Daredevil, and then Amazing Spider-Man, knowing that John’s appealing, romantic touch was just what was needed to round out the look of Marvel’s bombastic superhero books. And if the concept of a love triangle between Batman, Batgirl, and Catwoman looks familiar, you got me! I used the same idea for my homage to the cover of Young Romance #150 by Jay Scott Pike, covered here at 13th Dimension back in May of 2024. — Want more MORRISON MONDAYS? Come back next week! Want a commission? See below! — MORE — HOLY GENDER-BENDING! That Time ROBIN Was a Pin-Up Girl. Click here. — The Greatest Gallery of BATMAN ’66 Art You Will Ever See. Click here. — Eisner winner BILL MORRISON has been working in comics and publishing since 1993 when he co-founded Bongo Entertainment with Matt Groening, Cindy Vance and Steve Vance. At Bongo, and later as Executive Editor of Mad Magazine, he parodied the comics images he loved as a kid every chance he got. Not much has changed. Bill is on Instagram (@atomicbattery) and Facebook (Bill Morrison/Atomic Battery Studios), and regularly takes commissions and sells published art through 4C...
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