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.
Daredevil #12
Cover by Marco Checchetto
I already know what you’re saying. “Chris,” you whisper into the ether, “don’t you always celebrate a Daredevil cover?” And, yeah, absolutely — I just love what Marco Checchetto does almost every single time. I mean, go back and peep his many efforts, and you’ll see that he understands and captures this modern take on DD in some deeply compelling ways. But even a seasoned artist like Checchetto can continue to bust out new “tricks” and perspectives to dazzle audiences. As the book “reaches its most ambitious point yet” — and the creative team have promised to “drag [Matt Murdock] even lower (how?!?!) — we get this dazzling moment between the Daredevils. It captures their unique history and connection in one singularly breathtaking pose, and shows us their bond with an efficiency that’ll have you spiraling your own dang self. Is it somehow the calm before the storm? Maybe. But they are headed down, and that sort of tells you that nothing’s ever truly settled or that anyone is ever owed a “happy” ending. But wherever they’re going, they’re going there as a team.
The Flash #800
Variant cover by Michael Cho
Oftentimes when I say, “Oh boy, I surely don’t know what cover to pick for this massively important issue,” I’m sort of lying. It’s not that I’m not conflicted, it’s just that there is, even after lengthy internal deliberations, one cover that stands above the rest. But in the case of the monumental 800th issue of The Flash, I’m really and truly stumped. I love this Jeff Dekal cover because it captures the sheer physicality and overt power of the Scarlet Speedster. Meanwhile, this Otto Schmidt piece is a little fun and playful while also honoring the character’s family and all-around lineage. Even this Javier Rodriguez cover almost had me changing my mind with what has to be one of the best depictions of the Speed Force/Wally’s running. But something finally won out in the end, and I have to give the final nod to this Michael Cho variant. Because 1) it sort of accomplished the same goals as its companion covers and 2) feels like a Darwyn Cooke piece (and that’s always a highlight) while 3) playing up the feel-good vibes that Flash has always brought to the DCU. It’s a big deal to reach 800 issues, and only The Flash could ever make it look this darn good.
In Hell We Fight! #1
Cover by Jok
Give me some swear words in a title and I’m a very happy fella. But as it turns out, this new book from John Layman and Jok proves to be as promising from a storyline as it it just plain cool for promoting both swearing and fisticuffs. Here, three deceased teens hatch a plan to “hijack a demon lord’s delivery truck,” resulting in some extra hairy hijinks across the underworld. And that whole overly silly, slightly blue vibe informs a lot of what makes this Jok cover so dang cool. It’s like a Saturday morning cartoon mashed together with some MAD magazine feature — all silly and gross and wonderful. And while I don’t get a lot of overt personality from our “heroes” (aside from thinking that the one in center is clearly Lizzy Borden), their looks alone promise some extra goofy shtick with a heaping helping of drama. Hell, even the look and feel of this version of the underworld has me excited for the horrors/hilarity held within. Layman certainly has the chops to make things weird and wild (he wrote Chew, FYI), and it’s my hope that swearing is only the start for this book. Crap!
Godfell #4
Cover by Ben Hennessy
I sort of fell off with Godfell after issue #1. Not that I didn’t like it — it’s a book from Christopher Sebela in which people basically sojourn through the corpse of a fallen god. (Like your friend groups’ D&D campaign meets We Only Find Them When They’re Dead.) But while it’s a slightly inexcusable decision, I would say, for my own defense, that last couple covers have been a little forgettable. Until now, that is, when series artist Ben Hennessy knocks it out of the lower flank of the fallen god with this cover to issue #4. At this point in their journey, Zanzi and Neth have come face-to-face with a foe “that can penetrate their minds and kill with a whisper” — which makes it so we can get really weird with the cover here. And knowing that threat really does extend the body horror meets Stranger Things vibes that this cover is throwing off; it’s fantastical, yeah, but little details like the eyes really draw home some of the horror elements as well as that otherworldly, “holy crap something is definitely off” sensibility. Could this be the cover that brings me back in like some weird tentacle monster? Could be.
You’ve Been Cancelled #1
Cover by Kevin Castaniero
A couple weeks ago, we got to sat down with Curt Pires to talk about You’ve Been Cancelled. The series, created alongside artist Kevin Castaniero, takes place in a world where bounty hunters effectively “cancel” (i.e., assassinate with extreme prejudice) folks as deemed by some programming as part of this world’s most beloved entertainment event. Is there some controversy attached? Sure, the idea of cancel culture’s (perceived or otherwise) effect on society is a hot button issue. But based on Pires’ conversation, I’d like to think the book isn’t needless anti-woke rhetoric but an exploration of this collective interest in fame, parasocial relationships, and ideas of identity and perception. And it just looks hella cool! That, based on this great cover, is the thing I think that matters most. All of the ideas and end-goals of this book — and the subtlety and scope of the team’s “arguments” — are encapsulated with this cover. You get the cyberpunk influences; the MTV Animation sheen and energy; the near proximity to our own time (that matters for satire); and the idea that all of this is one big (albeit extra bloody) little joke (that still tackles very valid subject matter). Let’s hope this book isn’t cancelled too early, yeah?
