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.
Superman: Lost #7
Cover by Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, and Elmer Santos
The Superman-Lex Luthor rivalry is as old and essential as these relationships come in comics. So at this point a lot has been done to explore this pairing and what it says about politics, morality, society, etc. But finding something novel doesn’t exactly seem like the end goal for this cover. Because where the story seems to be exploring new spaces — like pairing alternate Clark Kents against one another — this piece doubles, even triples, down on the whole “good and evil,” “black and white” undercurrents — in some instances quite literally. And in that sense ,we get a very reliable set piece with which to ground the story and the context as we move through this compelling narrative. At the same time, though, there’s still some interesting bits — namely, how the cloak of goodness seems to be swallowing Clark whole, and what that says about his own journeys through this story and our understanding of his morality and stance and whatnot in these very specific circumstances. Heck, even that grin from Lex feels novel somehow. It’s a piece that affirms our long-hold versions of these figures while showing us there’s still so much more to learn from comics’ greatest rivalry.
The Superior Spider-Man Returns #1
Variant cover by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado
If you recall about a decade ago, the likes of Dan Slott, Ryan Stegman, and Mark Bagley, among a handful of other talents, unleashed The Superior Spider-Man. That book was originally meant as a way to redefine ol’ Web-Head, and to shift our understanding of what Peter Parker could do and why he did what he did as a hero. Sure, it proved (decidedly) divisive among fans, but there’s no denying that it still made waves. And now the book is back, and it’s promising a story with Doc Ock that’s bound to be “superior” to all the others. Will it be successful, or will this resurgence be misguided? The best evidence for the former over the latter is this Humberto Ramos/Edgar Delgado variant. Spidey’s literally shedding his suit/skin here, and showing a return to his depiction in this rather specific book. And that’s just a great way of declaring just what kind of Spidey stars here, and what the creative team might think about all the other “versions” of Peter Parker. So if you’re down for that deliberate thing, then this book is for you. And if you’re not, well then maybe you’d be wise to steer clear. I’d say opt for being firmly in, but you’re fully prepared with this disticny cover to make up your own dang mind.
NIGHTS #1
Cover by Luigi Formisano and Francesco Segala
This past Thursday, you got to see me gush a little about one of my favorite books of the week, NIGHTS. But since one day isn’t clearly enough, you’re going to get more of that in this feature right this very second. And in terms of things I love about this book, and that also offer heaps of information to potential readers, you really can’t go wrong with this cover to issue #1 from Luigi Formisano and Francesco Segala. Do you get some really sitcom-y vibes? The book’s tone and intent is very much in that ballpark. Maybe a little bit of HBO and/or CW drama? Well, that too — it’s real prestige TV in comics form. What about even a bit of “old-school, wonderfully hokey” comics? Yeah, sure some of that too — but in a wonderfully edgy and slightly ironic manner. (You can thank all the skeletons and the German-speaking vampire for that.) But aside from all those connections and shared aesthetics and whatnot, this cover should expertly demonstrate that NIGHTS is a weird, funny, and utterly heartwarming book — with enough grit and edge to boot. You should want to live in this neighborhood but also never step foot in at night, if that somehow helps.
Space Usagi: Yokai Hunter #1
Cover by Stan Sakai and Emi Fujii
If you’re not up-to-date on your Usagi Yojimbo, it didn’t all of a sudden get rebooted to take place in deep space. No, the master himself, Stan Sakai, launched the title back in the late ’90s, and it’s basically a way for him to tell his very own space opera a la Star Wars. (Only this version features less robots and the swords remain your traditional iron-forged implements of destruction.) But what I love about this version is that it’s still very much connected to “traditional” Yojimbo stories even as it takes on all new ideas and influences. Case in point: this cover from Sakai and colorist Emi Fujii. It feels like these same kind of foes and monster and whatnot might be plucked from another story — even as it remains clear that this book is a couple extra degrees of weird or abstract. A lot of that is Sakai’s outlook and techniques: he creates this clear and powerful look for Yojimbo tales, and by tweaking and modifying with a real grace and subtlety, he’s able to achieve something really intriguing and compelling across these stories. It’s about following the character wherever he may go, and I’d even read a new book called Tax Accountant Usagi.
Midlife (or How to Hero at Fifty!) #1
Cover by Stefano Simeone
If you’ve been digging the Massive-verse over at Image Comics, and the way it grounds and plays with superhero stories and tropes, then you’re in luck. Here, Brian Buccellato (No/One) teams up with Stefano Simeone (Radiant Black) for the story of a paper-pushing firefighter who learns halfway into his dull but fulfilling life that he’s fireproof. Cue the story of a middle-aged man getting the chance to play superhero, and I’m super jazzed for what could be a grounded story about second chances at life and all that heartwarming stuff. At least that’s implied pretty heavily across Simeone’s own cover to issue #1. We don’t get to see much in the way of proper superheroics (aside from that rather sweet helmet). Instead, it’s all about a man who is operating somewhere between fear and uneasy joy and optimism, with the thing that gives his life perhaps the most meaning, his family. It’s a unremarkable piece on purpose; it takes all that energy and oomph and channels it into a rather “pedestrian” bit of imagery that tells you everything about the scope and heart of this book. (The fact that Simeone’s style also has some real Pixar-ian vibes/undertones only adds to this book’s initial appeal.) Actual midlife may not be a treat, but I get that this book looks at it with a certain grace and joy, and that’s a good thing.
