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Alex Ross hid a 32-page comic inside Marvel Dimensions, but marketing told him to announce it early
The title Marvel Dimensions makes a lot more sense once you know what’s hiding inside.
NewsbyChris Arrant, Editor-in-Chief
Published on Mon Aug 31 2026
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Alex Ross’ upcoming Marvel Dimensions hardcover OGN is one story… but also two, in more ways than one.
“In the case of Marvel Dimensions, my urge was having leftover ideas that I wanted to find a place for. I was basically taking two ideas and jerry-rigging them together,” Ross tells Publishers Weekly’s Zach Rabiroff.
According to PW, Marvel Dimensions is essentially two books. The first is a 112-page story told in a series of two-page spreads in the painted style Alex Ross has become known for, retelling the classic origin of popular Marvel characters. The second, however, is a 32-page comic inserted into the hardcover, where Ross changes to his more rarely-seen pen-and-ink style more commonly seen in superhero comic books.
“I’ve always wanted to do pen-and-ink for something, but finding the logic of where it would fit within my body of work has always been a challenge,” says Ross. “So we shift context halfway through Marvel Dimensions, and hopefully it feels organic.”
Alex Ross and Abrams’ editorial director Charles Kochman revealed to Publishers Weekly, according to writer Zach Rabiroff, that the 32-page comic nestled inside of lush, painted Marvel Dimensions OGN was originally intended to be a surprise, only revealed when readers received the physical book and news of the insert spread word-of-mouth in a viral moment. But reportedly, Abrams’ marketing team “convinced” them that it would work better as a selling point prior to release.
That brings the word ‘dimensions’ in the title Marvel Dimensions into better focus.
What is inside the 32-page comic? That is something Ross and Abrams are trying to keep under wraps until the book is released on September 1.
Interested? Here’s where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet, and here’s a guide to how (and where) to read comics online. If you’re looking for the best comics in recent memory, check out the Eisner Awards winners and the Harvey Awards nominees. And if you like free comics, here’s everything we know about Free Comic Book Day 2027.
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Chris Arrant: Chris Arrant is the Popverse’s Editor-in-Chief. He has written about pop culture for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher’s Weekly, Marvel, Newsarama, CBR, and more. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. (He/him)
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