Judging by the Cover – 8/7/19 new releases

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 Media and Content Manager David Brooke and Manga Editor Eric Cline’s attention this week.

Dave’s Picks:

The Death-Defying Devil #1
Variant cover art by Ben Oliver

Dynamite Entertainment

I love the symmetry of this cover. The circles at center give the reflective green vs. red figures a spinning quality that fuels the energy of the cover. Meanwhile, the detailed look of each and great ink work creates a sense of dread and unease. Great stuff.

House of X #2
Cover art by Pepe Larraz

Marvel Comics

Are these shapes fractals? The shapes do a good job of drawing your eye all over the place and linger on the different characters. It’s the kind of cover you’ll stare at for a while and then, boom, you realize there are fingerprints behind the characters. What does it mean?! It’s a cover that draws your interest very well.

Doom Patrol: The Weight Of The Worlds #2
Cover art by Nick Derington

DC Comics

I love the idea of superheroes on the red carpet to their own TV or movie. I love how the personality of each character is captured via their pose or what they’re up to here. The press at the bottom of the page helps add depth to the image while the backdrop, and the way the titles and creator names are tilted, aligns with the angle of the wall. A great cover that’s endearing as hell.

Eric’s Picks:

Absolute Carnage #1
Variant cover art by David Nakayama

Marvel Comics

This cover is doing so much. Nakayama full-on committed to the “cereal killer” joke and made it actually work. It’s hard to pull off tongue in cheek gags with such intense characters, but the contrast between Carnage’s murderous self and the bowl full of marshmallows is effective. Add in the fact that those marshmallows are Venomized and I’m totally sold.

Justice League #29
Cover art by Francis Manapul

DC Comics

This cover is nice and bright and pleasing to the eyes. I love Starro; he’s got such a bizarre but simple design and it’s always fun to see the Justice League with starfishes slapped on top of their faces. The composition here is good and the breaking of the logo is well-done too. Plus the colors pop boldly, thanks largely to the contrast between the pinks and blues, with the purple shades in-between adding a nice gradient.

Absolute Carnage #1
Cover art by Ryan Stegman

Marvel Comics

I haven’t read anything about this event but this cover tells me all I need to know thematically speaking. A symbiote with tendrils flinging out in various directions, sitting atop a gravestone surrounded by stones? All bathed in blood red to boot? I know exactly what I’m in for thanks to this piece, and I dig it.