11 x 17" copic markers on bristol
X-Men fans will know that there was only one issue that featured this lineup in these costumes. It was Uncanny X-Men #137, by the art team of John Byrne and Terry Austin. This is the issue where Jean Grey meets her end, sacrificing herself to avoid succumbing to the Dark Phoenix again.
This was a preshow commission for Baltimore Comic Con 2017. Reilly typically only does single figure pieces at conventions, but I approached him with this idea and he was enthusiastic to do it, but nervous about getting it done at a busy con table. Turns out his concerns were well founded, and he needed to tackle it at home after the show. It caused a delay of a couple months, and I'm sure it was a headache for him with work and a family to work around.I think it ended up working out well for me in the end. Reilly captured the tone of the story, and rendered the characters true to model (which can be tough to get in a commission.) This piece is top notch and I'm so proud to own it. I've only framed 2 commissions so far. This one will probably be #3.
