Holy Swoosh, Batman: The Wall Street Journal reports that product placement--now commonplace in movies and on TV--is coming to comic books, with brands like Nike, Pontiac and Dodge paying to have their products or logos included in the artwork. The hero of one DC Comics series will drive a Pontiac Solstice, and a character in the X Men has been shown wearing a Nike T-shirt.

According to the Journal article: "The industry's two giants, DC and Marvel, are promoting some of their titles as places to reach one of Madison Avenue's most elusive audiences: guys in their 20s. Notoriously hard to reach, young adult males are known to be wary of traditional sales pitches, especially ones that get in the way of their entertainment."

It remains to be seen how comic fans will respond.