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Book Review “Prometheus: The Art of the Film”

Author: Mark Salisbury
Hardcover: 186 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: June 12, 2012

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Out of all the films in the summer of 2012, “Prometheus” is easily one of my most anticipated. I really enjoyed this film and I was hoping that this book was going to deliver the goods just as well. Author Mark Salisbury is also know for his work on the fantastic “Alice in Wonderland A Visual Companion” book. I really enjoyed how in depth he is able to cover his films. Like “Alice in Wonderland”, “Prometheus” is a very visual film and it deserves an amazing “Art of” book. This does not disappoint at all. In fact, this is one of the finest “art of” books that I have ever read.

This book which is an amazing tie-in to the film and includes some amazing never-been-seen content, including newly released production art. Since my site focuses on interviews, I was very excited to see that this book also includes various interviews from cast and crew. If you have seen this amazing film you will also go crazy at the enormous wealth of behind-the-scenes material included. I mean literally every aspect of the film is covered in this book ranging from the planet, to the costumes, to the pyramids. Top that off with very encouraging send-off intro from director Ridley Scott and you have one perfect book.

The presentation of the book is also impressive as in the content. It comes in glorious hard cover with no slip sleeve as it is printed on the hardcover. This is a great decision to avoid ripping or damage to the cover. The quality of the images throughout are just out of this world (get it?) and look crystal clear while perfectly capturing the visual feel from the film. If you are a fan of the “Alien” franchise, this book supersedes the intrigue and design from that film and really allows you to journey into the film “Prometheus”. Titan Books succeeds again in not disappointing, the public needs to know that their books are the delivered with the highest quality and satisfies even the most demanding fans.

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Book Review “The Art of John Carter: A Visual Journey”

Author: Josh Kushins
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Disney Editions
Release Date: March 6, 2012

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The film “John Carter” is visually amazing…whether you like the film or not. I happened to really like it. I thought it was very entertaining and fun. This book really brings forward John Carter’s best qualities…it’s visual effects. There is also a great nod to “A Princess of Mars” author Edgar Rice Burroughs throughout. If you enjoyed this film, I would highly recommend this book as a perfect companion to the film.

Disney Editions never let me down on their “Art of” books. This book really delivers the whole film in a nice wrapping. If you haven’t seen this film and read this book it will definitely send you out to the store to pick up the Blu-ray for sure. The art presented in this book is the highest image quality and fantastic paper stock. I am a big fan of intros and afterwords and this book does not disappoint. Director of John Stanton delivers a great kick-off to this visual journey. Also art director of “John Carter”, Ryan Church, respectively closes the book and does a great wrap-up job.

“The Art of John Carter: A Visual Journey” covers every aspect of the film starting with the character of John Carter to Barsoom to the Tharks. The art that is showcased in this book ranges from sketches, paintings, 3D renders and film stills used for comparison. I am big proprietor of Disney Editions books and I was completely satisfied with this book and I would even say it made me like the film even more. Now I get to go back and watch it again with the knowledge from the book and just realize how much work has really gone into the creation of this film from the pages of a book to the screen.

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Book Review “The Art of Disney/Pixar’s Brave”

Author: Jenny Lerew
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: May 30, 2012

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I would consider myself one of the biggest fans of Pixar’s work. I even enjoyed “Cars 2”, even though it wasn’t the smartest film they have ever done. Since seeing the trailer to “Brave”, I haven’t been completely wowed yet. It looks decent but I don’t really see the Pixar charm. This book definitely delivers that charm and has totally kick started my interest to see this film. It really draws you in into its artistic world. I felt myself going back and forth within this book trying to soak it all in. Honestly couldn’t put it down and I know it will be revisited frequently…especially after seeing the film.

For Pixar, “Brave”, which is their thirteenth feature film, is a very important film for them, especially following up “Cars 2”. It is also their first feature film to be driven by a female lead and set in an historical period. In this book we get to meet the Disney’s latest princess Merida and get completely emerged on her journey of magic, danger and adventure and most importantly bonds of family. You also get an inside look at all of the film’s characters and drawn in by all of the beautiful landscapes that the film takes place in.

