Artist Alex Ross designing special collector’s case for Assassin’s Creed III

We've talked a lot lately about the upcoming Assassin's Creed III—like how seven different studios have been developing it for three years and some major details concerning the gameplay, story, weapons, and more. But did you know Alex Ross, comic book artist extraordinaire, was involved with the game?

Those planning to pre-order the game will be interested in the collectible metal case that will come with the game. It features full-color, front-and-back brushwork from Alex Ross. The illustration perches the new protagonist, Connor, atop a snowy mountain peak.

Ross has illustrated some of DC's and Marvel's top characters, including the classic trinity (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman), Spider-Man, and Captain America.

So how did the high-profile artist wind up working with Ubisoft?

"Out of the blue Ubisoft contacted me at the end of last year and they invited me to do the cover for the new special edition of this game," Ross told USA Today. "I was well aware of the game. I think Assassin's Creed has been a pretty large footprint in video games. You see the commercials and definitely remember them."

The artist previously contributed a cover for the Midway/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment game, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. He's currently helping to relaunch The Shadow for comics publisher Dynamite Entertainment.