Paying homage to the collection of 1920s vintage mugshots of Australian criminals posted on Laughing Squid last year, Canadian graphic artist Jason Mark has applied the same type of look to a handful of classic Batman villains. Giving off a Gangster Squad vibe, Mark’s “The Usual Suspects” set includes his take on the Joker (John Doe), the Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot), Two-Face (Harvey Dent) and Mr. Freeze (Victor Fries).

The first three are dated in the early 1940s while Mr. Freeze’s mug shot is dated in the late 1950s. My guess is that the artist is working under the assumption that the technology keeping the good doctor alive didn’t exist until the late ’50s.

Mark’s other work includes a variety of DC and Marvel superhero-inspired art including Batman, Green Lantern and Wolverine. Check out “The Usual Suspects” below:

Vintage Batman Villains

Batman Villains Envisioned in Vintage Mugshots

Prepare yourself for a cuteness overload! Artist Darren Rawlings (known as Rawlsy on DeviantArt) has created a fantastic, extremely adorable series of DC & Marvel comic book hero mashups in what he calls the Little Friends series. He’s basically matching up a DC superhero or super-villain with their Marvel counterpart.

For instance, DC’s Flash is matched up with Marvel’s Quicksilver, DC’s Clayface is matched up with Marvel’s Sandman and so on. His entire DeviantArt catalog is definitely worth checking out if you love comic book superheroes. Here’s the Little Friends series in action:

Ant Man and Atom

Aquaman and Namor

Banshee and Silver Banshee

Booster Gold and Longshot

Catwoman and Black Cat

Clayface and Sandman

Darkseid and Thanos

Dr. Fate and Dr. Strange

Quicksilver and Flash

Green Arrow and Hawkeye

Hawkman and Angel

Martian Manhunter and Vision

Moon Knight and the Dark Knight

13 Charming DC & Marvel Comic Mashups

For decades, perhaps even centuries, comic-book fans have gathered around dimly-lit basements to discuss the unanswerable questions. For them, the standard ones like “What is the sound of one-hand clapping,” or “If a tree falls in the forest…” are too easy. They seek only the questions that really matter, the ones that poke at the deep shadowy crevices of the human experience. Questions like the one posed in the new Ben Affleck movie…

Who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman?

(Although the bigger question is, what happened to the S in “vs.”?)

Luckily, this question does have an answer. It’s Batman. Batman would win. Batman has won. They’ve fought each other about a dozen times in the comics, and Batman usually wins. Brains over braun, kids. Hell, even Batman’s feeble, elderly butler Alfred has kicked Superman’s sorry ass.

If you disagree, we can take this to the comments section.

Still, even I’ll admit, there’s enough ambiguity in the question to support an entire movie and possibly birth to a new franchise or two. Hence this year’s big Spring blockbuster, Batman v Superman.

With a release date of March 20*, Batman v Superman is generating a lot of buzz, though not enough to get DC executives to stop biting their nails. Still, in the dry season between Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War, we have to watch something.

So, we present your primer for the 4th-most-anticipated comic book movie of the first half of 2016. Here’s everything you need to know:

Superman

Did you see how many people Superman killed at the end of his last movie, Man of Steel? Yeah, me neither, but according to DC fans, it was a lot. Enough, even, to spark a Man of Steel controversy that fuels the beginning of Batman v Superman.

Man of Steel‘s final epic battle between Superman and General Zod took place in downtown Metropolis. What happened was exactly what you’d expect would happen when two near-omnipotent aliens battle unrestrained in a crowded, collateral-filled metropolis.

So here’s the important thing you gotta understand about Superman in general, but particularly before the new movie: The man of steel has a heart of gold. Superman’s defining characteristic isn’t so much his great powers, it’s his great compassion. Like a boy scout with an AK-47, Superman just wants to help people and uses everything in his power to do so.

