For more than a decade, Mike del Mundo has been one of Marvel’s most inventive visual storytellers. With grace and power, del Mundo is an artist whose concept-driven covers and evocative interiors refuse to sit quietly on the shelf. Now, for the very first time, fans will have a chance to hold a definitive collection of his groundbreaking work in their hands.
The aptly-titled The Marvel Art of Mike Del Mundo is a deluxe art book published by Clover Press in collaboration with Marvel. The tome is set to collect his most iconic covers, rare artwork, and never-before-seen sketches in a high-end, 224-page coffee table book. And with a bibliography ranging from Kang and Thor to Strange Academy and All-New X-Men, there’s ample awesome art to cull from. So why wait: get notified when this Kickstarter goes live.
But The Marvel Art of Mike Del Mundo isn’t just another retrospective. It’s a look under the hood of a great working artist. Alongside the main volume, a companion sketchbook offers readers the rare opportunity to explore del Mundo’s creative process in real-time, pairing his raw thumbnails with finished pieces. It’s a dual experience that mirrors del Mundo’s layered, conceptual approach to comic art itself. It’s all part of a larger experience del Mundo hopes will draw in true comic art lovers.
“I hope they enjoy it as much as I’m going to enjoy it,” del Mundo told AIPT during a recent Zoom chat. “There’s so much stuff in there that could’ve been covers. Just ideas floating around that you can flip through for days.”
A Dream Realized
Del Mundo admits the idea of a Marvel art book once felt like a distant dream.
“Maybe it wasn’t a goal,” he said. “Maybe it was something I never thought would happen.”
But after years of working with Marvel and collaborating with publisher Hank Kanalz at Clover on Three Worlds, Three Moons, the dream started to become tangible.
“We just kind of had conversations,” del Mundo said. “And [I] jokingly said, ‘Hey, we’ll do an art book with you guys, right?’” A few conversations later, it was real.
The book follows earlier installments in Clover’s The Marvel Art Of… series, spotlighting artists like David Mack, Russell Dauterman, and Alex Maleev. But del Mundo’s edition introduces something new to the format: a full sketchbook that lets readers trace the creative path from idea to execution.
“You can open it up alongside the main book and see the process,” del Mundo said. “I think that’s really cool.”
The Ever-Evolving Style of Mike del Mundo
Del Mundo’s career began with a splash; his cover run on X-Men Legacy immediately caught the eye of fans and editors alike. Known for merging surrealism, symbolism, and emotional storytelling, he quickly became a go-to name for projects that demanded more than just heroes punching villains.
That evolution, he says, was never about changing style for its own sake.
“I act like a creative director for each project,” del Mundo said. “It’s not about being consistent. It’s about what the story needs. Sometimes a graphic look works best. Sometimes it’s more painterly.”
That range can be seen in further books like Elektra and Avengers, where his visuals adapt and morph to match tone and theme.
“I don’t give up on a cover,” del Mundo said. “I just keep going until I find that spark.”
And that spark sometimes comes from the simplest places — like walking his dog.
“I let my head go,” del Mundo said. “I come back and sketch until I find the diamond in the rough.”
Sketches, Surrealism, and Storytelling
For del Mundo, the sketchbook companion isn’t just a behind-the-scenes extra — it’s essential.
“With X-Men Legacy, I would do, like, 15 sketches per cover,” del Mundo said. “Some turned into other covers later. But a lot of those ideas never got used. Now, fans will get to see those. Sometimes I get more excited flipping through the thumbnails than looking at the final covers.”
Those early iterations speak to what del Mundo values most: the concept.
“Even when I cringe at old work, the idea always holds up,” del Mundo said. “That’s the part that lasts.”
And when you’re pushing boundaries as often as del Mundo does, things can prove challenging even to the artist.
“Sometimes I ask myself: Do I make this literal or go weird,” del Mundo said. “But then I remind myself: this is my language. If it feels right, I go with it.”
From Covers to Comics and Beyond
While he’s celebrated for his covers, del Mundo has also built a reputation for strong interior storytelling, notably on titles like Elektra and Weirdworld. Still, he’s the first to admit the grind of sequential work is a beast.
“A cover is one image,” del Mundo said. “But interiors? You have to keep the character consistent in every panel, manage layouts, pacing — it’s like solving a jigsaw puzzle.” That said, del Mundo finds it rewarding if also quite challenging, adding, “It’s fun because it’s hard.”
He also credits his artistic versatility to pressure and time constraints.
“A lot of my style came from tight deadlines,” del Mundo said. “I found shortcuts, but those shortcuts became language.”
That language continues to evolve in his work with Jonathan Hickman’s creator-owned imprint 3 Worlds, 3 Moons, where del Mundo collaborates closely with Hickman, Nick Spencer, and fellow artist Mike Huddleston.
“We’re all on the same wavelength. No egos, just building great stories,” del Mundo said. “It’s night and day from anything else I’ve done.”
Legacy, Influence, and the Future
Reflecting on the body of work captured in The Marvel Art of Mike Del Mundo, the artist singles out X-Men Legacy as especially meaningful.
“That book changed everything for me,” del Mundo said. “I was getting married, didn’t think I could take it on. But I did, and that first cover — Legion’s face made from a collage of other artists — Marvel loved it. After that, they just let me do my thing.”
Looking ahead, he’s not worried about his work being too “out there”; he wants to keep adding to the language of comics.
“From [Jack] Kirby to [Mike] Mignola, every artist has brought their own voice,” del Mundo said. “I want to do the same.”
When asked what advice he’d give to artists trying to find their own voice, del Mundo said he values individuality.
“Don’t give up on your original idea,” del Mundo said. “Trust your gut. Stick to your guns, work hard, and don’t be an asshole.”
That mantra, creativity with humility, is exactly why his work resonates. It’s not just about style; it’s about vision, persistence, and the belief that every great idea deserves a chance to take shape.
A Final Puzzle Piece
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Mike del Mundo release without a twist. Alongside prints, stickers, and signed editions, the Kickstarter campaign will also include a puzzle — yes, a literal jigsaw puzzle.
“It’s a logical format for art,” del Mundo said. “You put it together, you want to keep it, frame it. It becomes part of you.”
Much like his covers, which continue to linger in fans’ minds long after the issue is back in the longbox, The Marvel Art of Mike Del Mundo offers a chance to piece together a remarkable career. And perhaps it’ll spark a few ideas of your own.
The Kickstarter campaign for The Marvel Art of Mike del Mundo is going to be live soon. You can find Mike on Instagram and Twitter at @deadlymike, or browse prints and merch at mikedelmundo.com.
Stay tuned as an unedited edition of this interview will air on the AIPT Comics podcast!
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