Alex Ross stands in front of the artist’s mural at the “Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains” art exhibit at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum of Lake County in Libertyville. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

Fans of the Marvel and DC comics universe are in for a treat with “Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains,” a massive exhibition of the celebrated artist’s work and the first to be held in the newly expanded 3,000-square-foot East gallery of the Dunn Museum, in Libertyville.

The exhibit, featuring more than 100 portraits and life-sized murals of iconic comic characters painted by Ross, as well as three new works runs through Feb. 16, 2026. It constitutes the largest arrangement of Ross’ artwork for public viewing, covering nearly 40 years of his celebrated career.

“This will be the first time Alex’s renditions of the DC heroes and villains will be shown together with the Marvel heroes and villains in a formal exhibition and displayed in such a striking way,” said Sal Abbinanti, Ross’ art rep. “This will be a feast for the eyes for fans of art, fans of superheroes and fans of Alex Ross.”

New artwork of The Joker. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

Heroes and Villains is the second exhibit featuring Ross’ work to be held at Dunn Museum; the first — “Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross” — was held in 2019.

“I’m happy to have this exhibit at Dunn,” said Ross, who began scripting and drawing original comic books at age 13. “It’s a goal to elevate the perception of my work, and when you have a top-notch museum engage it, it makes you feel seen and appreciated more.”

Known for his hyper-realistic painting style, Ross said his first glimpse of Spider-Man came while watching an episode of the children’s TV program, “The Electric Company,” as a young boy. Around the same time, his mother — an artist herself — bought him some Marvel and DC comics, and he became hooked.

“I was an addict early on,” Ross said. “I was obsessed with drawing all the characters, and my work feeds off of my lifelong fandom of these characters.”

After graduating from the American Academy of Art, in Chicago, Ross worked as a storyboard artist in the advertising industry and also illustrated his first published comic work — “Terminator: The Burning Earth,” a graphic novel — in 1990. Three years later, he painted the cover of the novel, “Superman: Doomsday & Beyond,” and was then hired by Marvel Comics to illustrate central characters in the comic book mini-series, “Marvels.”

The collection includes individual portraits that are combined to come together in two large murals. This mural features villains. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

Since then, Ross has painted numerous comic book covers, posters, murals and more, ranging from Marvel superheroes Spider-Man, Iron Man and Thor to DC icons Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman — and everything in between. He also created narrative art for the films “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2,” and his updated design of the “S” on Superman’s costume will be used in the upcoming movie, “Superman.”

“With Superman’s look, and others, all of it has changed over time,” Ross said. “But I try to respect the old guard. You can count on my graphic approach to respect the beginnings. I’ll make choices to enhance it in a certain way — what seems sensible with the given characters. For example, Spider-Man is zipping around the city, so the costume won’t always be bright. But I always want to capture the way it was and stay dominant in the DNA of how the character is known.

New artwork of Harley Quinn. (Photo by Karie Angell Luc/for Chronicle Media)

“The history of where this stuff came from — the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s — I’m aware of that history and I reflect that in my interpretation. It becomes a focus of what makes that character work.”

In addition to his work for Marvel and DC, a sampling of Ross’ output includes covers for TV Guide and rock albums, promotional artwork for the Academy Awards, and “Beatles Yellow Submarine,” a collection of lithograph prints featuring the Fab Four. Ross is currently working on a graphic novel for Marvel Comics, scheduled for release in 2026.

“With the (Dunn Museum) exhibit, I’m hoping to foster a sense of appreciation for comic art as fine art,” Ross said. “I hope this happens for other artists as well. I want there to be a life for this art form for as long as it can exist, and that’s what I’m dedicated to putting my efforts into.”

Access to “Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains” requires an additional admission fee. Tickets will be available at the door. For more information, visit www.lcfpd.org.