Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross (Pantheon Graphic Library)
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Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross (Pantheon Graphic Library) Details
From Publishers Weekly With art that looks like a hybrid of Norman Rockwell and Jack Kirby, artist Ross has become the preeminent painter of superheroes of his generation. This lavish coffee- table tribute puts him into a pantheon as exalted as the superbeings he depicts. The son of a preacher and an illustrator, Ross was always captivated by superheroes, but it wasn't until he discovered the use of live models in art school that he was able to realize his visions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest. Like Rockwell, Ross uses photographs to set up lighting and staging-a process documented in a section at the end of the book-and like Rockwell, he favors otherworldly lighting effects that somehow serve to make his figures more realistic. Like Kirby, he has an innate belief in the iconic power of superheroes that gives them a dimension far beyond the usual four-colored adventures. Whether in Kingdom Come, a renowned tale of the twilight of the superheroes; his own oversized stories written with Paul Dini; or countless posters, covers and commissions, Ross's vision of beings so powerful they verge on arrogant will make viewers glad they don't exist in the real world. Kidd's text is laudatory but never cloying, and the book includes numerous studies, sketches and photos to show Ross's method. While collectors and fans gush over Ross's output, the sheer weight of pictures of every superteam in DC's universe does become somewhat numbing by the end. Still, the immense power of Ross's best images cuts through any clutter, and this volume deftly showcases just that. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Read more From School Library Journal Adult/High School-This is a coffee-table tribute to the work of the cartoonist. Kind of an odd blend of Norman Rockwell meets Saturday morning cartoons, Ross's gouache painted art glows on the pages. Interspersed with quotations by the artist and those who know him, Kidd's sparse text takes readers on a brief tour of Ross's childhood to his early days in advertising and comic books, finally ending with the limited series "Kingdom Come" (Warner, 1998), which combined hyper-realistic artwork with unusually complex storytelling. The book not only displays samples of finished works but also includes sketches, photographs of live models, and comic art dating back to the 1930s. For a humorous touch, Kidd includes samples of Ross's childhood art, with pieces ranging from rough copies of comic covers to endearing sculptures of Batman and others made out of construction paper. Ultimately, Ross is an artist who quests to reuse and redevelop classic characters like Superman and Wonder Woman and elevate their stories to a level more sophisticated readers can enjoy. High goals, but this man makes it work.Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, AnnandaleCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Read more From Booklist *Starred Review* Ross is arguably comic books' only genuine superstar, whose artistic touch turns any title into a bestseller. His ultrarealistic, painted renditions of iconic superheroes--in which he rather marries the styles of Norman Rockwell and Jack Kirby--impart a grandeur to the characters that their typical adventures only hint at. So singular is Ross' talent and so vast his following that they warrant this lavish, coffee-table-book retrospective of his work for DC Comics that spotlights his portrayals of the company's big guns--Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman--but includes some of his renderings of their lesser lights. Though the book contains numerous excerpts from various stories, including two all-too-short, brand-new strips and preliminary sketches, pencil drawings, and other rarities, Ross' approach is best displayed by the many full-page, posterlike paintings in the book. The lavish tribute is written and designed by Chip Kidd, himself a superstar in the world of book design, and he shows off Ross' grandiosity to full advantage. Ross' exceptional photorealism is actually more convincing than the looks of most of the comic-book adaptations that have hit the movie screen of late, and this succulent artbook should attract noncomics readers as well as the hardcore fans who already revere Ross. Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Read more Review “Alex’s unique style combines the best of the fantastic and the real, creating a world where myths walk and leave tangible footprints in the sand.”–Paul Levitz, President and Publisher, DC Comics Read more From the Inside Flap Here is the incomparable cast of the DC Comics universe: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, the Green Lantern, and the rest of the Justice League as you?ve never seen them before. Mythology brings together the best-loved comic characters in the world, brought to life by one of the most astonishing young artists working in the medium today, Alex Ross. The award-winning designer/writer Chip Kidd and photographer Geoff Spear have teamed up to create a book like no other, with an introduction by M. Night Shyamalan, the acclaimed director of Signs and The Sixth Sense. Ross has often been called ?the Norman Rockwell of comics,? and this book reveals not only his lifelong love of these classic super heroes but also his vision: Mythology takes you into the studio for a behind-the-scenes look at his fascinating creative process. The combination of Ross?s dynamic art and Kidd?s kinetic design make images from his most memorable stories?including Kingdom Come, Superman: Peace on Earth, Batman: War on Crime, and Uncle Sam?soar off the more than 280 pages. There are also hundreds of never-before-seen sketches, limited edition prints, and prototype sculptures. Vintage DC comic panels are interspersed throughout, as reference points from which Ross launches his extraordinary interpretations. And most exciting for Ross fans, inside is a DC Comics first: an exclusive, original Superman-Batman story, written by Kidd and painted by Ross. Also included is an all-new origin of Robin, written by Paul Dini. Mythology is a book in which every page explodes with the power of the icons it celebrates. Read more About the Author ALEX ROSS has produced more than 1,500 pages of comics material in less than fourteen years–an extraordinary body of work that has earned him every major award in the industry. Ross was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1970 and eventually settled in Chicago where he attended the American Academy of Art. Among his best-known books are: Marvels, Kingdom Come, Uncle Sam, Earth X, Superman: Peace on Earth, Batman: War on Crime, and JLA: Liberty and Justice.CHIP KIDD is the author and designer of Batman Collected and Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz. His book jacket designs for Alfred A. Knopf helped break new ground in the field, from the late 1980s to the present. The Cheese Monkeys, Kidd’s first novel, published in 2001, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.GEOFF SPEAR has photographed for numerous publications, including Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, GQ, Newsweek, and the New York Times. His images have also appeared in national ad campaigns for AT&T, American Express, Citibank, and IBM. His photographs for Batman Collected were chosen for the American Photography annual of the best of 1996. Read more
Reviews
I'm a baby boomer and love the mythology in superhero comics. If you like DC comics, then this book is for you.If you like Alex Ross's interpretation of DC comic characters or just his amazing artwork, this book is for you.If you want to know more about Alex's biographical and professional history beginning with childhood, family influences, professional beginnings and into his creative process .... this book is for you. The wonderful writer/designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geoff Spear have teamed up to produce an extraordinary "illustrated biography" of Alex Ross and his DC characters. Kidd's text is descriptive and insightful and includes numerous studies, hundreds of sketches and artwork and photos on almost every single page that highlight Ross's creative process and method. In addition to Kidd's narrative, the book is peppered with Alex Ross quotes and personal insights. I am especially drawn to how Ross re-envisioned the major characters of the DC universe and created three dimensional icons that owe a debt of gratitude to artists like Rockwell and Wyeth. Now I know how Ross uses photographs to set up other worldly lighting effects that make his characters look more realistic. Like Kirby, he has an innate belief in the iconic power of superheroes that gives them a dimension far beyond the usual four-colored adventures. The end result includes lush and vibrant colors with a scrupulous attention to detail that re-imagine the great super-heroes as they might actually appear if they existed today. His sense of realism is totally cool. I'm no artist, just a fan. so this book took me "behind the scenes" to experience Alex Ross at work in his studio. There is a video review in one of the other reviews where you can see the whole layout of the book. This is my second copy of this book, if I could give it a rating a six stars I would.
