Who is Francesco Mattina and why is his connection to DC Comics now a controversy?

For years, famous comic book artist Francesco Mattina has been at the center of controversy due to his unethical use of other people’s artwork. Now, Mattina might drag DC down with him due to a Superman drawing.

Despite his success, Mattina’s career has been overshadowed by multiple allegations of art swiping. These accusations have come from various artists claiming that Mattina has copied and repurposed their work for his own covers. One of the most prominent accusations came from artist Alex Garner in 2020. Garner accused Mattina of repurposing his artwork for a variant cover of The Flash, which has a striking resemblance to a piece Garner had created featuring the Marvel character Nova. This was not an isolated incident.

In 2017, artist Lee JeeHyung accused Mattina of copying an image he drew of Mary Jane Watson and using it for an exclusive cover of Venom #150. Similarly, artist Walter O’Neill claimed that Mattina had taken an image he drew of the Punisher and repurposed it for a variant cover of The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1. These repeated allegations have cast a shadow over Mattina’s career, leading to significant criticism from the artistic community and fans. Yet, Mattina seems to have crossed another unethical line by using AI in some of his work.

The Francesco Mattina AI controversy, explained

In June 2024, superstar comic book artist Adi Granov publicly called out Mattina for allegedly using AI-generated art for a Superman comic cover. This accusation has sparked a broader debate about the use of AI in art and the ethical implications of such practices. Granov’s criticism highlights concerns about originality and the potential devaluation of traditional artistic skills in the face of advancing technology. 

Adding to the controversy, comic book fans on Reddit and X (formerly known as Twitter) began documenting how Mattina continues to receive work from DC Comics despite being repeatedly caught tracing art. There are dozens of eyebrow-raising examples of how Mattina blatantly stole from other artists or supposedly used AI to speed up his work. This has led to a growing outcry from the comic book community, with many questioning why DC Comics employs an artist with such a controversial history.

DC’s decision to continue working with Mattina despite the allegations raises questions about the company’s commitment to artistic integrity and originality. It also highlights the lack of editorial processes to prevent plagiarism and ensure the artwork’s authenticity. Mattina’s controversy also underscores the challenges of maintaining artistic standards in an era where digital tools and AI are becoming increasingly prevalent. 

So far, DC and Mattina have not officially commented on the controversy. However, given the evident AI traces left in Mattina’s latest artworks, it’s unlikely the artist and publisher can ignore the issue as they have done so many times.