Most comic book fans have a solid idea about what they’re going to buy every week as they descend upon 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, funny, scary, etc. 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. This is Judging by the Cover.
The Nice House on the Lake #10
Cover by Alvaro Martinez Bueno
It’s been a minute since I featured The Nice House on the Lake on this list. But let’s be honest — it’s not because the quality of covers from Alvaro Martinez Bueno have ever proven somehow lacking. If anything, I could probably write a few pages about every single new cover, and that would only cover part of the greatness that this already great book churns out. But, and this is clearly the case with the cover of issue #10, it’s got to do something extra incredible and jaw-dropping to really get my attention. What I love so much about the cover to #10 — beyond the great contrast of imagery and the starkness of the whole imagery — is that the covers tend to flirt with the so-called uncanny valley, playing with our very perceptions of reality and what we can accept in fictionalized displays before our tiny ape brains just deflate. In that sense, it’s another master class of making the reader feel uncertain and uncomfortable and using those energies to help them reach new ideas and understandings. Nice house? Nah, awesome and terrifying house, folks.
Thunderbolts #2
Cover by Sean Izaakse
The first issue of Thunderbolts felt sort of surprising. Mostly un the way it depicted Hawkeye (he felt real and grounded in a way he hasn’t felt since the Matt Fraction-David Aja days). But even in how they included new members (they felt mostly real pretty early on, and that does a lot to make this book’s whole gimmick feel fresh and exciting). And it seems the surprises will keep on coming, as we’re promised a new (hero/villain?) in Eegro The Unbreakable. I would think the large monster-lookin fella towering over a ruined New York would be a bad thing, but then the solicitations question just how his “strange power [could] help New York’s only official super hero team battle their enemies and balance their budget?” That, and the team seem to be fine with Eegro, going so far as to not only use word balloons on the cover but also break the fourth wall. (In these parts, we call that a Golden Double.) Given all that, maybe the biggest surprise thus far is that all of it works super well together, and we’ve got a great cover that’s fun, quirky, and just a little bit mysterious. In short, a solid start to any second issue.
Briar #1
Cover by German Garcia
Here’s another book where, if you spend any time on Twitter, you’re already sick of hearing of it. Well, maybe not entirely over the prospect, as Briar seems like one of those rare darlings that deserves most of the extended hype treatment. Because how else do you top what’s basically Sleeping Beauty meets Kill Bill (with a dash of “Rip Van Winkle” and Samurai Jack). Well, how about the excellent first cover from series artist German Garcia? We’ve got everything we need to know in one gorgeous, deeply unsettling image. The core aesthetic? Like dystopian Grimm Brothers. (Or, a ’90s Disney cartoon if it were made by the folks at 2000 AD.) What about the emotional outlook? How about bloody depressing and unflinchingly gritty? Even the emotions of our “Sleeping Beauty” are rendered in sharp detail through her very eyes (and the bloody sword she swings certainly helps clarify that intent). Regardless of what Twitter says, this cover is proof that Briar could be a big deal. And if you don’t agree, the groggy warrior princess would like a word with you.
Old Dog #1
Variant Cover by Kevin Nowlan
If there’s one thing I hope was clear in my recent interview, Declan Shalvey has put in work for Old Dog. From the emotional tone and the overall look, to the twists in the narrative and even just the design of certain characters (like our hero Jack Lynch), this feels like a very special book. And I think that’s never more clear in this excellent variant cover from Kevin Nowlan. Because not only is the world of Old Dog already so perfectly formed and encapsulated even before issue #1 debuts, other creators have clearly picked up on those threads so well that Nowlan’s own variant cover feels like a powerful extension of what makes this actual book so great already. But more than that, I think this variant does a few things extra. Like, making Lynch look a bit more grumpy and sad around the edges, and adding a kind of absurdist quality to this cold-blooded killer’s life’s work. All together, it’s a deeply solid preview of intriguing little book, and proof that a great variant can both explain a book and add new life in some interesting ways. That, and you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s surly cover, ever.
