Anthony Lister’s Super Spray Paintings

Maybe it's the fact that I was born the same year the gritty "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Watchmen" were released, but for whatever reason I always dig urban-influenced super hero artwork.

That's where painter Anthony Lister's work comes in. As io9 points out with its gallery of Lister's depictions of heroes and villains in spray paint, the works highlight the common anonymity shared by street artists and crime fighting vigilantes.

While many of Lister's paintings make with the mishmashing and the symbolism, a few stand out as near straight-up portraits.

With Captain America hanging on a cross, Ghost Rider enhanced with what seem to be foam "Hulk Hands" and Batman getting fat on donuts, it makes me wonder if a clearly rendered Wolverine is a statement about anti-heroism in a post-modern culture? Considering Batgirl's image is pretty straightforward too, it's probably just a matter of Lister's mood.

We'll all just have wait for the coffee table book to find out for sure.