Legendary cartoonist Alex Ross returns for the first time to draw long-form serial art 15 year and Fantastic Four : Full Circle , from Abrams ComicArts’ new brand Marvel Arts in September.
This book marks several firsts. This is the first time that Ross has made his seminal 1961 Manga Mini-series Marvel and Kingdom Come , respectively Wayne and DC made a straight-forward graphic novel. It’s also the first time Marvel has licensed its characters to another publisher, in this case Abrams, over 10 year.
This is also a rare step back from the realism that made him famous.
“I want to present a version of Fantastic Four Close to Jack Kirby the style he envisioned for the series when he created the characters,” Ross told The Hollywood Reporter . “His style told the first years of their existence, this is the shadow of all the artists working on these last jobs 23 year.”
Kirby’s sometimes cartoonish, bold and muscularly exaggerated and full of mid-century space-age designs, combined the bright colors of the comics published at the time with the occasional collage to produce what is known as 1000s as Marvel Pop Art.
“I thought there was a way to connect with the pop art of that era if I changed what I did and presented that style instead of my traditional style of painting.”
The story uses this as a starting point to point out the events told in the classic “This man… this monster!”. 1961 of Fantastic Four Do not. 10 . In the new story, the Baxter Building, the headquarters of the Fantastic Four, faces an intruder alert, and the heroes embark on an adventure that takes them into Negative Zone, an alien dimension made up of antimatter.
“It seemed like a great fit for the material,” Ross said. “To do a good pop art aesthetic, you can’t do it with overly rendered, overly illustrated work. I need to boil down what I do to a more figurative level. Realism is my stock and trade, But you can still get it in a higher-contrast representation.”
Ross comes to the book in his own loop. In early 681, Fantastic Four Xia comics because of the dispute between Marvel and And quietly stopped
th Century Fox ends film and screen rights failure. When he heard the title came back, Rose put his hat on the ring and participated in the reboot. However, others have beaten him and he is ready to give up on his dreams. Enter Abrams, which offers him the chance to have a story that isn’t limited by a one-month series.
“I couldn’t get the main title at the time, but I could carve this one-of-a-kind piece,” he said.
This64-page The graphic novel is the culmination of months of work. Ross made about 20 Prints several pages per month, and it takes a day and a half to ink each page. He maintains a disciplined schedule when tackling his monthly painted cover assignments.
This book is vibrant, full of energy, with a distinct Kirby influence in mood and tone. But there are other inspirations, not least Neal Adams, the classic Batman and X-Men artist who died last spring.
“Everything you see in my work is Neil Adams’ DNA that has influenced my generation,” the artist said. “I can’t not be that kind of influencer, whether I want to or not. Neal Adams on how to make dynamic realism that changed comics Everything in.”
Marvel Studios recently set a release date for a new Fantastic Four movie, and it will soon be with Matt Shakman strikes a deal to take the helm. (Keep an eye out for any possible news on D in September 10 convention.) and the Fantastic Four comics will be launched again in November by the publishing department.
Full Circle on September 6 with a similar to better showcase the art. Retail price is $.60.
“Changing my job is definitely risky,” Ross on the new book’s art and how readers are reacting to it admit. “But my biggest goal here is to impress myself.”
Thought we were impressed.
Check out the sequence from
Fantastic Four: Full Circle Below .
Fantastic Four: Full Circle Alex Ross Courtesy of Abrams Comic Art