Vampirella vs. The Superpowers #5
Cover by Jae Lee
I’m a little hit or miss with Vampirella. I can respect the character’s shtick, and more female icons and the like is always a good thing (even as she sometimes feels like a half-cocked throwback to a weird time). But I’m really keen on Vampirella vs. The Superpowers if only because it seems to recognize some part of that “throwback” element of her story by dropping Vampirella (and her “trusty sidekick DynaMight”) in some ’40s universe/timeline to basically deal with both heroes and villains alike. Now, I don’t see a lot of superhero action in this cover to issue #5 from Jae Lee. In fact, I see more character-appropriate demonstrations of bloodletting and the like. And what works about that is, as far as metaphors are concerned, it seems like a powerful encapsulation of how this character remains unrelentingly herself. At the same time, though, the hanging piece of clothing feels very Superman-esque for some reason, and that little juxtaposition, as it were, feels like a novel way to ground Vampirella in the realm of comic book heroes. Sort of like a proper shorthand for “She’s in this silly world and you can be damn sure she’ll do exactly as she’s done for decades/centuries.” I don’t know how strong shower systems were in the ’40s, but I’m assuming no system could handle that amount of blood ever.
Batman: City of Madness #1
Variant cover by Martin Simmonds
We’ve seen Batman travel to space. And we’ve seen him in more than our fair share of horror stories. But writer-artist Christian Ward is now dropping the Dark Knight into the realm of cosmic horror with Batman: City of Madness. And what better way to hype Ward’s eagerly awaited story of dueling Gothams locked in a kind of metaphysical struggle than by previewing art…from Martin Simmonds. Because, yes, we all know from the previews, and just his entire bibliography, that Ward is going to kill it with this project. But I think in the meantime, Simmonds’ variant piece is also a nice preview. It hints at the core idea of two Gothams and what that might really look like. It also touches on and then instantly expands the whole Cthulhu vibes/connection with some heft but also proper subtlety. And it also touches on a rather obvious reference (Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth) in some thoughtful and decidedly novel ways. So all of that is to say is that there’s some clear connections with Ward’s own work here, but also something different to celebrate and help inform or contextualize the madness ahead. They’re two artists chasing the same kinds of bizarre, beguiling images and ideas, and it’s nice to see such synergy play out here. Even if this cover alone will also give me nightmares for days.
Guardians of the Galaxy #7
Cover by Marco Checchetto
If we’re to believe the recent sixth issue of Guardians of the Galaxy, the team is dead. And as the Grootfall consumes all of the Manifold Territories, we’re left with two new saviors in Hulking and Wiccan. For one thing, any story that involves and/or stars this couple is worthy enough of our consumption. At the same time, though, I think this Marco Checchetto cover does some really interesting things for the story at-large. Sure, we can guess they’re likely not actually dead, but since this book has pulled few punches so far, it’s not too hard to believe that this death is real and happening (again, if only for now and/or as another tool for this book to further mess with our collective heads). There’s a kind of quiet anger and solemnness to their faces, and that not only fits with the whole “heroes have died” vibe but it also speaks volumes about the work ahead for Wickling/Hulkan. It’s one of those deceptively simple pieces — the power is in how it informs the story and adds some new threads as opposed to immediately dazzling readers (even as Checchetto’s work remains amazing as always). There’s dark days ahead for GotG, but as this cover proves, no one of us can ever truly look away.
Operation Sunshine #1
Cover by David Rubín
As far as descriptive hype goes, Operation Sunshine fell a little short with “Near Dark meets Ocean’s Eleven.” Sure, everyone knows the latter, but maybe the former’s just a little too niche. Still, I can get behind a series with art from David Rubin (Black Hammer) and a story from the two hosts of The Last Podcast on the Left (Marcus Parks and Henry Zebrowski). Especially when said story involves newbie vamps stealing ancient vampire artifacts in order to become human again. And even more so when said book debuts with this excellent cover from Rubin. I love the vamp depiction here — a little Twilight meets True Blood vibes for sure. And the magical demon smoke (that I’m assuming could be some elder vamp?) is a perfect touch in setting this series apart from some other similar titles. It’s cute and creepy in equal parts, and I think both energies/ideas balance themselves really nicely. Plus, I think more than anything, it captures some emotionality and overall tone of the premise, and that feels doubly important in portraying this as a deeply human story (that also involves vampires). I’m excited for this bloody operation, and I almost never say that!
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