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.
Batman / Superman: World’s Finest #20
Cover by Dan Mora
I’ll admit that I was a tad hesitant when I saw that Mark Waid and Dan Mora were introducing Kingdom Come into Batman / Superman: World’s Finest. Not because it wouldn’t be interesting, or that they’re not capable of handling the material. Rather, that other “adaptations” haven’t always gone so smoothly. But if there’s already proof that this concept is a success, it’d be Mora’s own cover to issue #20. He’s more than just nailed the designs from that beloved story — Superman seems even more robust and elegant, while Batman remains an equally intense and foreboding figure. (And that’s not even mentioning Green Lantern, who finally looks like a threat and not a slightly decrepit old man.) It’s a balance of what Mora does best while expertly referencing and remixing the singular aesthetic that made Kingdom Come such a massive shot in the arm for comics — and it’s done with a truly subtle grace and sense of deliberateness. I think if this is just the start, then this will be the type of story that honors that book while clearly focusing on what makes this current series important and vital. That, and maybe no clunky exoskeleton designs.
The Invincible Iron Man #11
Cover by Kael Ngu
Take it from someone who is married (and was married before): marriage can be a crisis of identity. You’re trying to build a permanent life with someone, and sometimes someone gets absorbed by the other as you’re piecing together this wacky little existence. That seems to be the case with Tony Stark, who just weeks into being Mr. Emma Frost is already going full on Hellfire Club in the new issue of The Invincible Iron Man. Yes, it makes sense that the Frost-Starks would exert some control of that iconic outfit as they maneuver their burgeoning new dynasty, but I guess I’m a little shocked to see Tony go full British aristocrat. It’s not all bad news, though; as much as he went Full Butler with it, the idea of having giant Iron Man chess pieces feels like a move he could actually pull off (but also, the pieces would have to be made of expensive metals). Plus, Tony’s the sort of guy who can be obsessive, and falling into his new role with such commitment only makes sense. At the end of the day, this marriage ain’t no gimmick but likely a way to understand these characters in a new and novel light. And any excuse to give Emma Frost a little arm candy clearly can’t be that bad of a decision, right?
Hack / Slash: Back to School #1
Cover by Zoe Thorogood
If you’re not familiar with Hack / Slash, now’s your time to jump head-long into the bloodiest horror-comedy buddy comic this side of a Swamp Thing-John Constantine team up. Writer-artist Zoe Thorogood feels like the perfect choice for a story about a younger Cassie Hack (still fresh into her work with Vlad) tackling a case “involving a murderous bunny mascot, dead kids, and an entire squad of maladjusted teenage serial-killer hunters.” Her approach may not be similar to Stefano Caselli, but it does have that same decidedly stylized tone. Plus, Thorogood is a pro at balancing the deeply human/personable with elements of horror and the generally unsettling, and that’s a skill you simply can’t learn. It results in something that feels deeply cool and with endless attitude while honoring the book’s core aesthetic of weird and filthy horror. It feels very much like the book but a fresh new chapter, and it takes the horror in a slightly different direction (maybe more Tarantino-esque than, say, John Carpenter). It’s not easy jumping into a beloved, long-running IP, but this cover proves that success only takes joyous commitment and expertly placed blood.
Subgenre #1
Cover by Wilfredo Torres
Back in 2012, NBC had the gall to release and then immediately axe Awake, in which the amazing Jason Isaacs starred as a cop who switched between realities every time he went to sleep. (It’s a crime only lessened when they canceled Heroes before it got truly awful.) Luckily, Matt Kindt, Wilfredo Torres, and Bill Crabtree have helped remedy that error with Subgenre, in which a man splits his time between “a private detective in a dystopian cyberpunk future” and “wandering adventurer in a barbaric fantasy world.” Aside from the fact that this book will likely ask important questions about the nature of reality and cognition, I’m mostly excited for Torres’ really great cover to issue #1. Each of our “heroes” has his own distinct aesthetic while feel connected to the other. The cool, somber vibes of our cop balance nicely with the grit and intensity of our warrior — it’s either the same man or a distant relative, and that adds a nice little wrinkle to this story. I love when books ask these massive, reality-spanning questions, and they do so with endless humanity as the driving force. Whatever is real in this man’s world, the journey looks like it’ll be intensely entertaining.