This is relevant because, as fan theories suggest, the reason Batman v Superman isn’t a one-punch, 15-second movie is because Superman pulls his punches with Batman. He doesn’t want to hurt him.

So, going into Batman v Superman, we have to consider both the ending of Man of Steel, and Superman’s superhuman power of the feels. We’ll probably see a lot of guilt, and maybe some internal conflict over whether or not to literally punch Batman’s nuts off.

Batman

You don’t know who Batman is?

…

Get out.

Wonder Woman

Even if you haven’t been following the last ten years of DC vs. Marvel movie wars, the subtitle “Dawn of Justice” is condescendingly blunt enough — this movie sets up the Justice League.

The Justice League is DC’s version of Marvel’s Avengers. In the comics, the Justice League came first, and Avengers was Marvel blatantly and shamelessly copying someone else’s idea to make a few extra bucks off stupid children. Ironically, today’s stupid children will grow up thinking the opposite, thanks to the movies.

You can’t have a Justice League with just Superman and Batman, and no one wants Green Lantern to return. So, DC is bringing in their other A-team member, who they wisely waited to pull out until the D-point in the game.

Wonder Woman is a respectable feminist icon, no less a equal to great men like Batman and Superman, but with a vagina. In Wonder Woman comics, the hapless man gets himself into trouble and she bursts in to save the day (or, if it’s a hapless woman, she empowers them to save themselves).

Wonder Woman is an Amazon, which is a race of women warriors the Greek goddesses created from the souls of all women ever murdered by men… so yeah.

Aside from superhuman strength and tactical prowess, Wonder Woman’s also got some super-cute accessories! Her Aegis of Athena (bulletproof bracelets) can shield her from most blows, while her Lasso of Truth forces those ensnared to tell the truth.

It’ll be interesting to see how Batman v Superman introduces her into the DC universe. But it’ll be even more interesting to see whether or not DC turns its back on 50 years of female empowerment to turn her into a one-dimensional “hot, bad-ass chick.”

Aquaman

Aquaman’s in this movie! If you haven’t seen the film pictures, take a moment to laugh at that.

The thing you to understand about Aquaman is that he’s a huge joke. At least to fans. Again, if you disagree, let’s take it up in the comments.

So, here’s a guy who’s superpower is telepathically talking to fish, and he’s hanging out with Greek goddesses, aliens that shoot lasers from their eyes, and the world’s greatest detective who dresses in all black. Let’s put it this way: when divvying up chores at the Hall of Justice, Aquaman somehow always gets “clean the bathroom.”

But… and this is a big but… in Batman v Superman, Aquaman looks f-ing badass! I never thought I’d say that. Played by Khal Drago, the character has finally been given the makeover he’s needed his entire life. My younger self would be ashamed to know that Aquaman the part I’m looking forward to most.

Lex Luthor

Smart. Rich. Evil. He’s often referred to as the smartest human in the DC universe. There’s not much about Lex Luthor that a lifetime of cop dramas hasn’t already taught you. Rich businessmen like to kill for money, but they need to be smart about it. Multiply that by 1000, understand that “killing” means destroying entire cities, and you have Lex Luthor.

As for his involvement in Batman v Superman, you know as much as I do from the previews. He’s probably behind pitting Batman and Superman against each other for his own selfish, money-related motives.

Doomsday

If you don’t know who Doomsday is, it means I’m old. In the 90s, Doomsday was a big deal when he first appeared because he killed Superman!! Everyone was like, “You can’t kill Superman. No one can.” But then this alien with his weird piercings came and was like, “Oh yeah? I bet I could probably kill him.”

In the comics, Doomsday is a Kryptonian monster who was killed, reborn, and killed again over and over for thousands of years, each time becoming stronger. When you were a little kid and you imagined the worst, scariest monster of all time, that monster you imagined would have pooped their pants at the sight of Doomsday.

And he freaking killed Superman. Let that sink in.

