Like Batman founding the Justice League or Iron Man assisting in the formation of the Avengers, comic book editor Scott Dunbier sought to build a band of superstars.

        Dunbier put out the call, and the top stars in the US comic book business swiftly agreed to cooperate on a special anthology to collect funds for Ukrainian war refugees.

        The result is Comics For Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds, a 96-page book created by some of Dunbier's favorite authors, painters, colorists, letterers, designers, and editors.

        The money raised will go to Operation USA, a Los Angeles-based disaster relief organization that is soliciting funds for Ukrainian war refugees. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, over five million Ukrainians have fled abroad.

        It has raised $67,000 on the Zoop crowdfunding platform two days after its start on Wednesday. Dunbier said the publishing date is still up in the air, depending on how much money is gathered through pre-orders after a month. The Ukraine project, like many comic books, has a backstory.

        "It was basically me being glued to my TV watching the horror, the atrocities unfold, and just feeling like I had to do something. And, you know, then it clicked. I thought in some small way, maybe this would help," Dunbier said.

        The initiative makes no pretense of objectivity, portraying Ukraine as David over Russian Goliath.

        Russia's involvement is described as a "special military operation" aimed at demilitarizing and "denazifying" Ukraine. 

        Alex Ross, one of the industry's most well-known cover painters, created a blue-and-yellow-clad Ukrainian standing up to a faceless behemoth holding a hammer and sickle on the front of the $60 hardback version.

        Three other soft covers were designed by three additional major hitters: Arthur Adams, Dave Johnson, and Bill Sienkiewicz, and are available for $40 each. "I enjoy it when I can shove my finger in the eye of an authoritarian or tread on the bully and trip them," Sienkiewicz remarked. "I loathe Putin," says the author.

        His cover depicts a Ukrainian with a shield and a sword in front of a massive bear with a bloodied snout who is astonished to face opposition. A teddy bear resembling Russian President Vladimir Putin has been impaled by the sword.

        Brent Anderson, Sergio Aragones, June Brigman, Kurt Busiek, Howard Chaykin, Joshua Dysart, Mark Evanier, Emil Ferris, Dave Gibbons, Rob Guillory, John Layman, Gabriel Rodriguez, Stan Sakai, Louise Simonson, Walter Simonson, Chris Sprouse, Jill Thompson, Matt Wagner, and Mark Waid are just a few of the artists who have donated work.

        Some of the stories are situated in Ukraine, while others are metaphorical in nature. Sakai is the creator of the Usagi Yojimbo manga series, which follows a rabbit warrior in medieval Japan. According to Dunbier, his narrative shows peasants being chased out by an evil warlord.