The Man From Maybe #1
Variant cover by David Rubín
In my interview with creators Shaky Kane and Jordan Thomas, I got the sense that The Man From Maybe is going to be weird. Not necessarily just in that, “Oh, man, this is sort of wild and unpredictable,” but also in that way that says, “Oh, man, this might break my brain in the most subversive but delightful way imaginable.” A weirdness so intense, it seems, that it’s spread to other creators attached to the book. Case in point: this variant cover from David Rubín, in which it seems like the very barriers comprising our reality have begun to break down. It reminds me of some of the Source Wall stuff by Jack Kirby — if the King had been on mescaline while drawing. It’s a style and approach that certainly connects, even tangentially, with Kane’s own bonkers approach — and yet Rubín’s own carefully measured, wholly organic style informs the core of this piece. It’s the subatomic bonds at the heart of this psychedelic implosion, and the thing that grounds and centers this piece that’s basically about to cascade into the great universal static. If that seems intense for a mere cover, maybe you need to open your third eye. Or, just spend 15 minutes staring at the center of this piece and let the universe whisper onto you its secrets.
Monster Fan Club #1
Cover by Shaky Kane
From one book by Shaky Kane to another by the absolutely insane artist. Monster Fan Club begins its solicitation by asking, “Is that [a] Vampire with an uzi,” and that’s the only thing I need to know a book is an unmitigated classic even before actually owning a copy. Luckily, Kane backs it up with the cover to issue #1. It feels a lot like his other work, including the more-recent blue-skinned folks in Weird Work. At the same time, though, there’s a level of chaos and general disheveledness to the design of our monster friend that is far enough removed from Kane’s usual approach — it’s a simple thing that really plays up the horror tinge in some interesting ways. That, and it makes the simple things — a bloody bat, for instance — not just symbols of violence but something with more layers that feels all the more unnerving. Even something like having one shoe missing feels like a way to use that chaos to come off even more confrontational, and almost combative, with the reader. It’s proof of Kane’s own genius in crafting these wild slices of life, and how there’s so much multifaceted humanity attached, no matter how strange things may appear.
Nightwing #107
Cover by Bruno Redondo
I’ve never tried to hide my unceasing love for this Nightwing series. Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo (and their various collaborators) have spent the last couple of years or so creating an unwavering love letter to both the character and the best parts of DC. They’re not afraid to get a little weird, and to do things that may be a little off-putting for some, let’s say, unenlightened fans. Case in point: not only are they doing a story with actual pirates, but Redondo has put together this cover that’s like the best of those cheap romance novels our mothers (and even fathers) ate up in the early ’90s. There’s no denying that there’s a large swathe of Nightwing fans who view the character in a specific light (there’s memes upon memes of the man’s rear), and this cover speaks to those same people. Whether it’s the flowing hair, the sheer open-ness of that shirt, or just the undone belt, this cover unabashedly celebrates all that is cheesy, silly, and decidedly sexual about the hero. (And I haven’t even mentioned the wordplay, which would make Nora Roberts blush.) Yes, Nightwing is the face of the Dawn of DC and a shining light for a new era of superheroics. He’s also a handsome idiot, and it’s time we start flying that flag just as often and proudly.
Daredevil #2
Variant cover by Taurin Clarke
Comics and movies have done a damn good job of trying to depict how Matt Murdock experiences the world. It’s a really alien thing to basically “see” through one’s sense of hearing, but it creates a lot of novel space for artists to have fun. And few artists have had as much fun with that concept in recent times as Taurin Clarke did with this cover to Daredevil #2. The blinding lights and sonar bit make the most sense, but it’s really the snapping arm and manic heartbeat that really take the cake. They’re not only quite hilarious, but the way they’re linked together feels almost real enough — as if that kind of feedback would be exactly what Murdock might experience. Like, he’d hear it in a way that feels nearly clinical in nature — given his ample experience in smashing the limbs of bad guys. Or, it would feel like that font, which is basically every sound effect ever in comics. Either way, it’s a novel little piece that feels like it’s suited for this era of Daredevil, in which we’re exploring what’s essential to the character even as things shift around him. It’s a way to connect back to something essential about the hero (his relationship with the world) as he’s undergone so much evolution in other, more recent stories. If nothing else, that thug’s face nearly brought me to tears.
Swan Songs #4
Cover by Caitlin Yarsky
Swan Songs, if you’re out of the loop, sees writer W. Maxwell Prince (and a rotating crew of artists) craft stories about endings. Having tackled the end of the world and even the death of a relationship, issue #4 is “The end of a sentence,” which should prove to be a decidedly weird exploration of how these moments inform and define us as people. Especially because this issue involves an ex-con with a love of “Sad Libs.” If the main cover from Caitlin Yarsky is to be believed, I think this is going to be a decidedly meta issue, which makes sense as it’s a writer writing about the act of writing. But even if it’s not (which, again, would be a real shame given that it’s a nice way to further humanize these deeply human stories), Yarsky’s style really works here. It keeps everything feeling really approachable and grounded, and yet is just stylized and exaggerated enough that this piece feels exciting while retaining some layers and even a connection to those energies supporting that whole meta angle. In stories that explore the very end of things, this cover feels like a beginning that’s both distinct in its goal and open-ended enough that this bad boy could go almost anywhere. Fill in the blank: “This story will be _____.”
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