The Normals Involved in Batman v Superman

Director – Zack Snyder.  Snyder made one really successful comic book movie, 300, that undermined the critically-acclaimed comic at every turn, and was homoerotic enough to attract the girlfriends of guys who like to punch things. Snyder continued riding that horse for years, and successfully managed to destroy even more critically-acclaimed comics like Watchmen. But, his movies keep the money flowing in, so Warner Bros. hires him every time they need to ruin a critically-acclaimed comic.

Co-writer – David S. Goyer. Goyer astonished comic fans with his artful scripts for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but then pissed us all off by making sexist comments about She-Hulk and calling comic fans all virgins. Way to bite the hand the feeds, Goyer.

Co-writer – Chris Terrio. Not much is known about Terrio, but his resume includes Argo and an adaptation Shakespeare’s Richard II, so there’s hope.

* March 20 to commemorate the 1,343rd anniversary of the day Emperor Tenmu assumed the Chrysanthemum Throne in Japan, obviously.

Everything You Need to Know about Batman v Superman

Created by digital artist Andy Fairhurst, this collection of silhouette illustrations captures how imaginative kids can be with the help of a few household items and the great outdoors. Dressing up as their favorite superheroes (and villains), these illustrated tikes take on the mantel of the Bat, the rage of the Hulk, the insanity of the Joker and the patriotism of Captain America.

Besides depicting the creativity of children pretending to be superheroes, Fairhurst has extended the series to include pop culture icons such as Doctor Who, Marty McFly, Master Chief, Gandalf the Grey, Elliot from E.T. and Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas). Beyond the silhouette series, you will also find illustrations related to Star Wars, Tron, Bioshock and Prince of Persia in addition to a variety of character portraits of Marvel and DC comic book heroes.

You can take a look at Fairhurst’s other work on his DeviantArt profile here. However, be sure to check out the superhero kids series below.

Batman

Captain America

The Flash

Ghost Rider

Green Lantern

Hawkeye

Hulk

Iron Man

The Punisher

Robin

Spider-man

Storm

Superman

Thor

Wolverine

Wonder Woman

Super-Villain Kids:

Bane

Catwoman

Doc Ock

Harley

The Joker

Loki

Magneto

Poison Ivy

The Riddler

Superhero Kids: The Power of a Little Imagination

Created by San Francisco graphic artist Khoa Ho, this collection of striking illustrations gives us a glimpse of the origin of various popular superheroes in the DC and Marvel universes. Specifically, the artist has included depictions of the Man of Steel, the Dark Knight, the Web-Slinger, the Scarlet Speedster, the Ol’ Canucklehead and the Armored Avenger.

Beyond his work with superheroes, Ho has also applied a similar minimalistic style to posters that depict characters in the Toy Story universe. You can check out Woody, Buzz and the gang on Ho’s Behance profile as well as some illustrations created with a Wacom tablet.

If you are interested in purchasing prints of these illustrations, head over to Ho’s Society6 page here. But first, be sure to check out his entire collection of superheroes below:

The Evolution of Superheroes: Past and Present

Developed by Danny Haas over the last few years, this collection of illustrations dives into the identities of superheroes made famous in comic books and graphic novels. This series has been successful for Haas, particularly his take on the Man of Steel, the Dark Knight and Iron Man. After focusing on male superheroes in his first batch of drawings, he released a set that illustrated several female heroes such as Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Jean Grey.

Beyond his work on superheroes, Haas has created a variety of prints on his Society6 page that cover pop culture topics such as Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, Community, Game of Thrones, Back to the Future, Peter Pan, Firefly and The Walking Dead. You can take a look and purchase his work here.

But first, check out the superhero series below. Can you name all of them? 

Split Personalities: Superheroes and Their Alter Egos

Developed by graphic artist Kevin Lam, this set of illustrations combines the cute minions of the Despicable Me movies with comic book characters in the DC and Marvel universe. Specifically highlighting members of the Avengers in the collection, superhero adaptations include Iron Man, Superman, Thor, Batman, Black Widow, Green Lantern, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, Spider-Man, the Hulk and Captain America.

