Earth X

1 Earth X (Earth X 0-12, X).
Alex Ross & Jim Krueger, story and concept; Alex Ross, covers; Jim Krueger, script; John Paul Leon, pencils; Bill Reinhold, inks. [From Marvel Comics: Great epics come along only once in a long while. Stories that push the normal boundaries and force the reader to think. Stories so powerful in message and so grand in scale that the guidelines by which tales are usually judged are completely rearranged. Earth X is one such epic. X-51. The Skull. The Iron Maiden. These are a few of the names that comprise the Earth X cast. The list of equally exciting locales and story points helps Earth X explore the depths and heights of the Marvel Universe. From the roots of its humble beginnings to the peak of its ultimate potential. Earth X is spawned from the brilliant creative mind of Alex Ross. Along with writer Jim Krueger and artists John Paul Leon and Bill Reinhold, Ross breathes life into and gives amazing detail to every facet of the Earth X mythos - made evident from everything from his early conceptual pencil sketches to each of his fourteen beautifully painted covers.]

Earth X Limited Edition Hardcover Book Package (Graphitti Designs; Earth X 0-12, X, ½).
[From Graphitti Designs: Earth-X Limited Edition Hardcover Book Package by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, John Paul Leon and Bill Reinhold. Conceived by Alex Ross, written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon, Bill Reinhold and Ross, the deluxe Earth-X Book Package, is a multi-media event. Each package contains the hardcover book, sculpted translucent, outer-skin box and two compact disc containing a wealth of digital audio/visual material. Containing over 500 pages, the Smyth-sewn hardcover book collects for the first time ever all 14 chapters (#0, 1-12 and X) and Earth-X #½. Printed at the request of artist John Paul Leon in black and white, this oversized 8¼ x 12 5/8 format book also includes a 16 page color section that contains all of the covers (including variants) and more. A new 5 page Epilogue featuring painted art by Alex Ross over pencils by John Paul Leon, sketches (both new and all previously seen), 4 panel cover gatefold and lots of new art, makes this package impossible to properly describe in the space allowed. Two compact discs contain 25 musical compositions assembled by Scott Vladimir Licina, 16 dialogue tracks and the first ever, fully-realized Earth-X video containing both live action and computer animation. These two discs are worth the price of admission all by themself! Includes a unique illustrated sequentially-numbered signature page signed by Ross, Krueger, Leon and Reinhold. HC, 544pg, black and white (w/2 CDs).] The remaining stoick of this book has been acquired by Tales of Wonder, who have reduced the price from $95 to $34.95. Click here for info!

Earth X hardcover (Marvel Super-Size edition; Earth X 0-12, X, ½, epilogue). [From Marvel Comics: Great epics come along only once in a long while. Stories that push the normal boundaries and force the reader to think. Stories so powerful in message and so grand in scale that the guidelines by which such tales are usually judged are completely rearranged. Spawned from the brilliant creative mind of Alex Ross, EARTH X is one such epic. Along with writer Jim Krueger and artist John Paul Leon, Ross breathes life into and gives amazing detail to every facet of the EARTH X mythos - made evident by everything from his early conceptual pencil sketches to each of his fourteen beautifully painted covers. EARTH X explores the depths and heights of the Marvel Universe, from the roots of its humble beginnings to the peak of its ultimate potential. This deluxe keepsake edition collects all twelve issues of the EARTH X regular series, the #0 and #X bookends, the #1/2 issue, the Epilogue, and more!] Book of the Week 8/31/05: OK, so it's not a new book, but it is a spiffy new oversized color hardcover of perhaps the best of the Marvel geekfest books of the 90s. It basically ties together all the vast Marvel continuity of the first 30 years into one nifty storyline. The beautiful John Paul Leon art sets the mood perfectly (he prefers the black & white Graphitti edition, which still can be found at greatly reduced prices), and Alex Ross and Jim Krueger have done a wonderful job of unifying the complicated and often contradictory Marvel Universe. This is a great book—so good it helped draw me back into comics after over a decade away.

