Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “No More Heroes (Yellow)”
Summary
A flying Superman, rendered in bold comic-book line against a yellow Ben-Day-dot background, but with his face rotted into a grinning skull, hollow eyes and bared teeth above the familiar red cape and chest shield. It is a centerpiece of D*Face's "death of the superhero" imagery, in which he defaces a mass-culture idol to expose the decay beneath manufactured icons of power.
Why It Matters
The print distills D*Face's central project: taking the most recognizable figures of American comic and consumer culture and corrupting them from the inside. By turning Superman, the ultimate symbol of incorruptible authority, into a flying corpse, he undercuts hero-worship, militarized power, and the immortality that brands and celebrities sell. It sits squarely in the lineage of Pop appropriation, borrowing Lichtenstein's halftone dots and comic framing, but weaponizing them with a punk, anti-establishment edge. The Superman-as-skull motif is one of D*Face's most legible and frequently revisited images, making this a clear statement of his thematic worldview.
Collector Perspective
With an edition of just 58, this sits at the scarce end of D*Face's screen-print output, well below the 100-plus runs that are more common for him. The subject helps: the skull-faced Superman is among his most sought-after and instantly identifiable images, and the "death of a superhero" theme has a steady audience among urban-art buyers. The Yellow colorway is one of several variants in this series, which can split demand across the palette but also gives collectors a recognizable set to chase. It occupies a solid mid-market position rather than a blue-chip one; condition, the colorway's relative popularity, and intact signing/numbering will drive realized prices.
Historical Context
Made in 2010, during what is framed here as D*Face's Pop Provocation Era, the print draws directly on Golden- and Silver-Age Superman comic art and the Pop-art halftone vocabulary of the 1960s. The decade after the 2008 financial crisis sharpened the appetite for art that questioned authority, fame, and the promises of consumer culture, and D*Face's rotting all-American icon reads as a comment on the hollowing-out of power and the cult of the indestructible hero. The DC Comics source imagery places it firmly within his broader practice of hijacking copyrighted pop iconography.
FAQ
What does this print actually depict?
A flying Superman in full costume, cape and chest shield, but with his face decomposed into a grinning skull with hollow eyes and bared teeth, set against a yellow Ben-Day-dot halftone background with comic-style motion lines.
How large is the edition, and is it signed?
The edition size is 58, placing it at the scarcer end of D*Face's screen-print releases. His limited prints are typically hand-signed and numbered, though signing and numbering should be confirmed for this specific impression.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print, the technique most associated with D*Face's editioned work.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is the British street artist Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a Pop-influenced provocateur known for defacing comic, advertising, and celebrity imagery, his winged-eyed D*Dog and skull motifs, and for co-founding the StolenSpace gallery.
Why is Superman shown as a skull?
The skull-faced superhero is one of D*Face's signature devices for satirizing hero-worship, power, and the false immortality sold by mass culture, corrupting an icon of authority from within.
Related Works
About the Artist
D*Face is the working name of Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a leading figure in British street art. He came up pasting stickers and posters across London in the early 2000s, then built a pop-fuelled visual language that defaces comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity iconography. Recurring motifs include his winged-eyed D*Dog, grinning skulls and doomed comic-strip lovers. His practice spans screenprints, hand-painted multiples, sculpture and large-scale murals worldwide, and he co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London. His work satirises consumerism, power and our collective obsession with fame.
Collecting D*Face at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic D*Face prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of D*Face prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new D*Face prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across D*Face and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.