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Adi Granov accused Francesco Mattina of using A.I. or A.I.-assisted imagery on a Superman variant cover in June 2024. DC subsequently removed Mattina’s solicited variant covers from several September 2024 releases, including Action Comics #1069. But the public record does not establish that the disputed artwork was definitively generated by A.I.
Adi Granov accused Francesco Mattina of using A.I. or A.I.-assisted imagery on a Superman variant cover in June 2024. DC subsequently removed Mattina’s solicited variant covers from several September 2024 releases, including Action Comics #1069. But the public record does not establish that the disputed artwork was definitively generated by A.I.
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What happened with the Superman cover?
Francesco Mattina, an Italian digital artist known for highly rendered comic-book variant covers, was listed by DC as the variant-cover artist for Action Comics #1069, scheduled for release on September 25, 2024. DC’s July 2024 solicitation catalog also listed Mattina variants for other books planned for September. DC’s solicitation catalog is the primary record of those planned assignments.
In mid-June, Adi Granov—a prominent comic artist and concept artist associated with Iron Man—criticized the Action Comics #1069 image on social media. Granov alleged that the cover showed signs of generative-A.I. involvement and pointed to what appeared to be a duplicated or malformed section of Superman’s iconic “S” shield. He also revived earlier accusations that Mattina had copied, traced, or photobashed elements from other artists’ work. Those were public allegations, not a documented forensic determination or an admission by Mattina. Contemporary reporting on Granov’s comments describes the accusation and the visual criticism.
The important development came next: DC revised its solicitations and removed or replaced the unreleased Mattina covers. The change affected Action Comics #1069, Superman #18, Batman: The Brave and the Bold #17, two additional Brave and the Bold covers, and two covers for Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #1, according to The Beat’s contemporaneous report.
Was Mattina’s cover proven to be A.I.-generated?
No—not by the public evidence cited in reporting. The available record supports saying that Mattina was accused of using A.I., or that the artwork was suspected of being A.I.-generated or A.I.-assisted. It does not support presenting A.I. use as a proven fact.
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A distorted logo, duplicated shape, inconsistent anatomy, or strange detail can reasonably prompt questions about how an image was made. However, a visual anomaly alone cannot identify the software, workflow, source material, or person responsible for an image. Similar errors can arise through digital compositing, photobashing, manipulation, rushed revisions, file problems, or ordinary mistakes. Establishing A.I. involvement would normally require additional evidence, such as process files, metadata, admissions, source comparisons, or a credible technical examination.
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As of the sources reviewed for this article, there was no public admission from Mattina, no published technical analysis by DC or an independent forensic examiner, and no court finding that the cover was A.I.-generated. There was also no public statement from DC explicitly saying that it pulled the covers because A.I. use had been confirmed.
Why was Action Comics #1069 central to the dispute?
The issue became the clearest symbol of the controversy because it featured Superman and because critics focused on an apparent irregularity in the “S” shield. It was also a specific, officially solicited product that collectors could identify and pre-order, rather than an unannounced image circulating without publishing context.
DC’s final listing for Action Comics #1069 gives the U.S. on-sale date as September 25, 2024 and credits Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Tomeu Morey, and other contributors for the published cover configuration. Mattina is not listed as the cover artist on that page. The listing confirms that the released issue used a different cover arrangement, but it does not explain why the solicited Mattina variant was removed. DC’s official issue page is therefore evidence of the final publication credits—not proof of the reason for the change.
For readers or collectors looking for Action Comics #1069, it is important to distinguish the published issue from the previously solicited Mattina variant. Edition, seller, condition, and availability should be checked carefully: a listing for the regular issue is not automatically a listing for the withdrawn variant.
The earlier photobashing and plagiarism accusations
Coverage of the 2024 dispute also revisited older claims that Mattina had copied, traced, or photobashed parts of other artists’ work. Those claims provide context for why the A.I. allegation drew attention, but they should not be flattened into a statement that every accusation was proven.
The defensible description is that Mattina had previously faced accusations concerning plagiarism or photobashing. A particular allegation may involve different evidence, different parties, and a different standard of proof. It should be evaluated on its own record rather than treated as automatic confirmation of the later A.I. claim. The reporting that revisited those disputes does not turn the entire history into an independently adjudicated finding.
What did DC actually do?
DC removed or replaced the solicited Mattina covers before publication. In revised September solicitations, some replacement artists were named and some listings temporarily showed “TBA.” That is a documented editorial and publishing action.
