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.
Wolverine #34
Cover by Leinil Yu
If you’ve been alive as long as Wolverine, you’re bound to have gotten your heart broken a few times. (And I mean that both literally and figuratively.) But there’s something about this ongoing beef between Wolverine and Beast that just feels extra intense and affective. Not only because they’re good buddies — and as the most animal-like members of the X-Men, they share a certain outcast’s outcast connection — but because in his efforts to out-douchebag himself, Beast’s now wielding Weapons of X. It’s not just the name that stirs vivid, painful memories for Wolverine, but it’s the fact that Beast has so casually busted out clones and giant mecha suits against his former pal. But as he’s done with the rest of his long, long life anytime that sadness and betrayal reared their ugly heads, Wolverine leaps into action headfirst, in a moment that isn’t just undeniably badass but allows him to reaffirm his humanity and his fight for goodness, decency, and a life that only he can truly dictate. You see a sweet battle waiting to happen, and I see a man embracing the ugly parts of life claws-first.
Green Lantern #2
Variant cover by Darick Robertson
Last month’s debut of Green Lantern #1 truly was an entertaining turn for Hal Jordan. After stories dealing with intergalactic politics and giant fear monsters, it was nice to see the cocky Captain Jordan have to deal with coming home amid a truly weird point in his life. And issue #2 looks like a really solid continuation of this storyline, as Hal must deal with both his rocky relationship with Carol Ferris as well as some, um, malfunctions with his Power Ring (talk about an analogy, amirite?!) So, what does Kilowog drinking tea amid a sick battle scene have to do with all of this? Well, aside from his great taste for snazzy leisurewear, Kilowog is a great character to demonstrate Hal’s current lot in life. He’s straddling these two worlds — trying to find the balance to be a man and still be a Lantern, and it’s not always going to go so smoothly. But if he can commit (like a man drinking tea amid the rubble, perhaps?), then he just might have a chance at some real happiness. You know, until it all gets weird again and we further test Jordan’s bright green mettle.
Klik Klik Boom #1
Cover by Matt Wilson and Douglas Dabbs
You may know writer Doug Wagner from super great, doubly bizarre titles like Plastic. But he also wrote The Ride: Burning Desire — about a former detective trying to acclimate to post-release madness — that featured art-covers from Douglas Dabbs. Now the pair have reunited for a proper series that promises to be equally over-the-top and entertaining. The Dabbs-Matt Wilson cover to Klik Klik Boom #1 pretty much touches on all the major elements-parts of this series. There’s a super weird assassin raised by a doomsday prepper who only speaks through polaroids. (OK, only one of that’s obvious — I love the breakdown with the polaroids! — but at least 2/3 of that is implied.) And this wacky assassin, who has never really interacted with other people, heads to NYC to avenge her grandfather’s murder. (I think her social skills are pretty obvious here — but also, who murders while eating cake?) Beyond that, the cover hints at the same familiar tinge of Wagner-ian wackiness, and it feels like it’ll be a mix of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and Blast from the Past — which that description alone has me totally hyped. All hail the weirdos!
Xino #1
Variant cover by André Lima Araújo
The Xino anthology describes itself as “intra-ocular lozenges of subversive, surrealist science-fiction to cure your awful awareness of” our increasingly bonkers timeline. Whether or not you need more of a reminder, or are looking toward even more sci-fi to consume and digest, the series has certainly delivered on its promise of visual majesty. Case in point: this excellent variant cover from André Lima Araújo, who doesn’t provide one of the three stories in #1 but does a damn fine job of setting the pace for this daring title. We get a prerequisite robot, which not only affirms “this is, indeed, sci-fi” but has an interesting aesthetic. The rest of the cover, meanwhile, feels like a dash of near-future city life with just the slight undertones of authoritarian rule — a balance between ideas and values of sci-fi that mostly has me curious about how this world/worlds will actually break down. Sure, other covers perhaps capture a more “realistic” take on our anxieties toward the future — this Shaky Kane piece feels brain-meltingly ominous in its tone and general likelihood — but Lima Araújo’s piece does more to play around with these ideas and sentiments in a decidedly clever way. That, and it made me think the robot is up there smoking and drinking, and that’s pretty dang fun, yeah?
The Sickness #1
Cover by Jenna Cha
The Sickness is another of those titles where you see it getting discussed/shared via social media for weeks or months before the whole thing finally debuts. In the case of this Lonnie Nadler-Jenna Cha collaboration, we get the tale of two men living a decade apart, their fates “intertwine[d] through a horrifying illness and the haunting figure who follows wherever they go.” If that weren’t horrifying enough to get me excited, we also get Cha’s debut cover. I love the pristine ’40s/’50s vibe here — it’s a gorgeous sight and welcomes you to consider such a profound moment. And then we get that extra bloody moment that ruins the picturesque street and shows us what’s really happening here. But the whole scene also feels so minimal, as if it’s relegated to the very fringes, and that somehow feels all the more powerful than if the whole page were covered in blood and viscera. Like, the fact that it’s so understated has me grappling with what’s wrong, and trying to hold on to the otherwise sense of peace and quiet this image generates. It’s a huge feat of cognitive dissonance that puts the onus on the reader to sort it all out, and that’s even before the madness has truly started.