When I pick up an “Art of”, I really expect amazing concept art from the film, especially from the talent of Pixar. This book features not only delivers out-of-this-world concept art but also some really interesting behind-the-scenes interviews with the artists and filmmakers from “Brave”. There is also color scripts, sculptures, and storyboards. You really get great insight into this film and its adventure that it will take you on. Once aspect that I really enjoyed was the fact that their was concept art dating back all the way to 2004. It just shows how much work really goes into making a film like “Brave”.

This book is authored by Jenny Lerew, an animation story artist and most recently worked on the DreamWorks Animation film “How to Train Your Dragon”. She really does a great job of wheeling you into the film and giving a great insight into the creative process. I also enjoyed the preface from John Lasseter and foreword from the directors of “Brave”, Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews. Since these people are tightly involved with Pixar, you can tell that this book has the Pixar approval. As always Chronicle Books scored again with there “Art of” books. Look forward to their next release.

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Book Review “The Art of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”

Author: Barbara Robertson
Hardcover: 156 pages
Publisher: Insight Editions
Release Date: May 15, 2012

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to animated films, I always love to check out the “Art of” books since they are always the best. “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” is definitely no different. The book is extremely colorful and I really enjoyed reading/looking through it. Dreamworks Animation really has CGI films down also including the “Shrek” and “Kung Fu Panda” series. I haven’t seen “Madagascar 3” yet but after reading this book, I am now very much more interested to see it. I also really enjoyed the foreword from Chris Rock, it is a great way to kick off this book.

“The Art of Madagascar 3” focuses on all aspects of the film ranging from character design, development art, and special effects. This really showcases the amazing work that the artists at DreamWorks Animation did for this film. There is a breakdown of every new character from this installment including a very detailed descriptions. Since the film is very location based, there is a detailed concept art showing where the film takes place ranging from New York to Monte Carlo. I also really enjoyed the specific focus on the visual effects from various scenes in the film. This book also doesn’t just include CGI pictures from the movie, literally every shot is a unique drawing from the film.

If you are a fan of this series, then you are going to definitely want to check out this book. It really has a little bit for everyone of all ages. For kids it focuses on the film’s notable characters and for adults it includes details aspects from the artists that brought them to life. The images in the book are extremely high quality and really sharp. The colors are the page literally jump off and look really great. Insight Editions succeeds again with this release. They continue to release great “Art of” books for Dreamworks Animation films and they deliver yet another excellent book.

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Book Review “The Advanced Art of Stop-Motion Animation”

Author: Ken A. Priebe
Paperback: 329 pages
Publisher: Course Technology PTR
Release Date: June 17, 2010

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have always been a huge fan of stop-motion animation, since I saw the film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” back in 1993. Since then there has been many more films like “Coraline” that have be made in this fantastic field. I also grew up watching Rankin/Bass specials like “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” and “The Year Without Santa Clause”. Click here to read our interview with Arthur Rankin Jr. I just have always been fascinated with animation in general. Be sure to check out the amazing foreword from stop-action legend Henry Selick (“The Nightmare Before Christmas” & “Coraline”).

This book provides a very in-depth look at the art and techniques of stop-motion animation. The obvious aim for this book is more of a teaching tool, then casually viewing but nonetheless it is very informative as well as education. It is also not only to new learners but also helps experienced stop-motion artists explore different methods and new advanced technology used by major film studios today. 2012 actually brings a swarm of stop-motion films including “Pirates! Band of Misfits” and Paranorman” hitting theaters.

Other aspects covered in this book contains the basic principles of animation, focus on status including information on camera rigs, effects, and shooting stop-motion in stereoscopic 3D. There is even focus on puppet design and computer models for stop-motion productions. I personally really enjoyed the thorough history of early feature-length stop-motion films. Overall this book will have something for all different types of artists who are still supporting this format and are behind its revival in today’s history. The book overall is also very conversational and easy to read, which makes me recommend this book very highly for all people in the animation field.

