In the footsteps of Middle Earth

This beautiful book dust jacket, glossy and beautiful layout paper, is the "more" World Tolkien: Vision of Land-du-Milieu. I put the word "more" in quotes because it's not a story but a collection of illustrations accompanied by excerpts of texts from novels and other news from the "Middle Earth", by JRR Tolkien. Double thematic pages about places and characters thus refer to all the works of the master, that is to say, in every age of his great mythology because Tolkien created a universe spanning thousands of years . His most brilliant idea was to symbolize the human species declining in many forms, ranging from the human fantasy and "deified" (race of elves) to the "dregs of humanity" (orcas) through the laborious workers (dwarves), simple people (the little hobbits) or the average person capable of the worst as the best (men, simply ...).

Each page turned and reveals a place, a character, a deity, a key scene ... An excerpt from text left, so illumination, alongside a right page entirely devoted to the figure corresponding to it. Many cartoonists succeed, because it is a collection of the best pictures from the various illustrated editions of "The Lord of the Rings" to "The Hobbit" and other works of the master of heroic fantasy. Some paints are also derived from thematic calendars on the world of Tolkien. Obviously, the three "stars" still answer the call, namely Ted Nasmith, Allan Lee and John Howe. The last two will be involved (great idea !!!) by Peter Jackson for the artistic direction of his great cinematic saga (The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit). To give you an idea of ​​the thing, Allan Lee has a reputation for being born to illustrate the "Middle Earth" ... That alone !!!

The other artists are less unifying, but some are worth visiting. Among them, there are a few that were not present on "The World of Tolkien." One meets the world of comics with beautiful illustrations by Michael Kaluta. Other newcomers pay in originality with distorted versions of famous figures Tolkien, especially with the "Treebeard" Alessandra Cimatoribus and especially the paintings of Cor Blok and his world to the "Shadocks!" The collection ends with two stunning oil Stephen Hickman, who manages to recreate with incredible power the dark side of "Middle Earth". His work also points in darker, the brothers Greg & Tim Hildebrandt, whose work can be admired in a beautiful book (The Lord of the Rings: The art of Tolkien), but here are lacking in Call for reasons of copyright ...

A short biography of the artist is available in annex (one page each).
Like its predecessor, this compilation is obviously far from exhaustive. Note that these are the Glénat which resumed the collection following the USA Comics editions.
If you are looking for beautiful illustrated versions of Tolkien's novels, Ruez you on Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, illustrated by Alan Lee, or the Silmarillion illustrated by Ted Nasmith. Alan Lee offers an anthology of his works in the sketch book Lord of the Rings. John Howe is entitled to his own anthology with John Howe: In the lands of Tolkien. And for an exciting dive into the various mythologies that inspired the great Tolkien, do not miss The Ring Tolkien, illustrated by Alan Lee (again!).