It's that time of year again, when ESPN The Magazine presents its coveted Body Issue. But this year's a little different. Sure, there's amazing coverage on a wide array of lauded athletes from all walks of life; however, this issue includes a special insert entitled "The Body Issue: Super Heroes Edition" that features never-before-seen images of some of our favorite Marvel characters like Iron Man, the Hulk and Ant-Man, as well as commentary by the artists.

Aside from the hard copy, ESPN.com is offering a digital sketchbook that gives readers an interactive behind-the-scenes look at the process behind these images from artists including. Sara Pichelli, Alex Maleev, Emanuela Lupacchino, Leinil Francis Yu, Frank Cho, Russell Dauterman, Mike Deodato, Jim Cheung and Greg Land.

Take a look at some anatomical artwork (don't worry, it's suitable for work) and artist commentary below.

IRON MAN

“Drawing super heroes? Well, they have to be perfect. They are like modern gods.” —Mike Deodato

ANT-MAN

“I always try to have the musculature of something that could possibly exist. Even though everything looks extremely exaggerated, I still want him to look like he can move and be functional.” —Greg Land

THE HULK

“When I’m illustrating such dynamic figures, background explosions help sell the impact the character is having on the environment around him. The toughest part is trying to show the kinetic energy in a static image.” —Jim Cheung

CAPTAIN MARVEL

“I work to combine correct proportions and powerful muscle shapes with a commonly accepted idea of beauty.” —Sara Pichelli

DAREDEVIL

“My goal is to make super heroes more human. We look to see ourselves in many masked vigilantes. Not only with Daredevil, but many characters I draw are based on real people. —Alex Maleev

LUKE CAGE

“I tend to gravitate toward athletes when it comes to getting a reference for my artwork. Particularly MMA fighters, who have a more functional physique.” —Leinil Francis Yu

IRON FIST

“I do tons of reference. I try to get a variety of artists from different time periods to see how different people represented the character. —Russell Dauterman