Don’t make it new; make it whole.

Every comic artist comes with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Whether it be crafting that perfect sequence of events that encapsule the action being told, or overcomplicating the look of a hero’s iconic costume, artists have ups and downs when translating their thoughts on paper. Alex Ross, however, is a completely different story.

With Ross’s work, you see an artist that has perfected his craft, with realism and emotion conveyed with every last detail. In every piece, a story is told, regardless of if there is dialogue present or not. Let’s take the image above for example. At first glance you might write it off as a humorous take on Thor trying his first ever milkshake. Which it is, don’t get me wrong, but then you can begin to analyze what the image is representing. A god that is thousands of years old trying what is a common luxury for us, surrounded by people basking in his more than life presence. Every individual staring patiently with smiles, awaiting the Mighty Thor’s approval of the sweet dessert. You can even see Thor gestating slightly on whether or not he will be pleased, the slight glimmer of a smile present to show he is more than happy he was convinced to try such a drink. All of this is told from one single illustration, with each intricate detail spoon fed to the observer. Not to mention the uncanny realist portrayals of all involved. If Thor were to be a real person, I would imagine that his physique would be slightly muscularly exaggerated and vein pulsing just as he is shown here, topped off with the classic hero look of a squared jaw, which in itself suggests great strength and power within the individual.

I could talk all day about Alex Ross’s renditions of the worlds most popular heroes, but his villain depictions shine just as bright. Let’s jump to the other spectrum of comics, DC. Ross’s piece “Infinitely Evil” is a testament to just how good it is to be bad. Rather than being hard to separate from the pack, each villain stands out in their own unique sinister way. Let’s take the clown prince of crime for example, while his eyes aren’t visible due to his low drawn hat, his insidious grin gleams with personality. So much so, that you know who the character is immediately at a first glance. The yellowish white teeth, the red glossed cracks within his chapped smile, we are given the definitive look of Batman’s arch nemesis.

The same care and detail aren’t just present in the Joker, however. Each supporting character brings their own wealth of macabre, almost like each villain is vying for your attention. My personal take on this piece is that Ross is trying to demonstrate how each villain makes their corresponding nemesis’s everyday life a living hell. Not by showcasing an all-out war or action sequence, but by showing the viewer the evil and corruption embodied within each of these characters. In simpler terms, the horror that stands between justice and peace.

While I have mostly been discussing individual pieces or comic covers, its Ross’s work on the 1996 Elseworlds DC Comics story “Kingdom Come”, that is his true magnum opus. Kingdom Come is by far one of the best written and drawn comic stories I have ever had the pleasure of reading. With themes of faith, sacrifice, and redemption humming throughout every page, one must ask themselves, are we even worthy of being exposed to such spectacle?

Alright maybe I am getting a little carried away, but seriously look at the images above. We are shown our human protagonist and narrator, minister Norman McCay, and The Spectre, a hero whose abilities know no bounds. The biblical themes throughout the two images are obvious but used to such perfection. The intricacies of McCay staring up at what he believes to be God himself is remarkable. His face alone gives all the context we need for this scene. Faith dwindling by a thread a moment before, the unmistakable beauty and horror being witnessed reflecting gently off of his eye. His stance questioning whether he should fall to his knees or stand his ground with his misplaced conviction. These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Kingdom Come, and if you have never had a chance to read the book, you are sorely missing out.

The power of Alex Ross isn’t how grand or meticulously crafted his art is, the real power is being able to connect with any individual, regardless of if they are familiar with comics or not. This being his true superpower, Ross’s work has the ability to demonstrate the imagination and wonders of all ideas and thought. Maybe I’m biased (of course I am), but Ross’s art demonstrates what we all hope to achieve, perfection.

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