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Book Review “The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms and Beyond”

Author: Christopher Finch
Hardcover: 504 pages
Publisher: Abrams; New edition
Release Date: October 1, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Walt Disney has been a major influence on my life. I grew up watching the films and still today adore them all. I really look forward to sharing them with my soon-to-be daughter (due May 23, 2012). In fact, I even moved from NY to FL, just to be closer to the parks. This book is honestly the ultimate tribute to the art of Disney and The Walt Disney Company. This is not a new release though, the original edition was published in 1973 and since then there has been many revised and expanded editions released in 1975, 1995, 2004, and now 2011. If you are a Disney fan and don’t own this book, I highly recommend it. If you own past revisions, I would still recommend it because there is so much content added into this latest edition that it completely makes it worth wild.

The newest edition of the book covers the ever changing and expanding history of The Walt Disney Company. Author Christopher Finch didn’t just slap a few new pages and re-released this. He literally updated every chapter to showcase the achievements of The Walt Disney Company in not only filmmaking but also theater, and theme parks. There are a few new chapters though, focusing on mostly Pixar Animation Studio and the new work from Walt Disney Animation Studio like “Tangled”, as well as updated theme park information.. There are also new extensive interviews CEO, John Lasseter, and president, Ed Catmull. This also includes a foreword by John Lasseter. John is such a legend and has aided so much to the Disney legacy with his work over the years.

For a book that was published originally almost 40 years ago, this still relevant and still packs new information even for super fans like me. That is the other thing actually, even though the film is called “The Art Of”, it isn’t just colorful photos. It comes jam-packed with endless thorough information, I enjoyed that the most. You can really tell that author Christopher Finch is a super fan himself. I really looks forward to future revisions of this book. The Disney company will continue to grow throughout the years and will always have special place in my heart.

When you think about art and animation, Disney is the first to come to my mind. They are easily the most successful and influential in the business. This book contains some really amazing concept art, animation drawings and archival materials. Even if you have seen previous editions of this book, this edition literally contains hundreds of new images capturing, well…The Art of Walt Disney. Let me just tell you how beautiful these images look. Abrams did an amazing job with this release and delivers the highest quality images. Whether you are reading this book for yourself or introducing it to your children, it is a great way to keep the Disney legacy going.

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Book Review “Star Trek: The Art of the Film”

Author: Mark Cotta Vaz
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: November 17, 2009

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I have to say I have never been a Trekkie myself but after watching J.J. Abrams’ new vision, “Star Trek” has sparked a great interest in me. This book is a wonderful celebration of his work. I have a very soft spot for “art of books” but his one is just so absolutely beautiful. The images and colors are just so high quality and vibrant. There even is a fantastic foreword from director J.J. Abrams. As I am sure many were rebooting “Star Trek” was a really big deal but it was nothing short of amazing as is this book.

The book does not waste any time from the contents page which includes amazing full page photos. The contents of the books covers everything in the films production from the U.S.S Kelvin to re-imagining the U.S.S Enterprise to the creation of the Narada and the Kobayashi Maru. It goes into great depth into the films characters as well focusing on the Romulans, Rura Penthe and the new fleet. Also in really great depth we get to see the design of Starfleet Academy, very cool stuff. There is a great focus on the costume designs and uniforms in the film. There is even a section on poster design, which shows the enormous planning that went into choosing the art. There is all the above and yet still more. This book has everything you could possibly want and it ist honestly the essential companion to the film.

New York Times-bestselling author Mark Cotta Vaz was involved very closely with the film’s production team, which is why this book works so well. The book includes previously unseen pre-production paintings, concept sketches, costume and set designs, unit photography and final frames. I really enjoyed the set designs and concept art, it is easily my favorites. Any fans of Star Trek or sci-fi in general need to get this book as it is a must to have fir this fantastic film.

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Book Review “The Winston Effect: The Art & History of Stan Winston Studio”

Author: Jody Duncan
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: November 1, 2006

Our Score: 5 out 5 stars

Stan Winston has created some of the most amazing monsters/creatures in films for over the last 30 years. Some of Stan’s work that he is known best for is ranges from The Terminator to Aliens and Predator to the amazing dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. It is just amazing to see some of the detailed process of his work and his team on these films. The copy up for review here is limited edition featuring a variant cover and signed by Stan Winston! So if you are able to pick one of these gems before they are all gone.

