Most comic book fans have a pretty good idea what they’re going to buy every week when they visit their local comic shop. With that said, there’s still a lot of fun to be had just glancing at the week’s new releases and taking a chance on a book that looks promising. That’s where covers come in. A fantastic image can make the difference between trying something new or saying, “Nah, not this week.”
In that spirit, here are the covers that captured contributor Lisa Allison and Manga Editor Eric Cline’s attention this week.
Lisa’s Picks:
Infidel TPB
Cover art by Aaron Campbell & José Villarrubia
This haunting cover instantly drew me in. Villarrubia and Campbell have created an exquisite example of how a limited color palette can have a tremendous impact. The woman’s hunched shoulders, slight turn of her head to look behind her and her tense grip on her sleeve are clear indicators of her fear. Arching over her in the upper right is a cold, blue, ghoulish hand. Does she know the hand is there or only dread that it might be?
The Thrilling Adventure Hour #3
Cover art by Jonathan Case
When I picked this cover I had no idea what it was about, I just liked the art. Turns out this comic, like my number one choice, is about a haunted house. The movement of the dancers adds an element of fun especially with those big smiles on their faces. Look more closely and you begin to see that they are dancing in front of a skull. The yellow of the skull’s eyes acts as a spotlight on the dancing couple. So it begs the question, are they really having fun or being made to look that way?
Cold Spots #2
Cover art by Mark Torres
Maybe it is my mood this week but my number three is also darkly themed. This cover hit the mark for me on a couple levels. Firstly, I really appreciate Torres’ beautiful use of multi-toned gray wash to set an ethereal scene. I am a sucker for animals so that helped as well but I especially liked how the female forms are nondescript and the animals are detailed. With all this gray Torres needed a punch of color and succeeds with the orange tiger cat at the center. This cover makes me ask a lot of questions and that is a good thing.
Eric’s Picks:
Moon Knight #199
Cover art by Becky Cloonan
This is just lovely. The colors are great, especially the white of the cape that looks bold against all the gray and red. This piece’s composition is also strong; you can never go wrong with having a Lovecraftian monster peering over your protagonist. The bridge in the background also provides a sense of scale that makes the creature even more terrifying.
Edge of Spider-Geddon #4
Cover art by Aaron Kuder
This character looks both weird and imposing, which I dig. I love any sort of imagery where humans have additional limbs, so this is right up my alley. The simple but effective composition is also great, as the webbing leads the viewer right to the focal points of the eyes in the middle. The red looks good against the black and blue background as well.
Old Man Hawkeye #9
Cover art by Marco Checchetto
This cover’s sense of motion is on point. The glow from Bullseye’s eye is cool, as is the flow of his trench coat. I’m also a fan of characters being worked into designs, so seeing the series’s cast drawn in traditional playing card style is fun.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.