Click image for larger view.
The 244-page, full-color hardcover is written by James Wyatt, who works for Wizards of the Coast as both a Dungeons & Dragons supplement and adventure designer, and as a WotC novelist. Cover art is provided by Adam Paquette. MSRP is $39.99.
In addition to being a collection of Magic: The Gathering art, the book details the world of Zendikar--its peoples, creatures, and landscapes.
We asked Perfect Square Editorial Director Beth Kawasaki about the title, which seemed like a distant cousin to the imprint’s largely juvenile-oriented titles. She sees a close connection. "Perfect Square is home to our kids titles, including Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda (see "Preview: 'The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past' TP"), both of which are strong video game tie-in properties," Kawasaki replied. "Our manga and comics audience has a definite cross-over with gaming fans and pop culture fans so it's a natural progression for us to produce books that are aimed at an adult audience. Building on the success of the coffee table books we released last year for Voltron (see "'Voltron' 30th Anniversary Book") and Hello Kitty, we’re very excited to be adding The Art of Magic: The Gathering--Zendikar to our catalog."
Kawasaki told ICv2 that work on the title has been ongoing. "We've been working side-by-side with Wizards of the Coast for several months to make the first ever Magic: The Gathering art book, and we can't wait for fans to experience the gorgeous artwork and detailed storyline."