Word Balloon Comics Podcast Inside the Mind of Alex Ross: Heroes, Legends, and Legacy
Oct 9, 2025
37:28
In this in-depth conversation, legendary painter and storyteller Alex Ross takes listeners behind the curtain of some of his most ambitious and thought-provoking projects across DC, Marvel, and Dynamite.
Ross begins with the haunting Batman: Black and White – Case Study, written by Paul Dini, a noir-style exploration of Bruce Wayne’s fractured psyche and the fine line between justice and obsession. He then turns to Avengers/Invaders, co-written with Jim Krueger, a modern-day saga where the original World War II Invaders are thrust into the present-day Marvel Universe. The time-displaced heroes clash with contemporary Avengers, forcing both eras to confront what it truly means to be a hero in vastly different moral landscapes.
Next, Ross discusses JSA: Thy Kingdom Come, created with Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham, and Fernando Pasarin — a powerful spiritual sequel to Kingdom Come. The story brings the older, war-torn Superman of that alternate Earth into the mainstream DCU, confronting the Justice Society and reexamining faith, legacy, and the enduring cost of heroism.
Finally, Ross reflects on his work at Dynamite Entertainment with Project Superpowers, where he and Jim Krueger resurrected and reimagined dozens of Golden Age public domain heroes — from the Green Lama to the Black Terror — breathing new mythic life into forgotten icons while exploring how timeless ideals can evolve for modern audiences.
Ross begins with the haunting Batman: Black and White – Case Study, written by Paul Dini, a noir-style exploration of Bruce Wayne’s fractured psyche and the fine line between justice and obsession. He then turns to Avengers/Invaders, co-written with Jim Krueger, a modern-day saga where the original World War II Invaders are thrust into the present-day Marvel Universe. The time-displaced heroes clash with contemporary Avengers, forcing both eras to confront what it truly means to be a hero in vastly different moral landscapes.
Next, Ross discusses JSA: Thy Kingdom Come, created with Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham, and Fernando Pasarin — a powerful spiritual sequel to Kingdom Come. The story brings the older, war-torn Superman of that alternate Earth into the mainstream DCU, confronting the Justice Society and reexamining faith, legacy, and the enduring cost of heroism.
Finally, Ross reflects on his work at Dynamite Entertainment with Project Superpowers, where he and Jim Krueger resurrected and reimagined dozens of Golden Age public domain heroes — from the Green Lama to the Black Terror — breathing new mythic life into forgotten icons while exploring how timeless ideals can evolve for modern audiences.