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 Movies Editor Nathaniel Muir and Manga Editor Eric Cline’s attention this week.
Nathaniel’s Picks:
Action Comics #1011
Cover art by Steve Epting
DC Comics
Superman should only be seen one of two ways. He should either be depicted in triumphant poses in which he lives up to his heroic name or he should be in a situation of grave peril that gets over the gravity of the story. Action Comics #1011 gets this across instantly. Making it look like the Man of Steel is actually in danger is never easy, but Epting manages to do so.
Honor and Curse # 4
Cover art by Nicolas Salmanaca
Mad Cave Studios
There is a lot to like about this cover. The almost monochrome look is striking. The way the lights shines of the character’s shoulders is a nice subtle touch. It is hard to tell whether Lady Yua is oblivious, frightened, or accepting of the scorpions crawling all over her body. That makes the cover and the story that much more interesting.
Rumble # 12
Cover art by David Rubin
Image Comics
This cover by David Rubin is reminiscent of the art from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Black and white will almost always catch the eye and this looks especially good. The way the creator names and issue title and number are naturally placed into the drawing is a cool touch. The art is simplistic and still frightening. This cover proves comics do not have to be bombastic to capture the attention.
Eric’s Picks:
Wonder Woman #71
Variant cover art by Jenny Frison
DC Comics
Two issues of Wonder Woman in a row! The look of sheer death Jenny Frison has depicted here is great. The colors contribute a lot to how effective the whole piece is; the contrast between the cool blues and the warmer reds and violets is intense. The amount of detail to the line-work on the flowers is off the hook too.
Runaways #21
Cover art by Kris Anka
Marvel Comics
Aw. It’s always nice to see a cute shot of the Runaways just being friends and relaxing together. Okay, maybe being manhandled by Chase isn’t exactly relaxing, but it’s a fun image nonetheless. Anka’s nice, clean line-work is pleasing to the eye, and seeing a cat riding atop Old Lace is adorable.
Martian Manhunter #5
Cover art by Riley Rossmo
DC Comics
Riley Rossmo’s line-art for this series’ covers has consistently been fantastic. The looseness of it is fun and a logical fit for a book about a shape-shifter. The bright colors here are nice as well, and there are a lot of small details I really like. The folds of the villain’s cape are great, as are the swirls of cloud formations on the Earth. There’s a clear conflict here, but it’s still joyous to behold.
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