Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross' Marvels is widely regarded as one of the greatest superhero graphic novels ever published. But can that appeal be translated to another medium? That's something Abrams ComicArts aims to prove with the release of Marvels: The Novelization. This new book translates the original's graphic imagery into prose, but there are still some stunning images from Ross to sweeten the deal.
With Marvels: The Novelization in stores now, IGN can exclusively reveal some of these new Ross paintings. Check them out in the slideshow gallery below:
Marvels: The Novelization is a 368-page adaptation of the original comic written by Steve Darnall, who previously collaborated with Ross on 1997's Uncle Sam and also helped write the original proposal for Marvels. Here's the official summary of the book:
The series, which Stan Lee described as "innovative, brilliantly conceived, and skillfully executed," welcomes readers to New York City, where everyday people go about their lives while burning figures roam the streets, men in brightly colored costumes scale the walls, and creatures from space threaten to devour the planet. This is the Marvel Universe, where the ordinary and fantastic interact daily. Spanning from 1939 through 1974, Marvels explores the history of superheroes and America from the perspective of newspaper photographer Phil Sheldon. As Sheldon pursues a career as a journalist and builds a family, he chronicles the adventures of the Original Human Torch, Captain America, The Avengers, Spider-Man, and countless others, giving fans a grounded, human look at a pantheon of larger-than-life characters.
Over 30 years after the series’ debut, Steve Darnall will translate Ross’ lush paintings and Busiek’s bold dialogue into a daring work of literature, bringing Sheldon’s stunning Marvel adventures to a new generation of readers. The long-awaited novelization of Marvels will feature four full-color paintings and four black and white illustrations by Alex Ross.
Marvels: The Novelization is priced at $26.99 and is available in bookstores now. You can order a copy on Amazon.
For more, find out what to expect from Marvel's Star Wars: The Fall of Kylo Ren and see which books and creators were nominated for the 2026 Eisner Awards.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
