Posted in: Batman, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics | Tagged: steve mcniven, Tom King

Steve McNiven Has Begun Drawing His First DC Comic Book

Steve McNiven has begun drawing his first DC comic book... welcome to the new economy for established comics artists

Published Sat, 28 Jun 2025 09:57:04 -0500

Article Summary

Steve McNiven is drawing his first-ever DC comic, ending a twenty-year exclusive run with Marvel Comics.
He'll team up with Tom King for a 40-page Batman comic releasing from DC Comics in 2026.
Veteran artists like McNiven now prefer special projects and conventions over the monthly comic grind.
DC offers foreign royalties denied by Marvel, making it attractive for established comic book artists.

Steve McNiven has posted a photo of a blank page of comic book art board he is about to start drawing on. It is a DC Comics art board.

Steve McNiven Begins Drawing His First DC Comic Book — Steve McNiven's DC art board

Yesterday, Bleeding Cool reported the news that Steve McNiven was Tom King's chosen artist for a 40-page Batman comic book project being published by DC Comics next year, marking the end of Steve McNiven's exclusive deal with Marvel Comics that has lasted twenty years. And today we have had a bit of a Rich Twitch as it is known. McNiven asked on Instagram, "Got some new paper to work on! What to draw….?" The answer being, of course, Batman. Maybe we'll get to see what Batman comics Jim Cheung and Olivier Coipel have been working on for the last few years as well? If we ask very nicely…

But this does expose a new kind of economy for longstanding artists of a certain pedigree. Rather than the monthly grind, they are taking projects that they can take their time over. And interpsersed with commissions and sketches at comic book convention appearances. And of course, if they do the books for DC Comics, they get foreign royalties denied them at Marvel, which for certain kinds of books can really stack up.

Steve McNiven first gained prominence on CrossGen's Meridian before moving to Marvel on titles such as Ultimate Secret, Marvel Knights, and New Avengers. He is best known for drawing Marvel's Civil War, Old Man Logan and Nemesis, all written by Mark Millar, has recently been drawing the stellar Daredevil: Cold Day In Hell series written by Charles Soule, including drawing Daredevil and Elektra in a style reminiscent of Frank Miller's work on both characters, to great effect. In all that time, he hasn't drawn comics for DC. How will he draw Batman? We will have to wait until 2026 to find out.