One might say cartoons and Islam have a rather testy relationship. In early 2006, the Muslim world erupted in protest when Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten printed cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)in less-than-flattering caricatures. While this affair played out worldwide, grabbing international headlines, it completely pushed aside the release of another cartoon related to Islam, one a whole lot more colorful and positive.

If you googled 'Islamic comics' around that time, you were bombarded with search results about the Danish controversy. But, a tenacious searcher would have also found a New York Times story published on January 22 about a revolutionary new comic strip from the Arab world, called The 99. The big deal? It is the first superhero-based comic strip created with Islamic values and ideals in mind  a rarity in an industry dominated by American and Japanese authors.

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