The Art of Zenescope Limited Edition Volume 1 Hardcover – September 3, 2013

I have been a big fan of "bad girl" art for a number of years. It was Michael Turner that initially got me interested in this genre of comic art, back when he was working at Top Cow, doing work on Witchblade and Fathom. I was actually in art school at the time, going for my B.F.A. with my focus in photography. I remember going over to a fellow students apartment to pick up some equipment and seeing a big lithograph of Witchblade #25 on his wall. That is one of the more iconic Witchblade covers, the one with Witchblade and Fathom standing in the pool of water next to the waterfall. It just immediately struck a chord in me as I had always loved comics and comic art but had never seen comic art like that before. I had seen "bad girl" comic art before but Michael Turner took it to a whole new level quality wise and all of his work was very tastefully done. I have always been a sucker for beautiful women, especially the innate beauty of the female figure. I even spent a semester at art school focusing on this subject matter (photographing the female figure). Of course, MIchael Turner went on to create the company Aspen Comics MLT and became one of the more popular comic artists of this generation and as I'm sure most people are aware, he passed away at a very young age due to cancer. Its extremely unfortunate as he was really one of the pioneer's of the modern "bad girl" genre and art style, which has really exploded in recent years.One of the main companies to come out of this explosion of popularity and growth was Zenescope, an independent comic company founded in 2005 by Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco. The company focused on re-imaginings of classic tales like Alice in Wonderland. Some of their more popular titles include Grimm Fairy Tales, Alice in Wonderland, Oz, Sleepy Hollow, Neverland, and Brimstone. To say they have been successful would be a massive understatement. They have gone from just a few titles, to having over 30 in 2013. There is even a Hollywood film being made, based off of their Monster Hunter's Survival Guide and will be starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The success of Zenescope is a testament to the explosive growth the "bad girl" genre has seen in recent years. The one thing your guaranteed with Zenescope, above all else, is amazing covers as they hire some of the best "bad girl" artists working in the industry today including EBAS, Mike Debalfo, J. Scott Campbell, etc. In fact, an argument can be made that these books are as much about the covers as they are the actual stories inside.All in all, this book exceeded all of my expectations and I have very high standards when it comes to the overall quality of art books, especially when the price is factored in. I was able to buy this book at 35% off the MSRP, which is basically the price of many of the individual "bad girl" prints/lithographs that I buy on a regular basis. So for me, this book was just a steal and worth every last penny I spent on it. If your a fan of Zenescope then this book should be your very next purchase. I for one cant wait for Volume 2.Hats off to Zenescope, just a remarkable job all the way around. This is how making a high quality art book is done!!!I am adding on to this review as I think its important to note that this is a limited edition release with an edition size of 2500. There is also a SDCC version, which has a different cover and is 2-3 times the normal price, which is limited to 250. These books also come with a limited edition 8x10 print. I do not know if the print is the same with the SDCC and standard version. I would tend to think not however. I would think they would use a different 8x10 print with the SDCC version, as then its edition size would be equal to the book itself, 250. In all honesty, 2500 is not a very large printing at all so if your planning on buying a copy, I wouldn't put it off for too long. Once these sell out, and they will eventuallly sell out, your guaranteed to see prices go up by at least 25%, possibly more depending on just how popular this book winds up becoming.

Zenescope did an incredible job piecing this item together. It's surprisingly very well organized. Inside the sturdy hardcover you'll find over-sized, heavy-weight, semi-gloss paper with illustrations of mostly females from Zenescope offerings done by many talented artists. All of the illustrations are organized by either character or series, along with footnotes of where they derive from, and what event (such as a convention), if any, they were featured at, and along with the artist(s) involved with each illustration. Many covers and variants are included as well. This is not an exhaustive collection, but a lot of great pieces from the last 3 or so years are included; it's a great start. Plus, it features lots of pieces by one of my favorite artists: Eric Basaldua, AKA ebas. I'm sure more volumes will follow if this one is a success.The book arrived not only in a cardboard box courtesy of Amazon's shipping specialists, but the book itself was nestled within a very heavy-weight cardboard slipcase that was then protected by shrink wrap. The slipcase features a black and white variant of the cover. This allows the slipcase to take any initial bump, thereby protecting the actual hardcover book from corner and/or spine damage.I've been a fan of Zenescope for several years now. Although at first I dismissed their offerings due to the oftentimes skin-clad and/or psychotic nature of the covers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude by any means, however I can't help but, at least initially, judge a comic book by its cover. If I see something that's grotesque, lazily illustrated, or simply fan-service, my preconceived notions will kick-in with lowered expectations. I think most would agree. However, Zenescope actually have very compelling story-lines throughout their catalog, and are geared toward a more mature audience. Plus, the cover ladies look great! Give them a shot.

Is a stunning beautiful, artbook by Zenescope.Most of the covers shown in this book are those that are really hard to find, secret retailers exclusives and limited editions. From Grimm Fairy Tales, Wonderland collections, Neverland, and Grimm Universe.I would have like to see some covers from Brimstone, Walking Dead , Sinbad or Jungle Book as well, good series, great covers and they're part of Zenescope as well.Overall you won't regret the money. The book is very nice packed, and very gorgeous art.

Volume en parfaite condition, illustrations détails et couleurs impeccables.

Stunning The Best Book Ever 10/10