HEY GANG,

This week's featured Trade is: THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z VOL.3.

The handbooks are very near and dear to my heart for a few reasons: When I was initially hired at MARVEL, it was to help with this project. This was the project where I got to flex my art degree to the fullest. I did a whole bunch of art stuff and coloring (and vol. 3 was the firstst one I got to work on)! Plus, I was a HUGE fan of the original handbooks, so getting to be part of the new ones chilled my inner fanboy to the bone!

Anyway, a big part of what I did (apart from laying out all the text, images, caption boxes, etc!) was to help do some art reconstruction for these books. The handbook writers and/or editors would look for the best possible shot for the character's main image in his/her handbook entry. But sometimes there was no clear shot of a character. Like good 'ol Devos the Devastator here.

The 'BEFORE' shot is how he appeared in a comic. Then I'd have to digitally remove the background and draw, ink, color the missing pieces so we could have a full shot of the character. The 'AFTER' shot was my finished piece. I always tell people, that when it came to art reconstruction,"If I did my job just right, that it would look like I'd have done nothing at all!" Because I had to match the art that was there. I couldn't draw or redraw things the way I'd want it to look or in my own style, I had to match the original artists as close as possible.

And here's the page as it appeared in the handbook.

This is just one example. But I did TONS and TONS of these all throughout the handbooks. (But I'm not telling which ones, you'll just have to buy all the volumes and try to guess for yourselves!!)

So if you're a longtime MARVEL reader or a new fan, these books are a fantastic! Not just because they're great reference to get reacquainted with characters and learn about others but also because a lot of people put a lot of work into each entry! I mean those handbook writers went as far as spelling "S.H.I.E.L.D." as "SHIELD" just so they could fit in an extra word or two of info! Now that's dedication!!

Also out this week:

RED SKULL: INCARNATE

DAREDEVIL BY ED BRUBAKER & MICHAEL LARK ULTIMATE COLLECTION BOOK 1

NEW AVENGERS BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS VOL.2

ESSENTIAL FANTASTIC FOUR VOL.6

See you next week,
Nelson Ribeiro
@TradesJanitor

[Edited By Moderator]