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.
Nightwing #102
Variant cover by Travis Moore
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I love DC Comics so much. The only essential reason it’s remained my favorite publisher is the whole line’s unabashed levels of hokiness and unwaveringly saccharine tendencies. And I obviously don’t mean that in any discouraging way — DC knows it’s characters really well, not to mention its extended history and overall editorial bullet points, and that together means a collective “aesthetic” that’s a head-rush of nostalgia all the time. The fact that it’s often represented in hyper-cheesy images like this Nightwing #102 variant is just more proof of why DC’s endless, retro-tinged sentimentality always works. Because, as we’re building toward a brave new era with Dawn of DC and the rein of the Titans, we get this irredeemably silly image — one that speaks depths about the Titans, their larger connection, and where they are heading into the future. And it’s almost as if Nightwing himself is welcoming us in, which only makes DC’s efforts to foster some cheesy family vibes feel all the more effective. You may get more realistic universes, or endless grit and gore, at some other publishers, but this is DC’s bread and butter, baby.
The Amazing Spider-Man #22
Cover by John Romita, Jr.
The solicitation for this issue of The Amazing Spider-Man is pretty direct: “Who is this mysterious figure and what do they have to do with Peter’s and Mary Jane’s disappearances?!” And, sure, if you’ve been keeping up with the book, you may have some clue already. But for everyone else, this is the perfect opportunity to play a little game I call “Breaking Down A Big Bad.” I sort of get some real Douglock vibes here, and that’s a crossover of sorts that I need more than I’d ever expected. The fact that he’s eating Spidey’s mask is a good sign — you can’t do better than the image equivalent of a punch to the solar plexus. And even amid all those skulls and the sheer robust size of our villain, there’s a certain child-like quality, and that’s somehow more unnerving than the mask eating. Whatever happens in terms of the reveal, let’s hope it has even one-tenth the power of this single snapshot of savagery and understated insanity.
Nightwalkers #3
Cover by Joe Bocardo
Don’t feel too bad if you haven’t heard of Nightwalkers. It’s one of, like, 432 current series that Cullen Bunn is writing. But it’s might be worth making some room in ye olde pull list for a series about people undergoing addiction treatment in some isolated compound — only to be beset upon by bloodthirsty monsters. But in case you need more proof/evidence, this cover from series artist Joe Bocardo feels like it all but cinches the deal. As if it weren’t a challenge to use a limited color palette, Bocardo manages to bring the depth and complex line work to make this image feel all the more rich and compelling. The fact that the person holding the shotgun seems more disconnected than, say, screaming like some third-rate action film just makes this image feel all the more harrowing and fraught with some real nuanced energies. It’s one of those things that captures the eye with a lot of razzle dazzle, but then slowly breaks the heart shortly thereafter.
Torrent #2
Cover by Justin Greenwood and Rico Renzi
The debut issue of Torrent put in a lot of work to make this book feel really special. In a book where a superhero is forced to “cross the line from hero to vigilante” following a massive tragedy, the story unfolded with some efficiency and even greater impact. And based on the cover to issue #2 from Justin Greenwood and Rico Renzi, that same pace continues as the book barrels toward some hugely violent, emotionally poignant stakes. But where the cover to #1 felt a little like a poster for an action film (all the heroes posing, the gentle crack of the mask — it feels overly glamorous), #2’s cover does away with a lot of those tendencies and half-cocked decisions. What we’re left with, then, is something that feels manic and almost depraved in its scope — violence and fear and pure, raw anger that wants to scare and startle the reader. And in that sense, the cover is a ripping success, and something that lets you know the devastation to come in the book proper. Anyone else afraid that they’re about to be struck in the jaw?
Vampirella Strikes #11
Cover by Lucio Parrillo
Truth be told, I’ve never read any of the Vampirella books. As someone who reads a lot of other books/stories with an extended history and whatnot, the thought of “keeping up” with this vampire superheroine has always been just a tad too unnerving. Yet I’ve always enjoyed the covers of the books, and perhaps even more than some other titles, they’ve felt like a powerful instance in how you sell eroticism in a way that doesn’t cheapen the process or the stories and without overly catering or placating readers. And this Lucio Parrillo cover feels like a case study in that very dynamic. Is it immediately compelling and dripping with perpetual sex appeal? You better believe it. Yet for as sultry as it is, Parillo’s technique and skills are readily on display — you can practically feel the care and depth he employed to capture something that’s a little sad and deeply human (on top of being overtly sex). The end result is a piece with properly dichotic energies and intents, and one that demands the consumer to drink it all in.
