I’m not a DC Comics fan. I like Batman, but usually the rest of the universe seems . . . stilted. Yes, I enjoyed many of the animated series while I was growing up (and even more after I decided being grown-up is a bit overrated), but I just can’t get into the mythology and worldbuilding. Too many fictionalized yet supposedly “realistic” locations, too much space between “gritty” and “heroic,” too much “hey, that sounds good, let’s go with that — who’s going to think about it too deeply?”

Well, Ben Hatke, for one. Like me, he enjoys going deep into stories. Unlike me, he enjoys DC immensely. And honestly, if he were able to do something with the license, I would read it — and not just because he’s a friend or because we both graduated from the same college (though not at the same time).

Ben’s a cartoonist, and while I’m waiting for book three of Zita the Spacegirl, Ben’s been occasionally occupying his time by doodling up some fantastic reimaginings of famous DC characters. I’ve brought it up before, and his work got featured on Project Rooftop a while back, too.

I decided I really should share his work here, but rather than make links to every single drawing he’s uploaded, I decided to make him do the work and put it all on one page for your convenience and mine. Check it out. What do you think? Would you like to see a spinoff in this art style with this sort of story? Personally, I think DC should hire him for a limited series, and also buy that version of Lex Luthor from him for the next Superman movie.