Hell is a Squared Circle #1
Cover by Jacob Phillips
I don’t have many official bylaws here at Judging by the Cover, but if there was one, it would be that almost anything to do with wrestling gets covered. (I mean, that aren’t those BOOM-published WWE books, as it just makes me sad the real product often doesn’t feel nearly as theatrical as those great books.) And so it’s a pretty obvious move to include Hell is a Squared Circle for a few different reasons. That includes the title alone; the fact that AfterShock Comics brilliantly calls this a “One Shock”; and the name of the main character is Ted “The Irish Mooska” Walsh. But more than all of those, it’s because of the excellent cover art from Jacob Phillips, who you may know from the always great That Texas Blood. Whether it’s the sharp use of red; the slightly grainy quality (like this is a snapshot from the Bill Watts era of rasslin’); the lightning and tombstone’s on the Mooska’s trunks (pick a gimmick, homie); or the mutant-looking faces of the crowd, it all works. Wrestling is weird and dumb, dark and silly, intense and joyous — and this cover demonstrates that with gusto. Ring the bell, dangit!
Flawed #1
Variant Cover by Prenzy
In another great interview we published just last week, writer Chuck Brown told us all about Flawed. As if the description of “Frasier meets The Punisher” wasn’t cool enough, Brown’s crafted a really great story that addresses ideas of vengeance and parasocial relationships, all wrapped in these dark, Kafkaesque vibes. But we didn’t spend nearly enough time talking about the art and visuals of the story, all of which come from Prenzy. I mean, Prenzy’s debut cover alone is super great: not only does it nail the general tone of the story (dark and super weird), but it also feels playful and almost flirtatious in its scope, and those energies really expand an already great narrative. But I just had to go with the variant cover, which is also from Prenzy. Mostly because it may not be quite as subtle and mysterious, but that extra bold approach really lets you know how absurd and equally visceral things get — not to mention the chaos that abounds and the deeply human sense of it all. The art is such a perfect extension of this story’s core, and extends these ideas until they’re all but smacking you squarely in the face.
Action Comics #1047
Cover by Steve Beach
I know this is meant to be a place to celebrate great comics art. But it is called Judging by the Cover, after all, and so I think it’s just as essential to talk about covers that maybe I don’t quite “love love.” I mean, I am certainly obsessed with this cover by Steve Beach. I love the layout choices — it feels both retro and modern somehow — and the overall crispness and intensity of the color. I love that they effectively chose the George Reeves version of Superman, which is a bold choice if there ever was one. I even love that there’s more zombies than people on this cover. But then some questions emerge. Like, would I have gone with this as the cover to the very important debut of the “Kal-El Returns” storyline, which builds off a year or so of the whole Warworld saga. And is the blurring of ’50s and ’70s aesthetics the best choice? Also, could they have made Jimmy Olsen any more creepy looking? In the end, I think the good outweighs the bad (if only by a close margin), and it’s an intriguing choice for what comes next while countering a lot of the books’ whole Flash Gordon vibes as of late. Welcome back indeed, Kal-El.
Damage Control #2
Cover by Carlos Pacheco and Rachelle Rosenberg
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been obsessed with a certain Marvel-related meme. I won’t name said meme out loud, but it’s this one and if you haven’t thought about it a lot in recent years, I can’t understand you on a fundamental level. Is it a thing they’d ever commit to film? No way. Is it still funny? Ah, duh — especially when you think about how the whole stupid idea has taken on a life of its own. But what does all this have to do with Damage Control? Given who it’s co-written by — that’d be Adam F. Goldberg of the TV series The Goldbergs — I don’t think I’d be way off in noting that this feels like the most subtle of nods to said meme. Or, at the very least, in the same realm of thinking about all the weird and funny stuff that would happen to shrinking heroes/villains. And even if I’m totally wrong, and this has absolutely nothing to do with the meme, and the only thing I’ve done is tell on myself, I don’t care. Because this series has been about getting a little silly and weird, and Marvel could use more of that. Well, at least humor that isn’t this, at least.
Pink Lemonade #1
Cover by Nick Cagnetti
I first saw Pink Lemonade not on some blog or in a previews email but TikTok. What am I doing on TikTok as a 36-year-old human? Food videos, my friends, food videos. But whether or not I belong on a child’s lip-synching app or not, it was all worth it just to see the work of artist-writer Nick Cagnetti. This indie comics standout, now being released via Oni Press, follows our titular hero as she tries to do good, and all the weird and wacky happenings that might prevent or impede her efforts. There’s just so much to love about this simple but effective debut cover: the character design (she’s both terrifying and also quite charming and adorable); the expert use of a motorcycle; the hints of the universe that surround Pink Lemonade; and just the overall, unabashedly bright colors and endless child-like wonder and charm throughout. It’s maybe not the most groundbreaking thing, and seeing it often enough on TikTok has given me a kind of digital Stockholm Syndrome, but none of that really matters. All that matters, to be frank, is this tickles the joy centers of my brain more than 1,000 of the best choreographed TikTok dances ever could.
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.