Remember me
I’ve been dreaming about taking down the Kingpin ever since I first watched Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the 1990s. Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 game finally gave me that opportunity, and surprisingly early on. The title suitably received amazing reviews, and audiences adored swinging around New York City, taking on Mr Negative, Scorpion, Shocker, and more.
The title became one of the fastest-selling games of 2018, and, rather astonishingly, the second-best-selling PS4 game of all time. That’s a testament to how popular the webslinger is. Following the spectacular reception, Sony swiftly released a remastered version for the PS5 alongside a spin-off, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and a sequel in 2023. While we await a third instalment, fans now have the chance to bid on a unique painting by a legend from the comic book world – a masterpiece that celebrates the PS4’s beautiful visuals.
What’s So Special About This Spider-Man Painting?
Sony / Alex Ross
You can put in a bid for the original painting used for the wraparound cover of Game Informer #301. It’s an iconic cover, one of the go-to images associated with Insomniac’s 2018 Spider-Man game, and that’s because it’s by the supremely talented Alex Ross.
The piece shows Spidey swinging through Manhattan, depicted in gouache over graphite on heavyweight Bristol board, and measuring 27.5” x 18.25”. It’s signed by Ross too. The auction item further includes a photocopy of the preliminary pencils, taped to the top edge, itself a thing of beauty.
For fans of the wall-crawler, there’s something especially cool about this item: it was created for the cover of Game Informer #301, published in May 2018, which gave us a detailed look behind-the-scenes at the title. Marvel’s Spider-Man was released in September 2018 for the PS4, so Heritage Auctions points out that “Though not a comic-book appearance in the traditional sense, it’s an early, high-profile printed image of Insomniac’s Spider-Man as that version of the character was being introduced to a mass gaming audience”.
Sony / PlayStation
The Spidey suit depicted in the painting was specially created for the PS4, but swiftly won over a legion of fans – so much so that it featured in both Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and its sequel, Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
The magazine it was published in has an unusual story too: the title ceased publication in August 2024, despite it being the fifth most popular magazine by copies circulated just a few years prior. Less than a year later, it was acquired by Gunzilla Games and relaunched in June 2025. Game Informer #301 came at a time when the magazine was at its peak, so anyone who visited a GameStop store in 2018 is sure to instantly recognize the cover!
Who Is Alex Ross?
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Whether you’d want this painting in your living room comes down to one simple thing: if you like it or not. Chances are that you do. After all, it’s by Alex Ross, who’s a giant of the industry. Indeed, his work even transcends the comic book industry, seeing as his art was featured in the opening credits of Spider-Man 2 (2004).
Obviously, the painting looks stunning. Ross brings a high degree of realism to his work, so even aside from having Spider-Man front and centre, this would be a great painting to own purely for its depiction of the New York skyline. His detailed webbing and sense of speed make this even punchier.
But who is Alex exactly?
He rose to prominence with the 1994 miniseries, Marvels, written by Kurt Busiek, which showed the events of the Marvel Comics universe via the POV of an ordinary photographer, Phil Sheldon. Since then, Ross has been hot property and has worked on covers and interiors for both major comic publishers, but his art has further graced DVD covers, posters (including for the 74th Academy Awards in 2002), and video games.
Marvel Comics / Alex Ross
Most recently, for Marvel, he’s provided covers for several high-profile titles like The Immortal Thor, Immortal Hulk, and, of course, The Amazing Spider-Man. His murals also sit proudly on the walls of Marvel HQ.
The Spider-Man PS4 painting is part of a wider auction that notably includes the original splash page art of Tales of Suspense #39, i.e. the first appearance of Iron Man! At the time of writing, Ross’ painting is going for $22,000, but we expect that to rise to well over $30,000. It’s certainly worth it.
Want to own your own Alex Ross masterpiece? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!