Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been an astounding creative outlet for many players throughout isolation, quarantine, and the eventual return to everyday life. Animal Crossing fans have created many astounding scenes and designs to make their perfect island paradises, and it's no surprise that some members of the fandom have dedicated their island layouts, outfits, and setups to comic book and superhero aesthetics. Thankfully, many of these designs can be done without many Bells, and can even be accessed in Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Dream Islands.
ACNH gives players almost limitless freedom with the design choices available to them. Animal Crossing's new terraforming and cliff construction can manipulate any and all aspects of the island's layout to match players' needs. The ability to partake in serious construction, as well as utilize the hundreds of items available to purchase or earn, encourages the creative freedom the game is known for.
Recently, superhero culture has taken over entertainment media in many forms. Movies and TV shows based around superpowered characters are practically on every channel, with spinoffs and books close behind. The source material for these stories originated from thousands of issues of comic books, which stuff the shelves of comic stores all over the world. Animal Crossing: New Horizons' DIY and purchasable items can be arranged to portray scenes that reflect this cultural phenomenon.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Filled With Comic Book Designs
Na-Na-Na-Na Batman!
One of the most well-known and influential characters in comic book culture is Batman, the Dark Knight and protector of Gotham City. Alongside his many Robin sidekicks, Bruce Wayne has battled crime throughout the decades and earned his spot as one of the most beloved comic book characters ever created. Players like kona_ddr and Nyotera have shown off their creativity in fun and unique tributes to the Dynamic Duo. Kona_ddr utilized terraforming tools in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to create their own Batman lake, which is about as close to a Batsignal ACNH's islands can get. Nyotera on the other hand designed a Robin outfit for Damian Wayne, and appeared to model a room after the League of Assassins headquarters, the organization he was raised in from birth.
Can't Have Comic Books Without Comic Stores
Meanwhile, some Animal Crossing players don't need specific superheroes to show their love for the comic book industry. Some players, like PinkBananaBlue, have designed their own unique comic book stores for their islands. This setup may appear cramped and chaotic, but perfectly mirrors the arrangement of locally owned comic book shops. The selection of books, magazines, records, and a Nintendo Switch captures the essence of nerd culture that makes comic stores so charming and alluring for fans of the industry. While the design may not follow the traditional style that Animal Crossing has adapted, it certainly accomplishes the comic book shopping experience.
Authors Can Be Fans Too
Fans aren't the only ones that can use Animal Crossing: New Horizons' designs to show their appreciation, sometimes the authors of these comic books want to show their love too. Preeti Chhibber, the author of Avengers Assembly, Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark, and inclusive retellings of The Legends of King Arthur, took to Twitter to show off her photo op setup for Ms. Marvel. The character of Ms. Marvel recently appeared in the Avengers game, where her humble beginnings as a fan unexpectedly led to her superhero career. The meet-and-greet convention style of the photo-op paired with the pixel art of Avengers Assembly's cover captures every comic book fan's dream experience of meeting a superhero.
Thanks to the creativity of Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans, and the sheer amount of items the game offers, almost any comic book scene, character, or store can come to life. While elaborate designs can be slightly difficult to pull off, hard (virtual) work, determination, and Bells can assist players in creating their perfect Animal Crossing island - though fans shouldn't expect Batman or Iron Man to be swooping down to save the day in Animal Crossing any time soon.