2 Universe X 1 (Universe X 0-7; Cap; Spidey; 4).
Alex Ross, covers, concept, character designs; Jim Krueger, story, script; Doug Braithwaite, Thomas Yeates, Jackson Guice, Brent Anderson, pencils; various inkers. [From Marvel Comics: The Earth was saved, and the Celestial danger within the planet's core had been destroyed. Superhumanity had defied its creators and lived to tell the story. But for how long? Earth is on the brink of civil war, and the surviving heroes of the Marvel Universe are left to fight those they once swore to protect until they can find a cure for the mutated populace. Humanity has become a race unwilling to give up its new-found power, a power that has given way to a war that will elad to the end of all life, as prophesized in Earth X. It is upon this war-zone world that Captain America and Captain Mar-Vell begin a crusade to collect the world's greatest sources of power and weapons of mass destruction. But is this quest a means to merely portect humanity, or does it somehow serve a greater, darker purpose?]

3 Universe X 2 (Universe X 8-12, X; Iron Man; Beasts; Omnibus).
Alex Ross, covers, concept, character designs; Jim Krueger, story, script; Doug Braithwaite, Thomas Yeates, Ron Randall, Brent Anderson, pencils; various inkers. [From Marvel Comics: The Earth is in a state of civil war. Within, the demise of the Celestial at the planet's core has left the world a hollow Earth indeed, with a re-polarization process that will lead to the deaths of every man and woman on the face of the planet. Upon the world, the mutated populace of Earth now seeks to unseat the authority of the heroes who protected and served them in the days when they were only human. Leading them in this charge against the powers that be is Mr. Church - who, unknown to the masses, is Mephisto - the very devil of ancient legend. And in the wake of Captain America's death, the remaining superheroes on Earth have rallied around the reborn Captain Mar-Vell and his crusade to bring an end to the power of Death itself. A crusade that will lead to a series of revelations that will unearth the secret of multiple realities, the lie at the heart of the Kree-Skrull War and the very nature of heroism itself.]

4 Paradise X 1 (Heralds 1-3; Paradise X 0-5; Xen; 2003).
Alex Ross, covers, concept, character designs; Jim Krueger, story, script; Steve Pugh, Dougie Braithwaite, Steve Yeowell, pencils; various inkers. [From Marvel Comics: Beginning the final chapter in the Earth X trilogy In Earth X, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Thor, the Hulk and the X-Men discovered that their purpose - and the meaning of all superheroes and mutated people in the universe - was nothing more than to protect their host planet, in this case Earth, from outside invasion. They learned superheroes are merely biological antibodies to protect a growing embryo withing the Earth. An embryo for the celestial race: this is the way these gods reproduce. But rather than die and accept their fate, humanity fought back - only to cause a terrible ecological imbalance, a rift at its core that in time would wipe out all life on the planet. In Universe X, Captain Marvel was reborn on Earth years after his death. But he also still claimed to walk in the realm of the unliving, where Earth's fallen champions still exist. Mar-Vell led a team of heroes in a quest for the greatest weapons of mass destruction on Earth, suggesting this would limit the destruction caused by the growing power struggle on the planet. But this was not his only reason. For his crusade on Earth only supported and armed a battle he fought in the realm of the fallen, a battle against death herself. Those living champions who died in his collection of artifacts were added to the battle raging in this other realm. Mar-Vell led a charge against death and killed her. But now that death is dead, no one will ever die again. They may writhe in pain in hospitals because their bodies have been broken beyond repair, but they will not die. They will call out for an end to their suffering. They will cry out for peace. But there will be no answer. Paradise will be denied them. Yes. Death is truly dead. Long live the living.]

5 Paradise X 2 (Paradise X 6-12; Ragnarok; Devils; A & X; 2004). [From Marvel Comics: The epic, visionary Earth X saga continues! Will the heroes of Earth be able to solve the problems of the Paradise they helped create? Will their quest for a new Death entity succeed so the pain and suffering of the world's population ceases?] Book of the Week 2/28/04

Earth X Trilogy Companion (Earth X ½, X-51 Earth X online comic, background material). [From Marvel Comics: The Earth X Trilogy revealed secrets of the Marvel Universe, but what are the secrets of the Earth X Trilogy? See for yourself in this collection of sketches, background material and incredible insights -- all handpicked by series co-creator Alex Ross, and many seen here for the first time! Plus: the rare EARTH X #1/2; and the never-before-printed X-51 EARTH X prequel, originally serialized as an online comic.] 3/19/08