The Alex Ross Marvel Comics Poster Book by Alex Ross (book review).
Any book with Alex Ross’ name on it is going to sell. This book, ‘The Alex Ross Marvel Comics Poster Book’ contains 33 posters and one massive 4 page poster. Not quite as big as the one in the Marvel New York Office but should fill some standard bedroom’s wall.
In the introduction, Alex Ross explains he was commissioned for this giant painting but suggested he should do it the same way he did the DC Comics characters and paint each character individually so they could double as posters and Marvel left it to him as to which costumes they wore and era, albeit the classical Lee/Kirby era leading into the 1970s with Cockrum’s X-Men. This also allowed him to spend a day on each character and the results are in this book.
I think the biggest nuisance is having Ross’ text about each character and what he thought about each painting on the back of each painting, mostly because you can’t look at the painting and read at the same time. From a logistic sense, it probably makes sense for when you put them on the wall, but would you really turn them over to have a quick read once you’ve done that?
I suspect many people will keep most of the posters in the book or even get two copies, although I should point out this book is quickly selling out. When you get to the likes of Thor and Daredevil’s info is shared on his double-page, it is feasible that you could cut him out from the end of his cape and not damage DD. Ditto for Nightcrawler and Dr. Strange.
Oddly, many of the characters are standing with their arms crossed or lightly posed, than displaying their powers. Don’t expect Reed Richards to be stretching or Medusa’s hair flying around, although I suspect that might have been a problem with posing them as a group and obscuring other characters.
I think the biggest surprise was not seeing Nick Fury in his SHIELD days. Picking out favourites is tough but the shear complexity of painting the Silver Surfer with reflections on his surfboard has to be a favourite.
Ross’ comments about each character and what appealed to him also makes for an interesting read and more than just a simple poster book.
GF Willmetts
February 2022
(pub: Abrams ComicArts, 2021. 48 page A2 softcoverish. Price: I pulled my copy for about £13.00 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-4197-5378-3)
check out websites: www.abramscomicsarts.com and www.abramsbooks.com
