Every good superhero has an origin story. In fact, I’d say it can be argued that every good superhero, and supervillain, must have an origin story. A drive to do good, to right the world. A motivation for revenge against their past sins, or to ensure that the mistakes they’ve made are not repeated. San Francisco-based artist Khoa Ho explores this collision of past and present in his series of posters, titled Superheroes – Past/Present.

Ho and his art are profiled on My Modern Met by Pinar:

California-based artist Khoa Ho’s poster series titled Superheroes – Past/Present features iconic superheroes like Batman, Superman, and Spiderman as creatively designed silhouettes revealing their former struggles and current strength. The series draws inspiration form the Batman Begins quote: “It’s not who you are underneath. It’s what you do that defines you.”

The graphic designer’s simple silhouettes are both wonderful to look at and a real treat for comic book lovers. Anyone who knows the stories behind each of these heroic characters will be able to identify the lower half of the image that alludes to past trials and tribulations that have helped form the brave vigilantes they are in the present day.

The ability of these posters to tell the stories of their heroes is simple and effective. One cannot know the hero without first understanding the boy or girl who they once were. These posters capture that history with appropriate melancholy.

To learn more about Khoa Ho, or to find more of his art, you can visit his official website. He also has a collection of art on his Behance page, where he says he’s, ‘just trying to make the universe a better place.’