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Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases
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Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

Chris and Dave share their favorite covers from this week’s new comics.

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 our attention this week, with entries from comics editor Chris Coplan and media and content manager Dave Brooke.

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Chris’ Picks

Thor #1

Cover by Olivier Coipel

Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

Writer Donny Cates and artist Olivier Coipel have the rather unenviable task of launching a new Thor series following Jason Aaron’s magnificent seven-year run. But even if you ignored Cates’ mission (which seems to be hugely dramatic and theatrical in scope), Coipel’s artwork is more than enough to soothe even the most ardent fan. This cover alone makes me think this new series will portray Thor as a “badass Nordic god of ’70s cosmic rock,” and that’s totally groovy, y’all.

Harley Quinn #69

Cover by Guillem March

Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

Generally speaking, anything involving Harley Quinn should be weird as shit. That’s her wheelhouse: wacky and wild, to the point you’re worried that you might be on a bad acid trip. And Guillem March clearly understands that with this cover: when you put Dr. Quinn in the most bizarre of settings, you’re going to get something truly delightful and magical. Even if he only gave us 1 dang tomato slice.

Hawkeye: Freefall #1

Cover by Kim Jacinto

Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

By now, Hawkeye is sort of like Batman in the DC Universe: There’s a ton of versions of him (Dad Avenger, lovable loser, Ronin, etc.), and all of them are equal and valid in their respective place in canon. That said, Kim Jacinto does a swell job of nailing the proper costume as well as Hawkeye’s general vibe: carnival dweeb meets ’90s superhero. Is that an exploding arrow, ’cause this cover sure is the bomb.

Dial H for Hero #10

Cover by Joe Quinones

Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

I’m not the biggest fan of Dial H for Hero; call me a terrible bastard, but I love a similar gimmick as done by Ben 10. That said, there’s absolutely everything to love about Joe Quinones’ cover. The Normal Rockwell homage; the overt cheese of it all; the metaphor of fandom and everyday people transcending their place; and the regal, doubly handsome Krypto. Dial G for “good job,” folks.

Crone #3

Cover by Justin Greenwood

Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

As a rule, a lot of fantasy series in the vein of Conan feature a lot of badass artwork that’s perfect for an ’80s metal album. And that’s especially true for Crone — this cover alone could be the most pulverizing, medieval-themed grindcore LP ever recorded. But there’s also something else to the art of Justin Greenwood, the sense of sorrow in D’Kayde’s eyes and the almost alien quality to something so visceral. It’s not a cover instantly pulls in eyes, but when you do look, you’re hopelessly caught forever.

Dave’s Picks

Batman Beyond #39

Cover by Francis Manapul

Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

If you don’t know it yet, Batman Beyond is now a woman and looks glorious in the costume.  Francis Manapul has done a great job with the use of light, or more specifically projected light, to show messages of Batman emblazoning the new Bat-Woman character. It’s a cool way to convey the futuristic bedazzling as well as a larger message.

X-Men #4

Cover by Leinil Francis Yu

Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

Charles Xavier is back! Oops, spoilers, but we all knew he wouldn’t be gone for long. This is a cool shot as it shows two of the biggest mutant characters ever going all businessman with the suits and the apparent group meeting. Leinil Francis Yu has done a great job capturing each character without their costumes or powers, from Magneto’s cool as a cucumber demeanor to Apocalypse’s huge size and cold eyes. Meanwhile, Xavier’s covered face continues to creep me out!

Killadelphia #2

Variant Cover by Jim Mahfood

Judging by the Cover – 01/01/20 new releases

I’m a huge Jim Mahfood fan, and this cover continues to show how he’s doing street-art style work that is always evolving. There are multiple techniques on display here — I particularly like the Ben-Day dots used for shadowing –and the use of color makes the figure and their orifices pop.

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