Alex Mitchell Draws Samurai-Era X-Men And The Jazz Age Justice League [Art]

While other artists give us ahistorical takes on alternate history superheroes by dressing them up in the faux Victorian and Edwardian costume of steampunk, Alex Mitchell delivers carefully researched reimaginings of Marvel superfolk inspired by the jidaigeki genre of media, especially those set during Japan's Edo period. He recasts X-Men and Avengers as samurai, ghosts and demons, when he's not imagining them as turn of the century paranormal detectives or outfitting the Justice League for America's Jazz Age.Mitchell's deviantART gallery contains must-read details about his comic book/jidaigeki mashups. He doesn't merely pick and choose from Edo period costumes; he explains why Rogue is the vengeful spirit Onryou, Jean Grey is a maiden in service to Hououza Shrine and Mystique is a cunning kitsune. Marvel would do well to consider a 1602-style series using Mitchell's pictures as a jumping-off point.

This mixing of genres and styles also serves Mitchell well in his animated web series Space Ninjas.