Ross isn't my favorite storyteller or comic book artist, but I'm in awe of the man's abilities. He sure can draw some amazing pictures!

As a general trend, I don't like the "photorealism" style. While impressive, it loses a lot of the imagination that makes comics books special. However, I thought it worked great in Marvels because that was a story told from a photojournalist's point of view.

Some ideas work well as an occasional change of pace, but not so well as a common, month-in/month-out standard. "Photorealism" is one of them, I think.

that galactus does seem like a boy in a halloween costume.

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Took the words right out of keyboard.

Alex Ross can paint some lovely pictures, but it just doesn't work for me as sequential art. I don't really enjoy his comics -- the photo-realistic art just seems to act as a barrier from getting immersed in the story.

It's almost like comics are going through a 'cinema verité' phase

Well said; another comment I've read is that current books are enjoyable if one has 'flexible morals'. I miss the ol' days of bombastic, over-the-top action and wholesome fun.

I like exageration because longer limbs can imply movement, especially in a static image or a perception tainted by emotion.

MARVELS was the first time I'd ever seen painted superheroes done
right. "Oh, this is great," I said. "This guy gets it!"

Sadly, it seems that Ross has spent much of his career since MARVELS
most pointed not "getting it." I find myself almost dreading the release
of each new product, as I know I will have to sit back and watch fandom
cheer as he sucks more and more of the grandeur out of the characters.

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I flat-out don't get Alex Ross. Well, I do like his covers (the recent ones for BATMAN RIP) because they are posed, but his interiors just seem stiff and awkward. He's also on my bad side for making Supergirl and Batgirl look plain and ordinary. That's a hangin' offense!

It also bugs me when he -- and other artists, as well -- "cast" superheroes. I want to see Reed Richards and Captain Marvel not the Professor from Gilligan's Island and Fred Macmurray. Gary Frank has done this with his version of Superman who looks eerily like Christopher Reeve. Oddly enough, I liked the Reeve Superman because he came the closest to looking like the comic-book Neal Adams Superman. However, making the comic-book version look like Reeve just doesn't work for some reason.