Following the success of Fantastic Four: Full Circle, Abrams ComicArts is set to continue its MarvelArts line with a bold new entry: The Avengers in The Veracity Trap, an original graphic novel written by Chip Kidd with art by Michael Cho. Today, AIPT is thrilled to debut an exclusive look at Cho’s behind-the-scenes process, featuring early thumbnails, pencils, and inks, for what’s shaping up to be a visually stunning tribute to classic Marvel storytelling.
In The Veracity Trap, the Avengers face off against Loki in what begins as a classic clash of good versus evil, but soon twists into something far stranger. As Loki unleashes a monstrous army in Asgard with a weapon of unspeakable power, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes—Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Giant-Man, and the Wasp—are forced into battle. Yet when the dust settles, they uncover a terrifying truth that shatters their understanding of reality. Because this time, the enemy isn’t just Loki—it’s the Truth itself.
“Writing this book was really just an excuse to see Michael Cho depict glorious, epic, jaw-dropping sequential storytelling with these iconic characters,” said Kidd. “He more than delivered.”
Cho’s art channels the boundless energy of Silver Age Marvel, infused with his signature precision and charm. “I’ve always held a special spot in my superhero-loving heart for the Avengers,” said Cho. “Chip wrote a fantastic and heartfelt story, and I tried my best to channel the joy and wonder that crackled from those classic comics.”
Check out our exclusive gallery below (along with commentary) to see Cho’s creative process in action, from rough thumbnails to beautifully inked final pages, as The Avengers in The Veracity Trap readies its leap into the MarvelArts legacy.
THUMBNAILS:
Generally, thumbnails are the most intensive and challenging part of any story I draw. I can pencil while listening to podcasts or music and I can ink while sleepy, but thumbnails demand total concentration and silence for me. I find that 50% of the work is in the thumbnails and all of the heavy lifting is done during this stage. I know other people who can thumbnail 20-30 pages a day, but for me, it’s about 4-6 maximum per day and I try to nail down everything from vanishing points to word balloon placement during this time. Hence, I draw pretty tight thumbnails compared to others. Sometimes I even work out lighting and blackspotting.
As for why it’s drawn in red? I dunno, I just like the colour.
PENCILS:
This is the truly fun part of drawing. The entire book has been laid out, I’ve read it over to see how the pacing and “beats” work, and have all the big questions answered. I’m going in with confidence, knowing I have a rough version of the book in hand. Now all I have to do is tighten everything and make sure people have the right expressions to go with the balloons or captions, Cap’s shield has the right amount of red bands, and work out where the shadows and blacks go. I can listen to my favourite NBA podcasts (Zach Lowe’s show) and lose myself in the joy of drawing.
I usually draw digitally these days, because I like the undo and I have a very heavy hand. I also like being able to lasso and resize a hand or shift an eye over to the left without needing to redraw it. I miss drawing on paper for the texture and the tactile sensation of graphite on kid finish bristol, but I’ve gotten used to the feel of a stylus on glass. I own a cintiq, but I never use it anymore, preferring to draw on my smaller ipad pro. I pencilled this entire book in Procreate.
INKS:
These pages were inked on paper, bristol board actually. I print the pencils in blueline on 300 strathmore bristol board, vellum finish. They were inked at 150% printed size. The book itself is larger than regular comic size, so even at 150% the pages are large. The spreads were printed onto one large sheet of bristol board instead of 2 sheets taped together like the old days. In this digital age, artists have a lot more freedom to draw and ink and whatever sizes they prefer. For me, I’d rather draw everything at 200% printed size (twice-up in the old lingo) but that would be far too unwieldy for this book.
I ink with a variety of tools, primarily brush-based. I use a Raphael 8404 at various sizes from #2 to #5 for inking. I also use a Faber Castell Pitt Pen when I’m in a rush, or want to keep more energy and don’t want to re-dip a brush over and over. My go to ink is Higgins Black Magic, even though it’s a thinner ink. Black Magic contains no shellac, so it will make your brushes last longer. The pen lines are done with more Faber Castell pens, because the ink is archival India ink and won’t fade.
I enjoy brush inking, but it requires discipline and practice. For me, when I was starting out, it took over 2 years before I stopped cursing after each line I put down. So, if you’re learning to ink with a brush, don’t feel bad if you suck for a while. No less an authority than Frank Frazetta said that brush inking takes at least a year and a half to develop.
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