In a collaborated with Stan Winston Studio this book is the first-ever to reveal all the behind-the-scenes secrets Stan Winston’s influential artistry and effects work. It features some really detailed sketches, production art, and photographs. The book is split into the years of Winston’s work. “From Emmy to Oscar Nominations” covers 1972-1981 featuring the early work of Stan Winston like “The Wiz” and “Star Wars Holiday Special”. “Something Robotic This Way Comes” ranges from 1982-1984 and features some of his classic work like “The Thing” and “The Terminator”. “Aliens, Predators and Terminators” covers 1985-1991 and what it covers is obvious. This chapter is really the meat of his career and covers the most iconic creatures in his career. The next is called “And Stan Created Dinosaurs” from 1992-1999, “Jurassic Park” is such an important film in history mixing CG with practical effect. Lastly “It’s Not Just a Walk in the Park” covers from 2000-present, featuring “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence” to “Jurassic Park III”. It also takes us inside the studio, including a great foldout creature diorama. Lastly we have “Looking into the Future”, which talks about the future of Winston Studio (obviously prior to Stan passing away in 2008).

The photos is this book are extremely high quality. I found myself just starring at certain photos and admiring the scope of his work and the effects that it has had on film and myself as a film fan. This is probably one the best art of book that I have ever read. It is just such a great insight into the life and history that Stan Winston has left and of course it is great to showcase of the amazing creatures that he has left us with over the year. This book is honestly should be owned by every fan of movies…in general.

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Book Review “The Art of Terminator Salvation”

Author: Tara Bennett
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: April 28, 2009

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

In 2009, McG directed the much anticipated fourth installment of the “Terminator” series, “Terminator Salvation”, starring Christian Bale who was red hot off of “Batman Begins”. The film was overall disappointing. This book features hundreds of color illustrations, storyboards and production art. The stills used from the film itself are not that exciting and in fact are blurry. Overall it is not that exciting of a book…just like the movie.

The book is pretty much a visual companion to the film following it from the beginning to the end. What I was looking for in this book honestly is a bunch of designs for the Terminators. There is definitely no shortage of that in this book including T-1, T-600, Aerostats, Hunter-Killers, Hydrobots, Transports, Harvesters, Moto-Terminators and even the T-70 ,which is only seen in the video game. Also includes is a bunch of vechiles both resistance and Skynet. There is some weapons but not a lot and also lacking in character designs. Like I mentioned earlier, due to the low-res of the production still, if you want to see clearer production photos, go pick up the book “Terminator Salvation: The Movie Companion”.

Overall I call this book a one-timer, flip through it once and that is it. The only chapter that stands out for me is “Terminator Factory”, since it covers a lot of well…terminators and it also has the best and clearest photos. Don’t get me wrong though I love staring in the eyes of the terminator robots, but overall this book just doesn’t jump off the page like other “The Art of” books usually do.

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Book Review “Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art”

Author: Gallery 1988
Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: June 21, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

I am going to start this review, very simply, if you’re a film nerd…this is required for you to purchase. If you are unaware of the annual LA, Crazy 4 Cult art show, you are probably not a good film nerd. This event caters to thousands of visitors, including high profile buyers like Kevin Smith and Edgar Wright. This is jam backed with various of our favorite pop culture films and character re-imagined in various forms are art. Honestly this book contains some of the coolest movie based artwork I have ever seen.

This beautiful hardcover coffee table book showcases the best of the first four years of the show. It features art inspired by movies like “Jaws”, “The Big Lebowski”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “The Shining”, “Tron”, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, “Office Space” and “The Evil Dead” series. Those are just some of my favorites, but honestly if I would list every single one of my favorites this review would be ten pages long. Plus I really enjoyed just flipped through this book and discovering all these great images. I encourage

What I really like most about this book is that the images are not limited to just paintings, there are dolls and even matches dressed and turned into crazy cult art. I really want to commend each and every artist who contributed to these pieces of art because they are so creative and imaginative. It honestly gives a new and fresh perspective on our favorite cult films. I really look forward to the next release of art from Gallery 1988, in fact they have a yearly calender that is also released if you need more cult movie art.

