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.
King Spawn #15
Cover by Von Randal
If you’ve seen a Spawn cover, then you might already know there’s a kind of formula involved. There’s a few notable hallmarks of the character’s 30-ish years of publication, including big, flowy capes; giant-sized guns; some kind of hellfire and/or demonic magic; a weird hat or some other unnecessary accessory; and demons and monsters galore. But this is King Spawn, after all, and things are done a little differently. So, as Spawn becomes king, and plots are already launched to land him and his regal behind squarely back in hell, we get a really nice moment of celebration from the world’s favorite hellspawn. Whether it’s the giant sword held high over head; more of that sweet flowy cape action (some things are eternal, FYI); a custom shield to show one’s significance; and/or just the insanely gorgeously, maddeningly-detailed statue, it’s a nice change of pace from the madness that usually defines a Spawn cover. But all things — this moment, story, etc. — won’t last, and next month we can likely resume the unbridled horror and intensity.
A.X.E.: X-Men #1
Cover by Nic Klein
If you read the solicitation for this “story-critical” one-shot of the A.X.E. story/event, it feels like really confusing slam poetry. But if you’ve read any of the event thus far, it’ll likely make sense as we once more explore Jean Grey and her status as the Phoenix. And that’s further supported by the actual cover to said one-shot, as we get a little solo action from Marvel’s most exceptional telepath. Perhaps it’s melding of two backgrounds (deep, endless snow and a blazing inferno), but it just feels like the kind of emotional template for a proper Phoenix story. And if that doesn’t have any impact whatsoever, you should spend a few minutes staring into the enraged face of Ms. Grey, who could likely rip apart a planet with that ferocious gaze. All of that together makes this one-shot feel extra important, and a chance to perhaps explore a different side of a long-standing story element/character from X-Men lore. It feels like the great addition to take A.X.E. into a new gear, and let Jean Grey be the prolific powerhouse she’s always proven to be.
Batman #128
Cover by Jorge Jimenez
There’s two distinct things happening in the world of Batman right now. One’s the still early, mostly already intriguing (and long-awaited) Batman vs. Robin storyline. The other is the Chip Zdarsky-led run on the proper Batman title. Do they have anything to do with each other? You’ll have to read both of those to be sure. But this cover for issue #128 of Batman feels like either like A) Yeah, they totes do have a pretty propound connection or B) It’s just really great timing across titles, and synergy is always a good thing. But either way, this is such a profound image given what we do know about the ongoing Batman title — if Batman’s whole world is being ripped apart, he’d try to protect his son no matter what were happening. But even that sense of devotion amid the insanity of Failsafe doesn’t take away that unnerving, even creepy undertone in this piece, which just shows how deeply complicated this tale is already. It just goes to prove that no matter what happens, the one consistent in the Bat Family is mega drama.
Minor Threats #2
Cover by Scott Hepburn
Previously on Minor Threats: we met a bunch of D-list villains as they banded together to murder one of their own (The Stickman) after he went and killed the boy sidekick of “Twilight City’s premier crime-fighting vigilante the Insomniac.” And, if things weren’t already crystal clear enough, it would seem the cover to issue #2, from series artist Scott Hepburn, gets right down to the nitty gritty by showing (at least a theoretical version, yeah?) of the book’s big climax. Which is to say, that’s either Insomniac murdering every baddie in the city or Stickman murdering everyone in the city. And not knowing — for once as a comic fan — feels like the most exciting thing imaginable. Maybe I’m wrong in not already knowing who is who, but this kind of cognitive assault of sorts, and the overall tension and sheer unpredictability of it all, is one of the reasons I am such a fan of this story even just a couple issues into it. That, and calling your “main” villain Stickman is just amazing.
Shock Shop #2
Cover by Danny Luckert
If you read Judging by the Cover about four weeks ago, you’ll know I had some kind words for Shock Shop — at least as far as Danny Luckert’s art was concerned. Did that first piece — a flowy, almost romantic kind of approach to body horror — necessarily fit with the book’s whole purposefully cheesy, delightfully shlocky take on horror anthologies? Not really. But rather than amend that somehow, and really amp up overt blood and guts, Luckert’s work for issue #2’s cover is somehow even more gorgeous. Whereas there was once little strands of bloody horror, this giant screaming skeleton-turned-otherworldly-plant habitat is hard not to stare down (even if a small part of me thinks he might eat my face). It sort of makes me think of Pan’s Labyrinth — if nothing weird with eyeballs and demons ever happened. And I for one like the approach — horror doesn’t have to be full tilt all the time, and having something that’s unsettling but visually compelling nicely sets the stage for whatever the book itself can muster. Plus, it feels like the covers are telling a story — one that’s so far a visual treat (and a potential emotional landmine).
