Rough Justice by Alex Ross

Alex Ross has painted many covers for DC Comics. And they've been collected...almost ten years ago, in his book Mythology. Rough Justice, on the other hand, has sketches and preliminary art, and so will be of most interest to other artists.

Ross's pencil lines are as precisely and closely observed as his more-famous painted art is; he's an artist who really looks at models and objects and tries to draw them like real, solid things. His story ideas, in common with most of the popular comics creators of his generation, are almost entirely rehashed versions of the stuff he loved as a kid -- untold tales of Kandor, a '70s-style Shazam!, lots of Justice Society, and even a new story of the Super-Sons. Hardcore DC fans will love that, of course -- Ross is one of them, and deeply cares about this stuff. Those of us who just like to read stories will look at it, be impressed at the craft, and quietly move on to something with more substance of its own.