(PODCAST) This Week In Marvel: More From Alex Ross!
Last week, we were reliving Marvels, as painted by Alex Ross. Today, Ryan Penagos wrote up a “deep dive” to accompany the current (and bonus) episode of This Week In Marvel.
Picture it: Marvel of the late ‘90s. Artist Alex Ross has gained great fame and acclaim for painting not just MARVELS for us, but also an incredible alternate reality four-issue story for our distinguished competition about a future overrun with new generations of super–powered heroes and villains. But at the House of Ideas, Alex had bigger ambitions. Alongside co-writer Jim Krueger and artist John Paul Leon, Ross envisioned a sprawling, epic, alternate reality story set years ahead in modern Marvel’s future, but with deep roots to its very beginnings. This is EARTH X!
Image: Marvel.com
He added:
Getting set up for shooting work videos at home. A bit of my current makeshift shoot space. pic.twitter.com/4zJCVCSCTG
— Ryan Penagos (@AgentM) March 23, 2020
When we say sprawling, we mean it! The whole kit ‘n’ caboodle is more than 50 issues long, beginning with the Earth X Special Edition published by Marvel and Wizard Magazine in November 1997. It’s an introduction to many of the core characters and includes sketches and descriptions by Alex Ross. The first proper story issue of EARTH X wouldn’t arrive for over a year; EARTH X #0 was released in January 1999. The EARTH X series would span 12 more numbered issues, as well as X and ½ issues, ending in mid-2000. The sequel, UNIVERSE X, was told across 20 issues from July 2000 to September 2001. The final part of the original trilogy, PARADISE X, was 23 issues across the main title, one-shots, and two tie-in limited series from 2001 to 2003.
And he ain’t kidding, about the deep dive or the epic comic series. Be sure to check out the full podcast (above), the full article, and then try and track down the collected volumes at your local shop.
