• Books

by Arcee on 01.25.12

If you are a fan of the 2011 limited series Carbon Grey published by Image Comics, this new art book is for you. If you don’t know what I am talking about – shame on you. Go out to your local comic book store, pick up the three issue series or the trade paperback titled Carbon Grey: Sisters at War (and the recent Carbon Grey: Origins issue) and find out what I am talking about. But just to recap here for sanity’s sake: Carbon Grey is set in an alternate world Europe in which Kaisers rule the land through sheer force of will and assassins. Flying dirigibles are common sites in the sky and there is a sense of nobility to the structure of society. During the course of the limited series, the Kaiser of Mitteleuropa is assassinated and all the evidence points to his must trusted assassin. To catch her, the ruling party unleashes her own twin sister on her tasked to bring her in for justice. But not everything is as it appears to be.

Story aside, what separated Carbon Grey from the rest of the flock in 2011 was the artwork used in the series. It was a very distinguishable form of art for a comic book and was a spectacle on the eyes. Laid out in traditional art pencils and digitally painted from beginning to end, the art of Carbon Grey was unlike anything else in 2011. From impressive aerial views with flying ships seen way into the horizon to beautiful female assassins, every set and character in Carbon Grey is a beauty to behold. 

Now, on February 1st, Image Comics will be releasing a hardcover art book titled The Art of Carbon Grey. Collecting finished and unfinished pieces from the three artists who worked on the series (Khari Evans, Kinsun Loh and Hoang Nguyen) and putting them on display for the fans to appreciate the hard work that went into the series, The Art of Carbon Grey is a wonderful companion piece to the series. While a dynamic and unforgettable story is the heart of the series, the art is definitely the soul for Carbon Grey. And with more than 60 pages of incredible art to admire, this hardcover is certainly one to have for any art fan. I highly recommend picking this one up when it is released on February 1st.