Roi Mercado - Cyclops

Roi Mercado - Cyclops - OAX '26 Commission

In an endless quest to have pieces by every one of the Next Comic Art crew, I knew I had to get a piece from Roi. I was lucky enough to snag, as a gift for my sister, his Rogue piece hanging out, eating a burger during one of the drop shows on CAF+. The piece had a little Cyclops poster in the corner, so I knew I'd be circling back for a Cyclops of my own.

Roi is incredibly kind. We spoke at length during the show. We talked about the art, of course, but also about his family. Roi is definitely my friend now, and I appreciate the time and dedication he put into the work.

This is perfect Cyclops action. What I love most is the subtlety and efficiency in the piece. You get everything you want from Cyclops and a dynamic pose. But the background doesn't distract from the piece. I love the little lightning bolts. Cyclops' visor and optic energy are strong, drawing your eye across the piece. The streak of energy conveys the mid-action movement of Cyclops.

I like that Cyclops is bright against the dark and moody background. I would love to see Roi take it further with interconnecting pieces for all the X-Men. We'll have to set out for that in the future.

It was great to grab this in person from Roi and Jiggy at OAX '26. You can't ask for a better show to meet with your friends and your favorite artists.

11" x 17"