What remains unknown is DC’s internal reason. The company may have been responding to the allegations, the risk of publishing disputed material, concerns about the work’s provenance, a contractual or editorial decision, or some combination of factors. The available public statements do not allow one explanation to be stated as fact.
This distinction matters. “DC pulled the covers after the controversy” is supported by the chronology. “DC confirmed that the covers were A.I.-generated and pulled them for that reason” goes beyond the evidence.
The larger debate over A.I. and comic-book art
The episode landed in a wider argument about the role of generative systems in comics. The main questions include:
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- Should publishers disclose any A.I. assistance used in cover or interior art?
- Can an artist use generative tools without reproducing protected or recognizable material from another artist?
- Should comic publishers require human authorship for commissioned covers?
- Who is responsible for checking a cover’s provenance before it is solicited, printed, and sold?
Copyright and authorship add another layer. The U.S. Copyright Office has distinguished protectable human-authored contributions from material generated by A.I.; that issue is separate from determining how a particular Mattina image was made. The office’s treatment of A.I.-generated comic artwork does not constitute a ruling on the Action Comics cover. Reporting on the Copyright Office’s position provides broader legal context, not a finding about this dispute.
Did DC later ban A.I. art?
In October 2025, DC president and publisher Jim Lee reportedly told retailers at New York Comic Con that DC would not support A.I.-generated storytelling or artwork. That later statement is relevant to the company’s subsequent public policy messaging, but it does not prove what DC concluded about Mattina’s 2024 covers or explain the precise reason they were removed. The Beat’s report on Lee’s remarks places that statement after the 2024 incident.
What is Mattina doing now?
DC’s talent page continues to maintain a Francesco Mattina profile and lists a substantial history of cover work. A continuing profile is not evidence that DC endorsed the disputed covers or that Mattina has current DC assignments. DC’s talent listing should be read as a historical or biographical page, not as a statement resolving the controversy.
Separately, Image Comics’ release listings show Mattina continuing to receive comic-related cover or publication credits through 2025 and 2026, including work connected with the Spawn line. Those later credits show that his professional activity continued; they do not resolve whether A.I. was used on the disputed DC covers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can be stated confidently?
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Mattina was solicited as a variant-cover artist for Action Comics #1069 and other September 2024 books. | Documented in DC’s solicitation catalog. |
| Adi Granov accused Mattina of A.I. or A.I.-assisted art and highlighted an apparent Superman-logo irregularity. | Documented as a public allegation. |
| DC revised solicitations and removed or replaced several unreleased Mattina covers. | Documented by revised listings and contemporaneous reporting. |
| The published Action Comics #1069 has different cover credits. | Documented on DC’s official issue page. |
| DC publicly confirmed that the cover was A.I.-generated. | Not established by the reviewed sources. |
| Mattina publicly admitted using generative A.I. on the covers. | Not established by the reviewed sources. |
Bottom line
Adi Granov publicly called out Francesco Mattina over alleged A.I. involvement in a Superman variant, and DC then withdrew several unreleased Mattina covers from its September 2024 plans. The withdrawal is the strongest confirmed news development. The allegation itself remains an allegation in the available public record, not a conclusively proven finding.
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For collectors, the practical lesson is to verify whether a listing is for the regular published Action Comics #1069 or the withdrawn solicited variant. For readers following the art debate, the case illustrates why visual suspicion, editorial action, and technical proof should be treated as three different things.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Francesco Mattina’s Superman cover proven to be A.I.-generated?
No. The available public record does not include a forensic finding, court ruling, or admission conclusively establishing that Mattina’s cover was A.I.-generated. The accurate description is that he was accused of using A.I. or A.I.-assisted imagery.
Which DC covers were pulled?
DC removed or replaced the solicited Mattina covers from several September 2024 releases, including Action Comics #1069, Superman #18, Batman: The Brave and the Bold #17, and covers for Dark Knights of Steel: Allwinter #1.
Did Action Comics #1069 still come out?
The published issue was released on September 25, 2024 with a different credited cover configuration. DC’s official listing does not state why the solicited Mattina variant was removed.
Is Francesco Mattina still working in comics?
DC’s later talent page still lists Mattina’s historical work, while Image Comics listings show later comic-related credits through 2025 and 2026. Neither fact resolves the 2024 A.I. allegation.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Granov alleged that Mattina used A.I. or A.I.-assisted imagery, and DC removed several unreleased Mattina variants afterward. Publicly available evidence confirms the accusation and the cover changes, but not that A.I. use was definitively proven or admitted.
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