Blood Tree #5
Cover by Brad Anderson and Christian Alamy
There’s this idea I’ve been toying with for some time. Let’s call it “Uneven Impact.” It’s not new, either; I’d bet $1,000 we experience it all the time. It’s a concept best exemplified by this great cover to Blood Tree, a story about bloody murders and the afterlife and so much more than such a simple descriptor could muster. What we see here are clearly angels, and there’s a sense of peace even as we see the dead bodies. And then, when we spend a little more time, we realize the absolutely horrific nature of this scene, and it begin to mess pretty heavily with our basic understandings of ideas and characters as well as our very visual perceptions. This feat/process is often a lot of fun — it’s like eating overly spicy food in that it’s a slow burn that leads into some decidedly enjoyable form of torture. It’s a kind of trope that needs to be experienced to really understand the rush of tripiness and pure joy that comes with being “deceived” by your favorite comics covers/films/etc. It’s also just another feature that has made this book/story really entertaining and a truly physical and emotional test for readers.
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #4
Variant cover by Al Barrionuevo
The appeal of Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent has been a chance for the young Supes to get out there on his own. And by out there, we mean battling Ultraman across the Multiverse in order to save other versions of his father. The fact that Jon has come face-to-face with a Superman that’s gone all Injustice on us (Tom Taylor also wrote that great series, FYI) is one of those unsurprising development that still packs quite the punch. Especially because it’s resulted in this great variant cover from Al Barrionuevo, who expertly gets to the heart of why Dictator Superman is such a compelling concept. I mean, look at the majestic creature — it’s hard to not stare totally slack-jawed — even as we know he’s only here to rule with a super iron fist. And that’s sort of it: it’s hard not to be compelled by a flying god even as he invokes a robust sense of fear (and looks not unlike Henry Cavill) — it’s maybe the closest we can get to the deeply conflicted feelings of Jon Kent himself. It’s the same kind of love and longing imploding in the face of an objectively horrible reality, and all we can do is try and make the best decision (run away, fight our own father) in the face of this devastating moment. It’s partly why this book has been so good, and why it’s also done a lot to test both its protagonist and readers.
Immortal X-Men #12
Cover by Mark Brooks
And speaking of deep-seated relationships imploding in front of our very eyes, we’ve reached the cover to Immortal X-Men #12. If you’re not up-to-date, The Quiet Council is filling a vacant seat — and it’s up to Colossus to make the final deciding vote. How does this lead to some, let’s say, conflict with his on-again, off-again love interest, Katherine Pryde? Well, while you’ll have to read to see, this Mark Brooks cover does hint at the kind of tension we can expect inside. And while another couple clearly ranks as comics’ greatest love affair, this Colossus-Katherine coupling is right up there, too. Could I see why, in this wild and wacky state of the X-verse, they’d be fighting? Yeah, and that makes it worse — I don’t have to do a lot of mental gymnastics if the current story makes it easy enough to see why this conflict (directly or metaphorically) has to happen. All you’ve got to do is peep this cover and feel the weight of it all — the way it all sort of clicks into place and we’re grappling with a really big moment of violence and a certain kind of deep, dark betrayal. Does it, in a very #comicsfan sort of way, stop me from loving this sleek little action shot, or contemplating who might win (Pryde, hands down)? No way. Because the best comics can stoke the inner nerd and break your heart at the same dang time.
Astrobots #2
Cover by Phillip Knott
I have the mathematical proof of why Astrobots is already a big deal. It goes, “Simon Furman (Death’s Head creator and writer of the OG Transformers comics) + Hector Trunnec (of Heavy Metal fame) + comic based on a (wonderful) toyline = golde.” Am I expecting a lot of depth and nuance? Maybe — some of Furman’s Transformers comics had a lot of humanity under all that transforming robot action. Still, I am expecting exactly what the cover of issue #2 delivers: sick mecha action. Much like Trunnec’s own work, cover artist Phillip Knott understands the potential of super slick giant robots, and he tackles his subject with the prerequisite mix of futurism and a Renaissance-style reverence. The end result is an anime on acid, and mechs that feel perfectly straddled between unstated sci-fi magic and something deeply human. They’re totally big and colorful, with building-sized swords, and yet there’s real drama and bigger personalities attached to each robot. I love the feeling that everything’s so colorful and alive and over-the-top without also forgetting a sense of detachment that really complicates these characters and makes us never forget the conflict at the heart of it all. Maybe all of this is coming from a guy who grew up watching/reading too many giant robots, but with the right artist, it’s easy to see why mechs are so much more than they appear to be.
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.