Quick Hits | DC is looking into whether Andrea Sorrentino used AI to create art for a recent ‘Batman’ story

Plus: Steve Ditko is a Disney Legend, Ngozi Ukazu, Denny O’Neil, banned books and more!

DC is investigating whether artist Andrea Sorrentino used AI to create some of the artwork in a recent Batman arc. Sorrentino contributed some of the artwork to the recent “The Joker Year One” story that ran in Batman #142-144, and that work has come into question as to whether he drew it or if he used AI in some capacity.

A spokesperson for DC Comics told indy100 that”DC Comics has longstanding policies in place that all artwork must be the artist’s original work. We are looking into the specifics of this situation.”

The concern was initially raised on social media by James Leech, who expressed his concerns that Sorrentino hadn’t drawn the artwork himself. “First off, there are the usual telltale signs – strange anatomy, errors a human is unlikely to make. The weird hands, Joker being insanely ripped in one panel and wasting away in another. His wandering nipples!” Leech said. “Secondly, there’s the style, which Sorrentino doesn’t appear to have used before outside of a couple of instagram posts. His other work is very distinctive – heavily photo-referenced, high contrast lighting. This is quite a departure from that. Not enough on its own, but telling.”

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Now the Micronauts are getting an omnibus, too

Following this week’s Rom announcement, Marvel announces plans to collect stories featuring the team that ‘came from inner space.’

With a Rom omnibus (Romnibus?) on the horizon, it isn’t too surprising to see that Marvel and Hasbro will also collect the original Micronauts series, also in the omnibus format.

Micronauts: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Volume 1 will arrive in April 2024. And just like Rom, Marvel was also re-release the very first issue of Micronauts as a facsimile edition in September.

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Quick Hits | Rest in peace, Tim Kennedy, Aline Kominsky–Crumb

Plus news on Hunter Gorinson, Steve Ditko, Anders Nilsen, Angoulême and more.

Archie Comics artist Tim Kennedy, who collaborated artistically with his twin brother Pat, has passed away. No cause of death has been reported.

The Kennedy brothers began working for Archie in the late 1980s, after graduating from the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Design. They’ve been regular contributors ever since, drawing classic Archie stories as well as projects like the popular Life With Archie, which showed two alternate takes on Archie marrying Betty and Veronica.

“For decades, the Fabulous K Bros have dazzled fans around the world, bringing some of the funniest and most difficult stories from idea to the page,” said Archie Comics President and Editor-in-Chief Mike Pellerito. “No matter the challenge of illustrating a difficult scene with a giant Ferris wheel, intricate architecture, spaceships, car chases or any other wild story idea, they handled it seemingly with ease. Over the past decade or so I think their work has become some of the best and most versatile at Archie.”

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Spider-Man, Doctor Strange co-creator Steve Ditko, 90, passes away

The pioneer of psychedelic surreal comic book art impacted culture like no other.

by Stephanie Chan and James Vicari

Legendary comic book artist Stephen J. Ditko has passed away at his home at the age of 90. In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the New York Police Department said that Ditko’s body was found on June 29th. The cause of death has not been released, but it is believed that he passed away two days prior to being discovered.

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