Dust #1
Cover by Gaston Gomez
To some extent, the premise of Dust feels a little hackneyed. After the earth is turned into a dust ball, the rich get to live luxurious lives underground while everyone else ekes out a hellacious living on the surface. But amid a pretty generic sci-fi trope, there’s at least a hint of promise thanks to the cover from series artist Gaston Gomez. I love the aesthetic of the suits — it screams “steampunk but not nearly as lame or silly.” The city in the shadow, meanwhile, plays up that whole class separation motif in a way that feels at least visually novel, suggesting there’s some inventiveness to the story. Even the way the shadow casts makes me think there’s some slight horror elements, and even if that’s not entirely the case, that new energy could do lots to help separate this series from other similar, catastrophe-tinged class dissections. All that works so much it even distracted me from the “second sun” (that’s actually an exploded Jupiter, apparently), and I think that just speaks to how effective this cover is in demonstrating what could make it actually novel. Even if I’m wrong, at least I don’t have to live in some solar-cooked hellscape — for now.
Captain Marvel #50
Variant cover by Amanda Conner
It’s the end of an era over at Captain Marvel. Writer Kelly Thompson has spent the last 49 issues redefining the hero, challenging her beliefs and her very place in the Marvel Universe through a series of great stories/arcs. As such, the big 5-0 promises to be quite the ending, and what better way to cap off this historic run than some solid covers. I nearly went with this main cover from Carmen Carnero and Alejandro Sánchez — because how else would you capture such a maddening run than one extremely thematic moment. Same for this Karen S. Darboe/Ian Herring piece — if you want to really see the kind of bravery and humanity Captain Marvel stands for, you just need one truly powerful image. Heck, even this Javier Garron-Edgar Delgado cover is great; Captain Marvel isn’t just one person (she’s a bunch!), and it’s all about the ideals and values represented. In the end, I needed to pick this amazing Amanda Conner piece. Because not only does it make us laugh — a must for any truly sad ending — but it explores the same ideas of these other covers (Captain Marvel is strong and powerful, sure, but it’s ultimately about how she supports and uplifts others). Plus, the little meta bit from She-Hulk really drives home the importance and bittersweetness of this whole moment. Goodbyes suck, but I have a feeling this isn’t the end at all.
Old Dog #5
Cover by Declan Shalvey
The four previous covers to Old Dog have each been a masterclass. Be it Jack Lynch’s scared face in #1, or issue #3 that doubles as a slick post-punk album cover, creator Declan Shalvey knows how to make pieces that embody sleek and sexy spy thrillers. Which is why the cover to issue #5 is just so disconcerting — but in the very best way, of course. Because, as the soliciations promise a “freak accident [that] has set a gruesome creature loose in the halls of Black Circle,” Shalvey delivers with a slice of pure body horror. Seriously, I can’t imagine the last time I was this terrified of teeth, or amazed at how both utterly disgusting and deeply awe-inspiring the vascular/circulatory system is in what I assume to be a human and/or the remnants of a human. Does this mean this new arc is going to be a bit of horror? Likely not — but that doesn’t mean it totally couldn’t, either. Shalvey has masterfully told a powerful story that can occupy a lot of spaces simultaneously — and this cover’s “believability” just speaks to the free-form tendencies of a book that uses the spy genre not as a suit of armor but a tool to engage/uplift/scare/entertain/etc. its readers. Even Lynch could make monstrous sights like this feel utterly dark and cool.
Superman: Lost #4
Variant cover by Lee Weeks
Superman: Lost has been truly compelling thus far. As a recent convert to the House of El, it’s been amazing to see writer Christopher Priest strip the Man of Steel down in a way to foster new insights and understandings — which have been enhanced and extended thanks to the art from Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, and others. But as we reach issue #4, and Clark Kent “reflects on his humble Smallville origins as crushing emotional fatigue threatens to end his journey back,” it’s Lee Weeks that gives us an especially huge moment of pure emotion. Here, it’s like we’re seeing a Clark stuck between his youth and his burgeoning adulthood — too old to play with all those toys and yet young enough to really feel the weight of his destiny as a hero. He both sees the arc of his life even as he hasn’t left home yet — it’s a dichotomy that really hits you in the feels and reminds you of the strange, strange trajectory of this man’s life. It’s sentiments that feel perfectly suited to this story and its nuanced and thoughtful exploration of decidedly novel ideas regarding Superman’s humanity and the struggles he faces to be our bright and shimmery hero. This cover captures big ideas and feels both celebratory and something altogether more mysterious — a great moment before Supes’ journey through space takes us toward even stranger tides.
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