Earthdivers #1
Cover by Rafael Albuquerque
There’s lots of great reasons to be excited for Earthdivers from IDW. For one, it’s written by novelist Stephen Graham Jones, whose written some stellar horror titles (Mongrels, The Only Good Indians, etc.) And, in true Graham-ian fashion, he’s written one heck of a story, following a group of Indigenous survivors amid an apocalypse who use a “time travel portal” to rewrite American history. (I don’t want to spoil when they decided to apply some of their, um, edits, but the cover should help clear that up.) And if you needed more reasons, Jones is supported by a team of great artists, including series artist Davide Gianfelice and Rafael Albuquerque on covers. In fact, it’s Albuquerque’s debut cover that all but seals the deal with this book, which captures some real Twilight Zone vibes with the starry sky; some body horror with the great use of the skull; and a dash or two of history ephemera to really show just how much things are about to get weird and wild. They say history is written by the victors, but what they forget is that horror is written by the angry and inventive, and that collision of the two is going to make for a bloody good story.
Gotham City: Year One #1
Variant Cover by Ryan Sook
I’m a little torn when it comes to Gotham City: Year One. On the one hand, I think DC has taken the whole “Year One” model/gimmick and told way too many origin stories from it. (As good as it might be, there’s one for the “relationship” between Scarecrow and Batman, which just feels like a slight overuse of a mostly good idea.) But on the other hand, this one is from comics heavyweights Tom King and Phil Hester, and follows no hero or villain but Gotham City itself and how it “became the cesspool of violence and corruption it is today.” Ultimately, though, what sells me on this book is this totally excellent variant cover from Ryan Sook. I assume this is the Waynes we’re seeing here, even if I don’t know if that’s entirely or true or even when it might be chronologically. Regardless, it’s a singular image that somehow explains or encapsulates the larger imagery and/or presence of Gotham (even if this is all just from the county line…) It shows the Batman imagery without making a huge deal about it, and opting for a “minimal” take feels like this is going to be a chance to tell a different story from an otherwise rich cityscape. Just don’t think that means I’m on board if they write, like, Harvey Bullock: Year One.
KAYA #1
Variant Cover by Wes Craig
Of all the interviews hyping series I’ve done in the last few months, I felt especially excited about KAYA. Here, artist-writer Wes Craig (of Deadly Class fame) tackles the story of a young girl (with a magical arm) trying to protect her young brother amid a kooky dystopia with mutants and monsters galore. And the first issue itself is a dang good start, expertly highlighting some of the robust family drama at the center of this book. But then I went out and found out, courtesy of some solicitations, that there’s actually a variant cover I hadn’t seen, as Craig channels the magic and wonder of Jack Kirby for a truly excellent piece. Does it lack some of the more adorable whimsy of Craig’s own debut cover? Sure, but it’s replaced by the sheer madness of a golden laser fist forged in the magical depths of this world. Plus, both siblings look a little more monstrous somehow, and that only adds to the sheer insanity of it all. And none of that even mentions the logo and how it looks like a kind of adventure roadmap — just more proof that this series is already a winner.
Miracleman #0
Variant Cover by Peach Momoko
If you haven’t heard of Miracleman, I’d go ahead and read a wiki or something, ’cause it’s all quite fascinating. But all you need to know is that this cheesy ’50s hero (who was created as a stand-in for Captain Marvel after some books got pulled) was given the old gritty reboot by Alan Moore and later Neil Gaiman in the late ’80s/early ’90s. Now, years after his run, Gaiman, alongside artist Mark Buckingham, is set to return to the world of Miracleman by finishing his final storyline, “The Silver Age.” In the meantime, though, Marvel is offering up this zero issue that “celebrate[s] all things Kimota” with a jam-packed issue (featuring contributions from Gaiman, Jason Aaron, Leinil Francis Yu, Alan Davis, Ty Templeton, and others). And all of that is just a rather long-winded way of getting to share yet another truly dope variant cover from Peach Momoko. Do I think it has anything to do with the issue itself? Likely no. (Do I wish it might, though? Heck yeah!) But if you know nothing of the character’s long and sordid history, or even if you do, it just feels like the sort of thing that has the same kind of whimsy, playfulness, and aw-shucks vibes of the original. That’s the stuff that’s more important than all the character lineages and storylines in the whole entire universe.
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