Superman Artist Pulls Out Over NOM

The artist scheduled to draw the upcoming issue of Superman has withdrawn from the project after widespread complaints due to the hiring of NOM board member Orson Scott Card to write the text.

"It took a lot of thought to come to this conclusion, but I've decided to step back as the artist on this story," Chris Sprouse said in a statement released Tuesday. "The media surrounding this story reached the point where it took away from the actual work, and that's something I wasn't comfortable with. My relationship with DC Comics remains as strong as ever and I look forward to my next project with them." Due to the creative change, the Card story will not appear in the first collected issue out May 29. Instead, it will feature a story by writer Jeff Parker and artist Chris Samnee, as well as a tale by Jeff Lemire and one by writer Justin Jordan and artist Riley Rossmo. DC is also looking for a replacement illustrator for Card's story.

DC Comics says they "support, understand, and respect" the decision by Sprouse.