OFFICIAL CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT - RAVEN

Raven ©/™ DC Comics

When we started out with 2012, our goal at Superhero of the Month was to try to shake things up and give readers more of a say in who we would redesign over the course of the year. As the last fan-suggested character this year, we're proud to present Raven as your redesign challenge for October!

Since her introduction in the 1980's, Raven's costume has remained relatively the same, with some tweaks for the Teen Titans animated series and an overhaul for the One Year Later story line. Wearing the same thing over the course of nearly 32 years begs for a change.

Superhero of the Month contributor Sarah Meissner, who suggested this contest, said:

Personally, Raven is one of my favourite heroes in the DC universe. I think she is such a complex character, with such potential for redesigns. Her clothes and style in animated TV shows are a little bland. I thought she might fit nicely into the month of October because of her type of heritage.

Earlier this year, we tackled Raven's Teen Titans teammate, Starfire, with spectacular results, so hopefully this contest will bring out much of the same ingenuity that we saw back in February. All standard rules and guidelines apply. Raven redesigns are due October 23 by 6:00 PM MST. The winner of the contest will be announced on Halloween. Good luck!

Savage Dragon Results

Here we are! The final batch of Savage Dragon submissions!

Joe Lozanno

"'I´ve made too many Savage Dragons , this is the one liked more. Red is a superhero color (see Superman and Shazam), and to change from green to red is very common nowadays. I like the 'cop' heroes. (cops do a great job, and as they exist in the real world; they deserve some homage). While I made this drawing I listened to 'cotton fields' , from the Creedence Clearwater Revival ('didn´t you tell that she is dressed in cotton?')."

Peter Foglesong

"In late 19th century Japan, Lars "The Cur" Erikson is a luckless convict sentenced to hard labor overseas for his crimes against the British crown. Left to die at sea by his jailors, he is rescued by a legendary Japanese water deity - the great dragon Watatsumi. Equally displeased by the invasion of his great nation by Europeans and by the responding actions of his human descendant, the Emperor, Watatsumi wishes to visit Japan and make his will known again.

"But unable to travel away from the water for an extended period of time, the ancient sea god offers Eriksen a deal -- become his avatar so that he may freely walk among his people, and in return he will give the gaijin enough power to wreak his revenge on their common enemies. Now they travel the islands of Japan as one, a strange amalgam of man and god, East and West, an enigma known to the modern people as Ryu Satsubatsu - The Savage Dragon."

G. Golembiski II

"I'm a huge fan of Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon series, so I was excited to take a crack at this. I tried to retain the core of Erik's character - proportions and fin. What I wanted to add was an emphasis on 'Dragon'. So I added reptile scales and texturing to him. I also thought 'fire breath' as well, which came in the form of a flaming sword. The look was influenced by a fusion Indian and Chinese weapons, face painting, clothing, and ornamentation. To me it still feels like this Dragon could be an action hero character, but set in a different time or era."

There you have it! Really a small month, but the submissions we got were phenomenal. Let us know what you think in the comments, and stay tuned for winner and October contest announcements in the comming days!