The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills Get Glitzy Debut at Comic-Con

Nation's Biggest Pop Culture Event was Launchpad for New Illustrated Novel

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The glittering facade of Beverly Hills just got a serious makeover in the pages of The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills illustrated novel.

Writer and longtime comic-book scribe Steve Stern (Zen Intergalactic Ninja) said, "It's the story of four students at Beverly Hills High who receive some wild powers during a cosmic event at Griffith Observatory, are immediately outed by a tabloid reporter, and then given their own reality TV show." He added with a smile, "What could possibly go wrong?"

Jim Fletcher, who for years was Creative Director of DC Direct, the collectible merchandise division of DC Comics, teamed up with his daughter Leila to provide the illustrations for the novel. "We set out to explore what heroism looks like when filtered through the lens of fame, vanity and the age of social media," Fletcher said.

The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills is published by 1First Books. Publisher Ken F. Levin, who is also an Executive Producer of the Amazon Prime megahit The Boys, said, "With its unique concept, this illustrated novel is a great new addition to our growing imprint, and it received a highly enthusiastic reception at Comic-Con."

Stern and Fletcher have a long history. The two met decades ago when Fletcher created the packaging art for the Zen Intergalactic Ninja videogames from Konami and action figures from Just Toys, as well as illustrated all of the covers for the Zen series published by Archie Comics.

A genre-bending mix of action, humor, and satire that offers a fresh take on the superhero genre, The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills is also suitably action-packed, with a revenge-seeking psychopath who employs an army of AI-enhanced henchmen to disupt events at the Beverly Hills Hotel--as well as at Comic-Con itself. Stern, himself a resident of Beverly Hills, said, "We wanted to really have fun at some of the iconic locations that figure into the book."

What's in the future for The Real Superheroes of Beverly Hills? "Everyone who got a copy at Comic-Con invariably asked, 'Is this a reality TV show?'" Stern added. "And my answer was always, "Hopefully, it will be."

SOURCE 1First Comics