Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains, an exhibition featuring the works of one of the most famous artists in comics, recently opened at Dunn Museum. A big fan of his work, I visited it the first chance I had.

Ross is known for painting incredibly life-like portraits of DC and Marvel characters. His work merges the worlds of comics and art.

The exhibit features more than 100 portraits of superheroes and villains. While most paintings feature one character, a few depict multiple, including two full-wall murals: one each of all superheroes and all villains. I have never seen anything like it.

One other multicharacter piece had Aquaman, Atom and Hawkeye sharing the canvas. While I felt Aquaman deserved his own painting, I still liked seeing my favorite superhero so beautifully captured. My friend Tony appreciated the work, but he preferred his Marvel counterpart, Namor.

Dunn Museum is the first to house the largest public display of Alex Ross art. It is also the first exhibition in the newly expanded 3,000-square-foot space. Running through Feb. 16, 2026, Alex Ross: Heroes & Villains is a must for comic book fans or art enthusiasts.

Located 30 minutes northwest of Chicago in Libertyville, Dunn Museum is named for Bess Bower Dunn, one of Lake County’s earliest genealogists. Also one of the first women in motion pictures, Dunn documented the county’s history through her photography and recorded meetings with early residents. Some of the artifacts and documents housed in Dunn Museum were acquired personally by Dunn. Operated by Lake County Forest Preserves, Dunn Museum gives an incredibly thorough look into the history of the area.

— John Wroblewski, online writer