Marvel The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Covers by Chris Sprouse

One of my favorite things, when I visit my local comic shop, is finding something I don't expect.  A couple weeks ago, I stopped in to get my pull list and took a look around at what was new.  That is when my eyes fell upon this unexpected comic book with Yoda on the cover!  Upon further exploration, this book is a collection of The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary covers by Chris Sprouse.  Flipping through the book, there is a collection of cover art that follows a chronological order of The Empire Strikes Back.  Wow, this was an easy choice to add to my stack of comics.  What a surprise!  

When I got home, I pulled out this issue from the collection of books I purchased and flipped through the cover images.  I have included a few of my favorite images below in this post.  At the back of the book is an interview with Eisner Award-winning illustrator, Chris Sprouse by Jess Harrold.  The interview covers topics such as how were the drawn moments chosen, who was Sprouse's favorite character to draw, among other subjects.  What really caught my eye is the interview includes a number of original sketches Sprouse used to develop the covers.  I always enjoy seeing the evolution of an artist's works, because for years as a child or even a teen, I thought those artists just drew that final art in one sitting.  It never dreamed to me that there is a process of multiple sketches that lead to the final art that appears on a cover.  If nothing else, it brings much more appreciation to the work that goes into each cover and page of a comic book. 

If you have the opportunity to pick up this issue for yourself, I highly recommend it.  It is well worth the price tag to have a special edition of an award-winning artist's work in a collection.    

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