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Book Review “The Art of Drew Struzan”

Author: Drew Struzan & David J. Schow
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: September 14, 2010

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

If you are reading this review, you shouldn’t be…simply go out and buy this book. This is one of the best “The Art of” book that I have ever read. He is the artist behind some of the most iconic posters of our time. He is also well known for his classic work with both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Just to name a few of the amazing posters he has done before we go into it more below, “Back to the Future”, “Jurassic Park” and “Indiana Jones” are just a few. We had the privilege of interviewing Drew Struzan in person for this book and he is just such an amazing guy and a legend of his time. You can check out the interview here.

The book starts of with of course one of my favorite “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. What I also have mentioned yet is that this isn’t just poster book. Drew has included personal recollections from each poster and its creation process. There is no empty space on these pages. “John Carpenter’s The Thing” is one of my favorite posters ever and Drew gives some really great background on the poster. “Back to the Future” series gets some serious attention in this book as well provided dozens of variant posters at different stages of completion. Honestly a dream for movie fans to see this work. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” also gets an amazing send off from Drew. One of my recent favorites of his posters though has to be “Hellboy”. It is such an amazing poster that Drew has even done a step-by-step DVD showcasing his work on this poster. Obviously I only scratched the surface on this book and I didn’t cover everything, it will just have to make you go and find out for yourself what other greats are included in here.

I have seen many poster books before but this is definitely something more than that for sure. It takes a look into Struzan’s poster artwork upfront but then goes down in depth into his process. Each poster that is included also with alternate and/or partial finished pieces of the same art. The foreword alone is worth the purchase of the book by Frank Darabont. It is a great send off to Drew Struzan and their collaboration. Drew worked on the following of Darabont’s films including “The Mist”, “The Green Mile” and “The Shawshank Redemption”. Poster and movie fans a lot this is a MUST purchase. If you own it already go out and buy one for your friends.

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Book Review “The Art of Hammer”

Author: Marcus Hearn
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: November 23, 2010

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“The Art of Hammer” is a fantastic celebration of the Hammer legacy. If you are not aware of Hammer posters, this collection includes various art ranging from 1950’s through the 1970’s. Hammer’s greatest posters from the “Frankenstein” and of course the “Dracula” series. This is such a visual collection of how amazing posters used to be. If you are fan of horror from that era and in general, this is a must purchase book.

The first section of the book focuses on 1950-1959, golden era for starting with posters for “The Curse of Frankenstein” and “Dracula” and “The Mummy”. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were featured quite a bit by Hammer’s posters. The second section takes us into 1960-1969 continues the “Frankenstein” and “Mummy” series as well as classics like “She”, “The Reptile” and one of my personal favorites “One Million Years B.C.”. The next section and last is 1970-1979, starts right off with the great “Taste the Blood of Dracula”, “Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb” and “Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde”.

What I liked most about this book is that these are posters like you will never see again. They were risque and started a chain reaction with their unique look. This book also doesn’t include one poster from each film, instead it includes multiple variants from different countries. It is great to get a chance to view all these different designs for our favorite films. Lastly I would like to say that this book comes with quality, it is a solid hardcover with finely printed and restored posters.

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Book Review “Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge”

Author: Roman Dirge
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: September 20, 2011

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Roman Dirge is known best for his creation of “Lenore”, the cute little dead girl. I have never been a big fan of his work overall. This book features some really weird shit, but that is expected for sure. Some might say that this book is visually stunning, I beg to differ. There are some interesting shots but overall, I was not interested in turning to the next page. I would say that this book is only really for hardcore fans of Roman Dirge, anyone else should steer clear.

The first section of the book focuses on sketches of Dirge’s work that has never been seen before. They are the least gross thing in the book. The second section is called artwork and it includes and nothing is safe in this section. It features bizarre depictions of animals and of course mostly little girls or woman in various states…mostly dead. The next section was the saving grace for me with this book, it is called “Scarytales”. I think this section is great and includes creepy deceptions of classics like Snow White to Alice in Wonderland. I wish this section was longer or if the whole book was based on it. The next section is called “Monster” and just features various gross creations but nothing amazing. So not to end on a downer, there is a section called “Funny Bone” which takes a lighter side of his art. Still gross but includes dialogue and add some humor.

