Frank Miller’s Superman vs. Spider-Man Variant Cover Has Ignited The Internet

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Even a fantastic idea isn’t always popular with everyone. This week, Marvel and DC Comics unveiled a special team-up featuring Spider-Man and Superman in Spider-Man/Superman #1, and comic book stores were buzzing with excitement and the sound of customers pre-ordering the issue.

Marvel and DC didn’t just release one cover for their comics; they released almost twenty different versions, each created by a huge number of well-known artists. However, not all of these variant covers were well-received.

Frank Miller, the celebrated creator of characters like Elektra and known for his work on Batman, as well as films like Sin City, Robocop (parts 2 & 3), and 300, is currently facing significant criticism. Fans are upset with his variant cover for Spider-Man/Superman #1, which many see as an unwelcome addition. Social media reactions to the cover have been overwhelmingly negative and harsh.

One Batman fan bluntly stated they weren’t impressed, saying the artwork seemed unfinished despite being a special, likely more expensive, cover. Another fan acknowledged Frank Miller’s past contributions to Batman as being historically significant and excellent, but expressed disappointment with his more recent work, calling it irritating. They described a stark contrast between Miller’s previously groundbreaking work and his current output.

As more reviews came in on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and other social media, opinions didn’t improve much. Some people said they liked the cover, while others found it just okay.

One person wondered if the initial draft didn’t include Batman, and Frank Miller added him right before submitting it, forcing the publishers to include him. Another commenter joked that even though Miller’s art isn’t what it used to be, they’d still buy the comic, imagining Spider-Man reacting with disbelief to Batman’s outfit.

Frank Miller ‘Forced’ Batman into Spider-Man/Superman #1?

The criticism Miller is facing highlights a common reality in comic book art: styles that once felt innovative eventually start to look old-fashioned. If an artist doesn’t evolve with changing trends, fans may start to wonder why, or even lose interest, as newer styles become popular and define the look of the medium.

This week, artist Jock gained a lot of attention online for very different reasons than artist Miller. Jock’s work is truly impressive. While Miller has created great art in the past, if he wants to understand the criticism of his Spider-Man/Superman variant cover, he should look at Jock’s Daredevil #1 as a point of comparison.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) joked that the cover looked so unlike Frank Miller’s usual style, it seemed like a poorly done edit. However, with almost 20 different cover options and a compelling story in the upcoming one-shot issue by Brad Meltzer, this single controversial cover shouldn’t overshadow the exciting team-up between Superman, Spider-Man, and other heroes planned for this spring.

Spider-Man/Superman #1 is scheduled to hit local comic book shops in April 2026.

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2026-02-06 01:16