LogoShop Part 4: LexCorp
Creating a brand identity for Superman’s nemesis.
This is part of a blog series on logo design. Read additional articles on DC Comics, the Justice League, Superman, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Punisher, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Adidas.
He’s a business magnate and egomaniac who thrived in the 1980’s, and attached his name to everything he owned. He fought constantly with anyone who threatened his standing as the most powerful and influential man in town. He later ran a successful campaign to become the president of the United States, in spite of (or perhaps because of) his ruthlessness.
I’m talking about Lex Luthor, CEO and founder of LexCorp.
It wasn’t always this way. Luthor actually started out as a mad scientist in his earlier appearances in Superman comics of the 1940's. But when DC Comics hit its 50th anniversary in 1985, their vast array of titles were rebooted and reimagined for a new generation of readers. And so Luthor transformed from scientist to businessman, using his multinational corporation, the aptly-named LexCorp, as a front for his covert war on Superman.
It made perfect sense. For a man as brilliant and callous as Luthor, why wouldn’t he channel some of that energy into building and maintaining a vast fortune? It’s an idea so obvious, there’s even a trope for it. And so, to make Luthor a more plausible and enduring thorn in Superman’s side, LexCorp was born.
And for every corporation, there must be a logo.
Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated or endorsed by DC Comics or LexCorp. The LogoShop series is purely speculative, meant to illuminate the creative process behind brand identity design.
The Background
Even though Lex Luthor first appeared in 1940, LexCorp didn’t make an appearance until 1987. As mentioned above, DC Comics rebooted most of their titles at the time, so LexCorp was a byproduct of that shift.
LexCorp’s most defining feature was the LexCorp tower, an L-shaped skyscraper that dominated the Metropolis skyline. Luthor was all about showing off his power, so his corporate headquarters was a natural extension of that.
The “L” tower was a mainstay for the next decade, until the Y2K virus transformed Metropolis into a true “City of Tomorrow.” The LexCorp building subsequently became a single building with twin towers that extended above Luthor’s central office, creating a double “L” intended to evoke Luthor’s initials.
Later comics and other adaptations would tinker with the look of LexCorp tower, so a single representation never took hold.
The LexCorp logo is similarly inconsistent. The brand is rooted in science and technology, so most representations play up that look in the typeface. As for the mark itself, a stylized letter “L” is most common, either italicized or in a triangle cutout, as it was in the 1996 Superman animated series.
With the release of Batman vs. Superman in 2016, a concerted effort was made to give LexCorp a proper brand identity, given that it played such a pivotal role in the film. So how did they do, in the broader context of comic book history?
The Problem
The LexCorp logo, as seen in Batman vs. Superman and its tie-in materials, has the perfect tone for the company it represents. It’s cold, sleek, and cutting edge.
One major problem though.
Lex Luthor’s brand has everything to do with the letter “L.” So much so that the design of his corporate headquarters for 13 years was the shape of the letter itself. And, like so many other characters in Superman’s orbit, Luthor has double-L initials.
So to put the emphasis on the letter “X” ignores much of the character’s history. And we also shouldn’t forget that there’s another comic book brand that pretty much owns the letter “X,” Marvel’s X-Men, so trying to use that letter for a rival property is a losing battle.
So what do we have? A major science and technology company, defined by its founder, working diligently to better mankind while secretly working against the superhero community.
The Solution
I started with the triangle, a shape that signifies ascension and achievement, as well as an association with secret power, like the Illuminati. The logo from the 1996 animated series used the triangle as a basis for the LexCorp brand, so I wanted to build on that foundation.
Turning the triangle into the letter “L” was a relatively simple task, splitting the shape into thirds and removing the top right portion. In doing so, I maintained the the overall triangle shape while introducing a forward leaning letter “L.”
I then went to work on the typeface, using the Batman vs. Superman version as a source. I liked the way the logo used separate colors for the two halves of the name, but I didn’t like how it split up the “X” by introducing a third color. Instead, I turned the left half of the “X” into an arrow, pointing to the second half of the name. This subtly suggests forward motion, since the company builds the technology of tomorrow.
Finally, I brought it all together to create the full logo (below). The text is positioned so it continues the lines of the triangle.
What’s great about this one is that either element, the mark or the type, can live on its own to tell the brand story.
And there you have it. A corporate brand identity that is simultaneously classy and intimidating, drawing on the history and iconography of the character at its center.
That’s it for this installment of LogoShop. And if you want to feel like you’re the head of a sinister corporation, you can download a pair of wallpapers from this article here.
Join me next time, where I’ll refine the identity sported by Batman’s former sidekick, Nightwing. It’s going to be fun.
Bye for now.
Hi, I’m Daniel Beadle, writer, artist, and design consultant. Follow me and my work at DanielBeadle.com.
