Sunday, September 13, 2026

2010 "DC Universe Vol.1: JLA" Martian Manhunter by alexmax

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Just for fun, here's me taking a stab at the DC superheroes in an animated type style. Inspired by the Bruce Timm cartoons and movies, but at the same time trying not to copy them. I had so much fun doing this that I'd like to try doing some other "sets" of characters (hence why I called it Vol. 1!), and put my own spin on some of them.

Of course I had to begin with the JLA, and my favorite JLA lineup is the one from the relaunch in the mid 90's. It had the best contrast of personalities with seasoned veterans, younger heroes, reluctant members, etc.

Here is what I was thinking as I did each design...

Superman: My favorite. More athletic than hulking (so the mild-mannered reporter persona can be believable). The "S Shield" should be as big as possible.

Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner, my second favorite comic character. A cross between his first two looks, kind of like what he has in the comics these days, except I don't like the white gloves and the logo on black. Slimmer, and younger, than any other hero.

Batman: Hard to make Batman look unique. Picked my favorite look for him.

Wonder Woman: Adam Hughes boots, Byrne's bracelets, current belt, big tiara.

The Flash: Wally West. Uncovered eyes to distance him from the JLU design. On the thin side like Kyle, but with muscled legs.

Aquaman: late 90's version. A guy living in the depths of the sea should be huge to withstand that kind of pressure. Monster calves to swim.

Martian Manhunter: More "squared" than the JLU version.
Another one that's been in my drafts folder since 2011, probably because I was going to use the art segments for the various heroes to crossover between my blogs. Despite the watermark, I'd rather just get this posted and move on.

2 comments:

Kevin from New Orleans said...

Looks awesome! If I could pick the JLA roster it's Martian Manhunter , Green Arrow (Conor Hawke), Black Lightning, Zatana, Mera, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Vixen. What do you think?

Diabolu Frank said...

I'd read that line-up!