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After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

In a twist on the Superman mythos, the title character in Jim Valentino’s normalman (stylized in all lower-case letters) is shipped off into space by his father when he concludes that the planet they inhabit will explode. The child arrives on a planet inhabited completely by super-powered beings – they dub him normalman, because he’s the only one there without powers.

The character debuted in Cerebus the Aardvark #56 and was soon given his own ongoing series. That title served as a vehicle for creator, Jim Valentino, to spoof and parody other comics, a perfect opportunity (if ever there was one) to introduce cover swipes that parody the source material.

The DNAgents are a team of superheroes that were created through genetic engineering by the Matrix Corporation. Admittedly it doesn’t sound like an advanced concept by today’s standards but, it was ahead of the curve when it debuted in 1983. (After all, Marvel’s own genetic manipulator, Mr. Sinister, didn’t debut for another four years.) The team consisted of five heroes: Amber, Rainbow, Sham, Surge, and Tank. A frequent guest-star called Crossfire debuted in issue #4. Crossfire got his own spin-off series that lasted for 26 issues (as well as a four issue mini-series shared with Rainbow). DNAgents lasted 24 issues before it was relaunched as the New DNAgents, which was published for 17 issues.

DNAgents #4 July 1983 Will Meugniot

normalman #7 February 1985 Jim Valentino

On Ebay: normalman | DNAgents
On Amazon: normalman | DNAgents
On AtomicAvenue: normalman | DNAgents

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

In a twist on the Superman mythos, the title character in Jim Valentino’s normalman (stylized in all lower-case letters) is shipped off into space by his father when he concludes that the planet they inhabit will explode. The child arrives on a planet inhabited completely by super-powered beings – they dub him normalman, because he’s the only one there without powers.

The character debuted in Cerebus the Aardvark #56 and was soon given his own ongoing series. That title served as a vehicle for creator, Jim Valentino, to spoof and parody other comics, a perfect opportunity (if ever there was one) to introduce cover swipes that parody the source material.

Will Eisner‘s the Spirit debuted in the Sunday pages of 1940 newspapers – the character is a masked vigilante that fights crime with the blessings of the city’s police commissioner. The Spirit has gone on to be featured in hundreds of comics as well as a feature-length film written and directed by Frank Miller.

the Spirit October 9, 1941 Will Eisner

normalman #6 December 1984 Jim Valentino

On Ebay: normalman | the Spirit
On Amazon: normalman | the Spirit
On AtomicAvenue: normalman | the Spirit

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

In a twist on the Superman mythos, the title character in Jim Valentino’s normalman (stylized in all lower-case letters) is shipped off into space by his father when he concludes that the planet they inhabit will explode. The child arrives on a planet inhabited completely by super-powered beings – they dub him normalman, because he’s the only one there without powers.

The character debuted in Cerebus the Aardvark #56 and was soon given his own ongoing series. That title served as a vehicle for creator, Jim Valentino, to spoof and parody other comics, a perfect opportunity (if ever there was one) to introduce cover swipes that parody the source material.

Richard Rich, Junior debuted in Little Dot #1, published in 1953. Better known as Richie, he’s the only child of wealthy parents and is the world’s richest kid. The character has also been featured in multiple animated series as well as a feature-length film starring Macaulay Culkin as Richie. Most recently, in 2015, Netflix released a live-action Richie Rich sitcom series.

Richie Rich #1 November 1960 Warren Kremer

normalman #5 October 1984 Jim Valentino

On Ebay: normalman | Richie Rich
On Amazon: normalman | Richie Rich
On AtomicAvenue: normalman | Richie Rich

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

In a twist on the Superman mythos, the title character in Jim Valentino’s normalman (stylized in all lower-case letters) is shipped off into space by his father when he concludes that the planet they inhabit will explode. The child arrives on a planet inhabited completely by super-powered beings – they dub him normalman, because he’s the only one there without powers.

The character debuted in Cerebus the Aardvark #56 and was soon given his own ongoing series. That title served as a vehicle for creator, Jim Valentino, to spoof and parody other comics, a perfect opportunity (if ever there was one) to introduce cover swipes that parody the source material.

I couldn’t find a specific cover that normalman#3 is paying homage but, it’s very clear that this issue’s cover design is honoring those classic horror titles published by E.C. Comics in the 1950’s: Two-Fisted Tales, Shock SuspenStories, the Haunt of Fear, the Vault of Horror and Tales From the Crypt (amongst others).

Tales From the Crypt #39 December 1953 Jack Davis

normalman #3 June 1984 Jim Valentino

On Ebay: normalman | Tales From the Crypt
On Amazon: normalman | Tales From The Crypt
On AtomicAvenue: normalman | Tales From the Crypt