Look out for Batman Optima this week! It’s going to be unveiled on October 10th in conjunction with New York Comic-Con which is coming up this weekend. Jim Lee is overseeing the creative direction of all eight planned vehicles.
Kia Motors America (KMA), one of the fastest-growing car companies in the U.S has joined forces with renowned comic book publisher DC Entertainment, to bring the World’s Greatest Super Heroes to life by combining automotive styling with comic book art. The partnership, which will yield eight individually customized vehicles, harnesses the talents of legendary comic book artist and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee, who has collaborated on the design of each car with his vision for each iconic member of DC Comics’ Justice League.
Each core member of the Justice League line-up – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg – has been matched to a Kia vehicle based on key attributes and character traits to create custom, one-of-a-kind rides to be unveiled over the next ten months at major auto shows and comic conventions across the U.S.
The Kia-DC Entertainment partnership will yield a total of eight vehicles timed to be unveiled around five major events around the U.S., including New York Comic-Con, SEMA Show in Las Vegas, North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Wonder-Con and San Diego Comic-Con. Many of Kia’s most recognizable and decorated models – the Optima, Soul, Sorento, Sportage, Rio and Forte will wear the iconic colors and marks of the legendary Justice League Super Heroes and be built by West Coast Customs, RIDES magazine, Import Tuner magazine and others.
The partnership between KMA and DC Entertainment was conceived to benefit “We Can Be Heroes” (www.WeCanBeHeroes.org), a giving campaign, dedicated to helping fight hunger in the Horn of Africa and inspired by the heroism of the iconic Justice League characters. “We Can Be Heroes” encourages everyday people to join the fight by getting involved and donating to bring help and hope to the people most affected by the hunger crisis. Each vehicle will feature a customized piece of Lee’s specially-designed artwork to be auctioned at the conclusion of the program with all net proceeds going to the “We Can Be Heroes” program. In addition to the seven vehicles inspired by the individual superhero characters, the Kia-DC Entertainment partnership will culminate with a fully-drivable custom car that encompasses each member of the Justice League that will be auctioned off to raise money for the cause. Kia will help to raise awareness for the “We Can Be Heroes” campaign throughout the partnership through customized “We Can Be Heroes” license plates, signage, collateral materials and in-vehicle video displays.
What an awesome way to give back. This is just another reason why I hate the fact that I am not a NYCC (next year it’s on though), but good enough reason to get super stoked for SDCC 2013. Stay tuned to Geek Mundo for more news on Kia and DC’s Justice League vehicles!