A PORTFOLIO of iconic comic book covers signed by Marvel mastermind Stan Lee is on show in Bournemouth.

The limited edition pieces are the second instalment of the Superheroes collection at Westover Gallery, which features original artwork from Spiderman, the Avengers and the Incredible Hulk.

Ally Tanswell, manager at the gallery, said as soon as she saw the collection she knew it was something they would like to have there.

She said: “We laid eyes on them and straight away, we thought ‘we have to have these, this is something really special’.”

Stan Lee became a big name when he was the first comic book writer to challenge the flawless archetypes which had dominated the superhero genre. He humanised his characters by making them more complex, yet also more approachable: the Avengers bickered among themselves, Spiderman worried about bills and his girlfriend—they sometimes even fell ill, something that was unheard of in the world of superheroes at the time.

“The collection has brought in all kinds of different people, a lot of whom wouldn’t usually venture into an art gallery,” Ally explains.

“Many people never actually considered comic books as art, so this has grabbed everyone’s attention. Lots of people have been stopping in the street outside to have a look and we’ve already had quite a few buyers.”

Lee pioneered the use of comic books to address social issues including drug use, discrimination and injustice. Though he never set out to make political comments, he dropped the whimsical escapism usually associated with superheroes, opting to use his characters to hold a mirror to society instead.

This caused the Comics Code Authority (CCA) to refuse to grant its seal, as some content was judged to be inappropriate—for example, Lee’s criticism and negative depiction of drugs through Spiderman’s best friend’s addictions.

But when Lee was successful the code was subsequently loosened to give comic writers more freedom and room for social commentary.

It was this extension beyond the characters and storylines which strengthened the community between readers and creators, thus creating the cult following of American comic books which continues to stand the test of time today.

Prices for the prints start at £695.