The introduction to the book from Roman himself sets the pace for the whole book. Basically it is him expressing his love for taxidermy and thanks Titans Books for allowing him to be be weird. I have nothing wrong with weird, just to add. I love Tim Burton’s work and similar artists like Neil Gaiman. All in all, I really couldn’t wait to finish looking at this book, though like I said I would have loved to see a larger scale version of the “Scarytales” section though.

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Book Review “Watchmen: The Art of the Film”

Author: Peter Aperlo
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Released: February 10, 2009

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“Watchmen” is a very visual film and it is a film that is perfect to have an art book made for it. Especially since the film is already based on a graphic novel, it just had that comic feel to it. Being a fan of the movie and the graphic novel…this is a dream come true. I have looked over this book numerous times and I still do not feel that I have covered everything in it. I think that is the kind of book I would want to own and add to my collection. The book really adds to the visual aspect of the film and its content.

“Watchmen: The Art of the Film” is broken down into seven parts focusing on Concept Art, Sets, Props, the Owlship, Costumes and Posters. The introduction allow is almost over 20 pages with amazing visuals setting the standard high for the rest of the book. The concept art includes over 60 pages of amazing artwork and references the films storyboards, the graphic novel and also dramatizations never before seen from the film itself. The next section focuses on the film’s sets, which was a really highlight for me personally. They created a world within the film which felt like it was right off the page of the graphic novel. You miss all of the little details that went into this film and this book really showcases that well. The props section is just a very colorful and busy section of the cool shit in the film like gadgets, toys and advertisements. The Owlship has a section of its own that is how cool it is. It goes into great detail for the creation of this amazing vehicle. The costumes in the film are so fantastic and should have been won an award for their uniqueness and complex works of art. The section includes various wardrobes and outfits created for each of the films characters. The last section includes various poster designs from the films featuring each character and other visual creations.

Overall if you have seen this movie, it is guaranteed that you are going to want this book to accompany the film. Or visa-versa, if you haven’t seen this film yet and you checked out this book, it is going to guaranteed make to watch this movie immediately. Like I said earlier, this is just the kind of film that you look forward to checking out the art from it. I wish there were more films like this. It is visually daring and is not afraid to be different and this is the person companion.

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Book Review “Halo: The Art of Building Worlds – The Great Journey”

Author: Martin Robinson
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Titan Books
Release Date: October 18, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to “Halo”, it is one of the most beloved franchises by its very expressive fans. This book right away has a big shoes to fill. The book is not only visually amazing but it also covers over a decade of “Halo” ranging from “Halo: Combat Evolved” to “Halo: Reach” to even “Halo: Legends”. It is a great celebration of the art from the franchise. The book covers everything from characters to landscapes to weapons and includes with sketches and concepts art by many acclaimed artists such as Ashley Wood, Alex Chu, and Frank Capezzuto.

The book features seven chapters spawned over almost 200 pages. The first is about the “Architects of the Past”. This chapter focuses on a lot of landscape concept art and includes some never before seen art concepts. Since “Halo” takes place in space, the created for this have endless possibilities and it is great to be able to catch some of that in this images. The second is called “We are Their Instrument” and focuses on the baddies in the game ranging from the Elites to the Jackals to the Hunters. The third is called the “Tools of Conquest”. This chapter focuses on the vehicles and space crafts used throughout the series. It is something that usually doesn’t get to be enjoyed as much in the game itself. The fourth is called “A Monument To All Your Sings” and focuses on the creatures in the series like “The Flood”. The fifth is a “Welcome to the Corps” and focuses on the soldiers and weapons in the game from UNSC to ODST to Spartans. This is easily one of my favorites. The sixth is called “Folks Need Heroes” and focuses on the Spartans kicking some ass in different situations. The seventh is called “Homeworlds” is the “pretty” chapter focusing on various landscapes and locations.

The book features an introduction from “the face of Halo,” Frank O’Connor. It is short but sweet and definitely reaches out to “Halo” fans and would get them pumped for this book. The idea of “Halo” itself just screams “give me an art book”. There is so much amazing design that goes into the characters, landscapes, weapons and just the “Halo” universe itself. This book is a true must for “Halo” fans awaiting the next addition to this fantastic series.

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