Chilling Adventures Presents… Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe Of Horrors #1
Cover by Adam Gorham
And speaking of books I’ve never really cared to delve into, it’s an Archie Comics title. Unlike Vampirella and similarly “crowded” fictional universes, I’ve never been able to escape the idea of Archie books as being a little lame, even as books/titles have tried to develop this, um, rich universe. (I also blame seeing one single episode of Riverdale — that show is just beyond me on so many levels and none of them are any good.) But if Archie’s world tends to get as dark and bloody as this one-shot promises, then maybe I need to make a little room to hang out with the whole gang. Sure, I love the dirtiness and inherent promise of cheese from this schlocky horror story. But I also love that it looks to keep with the universe’s slightly hokey ’50s vibe, and that together feels like something weird and dark but properly aligned with the shape of this universe. Maybe that means it won’t be a full on body horror extravaganza, but there’s only so much we can ask for from Mr. Jughead.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #32
Cover by Rahzzah
If you don’t know already, Darth Vader’s a badass in the comics. Forgot the stiff movements and understated emotionality in the movies — he’s a living, fighting dynamo of multifaceted depth an nuanced in books like this ongoing titular saga. And, so, yeah if you recognize all of that, then this cover to issue #32 is pretty straightforward, as the former Anakin Skywalker is going to mow everyone down with his terrifying laser sword. Yet, it also sort of looks like a spotlight, or maybe a kind of tractor beam. And that’s the sort of visual magic and pseudo-slight-of-hand that makes comics Vader so compelling. Because he may be an unstoppable fighting machine, but there’s so many more layers and pockets of context to what he does, and this image captures that idea in a truly brilliant manner. His arc will continue to unfold in some profound and intriguing ways, and this cover is more proof that while we won’t see it coming, the journey’s going to be a real beaut.
GCPD: The Blue Wall #6
Cover by Reiko Murakami
I started this week’s edition gushing about DC. And so it’s only fair that I offer a little pointed criticism to boot. More specifically, I remain unsure about the whole GCPD: The Blue Wall series since its debut six-ish months ago. Sure, the super-talented and perpetually thoughtful John Ridley is handling the scripts, but I wasn’t sure if DC’s innate cheesiness as a line could handle a story about “everyday people trying to do good in the midst of a flawed system.” And while I’ll come to the story in time, I feel a little more swayed after this Reiko Murakami cover to the finale. I love everything here: the commentary implied by the faceless crowd; the actual blood on the cop’s hands; and even the way the Batman imagery is there but made subtle and slight. Just the whole tone of this cover especially feels like it really nailed the “Gotham-ness” of it all, and that’s really vital for a complicated book like this one. Sometimes it takes one image to remind you to jsut let big ideas grab you by the person and let the stories do the talking.
Neighbors #1
Variant cover by Ramón Pérez
Sometimes I wish I controlled what covers books/titles used. I don’t need to edit anything, but a little final approval power, maybe just a couple times per year, would be great. Case in point: Neighbors, a brand-new horror story from Jude Ellison S. Doyle (Maw) artist Letizia Cadonici (House of Slaughter), and colorist Alessandro Santoro (Bloom). Sure, the main cover from Miguel Mercado is great; it definitely sets the stage for the family vibes and creepy, slightly cheesy horror to come in the actual story. Yet it’s this variant from Ramón Pérez that takes the cake. It certainly captures the “Irish and English folklore and mythology” at the book’s center (it’s mostly the giant tree, yeah?) Plus, it feels like the best kind of ’70s horror movie poster, and that whole dynamic fits nicely with the book’s larger tone and motifs. Even the colors here scream something powerful and vivid without feeling any less terrifying. If this were the main cover, I think it might make all the difference in who this book lands as an audience.
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