With a release date set for July 3, 2013, Despicable Me 2 details the return of the Gru, a super-villain that ditched his evil life to become a father. Gru is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help take down a new new super-villain that threatens the world. Gru and the minions set out on another adventure to save the world. At the moment, the movie is receiving fairly positive reviews from critics averaging around 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The original Despicable Me was a huge success for Dreamworks taking in approximately $500 million at box offices all over the world.

Check out Lam’s adorable set of Despicable Me 2 minions as superheroes below:

Batman

Black Widow

Captain America

Green Lantern

Hawkeye

The Hulk

Iron Man

Nick Fury

Spider-Man

Superman

Thor

Despicable Me 2 Minions as Adorable Superheroes

With summer’s superhero blockbusters upon us, I find myself daydreaming about superpowers (and muscular men in tight suits). While I can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound or create an iron suit that gives me superhuman abilities, I can type pretty fast. 100 words a minute may not save any lives, but it’s super, right? I’m celebrating my mediocre superpower by putting this Macbook Keyboard Super Hero Skin, from Killer Duck Decals, on my computer.

For a mere $12, spend your time in front of the computer with representations of everyone from Apocalypse to Joker to Punisher to Zorro.

Superhero Skin Makes Your Macbook Keyboard… Super!

We’ve all experienced that moment of inspiration in comics — when a superhero says something that both personifies their mission in life as well as their moral fortitude. Graphic designer Adam Thompson took notice of a few selected moments and added them within his “Heroic Words of Wisdom” series of the major DC comic heroes.

Superheroes depicted within the collection include Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Green Arrow. Speaking about the project, Thompson states:

“In my mind, one of the most famous pieces of comics dialogue is the oath sworn by Green Lantern. I gave this some deeper thought and realized that the oath is, in a way, applicable to real life. Anyone, should they choose, can swear an oath to stand against evil. Then it hit me. Have all comic heroes said things that are applicable in real life? Have they all said things that can inspire any of us, comic fan or not?“

Beyond his work with the main DC crew, Thompson’s other work involves The Avengers, minimalist movie posters and other takes on superhero culture. You can take a look at his full portfolio on Behance here. Be sure to check out his full collection of DC Superhero quotes below:

Heroic Words of Wisdom: Inspirational DC Superhero Quotes

People of Earth, Man of Steel is all set to steal away your summer dollars. I have seen it, and before I raise one word against Zach Snyder’s latest visual triumph, it is important to have some perspective.  Having the right baseline is the best way to experience a movie of this size.  Sure, we could just watch the recent Green Lantern, and count ourselves lucky that Warner Bros. went in a different direction for Man of Steel, but why would we punish ourselves so?  Especially when it is so much easier, funnier, and less painful to take in the Screen Junkies four-minute sardonic Honest Trailer of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

Fair warning: snippets of ’80s *ahem* classics such as Breakin’ 2 Electric Boogaloo, Predator, and Spaceballs, do this important examination of everything that is, was and will be the 1987 big-screen version of Superman.  The dorky duality of the 1987 Superman and Clark Kent is on full display, as is the film’s indulgence in making bratty kids focal points of the plot.

And then there is Nuclear Man.  For context, Nuclear Man is jealous of everyone in Batman & Robin, everyone.  Then there are Superman’s hitherto-unrevealed powers like “rebuilding the Great Wall of China with his eyes and lowering people with his mind.” Of course, Superman IV does hold a few things over Man of Steel including “terrible blue screen,” “really, really terrible blue screen,” and the same flying shot “over and over and over again.”

As Superman must acknowledge his birth on Krypton, so must we acknowledge that Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is still alive in a 1987 time capsule. Oh, how Superman (and Warner Bros.) wishes that he could get his 19 years back.

Get Ready for Man of Steel with Honest Superman IV Trailer