I have purchased the book, it came in the mail just the other day. I'll leave a review here for those who are interested.
Let me first say that I couldn't care less who gifted what to whom, who has rights to what and who endorsed what in today's reality. All I'm interested in is releases showcasing Michael's talent or personality one way or another, so I'll review the book from this perspective.
This book is probably one of the most treasured MJ-related items I have by far - because it's the only book that shows a rarely explored dimension of Michael's genius: his talent of a visual artist. It is designed as an art album, has the same large format and printed on an expensive glossy paper. The only thing that spoils the impression a bit is the cover - it's not in jacket, but instead has a regular pasteboard cover which tends to get wrinkled, so it really makes the book look cheaper than it should.
The book starts with a foreword by Katherine Jackson (in German, like the rest of the book) followed by a short interview with her. Then there is a sizable story of "Jackson-Strong alliance" which talks about Michael's interest in art and how the works showcased in the book came to be (at least I assume it does, my German isn't that good to read it all carefully, haha).
Then there is a chapter that touches on depiction of Michael in different works of art. Warhol's portrait is shown, as well as several Michael portraits from Neverland. Then follows the main portion of the book - the one with Michael's drawings.
It's definitely not a full collection of his works - I can recall many images that are not included there - but it's a very good representative collection. Most of the works are done with crayons and there is one landscape painting that I think is done in watercolors (the first and only watercolors work I've seen of Michael's). The collection starts with different geometric forms which, I guess, Michael drew as an exercise. Then there are a few drawings of his signature symbols - the toe-stand, the hat and glove and a self-portrait from the Thriller video. Then there are drawings of Disney characters followed by various full-size human bodies (including another self-portrait of himself in the Chinese outfit similar to this
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3543/3313622221_d098fff149.jpg). Then there is a series of very, very impressive portraits - he really was a great portraitist (I found his picture of Clark Gable simply amazing). These works show that if Michael didn't make a career in music, he could definitely become a successful artist - like many geniuses, his talent was multi-faceted. Finally, the collection ends with a series of ornaments - chairs, gates, keys. I found these drawings interesting mostly due to the attention to detail - the ornaments are really intricate and detailed. After hearing from multiple people that Michael's attention span was short and he never could focus long enough to master a musical instrument, I was surprised to see how much attention and effort went into these drawings.
All drawings are dated and have annotations explaining their story.
The book is definitely a collectors item and something Michael's fans will appreciate. One day, I'm sure, the general public will appreciate it too. I wish this project
was backed by the estate - because it deserves to be released in English, promoted to a wider audience and receive the finishing touches that would do it justice in terms of quality. I think if the publishers and the Estate had made a deal, this would have been a win-win for both sides, and definitely a win for Michael's legacy. But alas.. I'm glad that it saw the light of day even as it is, and in German.
For a sneak peek, see this video someone posted