Marvelocity: The Marvel Comics Art of Alex Ross
Relive almost three decades of high-energy comic book art by a master of the medium
Authors Chip Kidd & Geoff Spear Publisher Titan Price £35 Web www.titanbooks.com Available Now
Alex Ross only ever had one dream: to draw and paint superheroes. For nearly 30 years now he’s being doing exactly that, bring to life some of the biggest Marvel characters, including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and many more. This collection goes right back to the beginning of Alex’s journey as an artist, complete with a batch of charming Spider-Man drawings he scribbled at the age of five, and charts his development into a leading comics illustrator. Already hitting a standard most of us can only dream of before he was even 20, Marvelocity also includes critical feedback from the man himself on his own work, not all of it favourable.
Broken down by projects, properties and influences, the bulk of this book is a sometimes overcrowded visual barrage of high-octane art that ranges from sketches to paintings and sculptures. Even if you’re not the most well-seasoned comic book fan, the quality of art and storytelling on display is admirable in itself.
Rounding off the collection is an exclusive short comic written and illustrated by Alex. Without giving away the ending, the story captures the sense of wonder that got him into comics to begin with. A fascination which he, in turn, has passed on to generations of readers. Ra ting ★★★★