DC Comics’ Batman is a comic book icon and while we wouldn’t directly associate him with the Naruto manga, there is one thing they have in common: their popularity. Despite the different places of him in the consciousness of pop culture, the artist Jorge Jimenez, comic book inker and artist best known for his work alongside DC Comics and Batman, has brought them together in this incredible fanart. Much of that work has seen his name attached to Super Sons, Superman, Justice League and, most notably, Batman.
Jiménez’s run on Batman goes hand-in-hand with writer James Tynion IV, birthing the likes of Punchline, Ghost-Maker, Clownhunter and Miracle Molly, culminating in events like Joker War and Fear State. While Jimenez isn’t currently drawing Batman, he will return to the title with incoming writer Chip Zdarsky for Batman #125 in July, in a six-issue arc titled Failsafe. Even though this artist is best known for his Batman related titles, his genesis as an artist dates back to Naruto.
In a Tweet, Jorge Jiménez revealed that he was inspired to become a comic book artist because of the Naruto series. Reading that series inspired him to dedicate his life “to drawing without looking back.” To accentuate and pay homage to his inspiration, this artist made a sketch of himself alongside his idol. For DC fans, Jimenez’s art wouldn’t be the same without Naruto.
Naruto’s influence on Batman and the world of comics
This is not the first time Jorge Jiménez reveals his manga influences like Naruto. In 2019, he tweeted that a key Superman moment from Justice League #25 is a direct reference to Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z Chapter 415. Like Gohan, Superman evokes the spirits of his adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, and his son, Jon Kent. as he throws a powerful punch. Jiménez described the panel as “a clear homage to the manga that inspired me to start drawing and fight hard for what I believe in.”
Sometimes I share this drawing I did when I finished reading the Naruto manga.. Naruto and I are in it, I know it’s a bit childish and crazy, but this series inspired me to dedicate myself to drawing without looking back, and that’s why I I’m a comic book artist today. #naruto pic.twitter.com/yYhUJOKwUm
— Jorge Jimenez (@JorgeJimenezArt) March 18, 2022
It is clear that the manga means a lot to Jiménez’s art and serves as a great source of inspiration. Given that anime such as Naruto are immensely popular outside of Japan, it should come as no surprise that many of this generation’s writers and artists are inspired in some way by it. Jiménez is no different, as evidenced by the way he pays homage in both his tweeted sketch and his actual work.. This highlights the ways manga has impacted the western comic industry, with Batman artists like Jorge Jimenez being influenced by manga like Naruto.
Related topics: Naruto
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