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Firefighters as comic book heroes

NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York's bravest are depicted as superheroes in a new art exhibit on display at the New York City Fire Museum in lower Manhattan.

The exhibit, called "Heroes Among Us," opened Tuesday and will remain on view until February 7. It is a tribute to the firefighters who responded to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center -- and the 343 firefighters who perished when the twin towers collapsed.

The panels on display come from two recently published comic books: "Heroes," from Marvel Comics, and "911: Emergency Relief," published by Alternative Comics.

The images are artists' interpretations of fire rescues of that day and their own experiences following the fast-developing news of September 11.

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Profits from both comics are to be donated to charities. The Marvel book is already in its third printing and has sold close to a million copies.

The Marvel book -- all in color -- includes panels drawn by top illustrators in the field, including one by "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane and one by an original "Spiderman" artist.

The show was organized by the New York City Comic Book Museum. Its founder, David Gabriel, said the exhibit is about hope.

"Even though comic books are always villains versus the hero, [Marvel] really left out the villain, which was a beautiful idea on their part,"Gabriel said. "So when you come in, you're only going to see the hero. You're going to see the good that happened on that day and the good nature that went on in the city that we all felt."