Funny Business with Jane Wells

Edward Snowden: Comic book superhero?

What do Edward Snowden, Sarah Palin and Justin Bieber have in common?

They all hate each other. Probably.

However, here is something improbable but true. All three have been profiled in comic books created by Bluewater Productions.

Yes, Edward Snowden is now a comic book hero.

"Edward Snowden has been called a whistleblower, a hero, a traitor, a criminal ... but who is he really?" asks a press release announcing the comic "Beyond: Edward Snowden." In the graphic novel being released this week, "Bluewater takes a look at the man behind the headlines, searching for what might have motivated him to commit one of the biggest leaks of classified information in U.S. history."

Read MoreBeyond super: Five cool, crowdfunded comic books

We profiled Bluewater Productions three years ago, as founder Darren Davis was looking for new ways to boost comic book sales in an industry sliding into the history books. He figured people were less interested in The Green Lantern, more interested in Mark Zuckerberg. It's apparently a formula that's still working.

Edward Snowden greeted warmly at SXSW
VIDEO2:0202:02
Edward Snowden greeted warmly at SXSW

The Snowden bio-comic was written by Valerie D'Orazio, who has written for Marvel Comics' "Punisher" series, with art by Dan Lauer. D'Orazio believes the project shows "a side of Edward Snowden the public has never really seen before." (Meanwhile, the FBI would like to see any side or sign of Snowden, period.)

What do we learn? That Snowden liked ponies, martial arts, Japanese food, guns and girls. "And I like my lamer friends!" says a youngish bespectacled Snowden, who looks a bit like Harry Potter. That impression is only reinforced when Snowden is shown wearing a wizard's hat on another page.

Read MoreAmazon to buy digital comic books publisher

This is not the first potentially controversial graphic novel Bluewater Productions has published. Previous comics tracked figures like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

"We were doing this before the 'Bridgegate' issue, so we had to keep adding to it as we were doing it," Davis told CNBC. He said the company's most successful hot-topic comic so far was "Killing Geronimo: The Hunt for Bin Laden," which Davis said ran 96 pages. The company sold 25,000 copies.

Does Snowden deserve the comic book treatment? For those who consider the infamous NSA leaker more bad guy than good, more Lord Voldemort than Harry Potter, take comfort. Bluewater is publishing his story under its "Beyond" banner, which previously focused on The Joker, "one of pop-culture's most fearsome villains."

Read MoreUS braces for China backlash on cyberspying charges

"Whether you find Edward Snowden to be Robin Hood or Dillinger, he reminded us about the precarious nature of information in a digital world," said Davis. "There are always people who will take exception to a controversial figure. It is our job not to tip the scales one way or the other, but allow the readers to make their own informed decisions."

—By CNBC's Jane Wells.