Pols, in graphic detail

Some people say Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has a temper like the Hulk, others think Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is more slippery than Aquaman -- but did anyone expect the two presumptive presidential candidates to be getting their own comic books?

IDW Publishing, a comics company best known for horror titles (most notably “30 Days of Night”) and adaptations of movies and television shows, is going into the inside-the-Beltway world by publishing “Presidential Material: Barack Obama” and “Presidential Material: John McCain,” comics that chronicle the lives of the two men who both want to be riding on Air Force One. Announcement of the titles was timed to the kickoff of Comic-Con, the annual convention in San Diego for fans of all things pop culture.

The Obama book is written by Jeffrey J. Mariotte (author of the novel “River Runs Red”) and drawn by Tom Morgan, while the McCain edition is written by Andy Helfer (who has done comics biographies of Ronald Reagan and Malcolm X) and drawn by Stephen Thompson. Both have covers drawn by J. Scott Campbell (“Gen13,” “Danger Girl”). The $3.99 books hit stores Oct. 8 or can be ordered online.

“We’re tremendously proud of these books,” IDW President Ted Adams said in a news release. “Comics and graphic novels speak to millions of people encompassing all demographic, social, cultural and economic stripes. It’s a great way to get beyond the headlines on these two candidates.”

In addition to the print versions, mobile phone users can purchase the books for downloading through Uclick’s GoComics.

The question, of course, is which candidate will sell the most copies. We’ll check back in on that in the weeks to come. Our bet? Well, IDW is also putting the two titles together in a flip book (a cover on each side, the stories run in opposite directions inside), and, well, this reporter will just declare himself an undecided voter at this time.

-- Geoff Boucher